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4th Generation V6 FAQ: Exhaust

What exhaust systems are available for my car?
Should I get a cat back system for more performance?
Which exhaust system is the best for the price?
Which exhaust looks the best?
Which exhaust will give me the best V8 sound?
Will headers make a difference in exhaust note?
Why get coated headers, what's the difference?



What exhaust systems are available for my car?

  3.4 3.8 cat back
SLP V8 Takeoff yes yes no
Borla #11441 yes yes no
Pacesetter yes no yes
Edelbrock no yes yes
Flowmaster yes yes no
Dynomax (Rksport) yes yes no
B&B triflo no yes yes

NOTE: the list above just shows the several brands and normal possibilities, however ALL systems will work on either 3.4 & 3.8 with some modification which normally requires welding. A good muffler shop can solve these problems, usually in less than 1 hour. So putting a B&B system on the 3.4 is possible! There are people with an adjustable V8 Borla system on their V6! So the imagination and the $$$ are the only real limits here. An application on both the 2.8 and 3.1 might also be possible with some modifications.
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Should I get a cat back system for more performance?
Well, a cat back system doesn’t always guarantee extra hp when compared to just a muffler replacement. When the engine is modified and benefits from a superior air intake (better breathing), a cat back system will produce more power since the aftermarket intermediate pipe is less restrictive (mandrel bend) and some are less narrow (2.75 or 3” instead of just 2.5”), besides that replacing the stock intermediate pipe is always a good thing to do as the stock pipe will look crappy really fast! Mind you that you could notice less torque due to the reduction of back pressure. When you plan serious power upgrades which include headers and maybe even a supercharger then a cat back will be a wise decision! Replacing the muffler first and adding another intermediate pipe later is also one of the many possibilities.
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Which exhaust system is the best for the price?
Well, it depends on what you’re looking for! In the overall sound/power/looks department the SLP V8 takes 1st place! Why? Well at $80 including shipping, and adaptor it simply can’t be beat! The Flomaster picks up a good second place! The Decoma F1 system scored big points in the power department, but, unfortunately they stopped producing them. As far as looks and sound is concerned it really depends on personal taste, but the Borla system is very popular even though it doesn’t come cheap!
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Which exhaust looks the best?
Check out the way certain exhaust systems look. Click Here
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Which exhaust will give me the best V8 sound?
Well, a question like this will start discussions that will never end. Listening to several exhausts is the only way to found out. However from experiences from several members who had been through several exhausts the Borla seems to be a very good choice. It is ‘deep’ at lower rpms, and sounds like a real sports car at higher rpms without being obnoxious. According to list, Flowmasters seem to be the loudest, but they tend to sound ‘Ricey’ (Screaming like a 4 cylinders) at high rpms .. A comparison test is really the only way to go! Go to car shows and check them out , ask friends .. etc.
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Will headers make a difference in exhaust note?
Yes they will !! The power gain will be SOTP (Seat Of The Pants), and the exhaust tone will be louder also (good thing according to most people !) You will also notice a 'difference' in the wallet as coated headers don’t come cheap and the installation is even more expensive !! Doing it yourself is of course possible but proves to be far from easy and can easily take 6-8 hours !! According to the ‘Do it yourself’ guys it’s well worth the couple of hours (and $$$) and the gains make up for the PITA installation !! They do NOT recommend this for those who are ‘mechanicly challenged’. Make sure you get a good set of headers cause several 3.8 people suffered from ill fitting headers and annoying leaks after installation. The Pacesetter headers for the 3.4 work pretty good ! They are a pain to install and with DOUBLE gaskets you'll keep this set from leaking. Tim Legros has had them on his car for over 2 years now and he has NO problems at all, No rusting through either even though they are NOT coated .. Not bad for $165 !!!!
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Why get coated headers, what's the difference?
Some headers are coated for 2 reasons:
1. Protect them from getting rusty, so they will keep looking good !
2. To keep the heat inside the headers, thus preventing the engine bay from getting hot..
Well, the vanity option is just for the purists as you can’t see the damn things anyway ! Coated headers do cost a pretty more than the regular ones. It might be wise to check on how much a powder coating costs and save some money this way.
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