It has come to my attention that there have been many exhaust-related questions on the board lately. This thread has been created to decrease the amount of questions we repeatedly see on this forum, as well as have a collective amount of information on one thread.
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1) Should I go custom or aftermarket?
If you have money and only trust brand names, go with an aftermarket exhaust. However, if you are like most of us and like to get as much quality for as little money possible, you should probably go custom.
The price of custom exhaust will vary from shop to shop, and will also depend on the materials you use (piping, mufflers, tips, etc.). You could be looking at anywhere between $150 to $500 depending on the kind of job you get done.
2) What kind of aftermarket exhausts are offered for the n/a 3S?
Currently, the only aftermarket exhausts fabricated for the n/a 3S are the Borla and JIC exhausts. However, some also buy the Borla TT exhaust and custom fabricate it to fit the n/a.
3) What kind of custom exhaust should I have made for my n/a 3S?
There are a few popular types of custom exhaust work within the community. The three most popular are the premuffler-back exhaust (also known as the "Wicked" exhaust mod), the Fireman exhaust, and the Twin Turbo exhaust.
The premuffler-back exhaust involves cutting the exhaust all the way back to the premuffler, welding on a flange to the cut, and adding piping from the flange back to the rear of the car. More info can be found on this page:
http://www2.onu.edu/~n-keen/3s/exhaust.html
The Fireman exhaust involves eliminating the old catback exhaust completely, putting a muffler in place of where the premuffler would normally be, and running piping from the muffler to the rear of the car. A single-in, dual-out muffler is generally used. More info can be found in this thread:
Custom Exhaust done! (pics + clips inside)
A more in-depth description of the concept of this exhaust can be found on this web page (the original page of the "Fireman" exhaust):
http://fireman992.tripod.com/exhaust.htm
The Twin Turbo exhaust simply involves getting the catback exhaust off of a twin turbo'd 3S and replacing your catback with it. There is only one fitment problem, but this is easily fixed by either slightly bending the piping near the muffler, or taking a sledgehammer to it.
More info can be found on this page:
http://www.suthnr.com/garage/mods/exhaust/index.html
The typical way to install it is by rigging the active exhaust valve so that it is always in active mode. So far, I am the only one to have it in tour mode because I didn't like sport mode with my testpipe. I love it in tour mode!!!
Another way you may want to fabricate your exhaust is by purchasing two mufflers and having them on the back of the car (you would run piping from the catalytic converter, and make the pipe split to both sides of the car). The most common mufflers used in this exhaust are N1's and "fireball style" mufflers. This tends to be the most expensive setup, but many people lean toward the sound that the N1's produce.
4) What kind of muffler should I use for my custom exhaust?
Many people stand by Dynomax as their choice of muffler. It has a deep tone to it, and isn't as obnoxious as Flowmasters can be. N1's are expensive, but also produce a nice sound. If you want something cheap, go with glasspacks. Some have been able to produce a decent sound out of those as well. There is a plethora of exhaust clips with many different kinds of mufflers on this site. Here is one thread dedicated to random exhaust clips; for all others, SEARCH:
http://www.3si.org/portal/forums/sho...=exhaust+clips
5) What diameter piping should I use?
Stock diameter is 2.25". Most people use 2.5" piping, but others have been known to use 3" piping. Do not listen to arguements of backpressure. Even though wider piping can result in a loss of low end torque (albiet small), the loss is more than made up for by the top end gain that is achieved. If you are using the TT exhaust, you won't notice a loss in low end.
Generally, the wider the diameter of the piping, the louder the exhaust will be. As a reference, the TT exhaust is 3", and if you have listened to clips of it, it is fairly loud.
6) What are the general prices for these custom exhausts?
The Twin Turbo exhaust will most likely run you $80-100 plus shipping. Since the Wicked exhaust is only piping, it should run anywhere from $100-150. The Fireman exhaust will run you about $200-300 dollars. The dual muffler setup could cost anywhere between $300-400 (since you have to buy two mufflers). These figures do not include the prices for exhaust tips.
7) What are testpipes?
Testpipes replace the catalytic converter. This is generally referred to as the best "bang for your buck" mod on the n/a 3S's. It will make your exhaust louder and give a boost in HP. The only cons of testpipes are:
* It makes your exhaust stinkier.
* It emits a yellowish substance on the back of your bumper (easily cleaned).
Testpipes can be bought for $35 shipped from StealthES418, and eK2 Development is also in the process of developing these. N/a 3S's want the 2.5" testpipes.
8) What is a downpipe?
Actually a frontpipe, the "downpipe" connects to the bottom of the header and the end of the catalytic converter. The frontpipe is a big restriction in our exhaust. 3sxperformance sells n/a frontpipes for $310, and eK2 Development is in the process of making these. Your exhaust will get deeper, and you will achieve a 10-15 HP gain.
9) What about headers?
3kGT Motorsports has developed shorty headers for our cars. The exact hp that they achieve is unknown at the moment. They can be jet-hot coated or high-temp painted. eK2 Development is also in the process of making these. Rippmods and 3kGT Motorsports carry SOHC headers.
10) Is all of this legal?
Check with your state laws on the legality of these. Testpipes are illegal in ALL states, but people usually put their stock catalytic converter on when going for emmissions testing.
11) Can I get a list of links for vendors of all these products?
Of course you can
:
eK2 Development (Headers and various exhaust in development)
Rippmods (SOHC headers)
3sx Performance (catback exhaust and downpipes)
Dynamic Racing (catback exhaust)
3kGT Motorsports (shorty headers and catback exhaust)
Dynomax Mufflers
Flowmaster Mufflers
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This should answer just about every question concerning exhaust modifications on n/a 3S's. More info will be added as suggested or as more products are made.
The answers to all of your n/a exhaust questions!
Stealth R/T Luxury
