Better quality?

[VR4_Craver]

I have been having trouble with this. I have been looking for an exhaust lately and have found a few really nice ones that are really cheap. Now the question arises. Which is better? HKS, Greddy,or Apexi? having trouble deciding which one....

[ebpda9]

Thermal

it all depends on personal preference really

[nonovurbizniz]

they're all good but frankly any exhaust like that is over-engineered and that's all your paying for... they bust apart at the resonator just like ALL exhausts 200 or 600... depends on what you want to pay.

I stick with the cheapest reputable company I can find at the time I'm looking... next time I'm gunna get some flowmasters and just get this local mineke to bend up some pipes.

I'm also plain sick and tired of tips and shiot.

are greddy suppose to sound quieter, louder, lower, or higher(pitch)?

if i want a low-pitched sound, which is better? or all the same?

[Accord Man]

For a jap type exhaust Thermal is one of the finer ones out there..

But IMO euro (germany/austria) exhausts are much better (build quality, aesthtitcs, sound)..
However they're also much more expensive..

Tanabe! hehe

[nonovurbizniz]

I almost was ok with paying over 500 bucks for the greddy on my last car... it has such a sedate yet powerfull sound...

it's kinda airy... MUCH quiter than any other I've used.. but sounded 50x nastier...

but it blew out behind the resonator just like EVERY exhaust I've ever had... luckly though the greddy was solid enough piping/wall to re-weld it.

what? blew out? out of nowhere? how long did it take for it die?

[nonovurbizniz]

No it's gradual... the resonator is (if your exhaust has one) is a straight through muffler directly after the cat.... it is the area where the exhaust gases really start to expand... this causes backpressure which puts stress on the weld holding the "lid" of the can style muffler which eventually blows out... also water tends to sit there (h2o is a product of any combustion reaction) which makes it rust faster...

It's something there's nothing you can do about other than eliminate the resonator.. which results in the "fart can" sound... especially with a straight through muffler but still pretty farty even with a box style muffler.

understood...so it'll happen no matter what.

but then what? get another exhaust?

To whoever said Tanabe, I know a lot of people around here like those. I still don't have an exhaust after 3 years, I'm a lil slow on that point I guess. I'm interested in this thread, I could use one too

[nonovurbizniz]

my theory is the cheaper the better... the flow really isnt that important... the cat provides ALL the backpressure so a cat back just frees it up behind the cat...

obviously don't go with crap brands but any reputable company is good..

brospeed
brosal
trust
dynomax
magnaflow

etc etc....

I'm getting my next one custom bent at a mineke around here... they put in dynomax mufflers and resonator.. all welded. (lots of muffler shops suck and do crappy work this one is VERY good and has and EXCELLENT reputation... a custom mandrel bent exhaust from them is cheaper than ANY mailorder one.)

I'm sure a dyno will show 1 is better than another but do you really want to pay 300 bucks for 2 more or even 5 more horsepower? If any of the companies guarantee a certain life out of it it may be worth the extra cost but otherwise I think it's like buying air jordan sneakers... it's just fashion and brand worship.

[Duckydos]

But something you do have to consider. If you buy the brand name exahust (Apexi, HKS, Tanabe, etc.) you have a general understanding of what they'll sound like. You do your own exhaust by mixxing and matching peices together, the final sound is a total guess.
I did that just, got a Focuz muffler (I liked the look) for $125 and paid a shop another $175 to do 2.25" piping from the cat-back (if you look on '98 and up Accords, the bend under the rear chassis actually makes it less then a 1" diameter.) Leaving the shop, it sounded like ass... ass on a stick to be particular. But over time o2 sensors have burned out and it doesn't sound too bad anymore. Anyway, fact of the matter is, you do your custom exhaust, it's going to be loud and obnoxious most of the time.

-Ducky

[nonovurbizniz]

^ as I said they do quality work... I also said the MANDREL bend all piping... ie... no reduction in diameter... and also 2.25 doesn't shrink to 1" no matter how much you bend it.. it gets kinks in it and reduces to 2 at the lowest. the bends are .25" at most...

You ever think it was your "focuz" muffler... just a little buying tip if it's got a z where a s should be... don't buy it...

all the catback systems I listed above sound fine...

dynomax and flowmaster and magnaflow make GOOD universal mufflers that sound good... the custom bending is up to how good the shop is...

if you ask me it's the tannabe and apexi's that sound like butt...

fart cans... nothing funnier than some kid with a 500+ dollar exhaust that makes his car sound like a tractor running open manifold.

so is greddy loud or quiet?

i want something more towards the quieter side...but sounds really mean and deep when you can hear it. not one of those "ehhhhhhhhhhhhh" noises where you can hear it 15 miles away...

???

[blind34_1]

I just installed my Apexi WS catback and it sounds fantastic. A nice deep tone, but not loud at all. None of that weedwacker sound that you get from fart pipes. I am very impressed with the quality so far. Oh and if you want to buy an exhaust for a great price, talk to zm_dawg.