Ok this has been buggin me fer awhile... what advantages are there in buying a prefabricated exhaust like the RRM or Buschur over buying the muffler you like and getting it custom piped at a local shop? seeing as the pre-fabs run anywhere from $250-$370 while you can buy a muffler (i like the apexi N1) for around $100-$200 and then get custom piping done. The local shop i went to said if you bring the muffler they will pipe it to your cat for $60-$100 (depending on how much piping it is i guess and how difficult.

The advantage i see in getting a custom job is that the shop can adjust the positioning as they mount and pipe it... whereas if i was to order a prefab system more than likely it would require some tinkering to get to sit correctly (as has been shown in a number of posts).

Anywhoo any comments or opinions anyone would like to contribute would be welcome as i am trying to decide...

 

In favor of the Buschur exhaust...it's cat back, has no resonator, and is mandrel bent...meaning you'll have a constant 2.5" inner diameter throughout the length of the piping. Again, I can't comment too much on the RRM or RMR, but they are only axle back at this point.

I think Buschur or custom is the only way to go. I wouldn't want my car in the shop while they bent piping. That's a big part of the reason I went Buschur.

 

True, although i dont care much for the muffler and tip on the buschur system... and the piping on the custom i would get would be mandrel and catback with no resonator... basically whatever i tell them i want them to do.

but yea, waiting for the piping to be bent would be a downside to a custom job. i really like that N1 though.... DECISIONS DECISIONS!

 

The difference is mainly personal opinion. If you like a muffler that they dont make a pre-fab cat back, then go with the custom job. Another issue is warranty. If you get the bolt on, you can then go back and put the original muffler back on. these are the reasons i can figure out.

PS...your signature is funny, but the formula is wrong. should be P=1/ET, otherwise ur talkin about a pretty small muffler tip.

 

THE N1 SOUNDS AWESOME ON THIS CAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you like the N1, do a custom job, i promise you wont be disappointed, unless you try to take it to the dealer and they give u warranty problems

 

Yes, having a cat-back custom bent takes a really long time, but I was able to have it done in one day. The advantage I see in having this done is it's probably a little more affordable depending on which muffler you choose, and again, you get to pretty much choose the exact muffler you want. And while you're at it, having a high-flow cat put on probably isn't a bad idea either.

 

Either way I don't think you'll be disappointed. It's just a matter of preference. The Buschur tip fills the cutout but isn't too big...I expected a lot worse to be perfectly honest. I'll post pics later. Not gonna be home for a while most likely.

 

yep i was just about to say i was wantin to do that too... i wanna keep my emissions legal so it aint a pain in the ***, but at the same time i wanna lose that restrictive cat... 1 day huh... i think i can deal with that

oh and thanks for the fix on the sig... now that i look at it that is kinda backwards... (never liked math too much...)

 

yea, just take ur muffler to Meineke. they did mine in 1.5 hrs without even making an appointment. those guys work wonders. good luck.

 

Keep in mind that if you replace your header and lose the first cat and put a highflow in as your second cat...chances are you won't pass emissions.

Anyway...Think of it like a bottle with two necks. No matter which cat is there, they'll both be the slowest points in your exhaust system.

 

oh really? a high flow wont pass emissions?

 

Yeah, it helps if you get to the shop early so you don't have to wait behind other cars, probably as soon as it's open. My shop has a little waiting room where you can just chill and watch DVD's while you wait. Or you can just drive up there with a second car and come back later in the day. I figure you'd wait a couple of days to have a cat-back shipped to you anyways, right? It's a shame though that more people didn't try out the Buschur cat-back though. Hobie, I look foward to the pics.

 

I think Hobie is saying a high-flow cat COMBINED with a header which eliminates antother cat won't pass emisions. You should be able to pass depending on how strict emissions are in your area if you get a true high-flow catalytic convertor and not just a test pipe. Or at least I hope so.

 

Yes, I meant combined. I can't say I know for sure, but that's my guess. Worst comes to worst you go home and bolt the stock cat on before inspection, right?

New car in NJ means no inspection for 2 years. Bwuahahahaha!

EDIT: Pics of the exhaust will be on my car in the reg. Chances are I'll forget to make a new thread about it.

 

Getting off topic, but...Texas has super strict emission laws which just got even more strict. In Houston these last couple of months, the speed limits were lowered on the highways from 70 mph to just 55 mph, including tollways, in effort to stem pollution. Nevermind that we have A TON of trucks and SUV's that are the main offenders. Everybody has to pay! Even me and my little Lancer. Enough ranting, back on topic.