Bio248

i picked up my V a couple weeks ago. the previous owner replaced the stock mufflers with a set of dynomax bullet mufflers and a set of magnaflow tips. the rest of the system is stock. it does sound great and it's pretty mellow by most peoples standards.

the only issue i have is it drones a little on the highway in 5th/6th going 50-65 or so. after the speed limit goes up and i can go 70-75 it's very tolerable.

i fell in love with the borla catback (mellow and smooth) watching some youtube videos for a while before i even picked up my car. any of you that have experienced it or another similar catback, do you think this would mellow out the exhaust a little more or would it almost guaranteed be louder?

i don't really care for super loud cars and i have a newborn to carry around, too. i also don't want it to be stock because that's very boring. straight piping the car or cutouts are 100% not an option.

edit: it's an 05 (V1)..

CTSVBiggie

iTrader: (1)

I have kooks to magnaflow. Little bit of drone. Probably a little loud for you.

CTSVBiggie

iTrader: (1)

https://ls1tech.com/forums/cadillac-...le-thread.html

^ Good thread to look at.

Goosecaddy05

corsa is prob your only option... from what i know its really the only system that doesn't drone much

Bio248

been through that entire thread. seem like the majority of the folks are totally cool with chopping off parts of the exhaust to replace with just piping.

the exhaust i have now is not too loud. it has a little drone, which is totally manageable. i just feel like since it's a bullet muffler (which isn't really a good muffling device) it leaves a little to be desired on the amount of "smooth note" the exhaust can produce.

i feel like the corsa exhaust is a little too tame and all of the videos i've watched don't seem to satisfy the right tone to me. the borla catback is right up there with sounding nice and mellow/smooth as well as not being overly loud. i'm just having a hard time figuring out whether it would be a step in the right direction from what i have and spending the money to get it, only to be dissatisfied is a big leap.

Goosecaddy05

your prob like me in that you prefer a deep tone to the exhaust... the prob with that is deep tone exhaust have more bass to them and thus drone... i love my b&b exhaust's tone at idle and wot, but it does drone like a 12 inch sub under 2k rpm.. here's my exhaust at idle... has B&B headers high flow cats and x pipe

ryridesmotox

I have stainless works header back. 1&3/4 primaries 3 inches all the way back mini cats, and mufflers. Its loud when your WOT but only at WOT. But it does drone when you're lower in rpm lugging the motor. Most exhausts will done if you lug the motor. The stock exhaust is so quiet you just don't hear it that well

Bio248

i think everything is going to drone under 2k in higher gears. it's just the nature of the beast.

maybe i said it wrong. i'm looking to refine the exhaust note, smooth it out...make it more proper and mature? i don't want it to be loud and raspy. what i have now works, but it leaves a little to be desired as far as the quality of the note coming from the tail pipes. i understand right now is about as quiet as it gets for anything done exhaust wise, though.

ryridesmotox

You could try another resonator in the setup. The problem with exhaust is that everyone has a different desire for tone and loudness and most people don't have the funds required to swap exhausts until they find one they like. For me, I don't want a quiet car. I don't mind drone, I just want loud. Even my exhaust isn't loud to me. But I've always been loud and abrasive myself... Kinda my personality.

Bio248

understandable.

this car is my daily driver and will constantly have my wife and child (newborn as of 2/25) in it with me. i also don't really feel like pissing off my neighbors when i leave/return at all times of the day. i have motorcycles that are loud, hah.

BudRacing

iTrader: (3)

Does it still have the resonator in the center?

Bio248

yep, the entire system is stock minus the bullet mufflers and magnaflow tips.

Fweasel

iTrader: (6)

Bio, there's a wrecked CTS-V on CL with a GM Performance exhaust on it, which was a rebranded Borla. Search the Chicagoland CL site, the exact location was New Lennox, I believe. He was asking $500 in the original add. If it's still up, I bet he'd take $400 and it's not a bad weekend drive from WI.

I too use my V as a DD and have little kids. I have other toys that make plenty of noise and have never been interested in tinkering with this exhaust much. I agree, in stock form it could use a little more, but there's a fine line that's tough not to cross. If you're ever in the Chicago area, I'd love to meet up and hear what your current exhaust sounds like.

Bio248

i assume this is the ad: http://chicago.craigslist.org/wcl/pts/4368398854.html ?

i have driven to chicago for parts plenty of times.

Fweasel

iTrader: (6)

That's the one. I was just coming back to update my post with the link. WTF, I've made more than my share of drives to WI for parts. We need to get our act together and save some gas!

Bio248

for the discounts you can get for used parts, i'd say the gas is well spent. haha.

how can i confirm the catback is a relabeled borla set? is it identical in every way, minus some badging?

Fweasel

iTrader: (6)

The GM Performance exhaust was originally a rebranded Corsa and then later on it was switched to the Borla. I believe it was Darkman on CF that confirmed it was the same exhaust, both times, aside from the embossment stamped on the bottom of the two mufflers.

Bio248

from the picture it does look very, very similar, but i can't tell from the pictures how the x-pipe/resonator area looks that well. i emailed him about it.

a corsa catback would have a dual inlet/outlet resonator in the middle versus the x-pipe and two separate resonators.

MN_V

iTrader: (5)

Magnaflow exhaust coming from high flow cats and kooks headers. Very little drone. It's there at certain speeds in 6th gear around 55-60 but only if there's a load on the engine, i.e. going up an incline. Nothing to complain about at all.

1yakini

I must be in the small minority, I have LT with and xpipe and no mufflers and love how loud it is. Dont really care about the neighbors although I am more careful at night and early morning, and my 10 month old and 7 year old daughter love the sound....

I swear people break their damn necks when I drive by, I have been followed to my house before because an older guy loved how the car sounded and wanted to know more about it. A couple weeks ago the old lady next door said she had 2 siblings with cadillacs and they didnt sound like this. I asked if it bothered her and she said "no way, it sounds like a serious musclecar". I was surprised she said that but just made me want a cam..... !!!!!!