Adding a resonator to a brand name exhaust?

[Fox1486]

Has anyone added a resonator to a brand cat-back? I was looking for a 3" cat-back or turbo back that maintains a "quiet" profile. I've read some threads on here where the person has attached a vibrant performance muffler or other low profile mufflers. I didn't know if anyone has added a resonator to an Apex'i Dunk/N1, HKS Hiper/Super Dragger, Thermal, RSR, VRS, GReddy Evo2, etc.

Please post up pics/video if you have. I'd be interested in hearing different sound tones. I want to attain the right performance addition, sound, and look to the car. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[bboyalan]

Most name brand exhaust systems already include a resonator or two. The A'PEXi N1 catback, for example, had a decent-sized one located halfway through. If you're really looking to muffle down the tone as you upgrade, keep your main cat, toss in a high-flow cat, or replace it with a resonator.

Here's the A'PEXi setup that I had used when I still owned the DSM:

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You can clearly see the resonator at the end.

Here it is out of the box:

 

[Fox1486]

I have heard the N1s in person though. They are relatively quiet when compared to others, but still not exactly what I'm looking for. I was just curious what it would sound like if I put a "effective" resonator on these brand names

 

[jumpfroggy]

Fox,
I'm kinda in the same boat. I would like to get some decent performance from my 2g/awd, but I'm really not a fan of loud/deep exhausts. That may sound strange, but the fun of a fast car for me is the acceleration, not the sound. Plus, less likely to get pulled over (depending on your area).

Ideally, I'd like to get some kind of 3" setup with a high-flow cat, resonators, and a good but quite muffler. I've toyed with the idea of taking an ebay exhaust and welding a new resonator/muffler onto it. It might be cheaper to have an exhaust shop do the whole thing custom, but I don't know any reputable shops around yet and I need something now (my current exhaust just rusted out, need a bolt on quick).

I've actually had my eye on the Dynomax super-turbo muffler for a while now:
Dynomax :: Mufflers :: Super Turbo
The design looks like it'd still have decent flow, but a lot less sound. I've even toyed with the idea of a dual super-turbo muffler setup, to get higher flow but with lower noise. I'm sure most on here wouldn't bother with it, but I do like my quiet-ness.

I've also thought about adding a glass-pack or similar race muffler as a makeshift resonator replacement. Not sure how well it'd work; I think resonators are not absorbent, they simply use destructive interference to cancel out certain frequencies. A glasspack may add more turbulence and be undesirable in this case.

It's pretty hard to find solid information and direct comparisons for mufflers on flow vs. noise. I'd love to have a chart like this for a bunch of common mufflers, I think it'd be very enlightening.

Sorry for the random info, but I just thought I'd share my thought process since it seems we're in a similar boat. My plan right now is to get a bolt on (maybe the ssautochrome or an ebay exhaust), and then mod it later as I have the time/skills.

 

[mitsumikey]

Yes that is exactly what I did ^
I have the SS autochrome turbo back (2 resonators). I bought it from a local vendor though here in Canada and it was a bit pricier down here. I installed it myself and drove around with the silencer in it and it sounded decent, but I never bothered trying it out without the silencer. I took it into a local shop and had them change the muffler with a 3 inch inlet/dual 3 inch outlet magnaflow, and they put a 3 inch magnaflow cat for me too. Not very loud of a system at all. Seems even quieter when your outside the car. Idle is a nice deep ba ba ba ba. Cruise there is hardly any drone present. Under WOT gives out a decent amount of sound but not really loud at all.
The main system was 520 I think shipped to me (keep in mind us canadians get raped on prices for our mods and parts). The shop charged me 640 in parts/labour if I remember correctly.
If you guys want pics I ll take the time to post them up later. You can see the magnaflow muffler on the car in my gallery though.

 

[jumpfroggy]

Yes that is exactly what I did ^
I have the SS autochrome turbo back (2 resonators). .... I took it into a local shop and had them change the muffler with a 3 inch inlet/dual 3 inch outlet magnaflow, and they put a 3 inch magnaflow cat for me too. Not very loud of a system at all.

mitsu,
That's exactly what I had in mind, I was just trying to figure out if it was cost effective to get a relatively cheap exhaust like the ssautochrome (ssac) and mod it later, or go for a pricier brand name. However, I'm pretty sure I'll want to put my own muffler on eventually, so it seems better to just go with the ssac for now and mod it as I have time.

I would love to see pics of the setup, especially the muffler and cat you put in, and also vids/sounds if it's practical. Exhaust vids are not very comparable, but it at least gives an idea of what to expect.

