HELP with choosing right exhaust set up

AngelTheDuro

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Hey guys hope youre doing well. I have 1997 GT and Im struggling to find which exhaust set up would be the best for me. Im content with how the car sounds its Stock and has a short ram air intake which I believe makes it sound even louder. id like to mess with exhaust purely for HP gains. Would it even be worth it if its just for that? Emissions arent an issue where I live.
 

RAU03MACH

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Lot of good kits out there
If you like the sound of a deep exhaust sound
Flowmaster is it
If you like the sound of pop corn popping there's others
 

07GtS197

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A catted midpipe and borla stingers would be a good combo that’s not loud until you step on it. Magnaflows are supposed to be tame as well.
 

ttocs

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I don't think I have ever seen any exhaust listed as the best for hp. In general I think its just a situation where almost any bigger aftermarket set up will help hp. If you like the sound now you can always add electronic cut outs to get some attitude and free up some restrictions at the push of a button.
 

lwarrior1016

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Hooker maximum flow.
Very mellow idle and cruising, but it scream when you get in it. It’s quieter driving around than the magnaflow mufflers are. These mufflers are supposed to flow the best and have the lowest decibel at idle (when compared to other aftermarket mufflers).
 

Jakespeeds

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You realistically not going to see horsepower gains simply by putting a different exhaust on the car. Not without making the air easier to get through the engine. What you might notice is the engine revving up a little quicker. And the engine pulling a little further through the RPM band. You would need to do headers with the exhaust as well. Exhaust is part of the formula buts its not enough of it to really make a huge difference. Unless you're cats of mufflers are partially plugged.

Jake
 
OP
OP
A

AngelTheDuro

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You realistically not going to see horsepower gains simply by putting a different exhaust on the car. Not without making the air easier to get through the engine. What you might notice is the engine revving up a little quicker. And the engine pulling a little further through the RPM band. You would need to do headers with the exhaust as well. Exhaust is part of the formula buts its not enough of it to really make a huge difference. Unless you're cats of mufflers are partially plugged.

Jake
So by going catless I wouldnt be seeing much HP?
 

96blak54

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Swap the stock mufflers for a straight pipe. The cats smooth the exhaust out alot. The mufflers are there for extra exhaust notes, but in my opinion when keeping the stock cats, run it with no mufflers. Its not real loud and sounds great with the tailpipes.
 

TrickVert

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If you like the sound of the stock exhaust, then I'd leave it alone and spend the money elsewhere. With no mods other than the intake, you'll see no power gains. Also, ttocs is correct. There is minimal difference between keeping the stock cats in place and going to hi-flow ones, and virtually no gain moving from hi-flows to none. Keep in mind, too, that almost any aftermarket exhaust will impart drone that varies from mildly annoying to nearly unbearable.
 

Jakespeeds

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So by going catless I wouldnt be seeing much HP?
I'm in California. So every two years on my 98 I pull out the BBK catless X pipe and put in the original midpipe to get it emission tested. I have a SCT that lets me swap between the FTK and original tune. Its been on the dyno both ways. There was a couple of horsepower difference. But the engine is not stock. What it did was allow the engine to rev a bit quicker and pull all the way to redline with almost no drop off. So no you would not be seeing any real horsepower in my opinion. It is just a piece of the puzzle.

Jake
 

RAU03MACH

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Thats why you need to move to new mexico
No cats no emissions no problem
Just the way I like it
 

ttocs

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I kinda feel bad that I cut up a nice bassani offroad x to install my cats earlier this year but its a sorry not sorry type of thing. It was JUST a tad louder than I liked with the loud button off and the smell at lights(side exhaust) and just in the garage was more than I liked as well. I had been considering swapping out the pipe when just before x-mas I found a set of brand new high flows that were the perfect size for only $75 on marketplace. For that price I was happy to pull out the welder to install them.
 

joe65

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I've done that before. put an offroad x on a 4v and it was just too weird of a sound so i had hi flows cut into the bassani x. I do have to say when i bought this mach 1 it had a catless 2.5" h pipe and was strait piped. It was loud as hell but it ran like a raped ape. I had to put cats on for emissions and man it is really noticeable how much they restrict on the 4v.
 

ttocs

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I am also not sure how much experience the OP has to know if you are looking to go longtubes the install will require you to move the engine up a little to wiggle them in. Its not a fun install/removal.
 

TrickVert

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I installed hi-flow spun-metallic cats in my O/R pipe to quench the stench. I enjoyed driving the car much more after this.
 
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dwcopple

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How many cats on your 97? My 98 had 6 of em. I went with a BBK o/r X pipe and yes, it stinks. I run 2.25" series 10 mufflers on some Walker flow tubes and the stock tailpipes. It can be as loud or as quiet as my right foot makes it.
 

ttocs

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another point to consider if you do not know is that the stock mid pipes are worth a fair amount of money now between people needing to pass emissions and the scrap value.
 

dwcopple

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Correct ^ I sold my 6 cat pipe for $600 within minutes of listing it locally on FB
 

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