Need Exhaust Advice...
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 162
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Need Exhaust Advice... Well I live in Oklahoma City, Ok. and the rules on inspection dont apply, cause well, we dont have inspection anymore...so you dont really get in trouble for not being emmisions legal and such.
Herein lies the problem,im moving back to southern California..and i have been reminded on how strict they are on emmisions and such there. So now that screws up my whole exhaust lay out i was attending to...so now i need a new layout with cats and all to pass the tests...
Right now i have stock manifolds with no cat...actually i spliced out the cat...and stuck a cut out where the cat was...so it sounds stock with the cut out closed....but sounds insanely crazy with it open..satisfies me enough to keep the ricers off my *** when its open
so question being.. What in your guys opinion would be a good, emmisions legal exhaust set up ? I still have stock manifolds..so that would be headers included in your thoughts. But apparently im going to have to have cats and such again....grr.. i still want it to sound aggressive as hell but i guess it cant be bust your eardrums loud anymore. So then i guess i will have to settle for something that only sounds crazy at WOT? ideas are greatly appreciated as always guys..thanks.
Will
Oh PS..i forgot..I have a '93 Z28, LT1 of course.
Herein lies the problem,im moving back to southern California..and i have been reminded on how strict they are on emmisions and such there. So now that screws up my whole exhaust lay out i was attending to...so now i need a new layout with cats and all to pass the tests...
Right now i have stock manifolds with no cat...actually i spliced out the cat...and stuck a cut out where the cat was...so it sounds stock with the cut out closed....but sounds insanely crazy with it open..satisfies me enough to keep the ricers off my *** when its open
so question being.. What in your guys opinion would be a good, emmisions legal exhaust set up ? I still have stock manifolds..so that would be headers included in your thoughts. But apparently im going to have to have cats and such again....grr.. i still want it to sound aggressive as hell but i guess it cant be bust your eardrums loud anymore. So then i guess i will have to settle for something that only sounds crazy at WOT? ideas are greatly appreciated as always guys..thanks.
Will
Oh PS..i forgot..I have a '93 Z28, LT1 of course.
Originally Posted by blkZ28spt
In Cali you have to go with shorty headers and cats to be legal. If you don't find a way to pass with an illegal exhaust 
that will be your only choice.
that will be your only choice.
On The Tree
Joined: Jul 2004
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From: Antioch, CA
I live in Cali, i am runnin Lont Tube headers and no cats. If you want that badass aggressive sound, just get Long Tubes without cats, and when smog times rolls around, put the stock manifolds back on. Here in Cali, mustangs are EVERYWHERE! In the city i live in, there are AT LEAST 6 different 03/04 cobra's and SO MANY GT's. If you want to be at the head of the pack. . . . .well, you gatta do what you gatta do... 
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Mar 2004
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Originally Posted by QuickBowtie
I live in Cali, i am runnin Lont Tube headers and no cats. If you want that badass aggressive sound, just get Long Tubes without cats, and when smog times rolls around, put the stock manifolds back on. Here in Cali, mustangs are EVERYWHERE! In the city i live in, there are AT LEAST 6 different 03/04 cobra's and SO MANY GT's. If you want to be at the head of the pack. . . . .well, you gatta do what you gatta do...
Thread Starter
On The Tree
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Originally Posted by QuickBowtie
Every 2 years, you can get midlengths with cats, but i dont think they sound as good. . . .
grr guess imma have to settle for that though...what about these high flow cats?..are they worth looking into?
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TECH Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2003
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From: Northern Va
yes highflow cats work very well. they dont tone down the exhaust note too much either. they help otu alot with rasp as well! if you are gonna get cats but you really want to be loud and sound mean, id look into making sure you got a loud catback, such as a loudmouth /borlamouth/dynomouth and what have you.
I wouldn't mess with shorties...midlengths will not pass the visual inspection. If you can get in tight with a particular shop (which is what i do in northenr va which is just as bad as cali) for the right price they would probably pass you.
but if youw anan stay fully smog legal and make some power, you might wanna look into a small sleeper cam, high flow cats, 2.5 inch y pipe and a loud catback. atleast that would be my suggestion.
for the record, my "smog legal" set up i ran for a little bit when i first got my car i had a bassani 2.5 inch ory pipe, i had carsound cats welded in with a hooker catback and a 2.5 inch cut out int he I pipe. i have to say i favor the hooker catback, very stealthy tilly ou get on it, unless i uncapped the cut out, then it was just crazy, i could find some shitty sound clips of this set up if you would like pm me!
