Megan Racing: Updated AWD Downpipe and Catback! (3in.) Opinions?

[eclipsegsx1736]

I was thinking about bidding on the Downpipe on ebay, but I have a Q... does it have a bung for the rear o2?

No, the rear o2 is part of the catback.

 

[boosted spartan]

why is it that no one makes decent cheap exhaust for us 1g fwd guys...i mean they could make some nice money...i guess its time for me to custom make my own.

 

[TSIMonsteR]

No, the rear o2 is part of the catback.

oh, I gotcha

 

[siceclipse]

just to let you guys know, i saw the exhaust for sale on Megan's website TODAY!

 

[Raph]

i just looked,its there..i need a 3" exhaust to fit my fwd..will a awd 3" catback fit a gst??
im asking caus both of my buddies got 3: systems and they route under the rear suspension..just like the awd one does..

 

[siceclipse]

i dont think so...

the AWD are straight designed cause they follow next to the driveshaft.
FWD has to go around the gas tank.

 

[Raph]

i dont think so...

the AWD are straight designed cause they follow next to the driveshaft.
FWD has to go around the gas tank.

point..but where can i get a 3Inch fwd exhaust..i want a cheaper one..not a 500dollar setup.

 

[MaNGiNa24]

point..but where can i get a 3Inch fwd exhaust..i want a cheaper one..not a 500dollar setup.

Ugh, $500 is cheap. DSMers really getting THAT cheap these days? Incredible...

 

[PieEyedPiper]

Ugh, $500 is cheap. DSMers really getting THAT cheap these days? Incredible...

When my insurance is $1600 a year, my car payments are $133/mo. , I have to fill my tank weekly at $45, I need $500 in suspension work and my transfercase makes a loud "thwack!" sound when ever I drive and give it any gas, and I work as much as I can while being a more than full-time student; a $500 exhaust IS a lot of money.

But comparitively, $500 is a not a terrible price at all for an exhaust, I can;t believe how outrageous the prices are on Apexi exhaust setups are.

Edit: I take it back, I thought this was a Turbo-Back Exhaust from megan for $500. It's only a Cat-Back, $500 for a catback is retarded.

 

[MaNGiNa24]

The reason the aftermarket has always sucked for the DSMers are because people think $500 for a turbo back is "too much" which is exactly why megan racing didn't htink it was that big of a deal to produce one in such a hurry.

I on the other hand know a shop who is producing a 3" stainless steel vband turbo back for around $700 which to me is an amazing deal, but I guess I'm one of the only people in our community that finds value in a quality product.

 

[RedTurboEclipse]

For you FWD you guys already have a good very very cheap option. EBAY. My friend recently put one on. They dont come in a "turboback" package and you have to buy them seperately from different auctions, BUT it still came out to around $360 SHIPPED for the package of the downpipe and catback.

Both the downpipe and catback are full stainless steel; they come with all new bolts and gaskets. They are labeled as a "full 3 inch system". However; the downpipe is 2.5" before the flex, and 3" after, which is a straight thru design, no cat. As the connection comes to the catback part, the flange will neck down again so it will fit on the stock catback flange. The 3" catback system is N1 style, as mentioned full stainless steel. It starts off I believe 2.75" or somewhere around there; perfectly matching up to the downpipe's neckdown flange. It does have an o2 housing bung, so need to weld one on or anything like that, or run the o2 sensor all ghetto hanging. Then it runs its 3" course. The catback has 2 resonators and n1 style tip. Slants very slightly, but not so much to where it looks way off. The piping goes over the axel and not under; so it helps for all you slammed cars. It sounds good and performs quite well compared to stock; after riding in the vehicle and listening to the tone of it.

$360 brand new shipped, full stainless steel, new bolts/gaskets. Not to mention he got both pieces in under a week. Really hard to beat. Of course the anal ones, will complain about the necking down at the connection from the dp to catback. Nothing too difficult an exhaust shop can fix.

Now if there was an option like this for AWD, hell I would buy one right away. I've been monitoring this thread for a while, in hopes that the megan one will be around that price and whenever it would be released. After seeing the quality of the ebay one, it leaves me searching for one at that price. For $500, I would expect no neck downs, and the downpipe not straight thru with an option for hf cat or test pipe right off the bat. But we can't always get whwat we want right; I'm just crossing my fingers, that with this particular situation we can.

 

[funguy]

someone buy one , and see if it will fit their downpipes correctly, because there has been so many MR downpipe versions.
the version i have of the MR dp is the true full 3" w/o any neck downs and the horizontal flange. So some one get this and test her out!
I already have a custom mandrel bent, but now i want a full ss exhaust.

I contacted MR and they said its based off their latest dp, which is which one? i don't know.

 

[ILLiCliPSE]

Guys I may be the Guinea pig here...

