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hooker aerochamber vs hooker catback system

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Old Jul 13, 2005 | 03:02 PM
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Default hooker aerochamber vs hooker catback system

i am plannign on buying a hooker catback system adn when i looked up the prices onlien i saw websites selling the aerochamber muffler for 80 bucks, but other places have a hooker catback system for 300 bucks. I was wondering what the difference is in the two cause its confusing me.
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Old Jul 13, 2005 | 03:18 PM
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The cat back is a hole system, I pipe, tale pipes, tips, and aerochamber muffler. The one for $80 is just the muffler.
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Old Jul 13, 2005 | 03:20 PM
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thas what i figured lol. I just wanted to make sure there was no other difference. So if i bought the muffler only i would have to have the I pipe adn tail pipes custom/fabbed up to work?
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Old Jul 13, 2005 | 03:27 PM
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Originally Posted by sspower
thas what i figured lol. I just wanted to make sure there was no other difference. So if i bought the muffler only i would have to have the I pipe adn tail pipes custom/fabbed up to work?
Just get the CB it will probly cost more in the end to have them custom made.
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Old Jul 13, 2005 | 03:33 PM
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aite thanks for your help i appreciate it
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Old Jul 13, 2005 | 04:07 PM
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I had a hooker aero on my 98...it sounded SO clean
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Old Jul 13, 2005 | 06:06 PM
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Just buy the muffler. they can cut out the factory or what ever your running now and splice it in for like 50 bucks. most catbacks are 3'' to the muffler and 21/2 out. Factory I-pipe is 2.75, thats a 1/4'' difference. Not worth it in my opinion. Especially if your me. I have been through 4 mufflers counting the factory one. Flowmaster,hooker, and now magnaflow. Each time the muffler was under a hundred bucks and 50 bucks labor tops.
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Old Jul 13, 2005 | 06:42 PM
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You can pick up a Hooker catback for like 270 bucks or so from www.ThunderRacing.com I don't see the point in welding the aerochamber into the stock system. I bet it's not that much cheaper... Just buy the system, and have at the least, a decent set of dual/dual tips.
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Old Jul 13, 2005 | 06:53 PM
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The tips that come with the kit are FUGLY IMO! It's way cheaper to splice in a muffler.
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Old Jul 13, 2005 | 07:03 PM
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Originally Posted by Tranzaman00
The tips that come with the kit are FUGLY IMO! It's way cheaper to splice in a muffler.
It's not WAY cheaper. It is ghetto however... I'm telling you man. I paid 259.00 bucks for mine from Thunder. That's more than worth it for the full kit.
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Old Jul 13, 2005 | 07:29 PM
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So you don't consider over 100.00 dollars cheaper. Ghetto why is that? I can tell you that the factory piping will last a hell of a lot longer than Hookers kit. That catback is a piece of ****, the tips are nasty and the mufflers ugly. Also it don't sound to much different than stock. I got a mirror polished SS Magnaflow muffler shipped for 90 bucks brand new and put on for 40.00, as much as I play with my exhaust no catback is worth the money.
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Old Jul 13, 2005 | 07:50 PM
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Flows just as good if not better than a Magnaflow. I've been running it for 2 years, and it looks brand new. With the exception of some gear oil coming from my leaky pinion seal... The Hooker can't be beat for its price. It may be aluminized, but I don't drive the car in the winter. It IS louder than stock, get some headers and it wakes right up. Throw some LTs and an ORY on your magnaflow and listen to that rasp...thats not for me I'll even catagorize that as "****" as you call it.
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Old Jul 13, 2005 | 08:04 PM
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I'm running a ory on my set up now and it's music to my ears. However I don't have longtubes. Anyway to each is own and thats the bottom line. Non-stylish tips and a black muffler to me qualify for GHETTO status as you call it. I liked the way it sounded when I had the muffler, it just wasn't what i was looking for ya know what I mean?
I'm sorry to get in this debate with you but I took a little offense when you said it's ghetto to splice in a muffler. People do it all the time even with aftermarket cat-backs.
You could never tell from the looks of my system that it was spliced in. It looks like it came that way, clean nicely welded and tuckked up tight. Nice sig BTW tales from the crypt ws6 I like the sound of that. Nice chatting w/ya, later.......
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Old Jul 13, 2005 | 09:20 PM
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Another option is to have the exhaust shop make it so that the mufller can be clamped in place. I had them cut off the stock muffler, weld adapters to the stock pipes, and clamp them muffler on. That way, when I get bored with the sound of my ultraflo muffler, I can buy a (hooker, magnaflow, etc..) and just unbolt rebolt and drive away. Cost was minimal, 40 at a local midas.
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Old Jul 13, 2005 | 09:55 PM
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Get the catback. I bought mine used and it still looks great. The pipes are way better than the stock crap. No kinked bends. Only a quarter inch difference? Pi*R^2 man. It turns out that the 2.75 inch pipe has a cross section area of 5.94 cubic inches and the 3 inch pipe has 7.07 cubic inches. Thats a 20% increase in cross section area. It won't make a big difference now, but it will later as you try to make more power. I like to have stuff to grow into. The Hooker is one of the best kits especially for the money. I love mine.
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Old Jul 13, 2005 | 10:20 PM
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haha i wasnt expecting so many replies. Well im buying the catback system used from someone and i wanted to maek sure he wasnt overcharging me. Based on the responses im gettin a good deal. O yea my set up is going to be jethot lts, hooker ory, hooker catback. You guys think it is easier to do the whole system at once or change the catback first or lts. Im thinkign of gettign my lts installed at a shop and just doing the catback in my garage over the weekend. SO i want to know if its easier to install the catback with stock headers or lts i guess.
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Old Jul 13, 2005 | 10:27 PM
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I'd do it all at once. Hopefully you have a sawzall to cut the stock pipes. When installing the new parts start at the engine and go back. Make sure you have all the parts needed. I bought mine used and Fed Ex lost my head pipe, I had to buy a new one and it took awhile to get it from hooker. It took even longer to get the money from fed ex. It would suck to not have the parts after you cut up the stock system. Also, the band clamp that connects the Y pipe to the head pipe was worn out. I drilled off the rivet from the stock clamp and it worked great. Good luck.
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Old Jul 13, 2005 | 10:31 PM
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Do it all at once if you can. If you don't have access to a lift, getting your headers installed may be your best option. It took me about 6.5 hours to get mine done with use of a lift. It's kind of a pain, can't imagine doing it on jackstands. Lining up your Y pipe can sometimes be a pain. It wasn't for me, but every car is different.

Now, the next thing you have to decide is whether or not you want to keep your factory exhaust intact. The system is one whole piece from the I pipe back (cat-back). I had to lower the rearend to keep mine.

Your other option is to cut it, so it comes out it two pieces. You can save the $$$ by doing it yourself, but it depends how you want to do things. The install isn't bad at all, just takes a little time to get things lined up. If you've got the time and tools, I definately say go for it.

Rob
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Old Jul 14, 2005 | 04:38 AM
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getting the muffler alone will give you close to catback gains.

magnaflow was rasp city with my headers and orp. i ditched the magnaflow muffler, put in a hooker muffler and could not be more happy.
the hooker has a deeper tone compared to the magnaflow and no rasp
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Old Jul 14, 2005 | 05:13 AM
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^^^^ Seems to me it would. Especially if you changed the I-pipe to 3".
Is the Hooker Aerochamber a direct replacement or do you have to some fab work to install it on a stock exhaust system?
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