420A SRS Catback

[SilentSilver]

First post brand new to the forums. Wondering if anyone has an opinion on the srs exhaust on the 420a? Found one for a pretty good price and would look way better than the stock muffler, just don't really want a ricey exhaust and can't find many good audio examples.

 

[BLACK'98DSM]

Welcome to the forums. Allow me to enlighten you.

I have no personal experience with this product. But I can look at the images and tell you it's just the average Chinese exhaust system with a raspy/droning muffler. That price is way too high when there are similar systems that go for half as much, also on Ebay. Another red flag for me is the product description.

" -THIS CATBACK SYSTEM IS MADE OF FULL T-304 STAINLESS STELL, AND ITS MANDREL BENT FOR BEST FITMENT AND LOOK.

-THIS MODEL COMES WITH 2.25" PIPING AND 4.5" MUFFLER TIP WITH POLISHED FINISH.

- CATBACK EXHAUST SYSTEM WILL INCREASE YOUR PERFORMANCE AND WILL GIVE YOUR CAR AT LEAST 15 HORSEPOWER INCREASE

- THE SOUND OF THE CATBACK IS A DEEP SMOOTH TONE

- CATBACK COMES WITH ALL GASKETS AND BOLTS NEEDED FOR THE INSTALLATION

- BOLT ON DESIGN FOR QUICKER AND EASIER INSTALLATION "


It's totally crazy to claim that any exhaust system in this world would increase your 420a Eclipse horsepower by 15. And using the terms "at least" to imply it may be more. It's not only proof that there has been no research on this product, but it's very common for these types of "vendors" to try and oversell their cheap shit. This really strikes me as an Alibaba style product that gets a name brand slapped on it to make huge profit. Even the description is clearly translated from a foreign language.


If your only concerns are having a nice looking muffler and a decent exhaust note, then just cut your stock muffler off and weld on something nice like an Apexi, Magnaflow. If you're wanting to run a turbo and need a better flowing system, or are trying to squeeze out that last 1-2 horsepower for a drag race build then a catback makes sense. But Ebay is just not the place to shop. I know our parts market is slim these days but there are still some real name brand systems out there.

I also chuckled a bit at the "quicker and easier installation". Quicker and easier than what? If anything, this system would take longer to install than other catback systems because it has a 3 bolt rear flange vs the 2 bolt that most systems have. And installing a full catback system is definitely not quicker or easier than having a professional weld a nice muffler in place. Once again they're overselling the product.

Sorry for this semi-long write up, but it does indeed pinch my nerve when products intended for our vehicles that are mediocre at best get sold for the high prices of something that should be good. But just is not.

 

[SilentSilver]

Welcome to the forums. Allow me to enlighten you.

I have no personal experience with this product. But I can look at the images and tell you it's just the average Chinese exhaust system with a raspy/droning muffler. That price is way too high when there are similar systems that go for half as much, also on Ebay. Another red flag for me is the product description.

" -THIS CATBACK SYSTEM IS MADE OF FULL T-304 STAINLESS STELL, AND ITS MANDREL BENT FOR BEST FITMENT AND LOOK.

-THIS MODEL COMES WITH 2.25" PIPING AND 4.5" MUFFLER TIP WITH POLISHED FINISH.

- CATBACK EXHAUST SYSTEM WILL INCREASE YOUR PERFORMANCE AND WILL GIVE YOUR CAR AT LEAST 15 HORSEPOWER INCREASE

- THE SOUND OF THE CATBACK IS A DEEP SMOOTH TONE

- CATBACK COMES WITH ALL GASKETS AND BOLTS NEEDED FOR THE INSTALLATION

- BOLT ON DESIGN FOR QUICKER AND EASIER INSTALLATION "


It's totally crazy to claim that any exhaust system in this world would increase your 420a Eclipse horsepower by 15. And using the terms "at least" to imply it may be more. It's not only proof that there has been no research on this product, but it's very common for these types of "vendors" to try and oversell their cheap shit. This really strikes me as an Alibaba style product that gets a name brand slapped on it to make huge profit. Even the description is clearly translated from a foreign language.


