Looking For A Good Sounding Exhaust System For...

Status
Not open for further replies.
Originally Posted By: PandaBear
BTW, Mustang is uncool to many places today...

That shows the cultural difference between your neck of the woods and our "Buy American" Motor City. These two regions are probably the most oppositely polarized automotive cultures in America. Though we have a few ricers, they don't dominate the scene as the RWD crowd. The one similarity, though, is that we love our cars.
 
Magnaflow is hard to beat for small displacement engines.

You'll love it. Not ricey sounding at all.

Should only void the warranty on what you remove from the exhaust.
 
EDIT: I think Panda Bear's post means that opening up the muffler won't hurt performance because the cat already provides sufficient back pressure for the way the engine was designed.

Anyway, the following explains my experience wiht just replacing muffler and tailpipe, and it made a noticible improvement for my F150--and sounds a ton better too (big block inline six 4.9L).

Stock mufflers can be very restrictive. MY F150 had something like 1 and 7/8 or less ID on third tube for a 2.25" system which had 2.125 ID. The Flowtech Raptor and a short side exit pipe made a discernable difference in power for my F150. I'll say the pipe from the cat to the muffler was fine, but the F150 had a crimped restrictive tailpipe that wound from here to kingdom-come around the axle etc to the back.

Beware not all "performance" mufflers are full diameter all the way through. I have looked down Cherry Bombs and they do restrict, as does Thrush Turbo. The Flowtech Raptor is full diameter through and through, cheap, and sounds great!
 
Originally Posted By: mechtech2
Try Trubenz for a cat back system. Go for stainless steel.
Always keep a resonator in the system!
But you could simply get a straight through type muffler put on the stock system. Get it as big as will fit, so it has the deepest and best tone. It will uncork the system somewhat, and should help performance a bit.
Magnaflow is a very good one to get.

Why is a resonator so important? We had a 92 sentra and didn't bother to replace the resonator when it rusted out. It sounded slightly different but not annoying in any way.
Other cars react differently I guess?
Ian
 
Originally Posted By: Kestas
Though we have a few ricers, they don't dominate the scene as the RWD crowd. The one similarity, though, is that we love our cars.


No question about that, as well as the golden rule "there is no replacement for displacement" exists even in the ricer crowd.

Originally Posted By: TallPaul
EDIT: I think Panda Bear's post means that opening up the muffler won't hurt performance because the cat already provides sufficient back pressure for the way the engine was designed.

Anyway, the following explains my experience wiht just replacing muffler and tailpipe, and it made a noticible improvement for my F150--and sounds a ton better too (big block inline six 4.9L).

Stock mufflers can be very restrictive. MY F150 had something like 1 and 7/8 or less ID on third tube for a 2.25" system which had 2.125 ID. The Flowtech Raptor and a short side exit pipe made a discernable difference in power for my F150. I'll say the pipe from the cat to the muffler was fine, but the F150 had a crimped restrictive tailpipe that wound from here to kingdom-come around the axle etc to the back.

Beware not all "performance" mufflers are full diameter all the way through. I have looked down Cherry Bombs and they do restrict, as does Thrush Turbo. The Flowtech Raptor is full diameter through and through, cheap, and sounds great!


I can only speak from the Honda I've known, that they are already well tuned for the typical power band the engine is designed for. The diameter is the same from the exhaust port of the engine to the tip of the muffler, stock. Modifying such a system will only "shift" the power band and raise the peak for a small amount (less than 3 hp for exhaust, 10 hp for the entire intake/header/cat/muffler, sometimes even make it slower if the system is too big), and would rarely make a car noticeably faster without changing the transmission gear ratio, cam profile, and the fuel/ignition map at the same time.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: IndyIan
Why is a resonator so important? We had a 92 sentra and didn't bother to replace the resonator when it rusted out. It sounded slightly different but not annoying in any way.
Other cars react differently I guess?
Ian


For a car that has a stock muffler, it does not make much of a difference, but for a car with a oversize exhaust, without a resonator it would sound LOUD, and the COPS will for sure give you a fix it ticket.
 
Originally Posted By: PandaBear


Go for it, it is the same reason why many of these guys wanted a V8 muscle cars that can do nothing better than going 0 to 60s, or an antique car that by today's standard should be crushed.


Have fun.


Really? I'm not aware of any muscle cars that are as slow as a Focus.

The difference is you're not going to get more than 5 additional hp out of most economy car 4 cylinder setups with exhaust. Uncork the factory 1.5" exhaust from an old big block and you gain some measurable power.

I hate just about anything that isn't a V8. Most 6 cylinders don't sound that good.... But 4 cylinders are just aweful and it's worse because most owners keep the stock exhaust and add a giant muffler with a 6" tip. Keep that cat on, run a 2.5" pipe and no tip and it would sound throatier instead of raspy.