Travis
I wouldn't mess with shorties...midlengths will not pass the visual inspection. If you can get in tight with a particular shop (which is what i do in northenr va which is just as bad as cali) for the right price they would probably pass you.
but if youw anan stay fully smog legal and make some power, you might wanna look into a small sleeper cam, high flow cats, 2.5 inch y pipe and a loud catback. atleast that would be my suggestion.
for the record, my "smog legal" set up i ran for a little bit when i first got my car i had a bassani 2.5 inch ory pipe, i had carsound cats welded in with a hooker catback and a 2.5 inch cut out int he I pipe. i have to say i favor the hooker catback, very stealthy tilly ou get on it, unless i uncapped the cut out, then it was just crazy, i could find some shitty sound clips of this set up if you would like pm me!
Travis
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Verdad Gallardo Thread Starter
On The Tree
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Originally Posted by slik98z
yes highflow cats work very well. they dont tone down the exhaust note too much either. they help otu alot with rasp as well! if you are gonna get cats but you really want to be loud and sound mean, id look into making sure you got a loud catback, such as a loudmouth /borlamouth/dynomouth and what have you.
I wouldn't mess with shorties...midlengths will not pass the visual inspection. If you can get in tight with a particular shop (which is what i do in northenr va which is just as bad as cali) for the right price they would probably pass you.
but if youw anan stay fully smog legal and make some power, you might wanna look into a small sleeper cam, high flow cats, 2.5 inch y pipe and a loud catback. atleast that would be my suggestion.
for the record, my "smog legal" set up i ran for a little bit when i first got my car i had a bassani 2.5 inch ory pipe, i had carsound cats welded in with a hooker catback and a 2.5 inch cut out int he I pipe. i have to say i favor the hooker catback, very stealthy tilly ou get on it, unless i uncapped the cut out, then it was just crazy, i could find some shitty sound clips of this set up if you would like pm me!
Travis
I wouldn't mess with shorties...midlengths will not pass the visual inspection. If you can get in tight with a particular shop (which is what i do in northenr va which is just as bad as cali) for the right price they would probably pass you.
but if youw anan stay fully smog legal and make some power, you might wanna look into a small sleeper cam, high flow cats, 2.5 inch y pipe and a loud catback. atleast that would be my suggestion.
for the record, my "smog legal" set up i ran for a little bit when i first got my car i had a bassani 2.5 inch ory pipe, i had carsound cats welded in with a hooker catback and a 2.5 inch cut out int he I pipe. i have to say i favor the hooker catback, very stealthy tilly ou get on it, unless i uncapped the cut out, then it was just crazy, i could find some shitty sound clips of this set up if you would like pm me!
Travis
i dont think getting in tight with a shop is going to matter..my friend told me you have to go every 3 years to a govt site. and being my first inspection they are gonna make me go to a govt anyway apparantly. grr this angers me.
(PS-and hell yeah id love to hear your exhaust set up files!)
11 Second Club
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 5,524
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From: The South
I am not sure how much shorties help on LT1's. I know that on LS1's the manifolds are different on newer cars than older ones, you'll have to get LT1 specific advice on whetehr shorties help.......but even if they do help it won't be much and nowhere NEAR what longtubes would do for you.
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,655
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From: Northern Va
people say shorties aren't worth it because they "only" produce 8-12 rwhp gains. Long tubes will generally give you 15-20 rwhp before tuning. I personally woudln't waste my money on the shorties, but if i couldn't get lt's i think i would get them just for the added tone to the exhaust. I guess i have good reason to never want to go back to Cali apparently, what a peice of **** place to live no offense but you'd think the government would have something better to do.
anyways...stock manifolds or shorties, 2.5 inch y pipe with highflow cats and a free flowing catback should give you what you are looking for.
my friend was hosting my soudn clips from back in march, but they have since been removed so i gotta find the cd i put them on and upload them again so i can host them myself this time.
Good luck!
Travis
anyways...stock manifolds or shorties, 2.5 inch y pipe with highflow cats and a free flowing catback should give you what you are looking for.
my friend was hosting my soudn clips from back in march, but they have since been removed so i gotta find the cd i put them on and upload them again so i can host them myself this time.
Good luck!
Travis