Who's got aftermarket pipes, but still stock exhaust?
 

Just curious how many guys have test pipes/HFCs, y-pipe, etc. and yet still using the stock muffler/exhaust.

I am running nismo headers, Power Enterprise HFC's, and stock exhaust (y pipe, b pipe, muffler). I do have an Amuse r1 exhaust and Tanabe y-pipe that should arrive within a week or so, however.

How's the car feel and sound with the stock stuff in the rear?

And where'd you buy the Tanabe? Looking to get test pipes and y-pipe shortly. Thanks. :)

Definetly felt an increase in performance with the headers and HFC's even when only mated to the stock exhaust. The sound is cool--It's a lil bit meaner and louder than stock, but basically keeps the stock exhaust note. The only issue is a lil bit of rasp b/w 3-4k. Do not feel/hear any bottlenecking issues--the stock exhaust just basically muffles the meaner sound a tad bit. I'm just really picky with my exhaust selection, I only wanted the ARC or the Amuse; otherwise I was going to stay w/ stock exhaust. ARC refused my order after payment was sent 6 months later, so I went with the Amuse which should arrive shortly.

Tanabe y was purchased at competitive price with free ground shipping from Intensepower. It is one of the only quality y pipes that is of a smaller diameter than most-- which may be better for air flow if you are mating it to a stock b pipe and muffler.

i have only Helix test pipes on my stock exhaust at the moment. Sounds really good IMO. It's still so quiet inside the car. All it does is makes the stock VQ sound louder.

I have a video as well.

Post the vid, SuperBlack!

Johnny: Sounds awesome.

arnold why don't you come out and hear some cars. the test pipes on a stock exhaust will make it a little raspy but you'd be better off hearing it personally

hope this helps. Turn up your volume or get head phones to hear it better.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...7_04100005.jpg

man im thinkin about switching back to the stock exhaust and keep my HFC on. I switched to Nismo thinking that it really did retain that stock note, excpet louder and meaner. I def disagree with this. The nismo doesnt really keep the stock note. IMHO

the nismo sounds exactly like stock but louder..if used by itself. Adding high flow cats or non resonated test pipes is a different story.

Don't enjoy going to meets anymore. Everyone always has something to prove in NYC meets.

SuperBlack: That sounds great! Any rasp or rattles?

Btw: JohnnyLaw, is your rasp issue fixable? Is it just something rubbing and vibrating or something else?

rasp is barely noticeable and is only at near 3k. not sure if it's just me but people over react with the rasp thing. Mine sounds pretty exotic. Also, i have the helix v2 with the braces so no rattling whatsoever. I'm very surprised how they aren't loud in the vehicle. Not really loud outside as well.

I'm not sure if the sound I am hearing can really be classified as "rasp"--it's barely noticeable and is sort of "exotic" sounding like SuperBlack said--b/w 3-4k when revving hard. There definetly is no rubbing or vibrating going on under there. Can't hear it at all with windows rolled up, barely noticeable with windows down. I personally think it is either do to:
1. The mettalic substrate being much more free flowing than stock cat (not sure on the cell count--its a JDM part w/out much info available on its specs accept the high price tag), and/or
2. the stock exhaust pieces not being as free-flowing as the the headers and HFC's would "like."

It's really barely audible at all. Even though it is minor, I'm hoping when I install the Amuse and Tanabe, it will no longer be present. I would never go back to stock however, unless I had to pass emissions:icon38:

The thing is, when you are mixing exhaust components from different manufactures/OEM, there might always be a possibility of some kind of "rasp". Some components work better together; some do not. It's really hit or miss.

i was talking about before the HFC. I had jsut Nismo exhaust alone, and the tone wasnt exactly the "same except louder". The stock tone sounded deeper and louder in the lower RPMS whereas the Nismo is barely audible in the low RPMs. The tone is just a little different to me. Maybe it sounds like stock compared to all the other exhausts but i dont really think its all that close to stock. Maybe i need to stand outside and have a friend drive the car. Maybe it would be different if i was outside listening to it.

quick sound clip (kinda bad quality--recorded on vide cam inside car with windows down)

http://home.comcast.net/~jofficer1/c...dium%20run.wav

Test pipes make gains on a stock exhaust.
IMO it sounds good too. There is rasp but with an interestingly VQ flavor.

i got kinetix resonated tp's with complete stock exhaust and it sounds like sex. Just a very light amount louder than stock and there is NO! exhaust out there that "sounds like stock only louder or meaner" its bs if u do a side by side with all aftermarket exhausts to a stock u wont find 1

That sounded awesome! Sounds like I can still have a conversation in my car without deafening or screaming.

you're going to get a small bit of drone on the highway

With headers and back, maybe. But I doubt I'll get anything bad out of test pipes and a y-pipe on a stock exhaust.