Cheap way to sound good.

Ku-sama · 04-22-2009, 12:24 AM

I have heard a 5SFE running right off the headers and it sound really nice. albeit a little too loud and you can hear the mechanics of it too much. something I'm thinking of doing is something like gutting the muffler. so it's a lot louder and has more growl but no mechanical sound.

anyone got something like this or any ideas on how to put together an exhaust for less than $100 while looking stock?

TomsMR2 · 04-22-2009, 07:15 AM

i think our ideas of "good" vary significantly. 5sfes with open headers sound absolutely terrible.

Bryce Scotti · 04-22-2009, 09:48 AM

he sounds grumpy

Ku-sama · 04-22-2009, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TomsMR2

i think our ideas of "good" vary significantly. 5sfes with open headers sound absolutely terrible.

by very nice, I don't mean like "Listen to that fantastic exotic car go!!!" I mean like. it wasn't a high pitched whiney raspy piece of ass sounding honda.

it sounded very nice for open headers/stock cat.

BUT Let's not get the angry sheep angry again.

I don't want to spend $600 on an exhaust for nominal HP gains when I could spend $600 on cams and get double the power of exhaust.... I want to be able to buy headers and just attach a custom exhaust or preferably gutted stock exhaust to increase flow and to make it sound a bit nicer then it does now.

fvillota · 04-22-2009, 10:49 AM

well i installed headers and removed the catalitic. and it sounds decent but stock and yes its a bit loud but no where as loud as an aftermarket exhaust.
how would you gut the muffleR?

Ku-sama · 04-22-2009, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fvillota

well i installed headers and removed the catalitic. and it sounds decent but stock and yes its a bit loud but no where as loud as an aftermarket exhaust.
how would you gut the muffleR?

I'm thinging I can sawsall off both side caps to the muffler and pull the sides off (probably have to cut the insides clean off the sides before I could pull them off, so think long as hell blade) and then strip off the parts and then just weld the caps back on.

Redstar · 04-22-2009, 11:15 AM

The cat is acting as a restriction and a resonator, getting rid of it (if your local laws allow) should be an easy and cheap way to wake up the engine a little.

I have cheapo aftermarket headers and b-pipe running into the stock muffler. They ran me about $160 (including new gaskets and getting the header flange re-surfaced). Above 4k rpm its too loud for my taste but it does sound pretty mean.

Ku-sama · 04-22-2009, 11:33 AM

so you are saying just to grab catless headers and mate it with the stock exhaust? I heard this makes it raspy under WOT.

mr2greasemonkey · 04-22-2009, 11:46 AM

How bout straight through glass packs.

Redstar · 04-22-2009, 11:50 AM

I wouldn't call it raspy, but maybe we have different opinions. The reaction I get from people who have heard it under WOT is usually "what's that thing got in it?" not "What the hell did you do to your car?"

But, this is a pretty subjective topic. I was just throwing out another option you might want to consider.

fvillota · 04-22-2009, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ku-sama

so you are saying just to grab catless headers and mate it with the stock exhaust? I heard this makes it raspy under WOT.

thats what i did. but i dont think its very loud. but i have gotten comments that it sounds decent.

Ku-sama · 04-22-2009, 12:10 PM

I guess I could do that.

fvillota · 04-22-2009, 12:12 PM

try it. lol im sure you'll like it. if i mind my camera i'll try to record it so you get a better grip on it.

fvillota · 04-25-2009, 12:37 PM

ok i recorded it but i just dont know how to post an audio file. lol

GINA2MR2 · 04-25-2009, 07:34 PM

Im have a 91 NA and im running stock header and cat. and nothing else.
not loud at all .. some what disappointing but VERY good sound.
do it you wont be dissapointed.

GINA2MR2 · 04-25-2009, 07:36 PM

wwhhooaa...
BAD idea with gutting the muffler!
it will be booomy as hell or tin can .. im going to go tin can ..
not the best of ideas imo.. but if it works... do it up

GENESIS · 04-25-2009, 11:33 PM

i have an ebay headers on my na right now with stock exhaust its not bad it sound like stock maybe 5percent louder than stock,i had a custom single exhaust on it and didn't like it not because it was loud,it was actually all right but it drones the ears.I was better of with my old setup which is the stock headers and aftermarket exhaust,the aftermarket headers took some low-end torque away but i couldn't stand the ugly stock rusty headers .

TomsMR2 · 04-26-2009, 05:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bryce Scotti

he sounds grumpy

im not. im just direct and dont bs people. 9/10 people will think a 5sfe sounds absolutely terrible with an open header. its raspy, farty, and sounds poor. anything that resonates so badly that it causes hearing damage/pain/headaches on the freeway doesnt sound good. an open header on an mr2 does that.

plus, theres zero gains to be made from running like that.. actually you'll lose quite a bit of power, so why do it?

Sh0ty · 05-08-2009, 11:22 AM

Any good ideas for getting a better sound then?

Jon3sgte · 05-08-2009, 01:23 PM

Gut your cat. it's free. It will improve flow as well and if it is a high mileage car the cat is probably clogged up anyway. I am running a Hotshot header and dual 3'' exhaust (no cat) it is loud but I like it. Not raspy at all and has a nice deep tone.