It seriously makes me want to cover my ears when I hear all 1.6 liters of fury going by at 8,000rpm powershifting on their way to a 17 second 1/4 run on city streets.
 
My Son put a Stainless Magnaflow cat back on his 01 Focus ZX3. Probably the best sounding 4cyl exhaust Iv'e ever heard. Not farty, not too loud, just right. I wish they made a system for my Saturn Astra and I'm nearly 48 years old. Oh, and the system does not have a resonator.
 
Last edited:
My dream 4 banger is a pushrod engine, half of a Ford 460 V8--think of it, a 3.8L 4 banger. That would be a real stump puller, torque you can feel with the seat of your pants, a big block 4 banger.
 
Originally Posted By: Steve S
Stock is the best Loud 4 cyls just do not ever sound good. Italian supercars do not have 4 cyls cept Alfa and fiat which lack in the supercar area. The muffler is a late teen type thing. Take your late 20s thing out on your wife . The $$$ you save by not wasting it on a muffler can be used to take the Mrs. out to a nice dinner. Which will be much nicer,
Agreed and
01.gif
 
Borla, Magnaflow, Dynomax Super Turbo are mufflers I've heard on smaller cars that sounded good.

They were fairly deep, pretty quiet, yet let you hear a little bit when you really got on it.

A stainless steel Borla sounds right up your alley. It'll have a good tone and last a long time.

Slip the installer an extra $20 once you see who it is so he does a nice job on the welds and transitions.
 
Originally Posted By: BuickGN


Really? I'm not aware of any muscle cars that are as slow as a Focus.

The difference is you're not going to get more than 5 additional hp out of most economy car 4 cylinder setups with exhaust. Uncork the factory 1.5" exhaust from an old big block and you gain some measurable power.

I hate just about anything that isn't a V8. Most 6 cylinders don't sound that good.... But 4 cylinders are just aweful and it's worse because most owners keep the stock exhaust and add a giant muffler with a 6" tip. Keep that cat on, run a 2.5" pipe and no tip and it would sound throatier instead of raspy.

It seriously makes me want to cover my ears when I hear all 1.6 liters of fury going by at 8,000rpm powershifting on their way to a 17 second 1/4 run on city streets.


Speed isn't always what people are looking for, and Camu isn't looking to make his Focus faster, or else he would have probably gotten a Turbo 4WD like WRX or Evo instead. BTW, most well tuned 4 bangers are faster than muscle car in autocross.

Like I said, 2.5" is too big for a <200hp 4 banger, and those tuned for racing are running OEM exhaust and muffler with only up to 2.25" diameter.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: PandaBear
Originally Posted By: BuickGN


Really? I'm not aware of any muscle cars that are as slow as a Focus.

The difference is you're not going to get more than 5 additional hp out of most economy car 4 cylinder setups with exhaust. Uncork the factory 1.5" exhaust from an old big block and you gain some measurable power.

I hate just about anything that isn't a V8. Most 6 cylinders don't sound that good.... But 4 cylinders are just aweful and it's worse because most owners keep the stock exhaust and add a giant muffler with a 6" tip. Keep that cat on, run a 2.5" pipe and no tip and it would sound throatier instead of raspy.

It seriously makes me want to cover my ears when I hear all 1.6 liters of fury going by at 8,000rpm powershifting on their way to a 17 second 1/4 run on city streets.


Speed isn't always what people are looking for, and Camu isn't looking to make his Focus faster, or else he would have probably gotten a Turbo 4WD like WRX or Evo instead. BTW, most well tuned 4 bangers are faster than muscle car in autocross.

Like I said, 2.5" is too big for a div>


Then what is the purpose of running aftermarket exhaust if not to make it faster? I sincerely hope people don't really like the sound of a loud 4 banger (some of the Subaru boxer engines excluded).

Whether a given car is faster in autocross has nothing to do with it's displacement. I would hope a brand new car is faster around the corners than a stock 60's muscle car though there are many exceptions.

I think a lot of the reason the 4 cylinder crowd focuses on cornering is because there's very little potential to go fast in a straight line. Take for example the GN and Monte Carlo SS. Both are essentially the same car with different drivetrains. The SS crowd is all about corners. The Chevy 305 is a gutless slug with very little potential to ever break 13s. The GN will go 12s with $200 invested. Surprise surprise, the GN crowd drag races and the Monte crowd road races. It's the same with the 4 cylinder crowd. Spend the money on suspension because it will never be a contender in a straight line.

I would like to have both power and cornering but anyone that says cornering is more fun than lots of power in a daily driven street car is dilusional.
 
Originally Posted By: BuickGN
Originally Posted By: PandaBear
Originally Posted By: BuickGN


Really? I'm not aware of any muscle cars that are as slow as a Focus.

