rear exhuast VS side exhaust

[SVTnv]

i'm going to replace my stock Cobra exhaust with a full after-market setup. i've always wanted side exhaust, looks more aggressive, and the sound is closer to my windows allowing me to thus hear that V-8 soundtrack better. but are there performance and sound differences between the two?

And do most major exhaust makers (Flowmaster, Dynomax, BBK, MAC, etc) all make parts that are available for a side exhaust setup? I'd like to have a BBK h-pipe and Flowmaster mufflers (i had the same on my '94 GT and it sounded very nice) but the main objective is to have it sound full and throaty but not overly loud. and i haven't figured out what brand headers to go with either and whether to go unequal or equal length.

so without paying an obscene amount of money for something like Borla or Bassani, is it possible to get something cheaper yet with the sound of Flows?

thanks for any help

 

[Ginsu]

If anything I think you may loose a little power (something you wouldn't notice) with a side exaust. Because the path is liek a maze. Price wise I do not know, sorry I have never shopped for one.

 

[Peter]

You can get the SVO side exhaust for about 600.00,
they are Borla. Yes you will loose some power.
Also figure the cost of having the side covers painted.

 

[CJsV8Bird]

Not trying to start a fight. But, if you buy a new exhaust system starting at the headers, all the way to side exhaust. You will still be gaining hp over the stock set up. I'm sure it'd still flow better than stock.

I do agree, that if you bought basically the same system and had the pipes out of the back you would gain more.

But, you will be gaining, nonetheless.

 

[drewkeen]

if you get flowmasters with side exhaust your head wil lhuret so bad after highway driving, drone is bad enough from each separately, much less together.

i say rear exhaust

 

[95snoozer]

There iis only borla and dynomax. The dyno max is loud and sounds very unique(not like regular super turbos, which are quiet). There is no flowmaster kit. cause al these kits ar based on a muffler that has the inlet and outlet pipes on the same side as the muffler, because of clearance issues with the floor pan.

I was working on designing a kit to use flowmasters with the skirts and some mandral bent piping. But I'm not exactly sure yet. You can email me at [email protected]

 

[SVTnv]

basically what i wanted from a side exhaust setup was going to be primarily looks. IMO it's a more intimidating look (i.e. '01 Cobra R) and i've heard Borla although expensive, sounds very mean. but the primary objective will be more hp gain instead of looks. after all, a 5.0 Mustang with 2 chamber flows and a great set of h-pipes is the sweetest sound i can think of .

so now in talking hp gains over stock Cobra exhaust using better headers (what brand do you recommend and should i go with equal or unequal length) going through an offroad BBK (or MAC) h-pipe (no cats) exiting through 2 chamber 40-series 2.5" Flowmasters, how much more horse can i expect from that setup or something close to it? i need plenty of space, i have a S/C and will be adding mods to help the car breath better (intercooler and power pipe).

 

[95snoozer]

go with the bbk full length setup, comes with headers and hpipe.
JBA sells a strange system, though I cant find it on their site. call them. Its for 2000 cobra Rs
its the xpipe side exit kit. the mufflers are in the pipingt, so you can't even see them. It has the side exit like the cobra R.
call them and check it out.

Steeda sells one for $749. it made 2 more hp than the flow on the dyno. Has dual tips. check out their site.

If anything, dump your flowmasters. that sounds mean as hell!!!
very deep.:thumbsup:

 

[CJsV8Bird]

Buy the cheapest one's you find man. I'd check out ebay, there are pretty much always X pipes, headers, you name it, for cheap.

Being picky about what brand you buy (headers, x/h pipe) is retarded, you'll just end up spending more money, for the same sound....and if you are lucky a 1hp gain over the other.

Being picky about what muffler makes sense, I'm a Flowmaster 40 man myself. But, I hear Dyno's flow better.....who knows.

Regardless of what you buy, you'll gain hp, and it'll sound mean as piss. Don't beat yourself up over it.

(I hate being stressed out trying to figure out what brand to buy when it comes to mods. It sucks.)

 

[SVTnv]

true about picking what brand and the stress that ensues heh. i'll probly just go with the BBK headers/h-pipe combo with the flows.

guys thanks for all your help, i'll be purchasing the parts as soon as the funds become available, can't wait to hear what it sounds like. thanks again.

 

[66GT350]

Check out the side exit kit from Spin Tech. I am very impressed with what they do there. Great sound, very low profile so if you have subframes it will not be an issue. I'm installing thier vintage side exit kit on my GT350 this winter.

 

[Monodax]

I had the Borla kit on my 98 GT for about 2 years. I used a Bassani Off road X pipe also. It sounded like a Nascar engine when I stomped it. I will also tell you the bad news about it. If you lower the car you will scrub on occassion. It is also a pain aligning all of it. I would recommend you take it to someone if you are not comfortable with exhaust work. Also the Borla kit has many Clamps to put it together. I would use those only to get you to the muffler shop to get it welded. They will come loose or drag off. I have had it happen a couple of times.

I did see something that was really cool, It looked better to me than anything. Similar to the 2000 Cobra R. I know a Cobra that uses the new C5 exhaust modified to exit out of the sides. It enters and exits on the same side so it is almost perfect and you can get them off ebay pretty cheap off new cars that pull them to upgrade to aftermarket.

 

[RDJ]

YOu have probably already made you decision but I would not recommend you go with the side pipes. I personally know of three different folks that bought them, regretted it and two have since taken them off. Scraping on things like speed bumps and malformed entrance and exit drives were a constant problem.

To the poster that said there was no HP loss .. this is BS. Dyno's show a definitive HP loss of 2-5 HP as posted on other Cobra lists I would go with that figure.

Which one to go with? I went with Bassani x-pipe (x gains slightly more HP over H in most applications) with no cats, and Bassani Cat Back with Bassani Quiet thunder mufflers. Great sound without having that damn drone that flowmasters and some of the others have. I knew I made the right choice when I started having crapmaros and 'vette stopping me asking what I had and saying how great it sounded. FMS shorty headers up front by the way . Bassani is more expensive but it gives a distinctive sound ... everybody has flowmasters...

Cheers, RDJ
95Cobra

 

[SVTnv]

thanks for the advice RDJ, it has been noted on my part. my descision isn't final. mid-March (when the car usually emerges from hibernation) is a long ways off. i'll look into every make i can and keep asking about sound quality and try to combine unique with throaty but full sounding exhaust. to me, that's what makes Mustangs, Mustangs