Custom or Bolt-On Exhaust?
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 19
Likes: 0
From: Virginia Beach, VA
Custom or Bolt-On Exhaust? I was looking at the differences in price and performance between a true dual custom exhaust and a bolt on setup (ex. mangaflow, borla, flowmaster, etc..) I am new to the F-body scene, but common sense would dictate that a custom true-dual exhaust setup is probably more expensive and has better performance than a bolt on kit. Can anyone clue me in on what the average gain of true dual over bolt on is, and the approximate price difference between the two? I am trying to decide what I should do with my exhaust, and don't want to spend a ton of money. I have a 2000 SS Camaro M6... Thanks!! 
about the cheapest decent sounding and decent built catback is gonna be $400
TSP sells true duals for just over $400 i think (for headers)
a custom TD setup can be built for less than that. i think my Xpipe was $100, my magnaflow mufflers were $75 each, and then just some brackets/hangers. you could easily get some bullets for 1/2 the cost of my magnaflows to save $$.
few hours on my back cutting and grinding...and then i think $50 at the exhaust shop to do the final welding.
this was on LT headers....but i can't imagine running off stock manifolds would be much worse.
granted this is assuming you dump the TDs at the axles. over the axles get more $$ due to more fabrication.
on a bolt on car...the best flowing catbacks will yield about 12-15hp. a TD setup may get you 5hp on top of that. they dont really start to shine untill you start pushing high hp with cam or heads/cam or FI
TSP sells true duals for just over $400 i think (for headers)
a custom TD setup can be built for less than that. i think my Xpipe was $100, my magnaflow mufflers were $75 each, and then just some brackets/hangers. you could easily get some bullets for 1/2 the cost of my magnaflows to save $$.
few hours on my back cutting and grinding...and then i think $50 at the exhaust shop to do the final welding.
this was on LT headers....but i can't imagine running off stock manifolds would be much worse.
granted this is assuming you dump the TDs at the axles. over the axles get more $$ due to more fabrication.
on a bolt on car...the best flowing catbacks will yield about 12-15hp. a TD setup may get you 5hp on top of that. they dont really start to shine untill you start pushing high hp with cam or heads/cam or FI
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 19
Likes: 0
From: Virginia Beach, VA
Thanks for the info man. I dont know how to do much fabrication work myself, so I would probably take it too a exhaust shop for them to do it. After what you're telling me, if I dont plan on doing too many mods to my car, it might be more cost efficient to just do a bolt on... Thanks again for the info!!
I went single 3.5" just because TD's on these cars sacrafice ground clearance greatly. If you are only planning on bolt ons and your car is going to be lowered go with single