Im basically ready to order the Megan DP and their new Cat-back. I guess Ill see if theyll all fit together. I found the Cat-back for $430 shipped and the DP for $110 + shipping. If anyone knows of a place that sells the parts for cheaper let me know. But I just have to wait till the middle of this week coming up. I need to cash a few checks so I dont drain the back account all at once *Hey Im 17....Im not rich and yes, this exhaust will empty half of my back account *

Any advice?

 

[MrBoxx]

Ramen. Lots and lots of Ramen Noodles.

Just kidding. You're probably not THAT desperate yet. But if the downpipe works well for you, let us know. I'm in the market for one, and the price sounds good. Please get some pics of the install/finished product and your opinions on the results.

 

[ILLiCliPSE]

BTW, Here are some links that I have saved for you guys to check out:

Megan 2G AWD Downpipe (2nd item on the list):
http://www.undergroundmotorsports.com/downpipes/mitsubishi.html
$110 plus shipping

Megan 2G AWD Cat-back:
http://www.hopupracing.com/meratuexmiec.html
$429 shipped

Official Megan website w/ 95-99 AWD Exhaust being advertised, so it is ready for order:
http://www.meganracing.com/products/product_detail.asp?prodid=515&catid=91

Im thinking about buying them from the first two links. Do you guys think that no matter who you buy the DP and Cat-back from, the fitment will be ok? There are so many different versions of the DP and hopefully no one sells the old ones.

 

[eclipsegsx1736]

I'm sorry I haven't posted here. Megan Racing has basically cut me off. They never respond to my emails, and whenever I call the secretary says he's not there, even though I know he is. They still owe me a catback and a few other parts for all the time and work I spent with them getting this downpipe and catback to fit for our cars...all the prototyping and test fitting was all done on my car, and it's a 1+ hr drive out there, which I have driven maybe 15 times. Theyre damn nice exhausts, but I'm upset with them for what they did. The least they could do is give me one damn catback...So that's why I haven't posted here, I haven't been told by MR that the catback was released.

 

[ILLiCliPSE]

I'm sorry I haven't posted here. Megan Racing has basically cut me off. They never respond to my emails, and whenever I call the secretary says he's not there, even though I know he is. They still owe me a catback and a few other parts for all the time and work I spent with them getting this downpipe and catback to fit for our cars...all the prototyping and test fitting was all done on my car, and it's a 1+ hr drive out there, which I have driven maybe 15 times. Theyre damn nice exhausts, but I'm upset with them for what they did. The least they could do is give me one damn catback...So that's why I haven't posted here, I haven't been told by MR that the catback was released.

Thats a bummer man....

Id just take the hour drive and go up there and say to their face ""
Anyways, their site does have it up, and it is priced at $450. A member on here (Shane2GSX) has the DP and Cat-back on his 99 GSX, and he says its awesome. Deep tone sound, good quality, and fit great. Im just confused on where to get the newest parts from Megan because there has been so many versions of the DP...which one will fit to the new Cat-back I wonder.

BTW, here is what Shane had to say about the exhaust:

"I have the Megan Racing 2G AWD catback exhaust and downpipe. Overall, I love this exhaust and downpipe! It is a bit loud, but it has a nice deep tone to it and it is pretty quiet at idle. But once you get on it, it really makes itself known. It's not like some exhaust that seem to go quiet after 4000+ rpms, this thing increases it's sound to redline. It's extremely straight and is a gorgeous exhaust. I have got many compliments on it. The install went pretty easy, the only difficult part was that the downpipe is so big you barely have room to turn the bolts when connecting it to the O2 housing. But it's not that big of a deal, just take your time and don't strip the bolts. Also, I tapped my EGT in the MR downpipe and that went flawlessly.

The only complaint I have a bout the MR catback is that it looks a little small from the back. On my old gst I had an HKS Hyper which was nearly 4.5". My MR is only 4". But honestly, it's not that big of a deal to me, it just looked a little funny at first. But now I'm used to it. Anyway, if I had it to do over, I would definitely buy this exhaust again. Stainless steal, 3", looks amazing, and sounds great! You really can't beat it for the price."

 

[PieEyedPiper]

Thats a bummer man....

Id just take the hour drive and go up there and say to their face ""
Anyways, their site does have it up, and it is priced at $450. A member on here (Shane2GSX) has the DP and Cat-back on his 99 GSX, and he says its awesome. Deep tone sound, good quality, and fit great. Im just confused on where to get the newest parts from Megan because there has been so many versions of the DP...which one will fit to the new Cat-back I wonder.

BTW, here is what Shane had to say about the exhaust:

"I have the Megan Racing 2G AWD catback exhaust and downpipe. Overall, I love this exhaust and downpipe! It is a bit loud, but it has a nice deep tone to it and it is pretty quiet at idle. But once you get on it, it really makes itself known. It's not like some exhaust that seem to go quiet after 4000+ rpms, this thing increases it's sound to redline. It's extremely straight and is a gorgeous exhaust. I have got many compliments on it. The install went pretty easy, the only difficult part was that the downpipe is so big you barely have room to turn the bolts when connecting it to the O2 housing. But it's not that big of a deal, just take your time and don't strip the bolts. Also, I tapped my EGT in the MR downpipe and that went flawlessly.