The difference is you're not going to get more than 5 additional hp out of most economy car 4 cylinder setups with exhaust. Uncork the factory 1.5" exhaust from an old big block and you gain some measurable power.

I hate just about anything that isn't a V8. Most 6 cylinders don't sound that good.... But 4 cylinders are just aweful and it's worse because most owners keep the stock exhaust and add a giant muffler with a 6" tip. Keep that cat on, run a 2.5" pipe and no tip and it would sound throatier instead of raspy.

It seriously makes me want to cover my ears when I hear all 1.6 liters of fury going by at 8,000rpm powershifting on their way to a 17 second 1/4 run on city streets.


Speed isn't always what people are looking for, and Camu isn't looking to make his Focus faster, or else he would have probably gotten a Turbo 4WD like WRX or Evo instead. BTW, most well tuned 4 bangers are faster than muscle car in autocross.

Like I said, 2.5" is too big for a div>


Then what is the purpose of running aftermarket exhaust if not to make it faster? I sincerely hope people don't really like the sound of a loud 4 banger (some of the Subaru boxer engines excluded).

Whether a given car is faster in autocross has nothing to do with it's displacement. I would hope a brand new car is faster around the corners than a stock 60's muscle car though there are many exceptions.

I think a lot of the reason the 4 cylinder crowd focuses on cornering is because there's very little potential to go fast in a straight line. Take for example the GN and Monte Carlo SS. Both are essentially the same car with different drivetrains. The SS crowd is all about corners. The Chevy 305 is a gutless slug with very little potential to ever break 13s. The GN will go 12s with $200 invested. Surprise surprise, the GN crowd drag races and the Monte crowd road races. It's the same with the 4 cylinder crowd. Spend the money on suspension because it will never be a contender in a straight line.

I would like to have both power and cornering but anyone that says cornering is more fun than lots of power in a daily driven street car is dilusional.


Call me delusional if you want but I still think it's more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow. I don't need tons of power in my daily driver. I need reliability. I need enough performance and handling to get down the road while keeping my occupants safe. The Focus has that. I want a BMW 1 series with the turbo okay, but I cain't afford it. I know my Focus will never ever grow up to be a Bavarian wolfhound but if she can behave like a nice Blue Heeler will be alright. What I mean is the car doesn't have to do anythang great it just has to everythang well. Nah mean?(And actually the Focus does something really well. She doesn't guzzle away my paycheck at the pump.)

I got my tax refund back. I want a PS3. I decided instead of shipping my money to Japan I'd buy an American made cat-back exhaust system that would give my Focus a little more growl. I don't have anything against Japan. I just thought I'd put my money were my mouth is. Instead of just talking like a car guy I thought I'd walk the walk for once. It was gonna be snow tires but Winter is winding down and the Hankooks have been great in the snow and ice this year.

And I don't really care if you guys think a four banger sounds awful. I think V6's sound awful. Not all of them some sound good like an NRX. I think most of them sound like vacuum cleaners. When I was in college my dream car was a Honda Prelude. Then it was a WRX. I still want a WRX. I should have bought one. I think a full bore rally car would work great in my climate and the roads I drive on. I wish when I shifted fire came out the exhaust like a WRC car. That ain't gonna happen with my Focus unless something is going terribly wrong. I can't afford a WRX right now. So I thought if I could just put a "stealthy" exhaust on the Focus(one that makes the car sound a bit more robust when you get on it, but you can still hear the radio while crusing) I'd be more happy.

I'm happy some of us have different tastes. Less for me to be envious of...

Now are Borla exhaust systems made in the US?
 
I don't care if my vehicle is all that fast, so long as it has some spirit, but what I can't stand is a vehicle that doesn't give a kick in the pants torque feel. My F150 4.9L lurches from torque, but wife's Aerostar is probably just as fast, just the Aerostar feels wimpy doing it. Of course if I were driving a '70 Road Runner, it had better be very fast.
 
Originally Posted By: Camu Mahubah
Originally Posted By: BuickGN
Originally Posted By: PandaBear
Originally Posted By: BuickGN


Really? I'm not aware of any muscle cars that are as slow as a Focus.

The difference is you're not going to get more than 5 additional hp out of most economy car 4 cylinder setups with exhaust. Uncork the factory 1.5" exhaust from an old big block and you gain some measurable power.

I hate just about anything that isn't a V8. Most 6 cylinders don't sound that good.... But 4 cylinders are just aweful and it's worse because most owners keep the stock exhaust and add a giant muffler with a 6" tip. Keep that cat on, run a 2.5" pipe and no tip and it would sound throatier instead of raspy.

It seriously makes me want to cover my ears when I hear all 1.6 liters of fury going by at 8,000rpm powershifting on their way to a 17 second 1/4 run on city streets.