If your only concerns are having a nice looking muffler and a decent exhaust note, then just cut your stock muffler off and weld on something nice like an Apexi, Magnaflow. If you're wanting to run a turbo and need a better flowing system, or are trying to squeeze out that last 1-2 horsepower for a drag race build then a catback makes sense. But Ebay is just not the place to shop. I know our parts market is slim these days but there are still some real name brand systems out there.

I also chuckled a bit at the "quicker and easier installation". Quicker and easier than what? If anything, this system would take longer to install than other catback systems because it has a 3 bolt rear flange vs the 2 bolt that most systems have. And installing a full catback system is definitely not quicker or easier than having a professional weld a nice muffler in place. Once again they're overselling the product.

Sorry for this semi-long write up, but it does indeed pinch my nerve when products intended for our vehicles that are mediocre at best get sold for the high prices of something that should be good. But just is not.

I appreciate the reply, I've found out already that parts are pretty limited now just by browsing for a bit. I've never welded and don't want to shell out the extra cash, would prefer to just bolt something on even just a muffler. Do you know anything decent? Any good websites for aftermarket parts on our cars?

 

[chrisman287]

As long as your expectations aren’t too high, it should sound alright. I found a clip on YouTube of a 3”

I don’t love it but I don’t hate it either

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[SilentSilver]

As long as your expectations aren’t too high, it should sound alright. I found a clip on YouTube of a 3”

I don’t love it but I don’t hate it either

You must be logged in to view this image or video.

Not super high expectations on it, maybe it would sound better with just the muffler on with the stock res? But then that defeats the purpose of buying a catback system

 

[99dsmer4g63]

Fwiw I have a true full 3 inch srs cat back on my gsx. I also have a 3 inch downpipe that eliminates the cat.

I paid $250 like 10 years ago idk what they go for now. I also recently bought an hks hi power cat back for about $450 within the last 2 years for a different gsx.

I think the srs is better than the hks and would buy the srs over the hks.

-Daniel

 

[Dericsh]

As long as your expectations aren’t too high, it should sound alright. I found a clip on YouTube of a 3”

I don’t love it but I don’t hate it either

It really sounds great when compared to the before exhaust in that video, oof that first one sounded bad.

 

[chrisman287]

It really sounds great when compared to the before exhaust in that video, oof that first one sounded bad.

Yeah I didn’t know dsms could sound as bad as Hondas

 

[JohntyBee]

I bought the srs cat back for a gst but had to modify it for my galant years ago. I never bought it for performance/sound because I just needed the pipe for my swap. I probably have two chopped pieces of it on my car still and I paid $200 shipped back in 2015.

With my AWD swapped I paid less than $200 for piping, flanges, and other material to make a full 3” exhaust

 

[BLACK'98DSM]

Fwiw I have a true full 3 inch srs cat back on my gsx. I also have a 3 inch downpipe that eliminates the cat.

I paid $250 like 10 years ago idk what they go for now. I also recently bought an hks hi power cat back for about $450 within the last 2 years for a different gsx.

I think the srs is better than the hks and would buy the srs over the hks.

-Daniel

I'd love to hear why you prefer this system over an HKS. Is it quality of material? Quality of welds? Better fitment? Or is it just the sound? I could see having a sound preference but anything else, I would like to see.

 

[99dsmer4g63]

@BLACK'98DSM

The biggest thing is the hks necks down to 2.5 right before bolting to where the cat is. If you’re planning to run the stock down pipe and cat it’s great I guess.

The hks also uses a bolt and nut style hanger the way the factory did it. I’d prefer it just a hanger with a rubber bushing which is the way the srs is.

The hks also hangs out the back all crooked and shit. I don’t like that. If you’re into that stuff then it’s great I however don’t care for it. The srs is centered in the bumper opening and doesn’t stick out much.

The srs is true 3 inch exhaust. For the $250 I paid for it I couldn’t be happier. I thought the quality of it was pretty good and still looks in great shape after 10+ years.

The hks was $450.

