Best cat back performance gain
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 141
Likes: 2
Best cat back performance gain I'm looking to do a stainless steel catback only on a stock 01 LS1 and want the best sound and torque for the dollar. Has anyone done 1/4 mile or similar testing on a stock LS before and after an exhaust mod? How much Improvment can I expect?
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 5,798
Likes: 16
From: St.Charles MO
Thats a borla catback you have pictured there, its a high dollar catback that you can remove the plate from the passenger side tip and essentially bypass the muffler and run open exhaust. For a catback thats basically the best flow you can get. Aftermarket catbacks in general should just be within ~10hp of each other, honestly not something to stress over for making power IMO, just buy the one that sounds the best to you (watch youtube videos).
While on the subject most people will just tell you to buy true duals dumped before the axle. Its lighter, cheaper and can make more power than a catback. Only downside i see from that is the drone from having the exhaust dumped under the car.
While on the subject most people will just tell you to buy true duals dumped before the axle. Its lighter, cheaper and can make more power than a catback. Only downside i see from that is the drone from having the exhaust dumped under the car.
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 141
Likes: 2
Haha. Yes I had a 72 Lemans 35 years ago and had a thrush glass pack and then true duals w super turbos (all w turndowns) and boy they were loud! I have a WS6 vert now and don't want it crazy loud. I'm looking between hooker/Borla/magnaflow. I like the adjustability of the Borla but it's very expensive. I hear Magnaflow doesn't sound much louder than stock so I don't want to spend $500 for a barely noticeable difference.
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 6,216
Likes: 236
From: Wichita KS / Rancho San Diego
Madhammer is a good choice for what you're looking for, just a little expensive. Sounds great with stock cats; not too loud, but deep and you know it's there. I'm afraid the Hooker and Magnaflow will be too quiet for you, though they flow well.
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 5,798
Likes: 16
From: St.Charles MO
Haha. Yes I had a 72 Lemans 35 years ago and had a thrush glass pack and then true duals w super turbos (all w turndowns) and boy they were loud! I have a WS6 vert now and don't want it crazy loud. I'm looking between hooker/Borla/magnaflow. I like the adjustability of the Borla but it's very expensive. I hear Magnaflow doesn't sound much louder than stock so I don't want to spend $500 for a barely noticeable difference.
Also what exactly are you looking to get out of the car? Im asking because if you want some real gains long tube headers are the way to go, you will see large (20+RWHP) gains plus a very noticeable increase in throttle response. Pair that with an aftermarket y-pipe, cutout and catback and you will be seeing some good power.
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 141
Likes: 2
I'd like to keep the car as stock as possible, and I hate how difficult it is to do the pass plugs and would like to breeze though plug changes but not enough to do headers. It seems like a royal pain in the *** to do the headers also. I'm afraid if I increase power too much I'll be going through transmissions and rear ends like I hear everybody doing, so I'm really looking for a better sound not too loud but loud enough to justify the cost of a new system. The other thing is I heard that Flowmaster does not give you any power increase so that's out of the question no matter how good it might sound. This is a cruiser used infrequently and I use the radio on most occasions, except when I'm getting on it the!
Trending Topics
The borla system is nice, my car had one on it when I first bought it. Only reason I took it off and sold it was to go to a single 4" catback. I know of a used one for sale in Texas for a pretty good price. Only thing you would need is to order the different block off plates for the passenger side tail pipe from Borla or pick up one of the QTP Borla cutouts to put in place of the plates. Then you could open/close it on the fly when you want to be loud.
If I was to go back with another 3" catback with tips though I would try and pick up a Corsa system.
If I was to go back with another 3" catback with tips though I would try and pick up a Corsa system.
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
Gas Monkey Built a 6-Wheel Ferrari Testarossa With a Corvette LT4 Engine
Verdad Gallardo
7 Most Reliable High-Performance Engines GM Has Ever Built
Verdad Gallardo
Amazing '71 Camaro Restomod Is Modern Muscle Car Under the Skin
Verdad Gallardo
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Pouria Savadkouei
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Verdad Gallardo Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 141
Likes: 2
Originally Posted by zachm89
The borla system is nice, my car had one on it when I first bought it. Only reason I took it off and sold it was to go to a single 4" catback. I know of a used one for sale in Texas for a pretty good price. Only thing you would need is to order the different block off plates for the passenger side tail pipe from Borla or pick up one of the QTP Borla cutouts to put in place of the plates. Then you could open/close it on the fly when you want to be loud.
