My New "Stock/Stealth" looking Muffler

[thewraith]

Got the muffler installed today. Looks great- almost stock really. I notice that it flows just as well as the large fartcan I had on the car before. It is quiet as stock until you get on it at which point it sounds like a silenced n1 with a little more bass. Very happy with this mod.

 

[Black_Bullet]

Magnaflow 12198 with AeroExhaust ST2535 weld-on tips.

EDIT: And two days of learning how to use a hand grinder.

Hey Kenamond; how loud is that dual tip muffler you have? I really like the way it looks.

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ok well, I have a 3in DP with an electric cutout on it
(when open its just dumping under the car and sounding like a cammed truck at idle)

Well the other end of the Y on my 3in DP thats not dumping goes into a 2.5 catback
that then goes into a stock muffler...

Now given, if im racing or doing pulls or spirited driving the cutout is open and im at full power.

But, reason i have the stock muffler back on with all that upgraded pipe is for quietness so that when i close my cutout its damn near stock sounding.
(Basically the point of having an electric cutout in the first place.)

I dont want to change that sleeper effect i have going on "noise wise", BUT i would like a nicer muffler hanging back there instead of this old rusted low hanging crappy stock one for the visual aspect of the car, since im about to get my car painted sometime this summer and spruce it up a tad; I just dont think the stock muffler would be too appealing with my nice rims and paint job.

Ive even thought of getting like a stock STI or Evo muffler or some nicer stock muffler that is quiet yet still flows more than what i have.

BUT how can i get away with using the muffler you have but yet still being near stock quiet for when my E-cutout is closed.? If i put like two 12in sound resonators on the catback will it drop the noise down to the limits im looking for? ( at least at idle and cruise)

Kind of odd questions I know but thanks.
I can take a pic/ or vid of my exhaust system if anyone is confused on what im talking about.

 

[kenamond]

Thanks Jay. I like it, too.

It's much louder than stock, but I don't know how loud it would be with a cat and 2.5" catback. Those will decrease the noise. I went from bone stock to 3" turboback with a fartcan. It was tooo loud and looke way too ricer for me, so I swapped in the Magnaflow and tips. It helped a lot with the noise level, but it's still much louder than stock. I may add a high-flow cat later if the sound gets to me. From 2500-3000rpm it's louder than I'd like, but it quiets down a bunch outside that range.

If you don't care about power (since you have the cutout), you might decide to just clean up the stocker and have some nice tips welded onto it. If you want a quieter, new muffler, shop around for non-straight-through mufflers (with baffles). I don't know how low yours is right now, and I don't know how easy it would be to modify it to be tucked up under the car more (mine's as tucked as it can get), but I'm sure you could lay on a creeper for half an hour with the axleback off and see what your options are.

If you can live with the location of the stock exhaust, just yank it, clean the rust off, scuff it well with 220 grit, wipe it clean with acetone, and paint it with BBQ flat black Krylon. Tips are out there, but make sure you know the muffler outlet sizes and center-to-center spacing of the muffler tips before chosing aftermarket tips. Also, consider how long the tips would have to be so that they didn't stick out too far or not far enough. I had to cut the ones in that picture down quite a bit to get it *perfect* . Mine are weld-on, but you can buy clamp-on as well.

 

[DSMSpyder99]

WoW! I haven't been on this thread in a while some many more post and some other nice stealthy muffler setups. I have gotten a few PM's on the video. I uploaded a video that my friend took for me right after i got the muffler installed. The video is not the greatest, he was a little too close to the exhaust and distorted the sound a little.

Please note the following:

1. My set up the from ENGINE-BACK: HKS 264/272 Cams, SBR exhaust manifold (V.1), E16G, ported 2G o2 Housing, 2.5" DP, 2.5" HFC, 3" Thermal Piping w/ new Vibrant 3" Muffler
2. The vibrant actually got quieter after break-in period (approximately 100-150 miles).
3. I recently " modified " my HFC, which made my exhaust significantly louder. I plan on getting 24" resonator from RRE (Louvered Core Aluminized Steel for $31), I will post another video after i buy & get it installed.
   
   RRE Exhaust System Parts

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[absolute_DSM]

^ Im very glad yours sounds like that. Im about to weld up a very similar setup.

 

[TSiAWD666]

In case anyone is interested, while I can't recall which magnaflow muffler I used (probably the same as the other guys in this thread), the tips are Item 28-660, the Sport Series 2 1/2" x 4 1/2" Oval Straight Stainless Steel tips from Superior Automotive - Home. Here's the pdf with their tips, including the ones I bought:
http://www.sup-auto.com/catalogs/supergear.pdf

My fabricator fabbed outlet piping onto which he welded the tips so as to keep the stock look, and of course sprayed the muffler with matte black high temp paint.

 

[RipperXX]

Personally it has always been my openion that "steathy" was just more grown up and professional / classy.

 

[DSMSpyder99]

Just to keep you guys updated, ever since I "modified" my HFC it has become excessively loud again. My g/f says its ALMOST as loud as my old Thermal w/ "unmodified" HFC. I have been looking into resonators to make it quiet...again . I came across Vibrant Ultra Quiet Resonator, it honestly looks like a mini muffler and features a free-flow design. The only problem is that its $85 and the dimensions are a little big W= 6.75" and H= 4.5". I am pretty sure it will fit but I am going to take some measurements soon just to make sure I have clearance.

Vibrant Ultra Quiet Resonator: VIBRESUQ Verocious Motorsports

Vibrant's Ultra Quiet Stainless Steel Resonators

Every Vibrant Ultra Quiet Resonator is constructed of polished, 304 Stainless Steel for superior durability and show quality looks. Vibrant resonators feature a "True Straight Through" perforated core, surrounded by premium multi-layer sound absorption materials to dampen noise levels without restricting exhaust flow. The Ultra Quiet Resonators feature a larger sound chamber, which provides better sound dampening than the standard bottle resonator, and eliminates the "rifling" noise common with 6 cylinder and 8 cylinder engines equipped with straight through performance exhaust systems.