To be honest the exhaust notes I couldn’t tell a difference. The hks was on a pretty stock 20g setup.

The srs is bolted to a 272 cam and bigger turbo. I never got the I bought the cheapest exhaust off eBay feeling about it once.

-Daniel

 

[BLACK'98DSM]

@BLACK'98DSM

The biggest thing is the hks necks down to 2.5 right before bolting to where the cat is. If you’re planning to run the stock down pipe and cat it’s great I guess.

The hks also uses a bolt and nut style hanger the way the factory did it. I’d prefer it just a hanger with a rubber bushing which is the way the srs is.

The hks also hangs out the back all crooked and shit. I don’t like that. If you’re into that stuff then it’s great I however don’t care for it. The srs is centered in the bumper opening and doesn’t stick out much.

The srs is true 3 inch exhaust. For the $250 I paid for it I couldn’t be happier. I thought the quality of it was pretty good and still looks in great shape after 10+ years.

The hks was $450.

To be honest the exhaust notes I couldn’t tell a difference. The hks was on a pretty stock 20g setup.

The srs is bolted to a 272 cam and bigger turbo. I never got the I bought the cheapest exhaust off eBay feeling about it once.

-Daniel

This is fair information, and thanks for sharing it. One thing I'll say though is that the O.P has a GS and this information is derived from your experience with a GSX, which has a completely different exhuast system. So some of this will not pertain to him. But it doesn't really sound like there was a quality issue with the HKS. It just sounds like you personally prefer the SRS a little bit more, and it worked better with your personal application. That may not be the case for the O.P though. Not trying to butt heads, just trying to make sure relevant information is shared.

 

[99dsmer4g63]

Yes my information is from a gsx. Like I said my biggest thing is the necking down at the beginning. I like my 3 inch down pipe bolting directly to the 3 inch srs.

I think it does speak of the quality though. The hks wasnt a bad quality either just didn’t like the way it was setup personally. I attached a picture of the way the hks came out the back also.

-Daniel

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[BLACK'98DSM]

I did a little research and shopping for you. Damn, the options have really dried up. The Magnaflow catback has been discontinued and so has the Apexi N1 catback system. Beware of knockoffs claiming to be them. They still produce mufflers, just not catbacks for our specific fitment.

Here I'll put a LINK to the exhaust system I personally use (actually this seems to be an updated version but extremely similar). It's a fairly large muffler, almost the size of the stock one to prevent droning but straight through for better exhaust flow. Almost 4 years of use and I'm still satisfied with it and no plans to change it. I try not to run around advertising Yonaka this and Yonaka that, but they do make a damn good exhaust system for our cars whilst other options are disappearing or noth worth your money. The Yonaka system is literally priced cheaper than the SRS system and I feel that the quality of your product will be better.

Here's something interesting to look at. I stole this image from an Amazon review for the specific SRS system in question. In my opinion this is ugly as hell. The muffler outlet is too small, the exhaust tip is just sheet metal, and there is visual hardware. Maybe it's just my opinion but that's not very attractive and appears cheaply made. This is not something they show in the listing by the way. I can find and post a picture of my Yonaka muffler/tip if you would like. They have a decent one in the listing as well.

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And like I said, I'm not a representative of Yonaka and also do not believe that their products are like the best in the world, but in this case it seems too obvious to me which I would choose. Ultimately it's your ride and you'll install whatever you want, but I'm trying to make sure you're informed before doing so.

 

[chrisman287]

Here's something interesting to look at. I stole this image from an Amazon review for the specific SRS system in question. In my opinion this is ugly as hell. The muffler outlet is too small, the exhaust tip is just sheet metal, and there is visual hardware. Maybe it's just my opinion but that's not very attractive and appears cheaply made.

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That’s just a removable “silencer”

 

[BLACK'98DSM]

That’s just a removable “silencer”

Good use of quotes. That's pretty common for fart cans. But if you decide not to use it, now there's open holes. Just not my taste.

 

[SilentSilver]

I did a little research and shopping for you. Damn, the options have really dried up. The Magnaflow catback has been discontinued and so has the Apexi N1 catback system. Beware of knockoffs claiming to be them. They still produce mufflers, just not catbacks for our specific fitment.

