can somebody please explain the exhaust setup on my 03 es. i went to a shop to check out a magnaflow, and the guy explained to me that i had two mufflers, and that i should only replace the one in the middle for noise purposes ( he noticed my six week olds car seat in the back). i am wondering, however, if this will really give me the performance that i want. any input would be appreciated.

 

You have a resonator and a muffler. The resonator reduces the noise (basically). Removing the resonator is a dumb idea. If all you want is a nice sound exhaust, just replace the muffler with a magnaflow or other unit and call it a day.

 

i am looking for maximum performance and want to get a clean deep sound

 

What other mods do you have/plan to have?

 

greddy evo 2... requires a little fabrication, but its that NOT RICEY deep sound.. i had one and loved it.. but then i sold my ralliart so..

 

+1 on the greddy 2 evo. I have a full blown turbo system without cat and I have one of the quietest cars around.

 

No matter what exhaust you get, dont expect any gains in hp. They are minimal to none.

 

Then don't buy an exhaust.
Or, more to the point, what do you even mean by "maximum performance"? That phrase means nothing to me. Autocrossers and drag racers would have different versions of "maximum performance."

No matter what you get, you're going to lose low-end torque, gain 2 whp at 6k RPM, and your car is going to sound a bit louder.

You can't buy an exhaust for maximum performance. You plan and mod your car with a cohesive system of parts that all are planned to work together. THAT is maximum performance...

 

perhaps "maximum performance" is the wrong phrase. i mean that i am looking for the exhaust setup that will be the most cohesive with any future modifications. i don't want to take steps backwards when i should be going forward you know what i mean.

 

Then what are your future plans (turbo, N/A, SC, etc)? We can't give you advice when you don't tell us what you want...

 

go to a muffler shop. get a custom 2.25" or 2.5" (for turbo) cat back installed with a decent muffler.
$150-$200
thats all you need for any future plans

 

You have to know what your future plans are before we can help you.

 

think that is what i will do. go with the 2.25 and a magnaflow exhuast...

 

don't ever see myself being able to afford the turbo, so i think that i would like to keep the car n/a... as for the future, i am still researching, i just want to do it right.

 

Well, then it depends.

Honestly, the custom 2.25 exhaust is going to be a good bet. You're going to lose some torque and gain some HP.
Personally, I was happy with just the axleback.

What are you looking to get out of the car? I honestly felt like the N/A mods were a waste. I spent a lot of money and my car was not much faster than stock. It's really not worth an N/A buildup unless you go all-out, which costs more than turboing does.

But it's hard to give advice since everyone is different. So I'll shut up now.