Guys,

I'm getting quite serious about purchasing an exhaust system and CAI. What I would like is your opinions, preferrably supported with some facts , on what is t he best available combination.

Some points; firstly I am not looking for something that makes a lot of noise and I would like it to be legal. (I'd rather it was quiet but delivered the performance than the other way around.)

I've heard a lot about the JWT pop charger but, if it makes a difference, would want to match CAI and exhaust for the best results and, perhaps, best price.

I'd also like to be able to get the systems either in Australia or at least to Australia at a reasonable price. (Some of the US suppliers seem to be asking a lot of money for shipping.)

I've been looking at Injen CAI and cat-back, Borla with a pop charger, etc. I'm not keen on the cost of the Titanium system and think it might be too loud anyway. I just can't justify spending $3k on an exhaust system whether it's Titanium or not. (Not sure about the sound bit.)

There are some pretty big claims of the gains that can be achieved and I'm not sure who to believe as I know you can make a Dyno pretty much do whatever you want; not that I'm suggesting people are doing this of course. I spoke to Hi-Tech who claim 18-22 rwkw improvement which is pretty huge.

All your input is most welcome as I'd at least like to get the CAI very soon then look to getting the exhaust shortly after that.

Cheers,
Tapey

 

The intake on 350z will not give you a lot of performance (.1hp ), the stock one is very good already. The biggest value of the intake is in the sound it makes The engine sounds a lot more sporty. Also CAI doesn't make much difference on 350z at all since the stock air box (and popcharger) gets cold air from the front of the bumper, it's a ram air intake after all. That is why popcharger is the best value since it sounds so good Also all the CAIs come with aluminium piping wich looks good, but they also increas heat soak from the engine bay, after all aluminium is a good conductor, I'll stick with the oem plastick pipes.

As for exhaust, the borlas quality is really bad. Right now the best exhaust is hi-tech and if you want to save money on it, talk to frosty. By the way, it does make that much power since the australian exhaust is a lot more restrictive then the USA one.

 

Does a new pod filter (like the Popcharger, or others) actually make any increases to throttle response?

My understanding is that, on cars with restrictive induction systems, the biggest gain is on how the car feels when you put the foot on the gas. Power increases are marginal, at best.

If the only difference between a pod filter and the OEM item is the sound, I'll keep my $200+ and spend it on something that will have a performance benefit.

 

Couldn't agree with you more on that one. I love to spend money but I do like to get something for it!

Keep the comments comin' guys

 

For me there was increase in response, I can't really tell if there was any power increase. How much response there was? It's hard for me to tell now, since I had it for ages.

EDIT: gramma

 

For your info, I have a HiTech cat-back exhaust on my car. I am happy with it. It does everything I want it to.

1. It looks stock.

Unless you know what you're looking for (the fact that the rear tank is smaller than the OEM item) you can't tell its non-factory from the tips.

2. It flows better.

The OEM exhaust tends to strangle the engine about 5500RPM. the car's midrange acceleration is great, but over that last 1000RPM you notice its taking far longer to rev out. I actually found it "felt" faster (though I never timed it) to short shift it below 6000RPM with the factory exhaust unless I was going for a high speed run

With the HiTech, it now wants to rev to redline, and the last 1000RPM feels usable. Actually, in some conditions there's a mild "kick" in power at that RPM. Its not quite as noticable as some VTEC cars, but I've had the car squirm when I've throttled with some steering on.

3. It's not too loud

The exhaust note is a lot more aggressive, and you can tell its not quite as baffled. I love the way it sounds when I start the car up.

At the same time, its not stupidly loud enough to make everyone turn their heads and call the cops. It sounds nice, without reminding you of a Lancer with a hollowed-out N1 cannon.

I also found that it only drones under throttle below 2000RPM. If you're cruising along and decide to speed up in-gear, then it'll get droney until you get to around 2100RPM. Once you pass that RPM, or lift, it stops.


Its not too expensive. Of all the bolt-on exhausts I looked at (US, Jap, and Aussie) it was the cheapest. They claim the biggest power increase, but then the Oz spec makes less power than the US spec anyway so in the end its about equal.

 

Thanks mate. That's the sort of info I'm really looking for. It's all about how it feels, rather than dyno results which, quite frankly, I don't really trust anyway.

Do you also have a CAI? If so, what order did you put them on in? (Does that sentence make sense? )

So the only exhaust system I haven't heard about yet, as I don't think it's released, is the APS one. Who can tell me what about that system, beit proposed or experienced? I certainly like there comment that it sounds like a Porsche.

 

i think APS is almost like a True Dual type exhaust.
Hi-tech is another different one.

But anyway i'm happy with my JDM exhaust after the change over from Hi-tech

Cheers

 

A dyno is a tool for tuning the engine. The only useful information you should take from a dyno readout is the shape of the curves (power, torque, etc). The outright numbers are meaningless, since the environment isn't controlled enough to ensure that its measured "properly".

I don't have a CAI yet. I'll be purchasing a JWT Popcharger and a US-Spec air duct soonish. I may build an air box for it, depending on how well the heat shield works.

I don't see the point of purchasing "cold air induction" piping since the air intake feeds directly from the front of the car, with nothing in the way. Most cars benefit from CAI because their intake feeds from behind a headlight, or somewhere in the engine bay. The 350Z draws air from the gap between the hood and the bumper. If anything I'd cut a hole in the bumper in front of the intake duct to get more flow and call it quits.

Something similar to the cutout in thisbodykit....actually, I like that front bumper and when I mix-and-match the body mods, that front bumper will definitely by shortlisted.

 

AusZ, check this out, you can even hear and compare the sound of the exhaust system yourself. And the table shows the difference performance increase for difference bands of exhaust

http://www.everything350z.com/ubbthr...h3&Number=1250

 

Excellent! Thanks for that link. (I must admit I cringe at the sound of people free-revving their engines though! ) Some of those little puppies sound rather loud! I like the subtle sound of the Injen but HATE the fart cans on the back though!

The HiTech sounds fairly loud on that link. For those that have them, can you have a listen and tell me whether it gives asn accurate impression or sounds somewhat louder on the link than it really is?

Has anyone heard the new APS exhaust yet? (Assuming it is available of course.) Any chance of hearing it?

 

The thing is, those sound bites weren't recorded in controlled conditions. You can hear the difference in resonance in the recordings.

Different recorders, different ranges from the pickup and the exhaust, different rooms, will all make the recording sound different. A factory exhaust in a small room, with the mike half a metre away from the tip will sound louder than a straight through pipe out in the open, where the mike is tens of metres away.

If you can handle waiting, then come to the Sydney meetup / cruise. I don't know if I can make a Saturday morning, but chances are someone will have a HiTech and then you can hear for yourself.

 

I have one and I'll be at any Sydney cruise! I have an early version but I think not much has changed.

 

The 350Z already has a CAI. Notice that the airbox starts at the front bumber and the only opening is from in front of the airbox to receive outside (cold) air as you drive.
The air comes from the big hole in the bumper, that also feeds the radiator. There is no air coming through the gap between the hood and bumber as this is sealed with plastic. You could remove this plastic and get a little more direct air to the box from the gap, but I doubt you would get much improvement in performance if any at all.