Here I'll put a LINK to the exhaust system I personally use (actually this seems to be an updated version but extremely similar). It's a fairly large muffler, almost the size of the stock one to prevent droning but straight through for better exhaust flow. Almost 4 years of use and I'm still satisfied with it and no plans to change it. I try not to run around advertising Yonaka this and Yonaka that, but they do make a damn good exhaust system for our cars whilst other options are disappearing or noth worth your money. The Yonaka system is literally priced cheaper than the SRS system and I feel that the quality of your product will be better.

Here's something interesting to look at. I stole this image from an Amazon review for the specific SRS system in question. In my opinion this is ugly as hell. The muffler outlet is too small, the exhaust tip is just sheet metal, and there is visual hardware. Maybe it's just my opinion but that's not very attractive and appears cheaply made. This is not something they show in the listing by the way. I can find and post a picture of my Yonaka muffler/tip if you would like. They have a decent one in the listing as well.

You must be logged in to view this image or video.

And like I said, I'm not a representative of Yonaka and also do not believe that their products are like the best in the world, but in this case it seems too obvious to me which I would choose. Ultimately it's your ride and you'll install whatever you want, but I'm trying to make sure you're informed before doing so.

Yeah I had seen that removal silencer not a fan. I did see the yonaka but wasn't sure about it quality either. I'll try and find some videos of its sound. And yes tons of bolt on exhausts have been discontinued

 

[BLACK'98DSM]

Yeah I had seen that removal silencer not a fan. I did see the yonaka but wasn't sure about it quality either. I'll try and find some videos of its sound. And yes tons of bolt on exhausts have been discontinued

I have a couple videos of the sound. The older video is not the greatest but you get an idea anyway. Still had the stock cat and ecu for that one. The newer video I revved it up a bit more. Also had a test pipe instead of the cat.

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[SilentSilver]

I have a couple videos of the sound. The older video is not the greatest but you get an idea anyway. Still had the stock cat and ecu for that one. The newer video I revved it up a bit more. Also had a test pipe instead of the cat.

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The first video you sent sounds really good, the low end sounds way better than stock while the top end doesn't sound ricey it seems like a quality exhaust

 

[99dsmer4g63]

Here I'll put a LINK to the exhaust system I personally use (actually this seems to be an updated version but extremely similar). It's a fairly large muffler, almost the size of the stock one to prevent droning but straight through for better exhaust flow. Almost 4 years of use and I'm still satisfied with it and no plans to change it. I try not to run around advertising Yonaka this and Yonaka that, but they do make a damn good exhaust system for our cars whilst other options are disappearing or noth worth your money. The Yonaka system is literally priced cheaper than the SRS system and I feel that the quality of your product will be better.

Here's something interesting to look at. I stole this image from an Amazon review for the specific SRS system in question. In my opinion this is ugly as hell. The muffler outlet is too small, the exhaust tip is just sheet metal, and there is visual hardware. Maybe it's just my opinion but that's not very attractive and appears cheaply made. This is not something they show in the listing by the way. I can find and post a picture of my Yonaka muffler/tip if you would like. They have a decent one in the listing as well.

You must be logged in to view this image or video.

And like I said, I'm not a representative of Yonaka and also do not believe that their products are like the best in the world, but in this case it seems too obvious to me which I would choose. Ultimately it's your ride and you'll install whatever you want, but I'm trying to make sure you're informed before doing so.

Yeah the srs definitely comes with removable silencer as the hks did as well. I yank them out as soon as possible. I hate the way it looks more over the sound.

I actually have a Yonaka cat back from my wife’s rsx type s in the basement. She didn’t like way the muffler looked in the back. The muffler was kinda like an oval and you could see a lot of it from the back.

But it did have a nice quality exhaust sound. I would compare it to a magnaflow expect maybe a touch louder. Seemed to be a good fitment and was still in good shape. Not sure how long it was on the car. It was on there when I bought it but has since been replaced.

-Daniel