SS Sport Exhaust

[CarlC]

Ill shortly be purchasing a SS Sport exhaust and taking out the cat and EBPV space. Given that im just on a crap stock exhaust at present and there arent any meets planned 'up north' any time soon I wonder if anyone has got any sound recordings of their exhaust ??

Even better if we could put a list together stating what exhaust setup you have and then listen to the exhaust note. This would make decieding on an exhaust much easier.

Unless anyone has any better ideas ?

[s4simon]

I went for the SJ Sportscars 'Bargain Bucket' variety.

The best item I ever bought. Makes the car sound 'Proper'.

Plus it looks a lot better and weighs half as much.

[Backmarker]

Carl,

The exhaust on my S4 will need changing in March and like you I'll probably run a sport pipe. Peter at PNM has designed something suitable so it may be worth having a word with him. Not heard his model though.

Graham.

[Jonathan]

Actually a good idea !

Peeing my pants waiting for my new exhaust (should be another week).

Very tempted to put the old one back on and then the new one (sure I can manage 5 bolts)

Thing is I cannot remember my old setup sounded like - tbh though I recal it wasn't that bad, a little tame but not intrusive.

[hovgaard]

My pipe is very similar to Simons above. I like it for being stainless and durable, light weight, and presenting a small pressure drop. However, I find the sound a bit sardine canny, but it's suitably loud though. Perhaps it's not quite identical to Simons.

[Guest teigan]

my exhaust is all stainless post manifold; and it is quiet as a doormouse.

why would anyone want more noise than necessary?

[Paul C]

I got same as simons but no cat.

Mine sounds lovely moving, like a bag'O'spanners stationary.

For me the binning of the cat, throttle jack and EBPV was just

an exercise in the obvious. They must have wept the day they

were forced to bolt all that stuff in there, belongs at the bottom

of the sea. heavy, clattering, failure prone, tree friendly junk.

[Guest teigan]

... belongs at the bottom

of the sea. heavy, clattering, failure prone, tree friendly junk.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

you just described every girl i've ever dated.

[hovgaard]

my exhaust is all stainless post manifold;  and it is quiet as a doormouse.

why would anyone want more noise than necessary?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Why would you dampen out something that sounds good? If your exhaust is quiet, then to me that means the muffler is heavier than it needs to be.

I got same as simons but no cat.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Can your lot just remove cats like that? I have to pass emissions every year, and with a car of model year 1989 onwards, there is next to no way to get through without it.

[Guest teigan]

it is a homemade straight through. no dampening whatsoever other than a gun style silencer. we have emissions testing every 2 years. so i'll have to bolt the original pipes in at that time. oddly enough, california emissions are so rough it is very difficult to make an '84 car pass today's standards. means detuning the car just for test purposes.

[hovgaard]

it is a homemade straight through.  no dampening whatsoever other than a gun style silencer.  we have emissions testing every 2 years.  so i'll have to bolt the original pipes in at that time.  oddly enough, california emissions are so rough it is very difficult to make an '84 car pass today's standards.  means detuning the car just for test purposes.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What is 'gun style'?

We have to pass an emissions level appropriate to the rules that were in force at the time the car was new. They measure lambda, CO, and HC, but not NOx; and opacity for diesels is only measured by eye, so it has to be pretty bad to fail. But still, I need my cat to pass.

[Guest teigan]

gun style refers to the package form factor. actually, all conventional car mufflers operate the same as firearm silencers. rapidly cool/compress/slow outgoing air.

[CarlC]

Why would you dampen out something that sounds good? If your exhaust is quiet, then to me that means the muffler is heavier than it needs to be.

Can your lot just remove cats like that? I have to pass emissions every year, and with a car of model year 1989 onwards, there is next to no way to get through without it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

We need the cats for our MOT so you either refit the cat for the test or find a friendly testing station.

As regards the exhaust note Jens is spot on. Our Esprits supercar performance is let down by a crap sounding exhaust . I just want the car to sound as good as it looks and drives.

Edited November 28, 2005 by CarlC

[CarlC]

Peeing my pants waiting for my new exhaust (should be another week).

Very tempted to put the old one back on and then the new one (sure I can manage 5 bolts)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

LOL...

It would be great to hear the difference.

Simon

Have you got a digi camera that will do movies and sound. It love to hear how it sounds as it certainly looks the part and the price looks good to.

Ill do a recording of mine at weekend and post it up.

[Guest teigan]

... Our Esprits supercar performance is let down by a crap sounding exhaust  . I just want the car to sound as good as it looks and drives.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

there's a myth floating around that more sound = more airflow = more power.

airflow isn't necessarily loud, and backpressure doesn't necessarily reduce power.

the popular sounding exhausts use resonators, which are loud, yet reduce airflow.

my exhaust goes straight through which doesn't sound special, but has maximum airflow. sorry, but our cars are naturally on the quiet side.

[s4simon]

You definately would not be unhappy with the SJ version.

Like I said it's the best thing I've bought for the car. I'll try and get a digi recording on the weekend (weather permitting).

I know what the original exhaust note was like - absolutely horrible - bit like a Vauxhall Corsa. Very, Very embarrasing.

Now it actually sounds as good as it looks....

[Kato]

LEW's Esprit is running the SJ Sports Exhaust which as has been said, sounds great and is good value. Blue Flame custom made exhaust are also supposed to be very good. There's some stuff on LEW's modification page for both.

[CarlC]

LEW's Esprit is running the SJ Sports Exhaust which as has been said, sounds great and is good value. Blue Flame custom made exhaust are also supposed to be very good. There's some stuff on LEW's modification page for both.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi Kato,

LEW is virtually my homepage (Calendar Purchased today! ) and I've read all the excellent write ups but my point was that peoples views will differ greatly on their own exhausts note as they are probably looking to achive different things. Just as 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder'. I want the exhaust to look smart but given that 95% of it is tucked away under the car Im much more interested in it sounding right for the car. My view of 'sounding right' is probably different to some other peoples so the only way I figured would be to get a recording.

oops, Sorry I seem to have gone on a bit there!

I would have thought if we can put some short meaningful records together it may be useful for the LEW review.

I presently have an empty CAT with stock exhaust and will attempt to get some records this weekend.