recommended exhaust (merged 2/13/07)

[deeez2g]

im new to dsmtuners and im wondering whats a good recommended exhaust? i drive a 99 gst. 3in or 2.5? noise levels do not matter.

 

[pur97tsifwd]

depends how far you want to take your car i would go 3inch and be done with it meagan racing exhaust is the best in my opinion cheap 3inch ss 3inch sounds better in my opinion also

 

[My91TalonTSi]

If you plan to keep it a mild street car car, a 2.5 will be fine. If you plan on going with a 20g or larger, it might be best to just get the 3 inch now.

 

[Dream On]

Depends on your goals for the car. If very mild, get a 2.5" cause it's cheaper. I'd just get a 3" though in case you ever change your mind.

 

[deeez2g]

im new to dsmtuners and i drive a 99 gst. im wondering whats a good recommended exhaust and intake/air filter? 3in or 2.5? noise levels do not matter. any good intakes out there other than k&n?

 

[kmoore]

That is a pretty vague question. Are you looking for just a catback or a whole exhaust system (O2 housing + Downpipe + Catback)? I absolutely LOVE my Apexi N1 catback. Love the look of the exhaust and the sound. But, the price may not fit your budget. And I am going to be getting a RRE downpipe (test pipe & catlytic converter) for emissions reasons. Are you worried about emissions? On a turbo car like yours and mine back pressure is never a good idea, so any 3" or 2.75" exhaust with mandrel bends would be great choice. Many people on here get a custom exhaust made at an exhaust shop and from the sounds of it, they get a great exhaust for a great price.

 

[pur97tsifwd]

exhaust depends on how much power you want out of it i would go 3inch and be done with it meagan racing is good and cheap intake i would say dejon tool there are alot just search on the side using the search forums or look at all the venders there is different prices for everybrand

 

[Zmann42087]

The Apex'i N1 cat-back (or turbo-back) exhaust is arguably the most popular choice for 2g DSMs. That is what I have and I'm very happy with it.

As far as intake/filter goes, just do the 2g intake pipe free mod and replace the stock airbox with a quality open-element air filter. You asked for other recommendations, but I can help it... the K&N FIPK is a great choice.

 

[deeez2g]

i want to go with a 3 inch. is the apex downpipe + exhaust combo a good idea?

 

[deeez2g]

btw whats the difference between the gt spec and the n1?

 

[Zmann42087]

i want to go with a 3 inch. is the apex downpipe + exhaust combo a good idea?

That cat-back/downpipe combination works just fine. The Road/Race downpipe is another good choice to go with the Apex'i N1. This is the downpipe that I have and I especially like it because you swap the cat and race pipe back and forth with ease.

BTW, for future reference you don't need two threads for basically the same topic.

 

[HondaStylez]

btw whats the difference between the gt spec and the n1?

The GT series is stainless and the N1's are coated aluminized.

 

[HondaStylez]

Skip the K&N crap and ditch the stock intake pipe, it's junk. Extremepsi has a good full intake for small inlet turbos (16G or smaller) and the Dejon is good for larger turbos. Replacing the intake pipe does make a difference and is well worth the extra $100.

 

[Zmann42087]

The GT series is stainless and the N1's are coated aluminized.

Yup, which means the N1 will rust over time, but the GT will not.

 

[Eagle18g]

i have a HKS carbon ti exhaust for my AWD i found it for pretty cheap. Sounds sweet and is only getting better. Watch out tho because there arnt any downpipes that bolt up to the cat back.

 

[grgmost]

Being from Cali, you live in an emissions nightmare! Contact the guys at Road Race Engineering, and you won't go wrong.
http://www.roadraceengineering.com/

 

[Zmann42087]

ditch the stock intake pipe, it's junk. Replacing the intake pipe does make a difference and is well worth the extra $100.

Hardly junk... If you do the free mod I linked above, the stock "snorkel" pipe flows just fine.

If you're like most DSMers, you're a sucker for cheap speed. A shiny new metal intake pipe will net very little performance gains (if any at all). That $100 could definitely be put to better use elsewhere.

 

[kenamond]

Skip the K&N crap and ditch the stock intake pipe, it's junk. Extremepsi has a good full intake for small inlet turbos (16G or smaller) and the Dejon is good for larger turbos. Replacing the intake pipe does make a difference and is well worth the extra $100.

You can get the same flow out of a hacked stock intake pipe and put the $100 toward something that makes more of a difference like a UICP, 1g BOV, MBC, etc. The only problem with the 2g snorkel (intake pipe) is the accordion section and the BOV dump tube - both of which can be fixed for a couple of bucks. It won't look as pretty but it'll give you the same benefit for $100 cheaper. I think there's a tech article for the intake pipe mod.

The K&N FIPK is $125 and is blessed by the emissions nazis (CARB approved). There are cheaper ones out there, but I'm not sure if they're blessed. Maybe you care, maybe you don't. I like mine.

 

[HondaStylez]

And this was proven on a flow bench, right? Riiiight.

 

[MyÜberFastGSX]

Also make sure you do your research into crushed bending, vs. mandrell bending.

There is alot of controversy over whether or not there is a real performance difference or not. But atleast look into it enough so that you can make an informed decision.

 

[HondaStylez]

Also make sure you do your research into crushed bending, vs. mandrell bending.

There is alot of controversy over whether or not there is a real performance difference or not. But atleast look into it enough so that you can make an informed decision.

Agreed.

 

[MyÜberFastGSX]

Whatever you decide on, make sure that you look into crushed bending, vs. mandrell bending.

There is alot of controversy over whether or not there is a real performance difference between the two. But atleast look into it enough to where you can make an informed decision.

 

[kenamond]

And this was proven on a flow bench, right? Riiiight.

So you think he should fork out $100 on an intake pipe as his first mod? A $25 MBC, 1g BOV and 2g-1g adapter to add 3psi boost for $60 total would do A LOT more. Sorry, no dyno proof on that one, but you get my point. Sheesh.

 

[deeez2g]

That cat-back/downpipe combination works just fine. The Road/Race downpipe is another good choice to go with the Apex'i N1. This is the downpipe that I have and I especially like it because you swap the cat and race pipe back and forth with ease.

BTW, for future reference you don't need two threads for basically the same topic.

accident! sorry ..is apexi 3" btw? how about the hks?

 

[Jeff822]

Ebay exhaust systems FTW! There was a thread not to long ago and there are some really good exhaust systems on ebay for cheap. If you dont feel like laying down 500 beans + for a catback you could get a ebay one for $150-$250 and the downpipes are dirt cheap also.