catback vs. headers

[speedster101]

hey guys i've been doing a ton of work on my first gen ex and i thought i out to do something for my dads 02 lt.

I have a home made catback exhaust on my first gen with a flowmaster 40 series muffler and i love it. unfortunately flowmaster doesnt make a kit for these cars and my dad wants something that looks clean which is why i nead a kit. so i went on summit and the only kits there are, are gibson and magna flow which seem a bit pricey for catbacks and i noticed they had headers for just a little more and from what i heard, they seem to give better performance then catbacks. i was just wondering if you have to do one before the other to get an increase in hp and mpg.

Thanks in advance

 

[techieman33]

If he has the v6 dont' waste your time with headers, they stock manifolds flow really good, I'm not sure about the v8 manifolds though. Magnaflow mufflers have a nice sound to them.

 

[speedster101]

yea he has the 4.0L v6. sorry i forgot to mention that. is there a cheaper place to buy magna flow? $450 seems a little steep for a catback.

 

[tom_mcmullen006]

Find a local exhaust shop and have them fab one up on your dads ride. ask them about different mufflers to get a quality muffler, good sound, and a wallet thats not as empty. Thats what i do with all my vehicles.

 

[CALDWELL]

def go to a shop instead of just buyinga fabbed kit, only because your dad might not like the way it looks...

I.E. - like the tips, and how the exhaust exits behind his ex. etc etc...

 

[speedster101]

thanks guys ill definately let him know about that. its not so much the looks or sound hes going after. hed accually prefer it to be on the quiet side compared to mine. hes just looking for the performance and mpgs gained and from what i understand thats the next thing after his k&n intake he has

 

[tom_mcmullen006]

Yea its not a problem. Im just speaking from personal experiences.

 

[Scotty J.]

Why not both? The stock manifolds do flow very well, but they don't look as sexy as a set of JBA Cat4ward, Stainless Steel, Silver Ceramic Coated headers. Stock "Y" and a cat delete to the Magnaflow turned down past the passenger compartment uhh uhh uhhh (bad Tim Taylor impression LOL).

Anyway, that's how I had mine done :biggthump

 

[techieman33]

A 50 series flowmaster would be a little quieter than your 40 series, and a 70 even quieter. Custom is the way to go, find a good exhaust shop and tell them what you want and they'll make it happen.

 

[CALDWELL]

i agree with Techiman...

if your dad wants performance, but not alot of noise... go with a FM 70 Series... not sure what it would sound like on a v6, but my dad has a custom FM 70 series CAT-BACK on his 04 expedition for towing, its quiet but you can tell its not stock...

 

[stsmoker]

quick question....on average, how much does a custom shop charge to do custom bent pipes with a flowmaster 40's?

 

[CALDWELL]

depends on the shop...

my guess anywhere from 350-500 $


depending on... stainless steel or aluminium / which muffler / tips / how you want your exhaust to exit...

 

[tom_mcmullen006]

quick question....on average, how much does a custom shop charge to do custom bent pipes with a flowmaster 40's?

the shop i take my vehicles to has the prices listed as 250 for an exhaust system, that includes labor. fabwork, parts and labor. it just depends on where you go.

 

[macknos94]

when i got my single done it cost about 280 with the tip. dual was 400 with tips

 

[stsmoker]

Just might have to go get me an exhaust put on ... how do you think it would be if i just got a custom exhaust with a 40 series and exit it just under the ex like no tail pipe...just a short section of pipe turned down?

and thanks for all the input

 

[jakeweb]

hey tom mcmullen..just curious on the shop you use for exhaust. i am getting headers on my v6 and was thinking of getting a new exhaust to join them