Speed isn't always what people are looking for, and Camu isn't looking to make his Focus faster, or else he would have probably gotten a Turbo 4WD like WRX or Evo instead. BTW, most well tuned 4 bangers are faster than muscle car in autocross.

Like I said, 2.5" is too big for a div>


Then what is the purpose of running aftermarket exhaust if not to make it faster? I sincerely hope people don't really like the sound of a loud 4 banger (some of the Subaru boxer engines excluded).

Whether a given car is faster in autocross has nothing to do with it's displacement. I would hope a brand new car is faster around the corners than a stock 60's muscle car though there are many exceptions.

I think a lot of the reason the 4 cylinder crowd focuses on cornering is because there's very little potential to go fast in a straight line. Take for example the GN and Monte Carlo SS. Both are essentially the same car with different drivetrains. The SS crowd is all about corners. The Chevy 305 is a gutless slug with very little potential to ever break 13s. The GN will go 12s with $200 invested. Surprise surprise, the GN crowd drag races and the Monte crowd road races. It's the same with the 4 cylinder crowd. Spend the money on suspension because it will never be a contender in a straight line.

I would like to have both power and cornering but anyone that says cornering is more fun than lots of power in a daily driven street car is dilusional.


Call me delusional if you want but I still think it's more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow. I don't need tons of power in my daily driver. I need reliability. I need enough performance and handling to get down the road while keeping my occupants safe. The Focus has that. I want a BMW 1 series with the turbo okay, but I cain't afford it. I know my Focus will never ever grow up to be a Bavarian wolfhound but if she can behave like a nice Blue Heeler will be alright. What I mean is the car doesn't have to do anythang great it just has to everythang well. Nah mean?(And actually the Focus does something really well. She doesn't guzzle away my paycheck at the pump.)

I got my tax refund back. I want a PS3. I decided instead of shipping my money to Japan I'd buy an American made cat-back exhaust system that would give my Focus a little more growl. I don't have anything against Japan. I just thought I'd put my money were my mouth is. Instead of just talking like a car guy I thought I'd walk the walk for once. It was gonna be snow tires but Winter is winding down and the Hankooks have been great in the snow and ice this year.

And I don't really care if you guys think a four banger sounds awful. I think V6's sound awful. Not all of them some sound good like an NRX. I think most of them sound like vacuum cleaners. When I was in college my dream car was a Honda Prelude. Then it was a WRX. I still want a WRX. I should have bought one. I think a full bore rally car would work great in my climate and the roads I drive on. I wish when I shifted fire came out the exhaust like a WRC car. That ain't gonna happen with my Focus unless something is going terribly wrong. I can't afford a WRX right now. So I thought if I could just put a "stealthy" exhaust on the Focus(one that makes the car sound a bit more robust when you get on it, but you can still hear the radio while crusing) I'd be more happy.

I'm happy some of us have different tastes. Less for me to be envious of...

Now are Borla exhaust systems made in the US?


Serious question after reading that first paragraph. Have you ever driven a decently quick car like something that runs 11s or faster? I have a feeling you haven't or you would change your mind.
 
After the whole thread here I think all I can say is beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I've driven a turbo charged V8 delivery truck and it does sound smoother without pulses that V6 and in particular I4 has. On the other hand a poorly designed V6 like the Vulcan in my dad's Taurus sound worse than many better tuned I4 like the ones in TSX, well, that's a different price category and it is a near/sub luxury, so it better sound good.

I don't think I've heard a bad V8 since almost all sound from V8 is canceled among the 8 cylinders.
 
Originally Posted By: IndyIan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfGoVNYAXwU
Ignoring the wheel hop at the beginning, I like the sound of this 4 banger focus. It's just about right.

Nothing personal but the 3.8L V6's, turbo or not don't really sound that great.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n12U360GWM0

I can appreciate the hp but in terms of sound I'd rather hear a V8 make the same hp.
It's mighty hard to beat this, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucPrU3GNGgg
Ian


The sound of the GN will never compare to a V8 with nice exhaust I'll give you that. But to compare it to a 4 cylinder is kind of crazy. I'll bet you haven't driven one or heard one in person. Anyone who goes for a ride is amuzed at all the different engine noises present. Even girls ask what the noises are.

The Subaru boxer 4s are the only ones that don't annoy me. I won't go so far as to say they sound good but they don't make me want to put a gun to my head when I hear them.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

N
Wheel Bearing 2007 CRV
Replies
13
Views
344
Nmr1981
C
GM 3.6 VVT engine with strange knock.
Replies
6
Views
761
nascarnation
A
Blown Head gasket or cracked cylinder head?
Replies
8
Views
544
zzyzzx
M
Acura MDX Oil Consumption and Related Questions
Replies
12
Views
780
TomYoung
M
Awful Start Up Tapping After Sitting Several Weeks (Video Link Inside)
Replies
9
Views
768
LouC
Back
Top Bottom