 

[Mr Peepers]

I've got one of those Not installed yet though.

It's big, but not much bigger than a HFC. I doubt you'll have any problems replacing your HFC with it.

It's a pretty damn nice piece too, and IMO worth $85(I got it for free )

 

[daren_p]

Just to keep you guys updated, ever since I "modified" my HFC it has become excessively loud again. My g/f says its ALMOST as loud as my old Thermal w/ "unmodified" HFC. I have been looking into resonators to make it quiet...again . I came across Vibrant Ultra Quiet Resonator, it honestly looks like a mini muffler and features a free-flow design. The only problem is that its $85 and the dimensions are a little big W= 6.75" and H= 4.5". I am pretty sure it will fit but I am going to take some measurements soon just to make sure I have clearance.

Vibrant Ultra Quiet Resonator: VIBRESUQ Verocious Motorsports

Vibrant's Ultra Quiet Stainless Steel Resonators

Every Vibrant Ultra Quiet Resonator is constructed of polished, 304 Stainless Steel for superior durability and show quality looks. Vibrant resonators feature a "True Straight Through" perforated core, surrounded by premium multi-layer sound absorption materials to dampen noise levels without restricting exhaust flow. The Ultra Quiet Resonators feature a larger sound chamber, which provides better sound dampening than the standard bottle resonator, and eliminates the "rifling" noise common with 6 cylinder and 8 cylinder engines equipped with straight through performance exhaust systems.

A local added one of these ultra quite resonators to his awd, it fit but was very tight. Looks like your fwd, so clearance shouldn't be as tight. I picked up 2 of the Vibrant bullet style resonators, both the long & short one. I was going to run two, just like the stock setup in the same locations.

 

[thewraith]

I basically took the ebay n1 that i have which has 2 resonators on it already, I already had a high flow cat, and got the new muffler welded on. It sounds a little louder then stock. Much quieter and deeper then the n1 w/the silencer and I don't have that loss of power.

 

[JrCRXHF]

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Stainless 3" in 3" out.

 

[TrboANTsi]

Ok this sucks..so im tired of my fart can too. its an apexi n1..the OG muff rusted so i got a no frills muff and its way too loud. got a steal on a thermal muffler for a awd for 40 bucks . now you guys are saying even thats loud. i hate my loud exhaust how much louder then stock would you say that vibrant muffler is? from the clip it didnt sound too loud..but it looks kinda empty back there being all black. man all these decisions.

 

[DSMSpyder99]

The Thermal can be made quieter. It doesn't have any resonators, just add two of them before you bolt it on.

 

[TrboANTsi]

well yeah i only have the muffler im gonna weld it to my apexi turbo back piping which has two resonators

 

[thewraith]

The Thermal can be made quieter. It doesn't have any resonators, just add two of them before you bolt it on.

my thermal w/2 resonators was still unbearable at highway speeds.

 

[DSMSpyder99]

Hmmm thats strange mine did not have any resonators. Maybe it was only FWD that didn't have any resonators.

 

[thewraith]

I had installed my thermal on my n1 at the axle back point. It was still loud as hell. The thermal to the axle did not have resonators- the n1 does.

 

[DSMunknown]

I've also got the Vibrant Stealth muffler in the house. Will be taking it to a local shop (ESP) and then sending it to JNZ to have the tips and piping match the black coating. I got this one, with the three inch inlet and dual three inch outlet. Will be having the shop reduce the tips to 2.25 inches. It's gonna look sick.

I hope Mack did his math right.

 

[1glaserturbo]

I've also got the Vibrant Stealth muffler in the house. Will be taking it to a local shop (ESP) and then sending it to JNZ to have the tips and piping match the black coating. I got this one, with the three inch inlet and dual three inch outlet. Will be having the shop reduce the tips to 2.25 inches. It's gonna look sick.

I hope Mack did his math right.

I bought that one last week and just recently installed it onto my VR4. All I have to say is sleeper!!!

 

[urbanrcr]

I prefer the stock looking mufflers over the n1 style 4" tip mufflers. Looks good!

 

[DSMunknown]

I bought that one last week and just recently installed it onto my VR4. All I have to say is sleeper!!!

Now you have to throw up a photo.

 

[1glaserturbo]

Now you have to throw up a photo.

Will do, tomorrow when I get a hanger welded so it tucks up just right

 

[bboybandit2000]

Has anyone ran into any type of boost creep issues? I am running 20 psi on a E16g and O2 housing with 3" exh., will that added backpressure possibly cause any creep? if not, then im getting one today, im tired of the noise myself

 

[DSMSpyder99]

UPDATE:

A few months ago i decided to "modify" my high flow cat (HFC), the outcome slightly better topend and much louder exhaust Once again I was on the quest to make it quieter/stealthy.

After doing some research I decided to get the 2.5" Vibrant Ultra Quiet Resonator to replace my modified HFC and a 24" Louver-Type Resonator (3" piping). According to RRE the Louver type does a better job at making exhaust quieter but flows 5% less than the perforated type. The ultra quiet was $95 via ExtremePSI, the 24" was $31 via RRE, and to install it was $60 via local muffler shop.

I am once again pleased with the result. On the freeway there is practically no droning. I can actually have a conversation with people without talking loud or lowering the radio. To top it all off my GF says it is even quieter than before.

I am done modifying my exhaust. I hope this thread will be helpful to future DSM owners or when your fart-can phase is over