04-22-2009, 12:24 AM	#1 (permalink)
Ku-sama Cage Fighter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Germantown, MD Posts: 1,466 Thanks: 8 Thanked 31 Times in 31 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (2/100% )	Cheap way to sound good. I have heard a 5SFE running right off the headers and it sound really nice. albeit a little too loud and you can hear the mechanics of it too much. something I'm thinking of doing is something like gutting the muffler. so it's a lot louder and has more growl but no mechanical sound. anyone got something like this or any ideas on how to put together an exhaust for less than $100 while looking stock?

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04-22-2009, 07:15 AM	#2 (permalink)
TomsMR2 Formerly Tom Brokaw Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Bay Area Posts: 2,497 Thanks: 8 Thanked 233 Times in 168 Posts Blog Entries: 1 iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	i think our ideas of "good" vary significantly. 5sfes with open headers sound absolutely terrible.

04-22-2009, 09:48 AM	#3 (permalink)
Bryce Scotti No Skills Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Bellingham WA Posts: 38 Thanks: 1 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	he sounds grumpy

04-22-2009, 10:49 AM	#5 (permalink)
fvillota Cage Fighter Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: MIami Posts: 1,832 Thanks: 65 Thanked 28 Times in 28 Posts iTrader Rating: (6/100% )	well i installed headers and removed the catalitic. and it sounds decent but stock and yes its a bit loud but no where as loud as an aftermarket exhaust. how would you gut the muffleR?

04-22-2009, 11:15 AM	#7 (permalink)
Redstar My other cars are jealous Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Bellingham, WA Posts: 396 Thanks: 18 Thanked 38 Times in 27 Posts iTrader Rating: (10/100% )	The cat is acting as a restriction and a resonator, getting rid of it (if your local laws allow) should be an easy and cheap way to wake up the engine a little. I have cheapo aftermarket headers and b-pipe running into the stock muffler. They ran me about $160 (including new gaskets and getting the header flange re-surfaced). Above 4k rpm its too loud for my taste but it does sound pretty mean.

04-22-2009, 11:33 AM	#8 (permalink)
Ku-sama Cage Fighter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Germantown, MD Posts: 1,466 Thanks: 8 Thanked 31 Times in 31 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (2/100% )	so you are saying just to grab catless headers and mate it with the stock exhaust? I heard this makes it raspy under WOT.

04-22-2009, 11:46 AM	#9 (permalink)
mr2greasemonkey Once again....yups Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 1,440 Thanks: 4 Thanked 54 Times in 39 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	How bout straight through glass packs.

04-22-2009, 11:50 AM	#10 (permalink)
Redstar My other cars are jealous Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Bellingham, WA Posts: 396 Thanks: 18 Thanked 38 Times in 27 Posts iTrader Rating: (10/100% )	I wouldn't call it raspy, but maybe we have different opinions. The reaction I get from people who have heard it under WOT is usually "what's that thing got in it?" not "What the hell did you do to your car?" But, this is a pretty subjective topic. I was just throwing out another option you might want to consider.

04-22-2009, 12:10 PM	#12 (permalink)
Ku-sama Cage Fighter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Germantown, MD Posts: 1,466 Thanks: 8 Thanked 31 Times in 31 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (2/100% )	I guess I could do that.

04-22-2009, 12:12 PM	#13 (permalink)
fvillota Cage Fighter Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: MIami Posts: 1,832 Thanks: 65 Thanked 28 Times in 28 Posts iTrader Rating: (6/100% )	try it. lol im sure you'll like it. if i mind my camera i'll try to record it so you get a better grip on it.

04-25-2009, 12:37 PM	#14 (permalink)
fvillota Cage Fighter Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: MIami Posts: 1,832 Thanks: 65 Thanked 28 Times in 28 Posts iTrader Rating: (6/100% )	ok i recorded it but i just dont know how to post an audio file. lol

04-25-2009, 07:34 PM	#15 (permalink)
GINA2MR2 Not A VR6 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: J-Town Posts: 329 Thanks: 3 Thanked 7 Times in 7 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	Im have a 91 NA and im running stock header and cat. and nothing else. not loud at all .. some what disappointing but VERY good sound. do it you wont be dissapointed.

04-25-2009, 07:36 PM	#16 (permalink)
GINA2MR2 Not A VR6 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: J-Town Posts: 329 Thanks: 3 Thanked 7 Times in 7 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	wwhhooaa... BAD idea with gutting the muffler! it will be booomy as hell or tin can .. im going to go tin can .. not the best of ideas imo.. but if it works... do it up

04-25-2009, 11:33 PM	#17 (permalink)
GENESIS Defender Of The MR2 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: dublin,ca Posts: 166 Thanks: 3 Thanked 6 Times in 7 Posts iTrader Rating: (1/100% )	i have an ebay headers on my na right now with stock exhaust its not bad it sound like stock maybe 5percent louder than stock,i had a custom single exhaust on it and didn't like it not because it was loud,it was actually all right but it drones the ears.I was better of with my old setup which is the stock headers and aftermarket exhaust,the aftermarket headers took some low-end torque away but i couldn't stand the ugly stock rusty headers .

05-08-2009, 11:22 AM	#19 (permalink)
Sh0ty Cage Fighter Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Novi, MI Posts: 368 Thanks: 14 Thanked 18 Times in 18 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (3/100% )	Any good ideas for getting a better sound then?

05-08-2009, 01:23 PM	#20 (permalink)
Jon3sgte Cage Fighter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 126 Thanks: 8 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	Gut your cat. it's free. It will improve flow as well and if it is a high mileage car the cat is probably clogged up anyway. I am running a Hotshot header and dual 3'' exhaust (no cat) it is loud but I like it. Not raspy at all and has a nice deep tone.