Looking For A Good Sounding Exhaust System For...

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Camu Mahubah

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My 2008 Ford Focus Coupe. Don't know if this is the wrong forum or not? If so the mods can move it. What I am wondering is if any of you guys know a good online parts place where a decent sounding cat-back exhaust system can be purchased for my blue oval. I was looking around myself and I keep seeing stock set-up and replacement mufflers. I don't want a rice burner sound, I just want my Focus to sound a little more grown up.

Would this void my warranty? Does this sound like a dumb idea?

Growing up I always drove junk and all the other kids had cool coffee can muffler bombs. I loved the sound! I don't really want that particular obnoxious sound but I would like a little more growl if you know what I mean. I don't know if I am having a late twenties crisis or that recent thread about the best sounding car you ever heard caused this???
21.gif


I don't plan on telling the wife also. I plan on buying the setup and then taking to the local muffler shop and having it installed. I'll tell her I am installing the new Castrol Edge, so maybe that's why the car sounds a bit meaner.
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I know this asking a bit much of a cat-back system but I want an Italian supercar sound if I could!
banana2.gif
 
Sorry, this is a dumb @ss idea. I like the new Focus, so please don't ruin it with a f@rt can.
 
Originally Posted By: Camu Mahubah
My 2008 Ford Focus Coupe. Don't know if this is the wrong forum or not? If so the mods can move it. What I am wondering is if any of you guys know a good online parts place where a decent sounding cat-back exhaust system can be purchased for my blue oval. I was looking around myself and I keep seeing stock set-up and replacement mufflers. I don't want a rice burner sound, I just want my Focus to sound a little more grown up.

Would this void my warranty? Does this sound like a dumb idea?

Growing up I always drove junk and all the other kids had cool coffee can muffler bombs. I loved the sound! I don't really want that particular obnoxious sound but I would like a little more growl if you know what I mean. I don't know if I am having a late twenties crisis or that recent thread about the best sounding car you ever heard caused this???
21.gif


I don't plan on telling the wife also. I plan on buying the setup and then taking to the local muffler shop and having it installed. I'll tell her I am installing the new Castrol Edge, so maybe that's why the car sounds a bit meaner.
27.gif


I know this asking a bit much of a cat-back system but I want an Italian supercar sound if I could!
banana2.gif



I think the best place would be to go to a Focus forum and ask them what they have used and what they think is best.
 
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,
 
Originally Posted By: Camu Mahubah
Originally Posted By: dishdude
Sorry, this is a dumb @ss idea. I like the new Focus, so please don't ruin it with a f@rt can.


You didn't read my post.


I read your post, how do you plan on getting any growl out of a small displacement 4 cyl? Listen to Steve S.
 
I do think that an engine needs larger cylinders to get a good sound, especially with a 4 banger. Maybe there is a way to do it. Might check out what the 4 banger guys are doing for exhaust at fordtrucks.com. They have forums on exhaust, each engine, and the trucks. Rangers come with 4 bangers, so maybe some have found a decent sound.

Another thought, don't wast 600 bucks on a cat back. If you don't like the sound you're stuck. Most of the restriction is likely in the muffler, so try a different muffler, a cheap one so you can change it if you don't like the sound.

Also call the folks at Flowtech (subdivison of Holley) and ask them how to make a 4 banger sound good, not ricy. Their Raptor muffler is about $20 and at least sounds good on my 4.9L inline six (but that is a big block).
 
Dude. Am I the only one agree with the original poser?

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.

It is something you couldn't have when you were younger, and finally have a time to do it before you lost that interest. Saving the money for a dinner or not is a different matter.




Recommendation wise other than Magnaflow I've heard DC Sport, Fujisubo, Skunk, Megan Racing, etc, but not sure what is good or not. Like they said go to a Focus forum and see what people like, maybe in your case buy a used one and keep the original until you grow out of it, or the aftermarket one dies (they die sooner than OEM because they are not a chambered design and don't last as long).


Have fun.
 
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older guys think 4cyl pocket rockets sound like poop, but younger guys are accustomed to that sound.
most all rice burners that sound chrappy are because they stuck an eBay can on a stock system, or they have an auto trans and can't get the revs up to sound good.
the only 4 cyl cars I've heard that sound good are ones w/ headers and a full stainless system. I had a DOHC saturn w/ a factory tube header and a mandrel bent system from SPS that I was happy with. better than that was a GTI w/ a techtonics system and a borla muffler.
neither of them sounded as good as my nova w/ a flowmaster system, but that's apples to oranges.
 
This is a strange request for me - someone who grew up in the muscle car era - to read. I grew out of that whan I was 25.

Just how cool can a Ford Focus 4-cyl sound? If you want cool, buy a Mustang. I've heard cool sounding Mustangs. I can only chuckle when I hear a four banger that somebody tried to "improve".
 
Put in one of those exhaust cutouts that have a lever inside. Run stock exhaust, except when you get out away from town all by your self, open up the cutout (after cat) and let 'er rip. You'll either love it or hate it, but you'll still have the stock exhaust for sanity's sake.
 
Originally Posted By: Kestas
This is a strange request for me - someone who grew up in the muscle car era - to read. I grew out of that whan I was 25.

Just how cool can a Ford Focus 4-cyl sound? If you want cool, buy a Mustang. I've heard cool sounding Mustangs. I can only chuckle when I hear a four banger that somebody tried to "improve".


+1
 
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.
 
Originally Posted By: Kestas
This is a strange request for me - someone who grew up in the muscle car era - to read. I grew out of that whan I was 25.

Just how cool can a Ford Focus 4-cyl sound? If you want cool, buy a Mustang. I've heard cool sounding Mustangs. I can only chuckle when I hear a four banger that somebody tried to "improve".


That's because you get your chance to experience your desire, or your desire was not that strong.

BTW, Mustang is uncool to many places today, and to today's teen Subaru WRX or Mitsubishi Lancer Evo are cool (Turbo 4 banger with 4WD, basically rally car).
 
Originally Posted By: mechtech2
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.


What I read was that it is the diameter of the entire pipe that shift the peak power around, lower rpm like smaller pipe and higher rpm like bigger pipe. For a 1.8 L 4banger (Honda for example), the typical ideal for 3k-4k peak is 2 inches diameter, then 4-5k peak is 2.25 inches diameter, and anything above will actually lower your performance.

From what I heard just a muffler doesn't do anything to performance as the restriction move upstream to the header and CAT. People actually use stock Type R chambered muffler instead of big pipe for performance setup, or open up the stock muffler and enlarge it slightly.
 
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