hey guys, im lookjng to add a little volume to my exhaust and im told that a y pipe is a good way to do that. i was looking around on i-m-racing.com and it seems that the prices on y pipes range anywhere from $130-$500 and i was wondering what would explain that. im looking at the intense power y pipe because it's on sale there for $135. im told the tanebe y pipe is probably one of the best out there and it's $400. they both are made of stainless steel, they both have similar shapes, they both have thick flanges, and they both have the flex piping. so my question is, what's the differance? is this just another case of name brand=high prices?

has anyone delt with an intense power product before, or does anyone have a clip of a z with an intense power y pipe?

 

i can't help you in explaining the price difference. but as u can see in my sig i purchased the intense y-pipe coupled with hyper medallion cat-back. if i had the extra money at the time i would have purchased the Tanabe y-pipe, but so far i've had no regrets with my current y-pipe. also what exactly do u mean by volume to your car??? free up space...would be pointless IMO if u keep a stock exhaust....or do u mean noise???

 

its not, its a piece of metal. If a weld breaks, get a shpo to fix it for 25 bucks, and ur still cheaper.

 

yeah i mean volume like loudness. i still dont understand how swapping the y pipe on this car will make it louder but im told it does. there's no resonators or mufflers on the pipe so im still lost as to how it makes it louder but oh well. i've heard a few video clips with just test pipes and y pipe and it sounds louder than my car with just test pipes so i guess it does indeed make it louder somehow

 

cuz the diameter is bigger. more sound and air go thru. its not much louder.

 

Double the $400, and get a complete cat-back exhaust. Why just replace pieces.

 

Take your $400 to a local, reputable muffler shop and have them fab up a custom cat-back true dual exhaust for you.

But only do this if you don't feel like you have to validate your mods and the money you spend on them with a bunch of people you've never met before. If you feed your ego with your debit card, then buy the $400 shiny tubes.

 

+1 on custom exhaust. Cheaper, performs the same, but isnt shiny. do you like shiney things?

 

u get what u pay for

 

the designs are slightly different. not by much hp though, +/- about 2hp...
JIC Y pipe seems to be the most free flowing...

 

im not doing it for any reason other than maybe increasing volume a little. i cant justify spending $1000 on a catback that will yeild me almost no noticable hp gains. so the reason i would do that is sound and $1000 seems like waaaaaay to much to spend on making the car louder with a differant tone. im gonna buy the y pipe and if it's a piece of crap then it was only $135, if it works out then great.

 

I personally would go with either a custom dual 2.5" exhaust or the hks knock off like i have . Same material design and flow path as the original except it sounds better IMO.

Don't fall into "if it is the most expensive, then it is the best" mindset which seems to be pretty prevelant on this forum and you will save alot of money

 

you will probably not notice a change in sound by changing a y-pipe IMO

 

So why pay more for the same thing? Name brand and higher prices does not always mean better and worth the extra dough. So that simple answer does not always apply.

 

absolutely false

stock Y pipe is resonated, aftermarket ones are not

 

gains will come only if the design improves flow, which will take GOOD welds, and smooth transitions. A true merge collector should see some decent gains.

 

true point, hadn't noticed that...i stand corrected

 

I bought a megan racing y pipe had it for a year or so it was too short the flex sections failed, welds broke(it was a total pos). Then I just sat around and waited for someone to sell a nismo or other reputable brand y pipe. Sure enough another forum member was selling a used nismo y pipe. I paid like $210 shipped. The quality of the nismo y pipe compared to the megan was amazing and the fitment was perfect. The flex sections are of very high quality as well. So if you don't have to have it today, be a bottom feeder like me and wait for someone else to put there high quality parts for sale used. The damn thing is made out of stainless steel, if I never smash it or bend it up, it will be around longer than me on this planet. But a simple answer to your question. I spent $180 on the megan y pipe it was a pos. Then I spent $210 on the nismo. 180+210=390, so buying a tanabe or nismo y pipe for $400 and never having to think about it again is probably worth it. At least it was in my case.

 

My NISMO y-pipe flex joints failed in about a year or so. I am not the only one.

 

well, my anecdotal experience is as follows.

bought a Ultimate Racing Y pipe back in fall of 03. It is still on my car today, and I've never to touch it.

Buying the right part the first time IMHO, is well worth it. I;d sooner pay a higher price for something I never have to touch again, vs replacing or fixing a cheaper part. Some people have time for such inconveniences - I know I don't.