The only complaint I have a bout the MR catback is that it looks a little small from the back. On my old gst I had an HKS Hyper which was nearly 4.5". My MR is only 4". But honestly, it's not that big of a deal to me, it just looked a little funny at first. But now I'm used to it. Anyway, if I had it to do over, I would definitely buy this exhaust again. Stainless steal, 3", looks amazing, and sounds great! You really can't beat it for the price."

4.5" is huge dude, looks really ricey IMO. Got any shots of your new exhaust?

 

[Shane2GSX]

Exact copy of my full review.. it was submitted about a week ago and is still not in the reviews section, I have no idea why. Like it says at the bottom, pics to come as soon as I can get them off my buddies camera...

Megan Racing 2G AWD Catback and Downpipe Review

Appearance:
This exhaust is absolutely a piece of work! Both the catback and downpipe are extremely straight. If you've seen the Apexi N1 or some other exhausts with a lot of bends, you'll really appreciate the straightness of this exhaust. Both the catback and downpipe are stainless steal and are absolutely gorgeous. It's simply the best looking exhaust I've ever seen. I have received an unbelievable amount of compliments on it. The only complaint I have a bout the catback's appearance is that the tip looks a little small from the back. On my old GST I had an HKS Hyper which was nearly 4.5". My MR is only about 4". I honestly would have rather it been a little larger just so it would fit the car better, however I think the rest of what the exhaust has to offer is well worth the trade-off of a slightly smaller tip. Some of you may actually prefer the smaller exhaust tip. Either way, if you're switching from a bigger exhaust tip be prepared for this slight change. Initially I really did not like it, but after a few weeks I didn't even notice it.

Sound:
If you've owned an Apexi N1 or HKS Hyper exhaust, be prepared for a slight change in noise level. The Megan Racing catback and downpipe combined give a louder, but still a very nice deep tone. At idle the exhaust is very quiet and has a slight rumble too it like most others. The difference comes when you put the pedal down. At this point, it really makes itself known! It's not like some other exhausts that seem to go quiet after 4000+ RPM. Instead this thing seems to increase its sound all the way to redline. Now, that's not to say that the noise level is bad or unbearable, because that isn't the case. To someone that has never owned a quieter exhaust like an Apexi N1, they may not even notice a difference. However, I would personally rather the exhaust be a little quieter.

Installation:
There isn't much to note about installing this exhaust. It's pretty much like installing any other aftermarket exhausts. The overall install went pretty smooth. The only difficult part was that the downpipe is so big you barely have room to turn the bolts when connecting it to the O2 housing. We originally thought we had it completely tight, but when we ran the car for the first time we had a major exhaust leak between the downpipe and O2 housing, resulting in a diesel-like truck sound. After taking more time to completely tighten the O2 bolts being careful not to strip to bolts, the leak was fixed and it sounded great as I described before. Just be careful not to strip the bolts, as it is very hard to get a wrench or socket completely on the bolts to be turned. Also, I tapped my EGT probe into the MR downpipe. This fit fine right behind the oil filter and is working well for me.

Performance:
After everything, there is definitely a difference in performance. The turbo spools much quicker and more top end power is available. Like any 3" exhaust and downpipe, the MR catback and downpipe combination really seemed to open things up while making the car much more responsive.

Conclusion:
Overall, I love this exhaust and downpipe! Simply put, it is the best looking and sounding exhaust I've ever been around. As I stated before, I've had many compliments on both the sound and appearance of the exhaust. If I had it to do over, I would absolutely buy this exhaust again. Stainless steal, 3", minimal bends, looks amazing, and sounds great! You really can't beat it for the price.

Pictures:

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And just for fun, some of the car..

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[ILLiCliPSE]

wow man that looks pretty sick. I did read that the one you have is the prototype...I wonder if thats what the final product looks like.

 

[Shane2GSX]

I haven't seen the final version, but this was supposed to be it. By judging the pics on MR's website they look identical to me...

 

[Apeximprt2nr]

Yeah, I think that's the final product. That realy looks nice. The review sold me on it. I was going to get it sometime within a month or so, but now hearing that, I want to order i now .
What type of sound does it have compared to the N1? Much more constant tone, or still raspy, gargle like the N1?

 

[Apeximprt2nr]

Edit:

 

[Shane2GSX]

Yeah, I think that's the final product. That realy looks nice. The review sold me on it. I was going to get it sometime within a month or so, but now hearing that, I want to order i now .
What type of sound does it have compared to the N1? Much more constant tone, or still raspy, gargle like the N1?

There is a little gargle/snarl to the exhaust. Doesn't sound like any others I've heard before on a DSM. But it's nice and deep as well. I don't think it's raspy at all..

 

[RedTurboEclipse]

Not really a fan of the angle that it sits at, but it looks good, at least the muffler/tip does. That's all we really get to see. Do you have any pics of the product before it was installed on your vehicle, and then pics of piping installed.