cat back or just mufflers

[jimh]

Is there an advantage to an entire catback system over just free flowing mufflers? I want it to look as stock as possible so I wouldn't get the rolled tips or anything. I went to a local muffler shop and they recommended just doing the mufflers. I was thinking that they would know, but they are not neccessarily performance mechanics either.

What do you think? Are thre stock tail pipes a cork?

jim

 

[sambandit]

There are NO advantages to going to a complete catback. I thought there would be as I had weld-ins to begin with, but was disappointed when I went to the Bassani CB and had no benefits to my ET or HP. If you want the stock look, weld-ins are the way to go for sure!! BTW, buddy of mine just put down 460hp480tq with a CAI, 2.8, weld-ins and Predator...that's it!

 

[kencobra]

Seems to be different opinions on the subject. IMO I would do the catback. I bought mine used off ebay and love it.

 

[cobra101]

mann..460rwhp with those mods is pretty good. Right in the sweet spot from what I have seen with similiar mods. I would think about saving a few hundred bucks (put toward other mods) and just do weld ins. Good to hear those numbers with weld ins. I am assuming they were delta 40s? super 40s?

However, the pipe inside a pipe exhaust tips we have now look like a**. And if I am gonna change the tips and the mufflers mine as well head back toward doing cat-back

arghhhh

 

[03yllwguy]

I had weld ins originally, after switching to the Borla, though I like the full bassani setup on other cars better, I must say that I could feel a significant difference. No dyno numbers, but sure seemed like it made more power.

 

[99cobraclone]

well it depends, most quality cat backs use 'mandrel bends' I have no idea if the stock cat back is but mandrel bends are supposedly much better.

 

[Brad00L]

Flowmaster Cat-back from summit is only 339. I just put one on a love it. 1/8 mile trap speeds went up 1.5 mph. Looks pretty much like the stock cat-back except for bigger piping from the cats to the tips but the tips are the same size as stock!

 

[trey193]

I agree with Sam all the restriction is in the mufflers good friend of mine had weld in mufflers and went to the dyno with a catback and the catback made no difference over the weld ins!

 

[broke7]

I ran 11.4's @ 122 on a stock Hpipe & stock catback piping with the mufflers hacked out and straightpipes welded in, so it must not be that big of a problem. I also dynod in the 455 area with that setup.

Swapped to a UPR-X and MAC 3" and dyno'd @ 473/492, but I think the biggest gains came from the Xpipe.

The stock piping narrows down to 2" right before and after the mufflers. Huge restriction. If your looking to save some cash just get the mufflers of your choice and go from there.

If your looking for something loud, get the MAC flow paths or a 2 chamber flowmaster. It all depends on your taste.

 

[cydewaze]

Interesting thread. I thought about weld-in mufflers too, but I also wanted nice looking tips. So for me it was price. The price or two mufflers, the price of new tips, labor to cut and weld the new ones, labor to cut the old tips off. Since a complete catback was only around $300, I decided that there wasn't much of an advantage for me.

If I had a shop and a welding machine, maybe it would have.