[tfar]

I am very ignorant when it comes to exhausts even though I read dozens of threads on all the possibilities here, please answer some newbie questions.

1. I am looking for a rather exotic sound. Imitating Ferrari or Lambo. I know that might seem a bit cheesy given the GTO is American Muscle but, hey, I like the Italian sound even better. Listened to a lot of Clips. Seems Borla and magnaflow are my options. I really like the 5" tips on on the Borla but the diagonally cut 4 inchers on the magnaflow would probably do the trick, too. Are there any others I should consider? I want no pop on decel (I know the tune is important here, too) and no drone. A nice, smooth idle would be welcome.

2. For good flow it seems the stock set-up is actually not too bad. Wouldn't it be possible to just put LTs and different mufflers on the stock set-up? Or does a full cat-back solution definitely give me better flow.

3. Where exactly are the cats located? It seems they are part of the far end of longtubes. Is that correct?

4. Are there any synergies between certain catbacks and certain LTs? I mean is there stuff that goes together particularly well in terms of mechanical connection or performance or sound? Or does any LT screw right up to any catback and give a very similar sound and performance? That would mean the catback exhaust is really the determining factor.

Sorry, for the host of questions. Just trying to bring some light into the exhaust darkness .

Till

 

[svede1212]

1. those muffs don't sound exotic at all. probably the least of any i've heard. they are deep boomy bass. sound clips cut off too much sound.

2.yes, great option unless you're going big mods

3. in the "mid pipes" which would be past the header collectors.

4. i doubt it. there is some discussion about flowmaster being restrictive tho. LTs both catless with race pipes and catted mid pipes bolt up to the rest of the exhaust.

my suggestion is get the LTs with or without cats and see how you like the sound. adjust from there. an x-pipe will help your cause

 

[tfar]

Thanks for your answer! So the cats are not in the longtubes? It seems I saw LTs with and w/o cats. So that would mean a set of LTs is delivered with fitting mid-pipes which I wouldn't even need if I keep the stock. The x-pipe is before the mid-pipe, right?

I hope some of the people at the Austin GTG wil have some different exhausts installed so that I can listen for real.

Till

 

[wrp]

No matter what you do, what you buy, or how well you tie it together you will see responses that tell you, you paid too much, you are losing power, and a whole host of other things. I jumped into the aftermarket catback game early with my 04. I bought a Borla Dual Exit exhaust for $1100 about a week before PFYC came out with the same system for $600. I lived with the Borla though and wound up spending another 500-1000 to close up the leaks, replace the H-Pipe with a Y-Pipe, install 05 type tips and rear facia yadda yadda yadda.

Some say mine sounds exotic because of the x-pipe. I currently have a custom 3" exhaust with Magnaflow turbo mufflers, magnaflow 3" x-pipe, and tips. My cats are the Thunder Mountain hi flow cats and they are located on the downpipe that connects the headers to the catback, at a cost of 7-8 rwhp and rwtq over non catted or off road downpipes. I have also added three bolt flanges to the collectors because though most tuners deny it, the two bolt flanges on mine were working loose and when the vacum leak occurred there was significant popping and crackling which sounds like Honda to me so I hate it too.

This is what the competition thought of my 2.25 inch Borla catback and Kook's LTs: Click here to see the Borla Comments

This is what the new system sounds like: Click to hear the 3" custom system from inside the car.

This is what it sounds like enhanced: Click here to hear the enhanced sound.

Oh Yeah:This is the exotic sound from behind

The top comment of Suby drivers about 04 GTO's
"What's the Camera for?"

 

[Redrum]

Couple things: Us '05/'06 guys have an advatage in the 2.5" dual exhaust. We can piece and part things out. Even heavily modded the 2.5" is sufficient.
Start with headers and work your way out. Yes, an X-pipe will kinda "exotic" it out some....and it seems that Borla mufflers get my vote for most exotic sounding. Good luck.

 

[tfar]

I hear ya. So it seems I should start with headers and move from there. And it also seems that whichever header I get the rest will bolt right up to it, right?

Thanks for your help.

Till

 

[wrp]

Couple things: Us '05/'06 guys have an advatage in the 2.5" dual exhaust. We can piece and part things out. Even heavily modded the 2.5" is sufficient.
Start with headers and work your way out. Yes, an X-pipe will kinda "exotic" it out some....and it seems that Borla mufflers get my vote for most exotic sounding. Good luck.

+1 all the way

 

[Black Devil]

Corsa! I should have a clip soon. Got Lt's and off road pipes to on mine.

 

[IBM/M6]

the most exotic type sound I have heard was with the slp loudmouth2 (powerflo) and kooks L/T's . This was my car with slp catback and kooks 1 3/4 longtubes through cats

Click here to see Video

has been changed since but that will give you what I am talking about . seem the x-pipe makes the exotic type sound

 

[torridredaccd]

I think the slp lm sounds kind of exotic and so do the ferrari guys around town, but they do pop and so does every exotic car you listed. The best way to get that exotic sound is to do the impossible and put 180 degree headers on. Lambos, Pagani, and even the carrera gt use this style of header and that a big part of the sound. You would have to have a set custom made but then when they are done you could say you have the best performing and sounding set of headers out for our car!
best explanation for how they work http://www.speedpartz.com/headerhelp.htm

EDIT: I feel I should stress IMPOSSIBLE on the 180 degree headers part.

 

[ROKS ROKET]

I hope this helps you visualize it better......

ROK

 

[04JRB]

I thought that my magnaflow cat-back was slightly "exotic" sounding untill I got Long Tubes, much more muscular.

 

[jdo6696]

I hope this helps you visualize it better......

ROK

nice ROK, good call. those GMP models are pretty accurate, aside from the wrong tires anyways . I remember seeing a undercarriage shot of the '04 from GM but never anything for the '05, bummer.

 

[tfar]

Thanks for the pics, ROK. That helps. It looks like the LT headers are what attaches to the motor, then goes down and covers what is the silver square plate in the picture. Then we see two flanges directly followed by the cat situated in the midpipes. After the midpipes spread towards the rear of the car are black boxes. Those are the mufflers. Then finally come the tips.

Did I pass the 101 Exhaust for Dummies?

So basically, change the header, leave the midpipes and cats stock, change muffler and tips for sound. A catback would just give me some more pipe after the cats instead of the pipe that's already there.

Thanks for all your patience.

Till

 

[spd98]

Did I pass the 101 Exhaust for Dummies?


Till

No you failed.


The cats are the two boxes right beside the rear of the motor. The midpipes are what runs to the flange just before the resonator. The single bax where the piping comes together is the resonator. The catback is from that flange rearward and gets you about 90% of the piping.

 

[svede1212]

i'm not so sure you're going to just hook up the LTs to the stock mids. for one LTs all have different connection methods. Kooks have a ball type, SLP have slip joints etc.

 

[Redrum]

If you order LT's from a legit business, they will come with everything needed to bolt directly to the resonator flange. Weather it be with or without cats.

 

[wrp]

I hope this helps you visualize it better......

ROK

Is it just me ROK or do you have an alignment problem there? Perhaps a strut rub?

 

[GoatKart]

the strut rub makes it appear more authentic didnt ya know wrp!!!

 

[Ridgegoat]

I dont know about other folks, but for a preschooler like me, I just learned some stuff. Now I know something about the exhaust layout. Thanks guys. We should do more of these in the knowledge DB for all the beginners here.