Custom exhaust VS. Cat back kit

[heff]

OK guys here's my deal, I have a 98 GS with a cold air intake no other mods, and I want an exhaust for performance, sound and looks. My choices that I am considering are either a high quality cat back kit from greddy, thermal, or apexi, or just buying the greddy, thermal or apexi muffler and having midas or some muffler shop custom bend a pipe from the cat to the muffler. I know the 2nd option will end up being about half as much as just buying the whole kit, but I'm not just out to get the cheapest stuff, my concern is sound level. I don't want to buy a $600 kit and find out it's too loud for my taste(or the cops) and then be out $600 if want to change it. However if I go the custom route I wouldn't feel as bad if i ended up changing the muffler because i didn't spend as much in the first place. I'm sure on saturday night crusin the streets any of these kits would be fine, however my concern is monday morning on the way to work am I going to get a headache? So my question is this: what is the difference between the sound from the custom route and the kit ? If anybody has gone the custom route how do you like it? I know that if I go the custom route, I don't get the resinator, but what difference does that make? Any experiences or tips would be great,
Thanks,
Heff

 

[eclipse13]

i just went the route of buying the muffler and having the piping put on by a muffler shop. I should be getting it on by the end of the week so i will tell you what happens by saturday.

 

[jimwross]

I think it depends alot on the muffler that you end up using with a custom or a kit. If i were going to have it done... I'd just buy a muffler that I've herad before, and get a custom catback done...

I could be wrong though, all I know is that when you put a differernt muffler on ti changes the sound incrediblely, but midpipes dont seem to make THAT big of a difference (in sound etc..)

 

[rally95talon]

i went with a flowtech afterburner 2.5 inlet/outlet. it is a nice loud-but not too loud-crisp tone. when i took it to the strip i got compliments on it from the v-8 guys for its clean-non ricey-sound. i love it and everyone who has heard it has liked it. i just put a nice modest 3.5" tip on the end. it eliminated the "cannon" look. the muffler was 40, top was 30 and instalation was 40. i didnt try to go cheap, but it worked out like that.

 

[eclipse13]

RESULTS: I got mine put on yesterday. It is a muffler with 2.5" piping from the cat back. It sounds nice and for the piping to be put on it was only $60. I knew that guy that did it so it might be more at a meineke or midas. I would go the route of muffler and custom piping unless you want the gauranteed HP gains some cat-back systems have. Good Luck.

 

[ABK]

if you want some gains from the custom exhaust you have to get it mandel bent, otherwise it's going to be a pc of shit.

 

[eclipse13]

i didnt notice any HP gains at bottom end but when driving on my favorite road, going around bends at about 60 and downshifting to 3rd, it definently accelerates quicker and smoother coming out.

 

[krustindumm]

Originally posted by ABK
if you want some gains from the custom exhaust you have to get it mandel bent, otherwise it's going to be a pc of shit.

You mean mandrel bent? crush bends do hurt flow, but mandrel bends are not necessary (look at some of the 500whp grand nationals). If no one in your area does mandrel bends don't worry about it to much, or buy pre bent sections and weld them together.

-Dustin

 

[kagegod]

My personal favorite is still the GReddy Evo exhaust. It's real deep and mellow at normal driving but if you go WoT it has a nice clean sound (doesn't sound like "BLAT") but definitely can get loud.

If you go with a muffler shop try and see if anyone in your area has used them before. Sometimes you have be cautious of the quality of work some of the shops do.

 

[Megags]

I had to go back to my shop 3 times, and the 3rd time they realized they missed welding half of the muffler!

 

[1997RS]

Where did you get your muffler from??? I am very interested.

I got my muffler about 2 days after i brought my car around 1 1/2 ago and just recently I had a custom cat-back done to it and little did i know it was mandrel bent for only $65 2 1/2" inlet and outlet 4" my muffler is too loud thank God I havent gotten pulled yet for it but wanting to change it SOON! Now hp gains very subtle specially when you downshift and gas it all the way WOT. Changing my exhaust flow (CAT BACK) made it sound deeper too. I just want to change my muffler i like the Idea of investing little and change it later , not that am a cheapo dude, is just more practical aswell. I mean common, not many of us do have 600-700 $$$ for a cat back that you may not even know how the results would be unless already previously heard. Where I live there arent many eclipses/talons for atleast 40-50 miles and I dont think I want to travel just to listen to an exhaust so I had mines made, now I dont remember what name brand was my muffler but it sure cost me 100 bucks, and it did nothing but sound like a pissed off Bumble Bee , take care guys and check your area if its important to you about mandrel bent before having anything done (again only if its important to you) Happy Motoring.

-George (puertoricoracing.com)

 

[rally95talon]

Originally posted by 1997RS
Where did you get your muffler from??? I am very interested.

I got my muffler about 2 days after i brought my car around 1 1/2 ago and just recently I had a custom cat-back done to it and little did i know it was mandrel bent for only $65 2 1/2" inlet and outlet 4" my muffler is too loud thank God I havent gotten pulled yet for it but wanting to change it SOON! Now hp gains very subtle specially when you downshift and gas it all the way WOT. Changing my exhaust flow (CAT BACK) made it sound deeper too. I just want to change my muffler i like the Idea of investing little and change it later , not that am a cheapo dude, is just more practical aswell. I mean common, not many of us do have 600-700 $$$ for a cat back that you may not even know how the results would be unless already previously heard. Where I live there arent many eclipses/talons for atleast 40-50 miles and I dont think I want to travel just to listen to an exhaust so I had mines made, now I dont remember what name brand was my muffler but it sure cost me 100 bucks, and it did nothing but sound like a pissed off Bumble Bee , take care guys and check your area if its important to you about mandrel bent before having anything done (again only if its important to you) Happy Motoring.

-George (puertoricoracing.com)

i got it at checker auto parts. im sure other auto places have them or can get them. it was $40, and it is a flo-tech Afterburner. it is just aluminum cased. kinda resembles a skinny stock muffler, but sounds awsome. i would recommend keeping the resonator on too. that will help mellow the tone of the exhaust--without robbing power. i agree about the mandrel bent piping---don't worry about it, its not that big a deal until you are making big hp.
--oh, and dont be shocked when you get the muffler---it IS just a universal one--nothin specific, but the engineering in then is good. they flow well and are tuned for hp and sound. just throw a nice tip on it and you have a clean looking exhaust
lata

 

[Laser93Nash]

I've been looking at a Flowtech warlock muffler from www.seffects.com and a flowtech glass pack to replace cat, w/ 2.5" pipe. But if I could get my hands on a afterburner I would go with one of those. Know of any sites that sell them?

~Andrew~

 

[rally95talon]

Originally posted by Laser93Nash
I've been looking at a Flowtech warlock muffler from www.seffects.com and a flowtech glass pack to replace cat, w/ 2.5" pipe. But if I could get my hands on a afterburner I would go with one of those. Know of any sites that sell them?

~Andrew~

summit.com, and jeggs.com im pretty sure, i dont buy a lot online, i go to the stores, but im pretty sure those two sell them

 

[nicksdsm]

where can i buy the GReddy Evo exhaust muffler?

 

[kagegod]

Originally posted by nicksdsm
where can i buy the GReddy Evo exhaust muffler?

There's a lot of places you can buy it from like overboost or NOPI. Just do a google search for "GReddy Evolution exhaust Mitsubishi Price" (minus the " " or you won't get anything) and you should find all sorts of places selling it.