If I was to go back with another 3" catback with tips though I would try and pick up a Corsa system.
If I was to go back with another 3" catback with tips though I would try and pick up a Corsa system.
Hooker has a Blackheart True Dual system that is cat back. I bought the cat back version for my car while I had stock manifolds and cats. The mufflers are straight through but are surprisingly quiet. When I ended up getting headers, it was pretty simple to adapt the system to them and I also got rid of the cats as well.
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 141
Likes: 2
Originally Posted by wannafbody
Corsa sounds good. Gibson is stainless for about half the price of the big names.
Teching In
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 45
Likes: 0
From: Thomasville, Ga
I'd hit up YouTube and see what sounds best to you. Sound is super subjective so that's your best bet besides hearing them in real life. I've had many catbacks over the years and ended up with true duals and would never go back. However, out of the catbacks I've ran my favorite has been GMMG (Madhammer), real deep and throaty sound with stock manifolds and pure bliss with headers. Magnaflow sounded barely louder than stock with the stock manifolds, was super lame. When I had headers, increased compression, head work, and a cam the Magnaflow was still too quiet on the inside of the car for my tastes but sounded really good from the outside. Besides some of the options already listed you could also look into SLP Loudmouth 2 which IMO sounds good with stock manifolds, is stainless and <$400 IIRC.
Best sound. & torque cor the dollar?
Cut-out is probably the best value for performance gain but its also the worse sounding to me. They are loud and annoying, being able to close remotely works well with the electric cut outs - at least for a while.
Corsa & Borla always sound the best to me. I would look for a used one in good condition.
The old SLP Dual/Dual without the ring of silence is my all time favorite. Excellent power, inexpensive used but too quiet for most people at crusie rpm. However, the D/D will scream at WOT. On 500 rwhp set ups the D/D might cost 10 hp over an open Cut-out. My heads & cam TA is down 10 hp with the D/D vs open cut out.
The old SLP 20TL just like SLP D/D but a louder at cruise rpm.
True duals might be worth a look but thats usually fairly expensive.
Best wishes.
Cut-out is probably the best value for performance gain but its also the worse sounding to me. They are loud and annoying, being able to close remotely works well with the electric cut outs - at least for a while.
Corsa & Borla always sound the best to me. I would look for a used one in good condition.
The old SLP Dual/Dual without the ring of silence is my all time favorite. Excellent power, inexpensive used but too quiet for most people at crusie rpm. However, the D/D will scream at WOT. On 500 rwhp set ups the D/D might cost 10 hp over an open Cut-out. My heads & cam TA is down 10 hp with the D/D vs open cut out.
The old SLP 20TL just like SLP D/D but a louder at cruise rpm.
True duals might be worth a look but thats usually fairly expensive.
Best wishes.
I'd like to keep the car as stock as possible, and I hate how difficult it is to do the pass plugs and would like to breeze though plug changes but not enough to do headers. It seems like a royal pain in the *** to do the headers also. I'm afraid if I increase power too much I'll be going through transmissions and rear ends like I hear everybody doing, so I'm really looking for a better sound not too loud but loud enough to justify the cost of a new system. The other thing is I heard that Flowmaster does not give you any power increase so that's out of the question no matter how good it might sound. This is a cruiser used infrequently and I use the radio on most occasions, except when I'm getting on it the!
So even if you want to keep your car mostly stock I cant imagine not having at least longtubes, ory, catback, lid, ported throttle body, and tune. Thats 40-50hp that you can add to the rear wheels and the car still drive like stock and knock down better gas mileage at the same time.
TECH Apprentice
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 392
Likes: 0
Definitely hit up YouTube and try to listen for a good sounding exhaust. I did that years ago and got the GMMG (Madhatter now from what I hear). The GMMG is definitely louder than stock but it is not obnoxious either.
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 6,216
Likes: 236
From: Wichita KS / Rancho San Diego
Actually, if your car isn't a Trans Am needing dual outlets, you can build your own single outlet Hooker Maxflow catback using Walker Dynomax I and OTA pipes from Summit. The only other thing you need is a muffler shop to make the tailpipe and hangers.
This is what I run on both my Formulas. No catback will be cheaper or flow better, and I think it sounds as good or better than most any of them. Search this forum for "Maxflow" to find my threads and others.
This is what I run on both my Formulas. No catback will be cheaper or flow better, and I think it sounds as good or better than most any of them. Search this forum for "Maxflow" to find my threads and others.