Sorry if I'm thread-jacking this for you Fox, don't mean to. If this doesn't fit what you're looking for, let us know and I may start another thread.

 

[mitsumikey]

Lol Fox actually PM ed me asking about my setup before I even posted that. He wanted me to share with the thread, so I m just going to copy/paste and edit our inbox messages. It ll be a few because I have to find/replace all the picture links and edit what I wrote to fit here.
Edit: it may or may not be cost effective for you. I believe you guys pay alot less for the system than I had too. In my case it worked out because I wanted to mod a system and I wanted stainless. I found the apexi N1 was not stainless and a brand name like that would have probably cost me up around 1600 all said and done as apposed to about 1100 that I paid. I wanted something differant and I wanted a magnaflow. As far as I know they do not make a system for anything other than 2gnt s.
I dont have a video camera, but at the meet Im going to in july hopefully someone can do some recording for me.

 

[TSiAWD666]

I have an 18" long... 4" maybe diameter resonator from Magnaflow inserted into my exhaust. It quieted the noise drastically on my car from around 2000 to 2500rpm. Unfortunately I almost never drive in that range so its benefit is minimal. At some point this year I'll try adding a second one in another section of my catback piping.

My catback is a thermal r&d 3", though the muffler rusted through and is now replaced with a magnaflow.

 

[mitsumikey]

OK here is what I have left out, and some stuff I already said. I just want to paste this in because I took more time explaining it to fox than I did in this thread.
The exhaust sounds deep at idle, makes a deep bah bah bah, people have compimented it. It took getting used to the sound while driving . But I can say there is minimal drone and it is actually really quiet for a 3 inch exhuast. I let a few buddies drive it so I could hear from outside and I must say with stock turbo and BOV it sounds really mean still. Even my old vette fanatic nieghbor said its not at all ricey like a honda. He says it sounds real deep, but its no 8 cyl .
OK some pics. Starting with unmodified exhuast to modified. I am On dial up at home so I cant really look at them to try and cut some out as it will take too long . Also I know they are really big. I thought they seemed good but my local forum didnt seem to think so

SS autochrome:

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It came close/rubbed the driveshaft and that had to be fixed:

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This hangar(on car) had to be unbolted and turned around:

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This hangar(on exhaust) had to be bent to clear suspension parts:

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I think it looked pretty good actually:

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Then I had it modified. I THINK this is my muffler:
http://www.magnaflow.com/02product/s...e=main&id=7979
I asked the shop to give me part numbers and they never did. Im 90% shure that those were the measurements, but I do know its polished stainless. I have the polished stainless cat which I know little about other than its a 3 inch high flow.
And These are the tips:

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They had to be chopped probably almost in half as there wasnt really much selection for the 3 inch tip size

 

[mitsumikey]

Here is the muffler on the car
It sags a little and I plan on fixing that, also they pissed me off because the tips should not have been the same length. To match the curve in the bumper better the inside tip should be longer like the stock exhaust is.

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Here is the Cat:

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current shots:

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[Fox1486]

Thanks for posting that stuff up mitsumikey.

This is really something I've started to look into. Although I can't seem to find an SSAC system for us FWD guys...

The SS system looks to be nice and I would take that finish over say an Apex'i N1 system that has a flat finish on it.

Mitsu, did you add different resonators or are they the ones that came with the SSAC system?

 

[mitsumikey]

Just call me mike guys
I will ask my guy about the FWD one now while Im remembering.
I didnt bother changing the resonators, and they seem to work fine
EDIT: PM ed him for you. Now that I think of it I think the FWD version may have only been a catback.

 

[1gengsxz3]

that shinny color wont last long so it really doesnt matter. for best results go to a exhuast shop and have them do it. they will test it to see if you like it and change it if you dont.

 

[pboglio]

Here's a review on what I did with my exhaust:

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/art...164893-thermal-r-d-exhaust-review-2g-awd.html

A highflow cat makes things almost stock quiet, almost too quiet to be honest.

 

[Fox1486]

Here's a review on what I did with my exhaust:

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/art...164893-thermal-r-d-exhaust-review-2g-awd.html

A highflow cat makes things almost stock quiet, almost too quiet to be honest.

I want a quiet system, maybe a bit louder but no where close to a regular aftermarket brand name.

Can you clarify what you did to the exhaust though? It says you put a Borla muffler on but it looks like the regular Thermal R&D muffler. Maybe I'm just confused as to what the "Bpipe" is.

Also a sound clip would be EXCELLENT if you have the means to upload one. Thanks.