Replacing Disintegrated Muffler, what are my options?

[pasha2891]

Like the title says.  I'm debating if I should replace just the muffler or get a whole new exhaust.  I currently have the stock exhaust that came with the 2000 V8s.  Maybe there's other options I'm not considering.

 

Edited October 29, 2014 by pasha2891

[Vulcan Grey]

A friend had to replace the Lotus cats on his 2003 Esprit V8 3 times... (all under warranty)

 

I think he finally went with metallic cats, rather than ceramic, and those lasted, as far as I heard.  he recently backed the car into a pole at 55mph... He was fine!

 

The 2003-2004 sport exhaust was just an empty muffler where the two pipes joined in an H to keep the engine from sounding like two 4 cylinders.   Sounded great!

[Vanya]

Try and get a quad exhaust or center exit for the same reasons Travis described - having two sound sources close together from different banks gave the final edition V8 its wonderful burble. The regular setup sounds really dull since they're separated.

 

You don't actually need a muffler in the conventional sense (no expansion chamber) - I have straight pipes and its really quiet, unlike the 4-cylinder cars... 

 

Whatever you do don't get factory cats, they're expensive and useless. Sportscats all round - better sound and longevity. 

[redshift]

I run 200 cell sport cats and straight pipe centre exit exhausts.

+1 It sounds so much better

+2 It is so much lighter

 

You wouldn't believe just how much the standard muffler weighs!

[pasha2891]

Vulcan Grey, Vanya, Redshift thanks for the replies, very helpful.  I'll post what I end up doing and how it works out, most likely sometime in the spring.  It's winter here for a few more months.  Not the best driving weather.

[pasha2891]

Just to give an update, I'll most like go with the high flow cat and centre exhaust kit from

 

http://www.pnmengineering.com/lotus-exhausts-v8.html