Hi there, I wanna learn more about the new borla catback exhaust system for the LNF sold on turbotechracing.com. Does anyone have a video for the sound and some review on this product. Thanks

 

To date I have not seen a single good exhaust video of the borla exhaust yet.

 

I know, right? I hope somebody will come up with something. Borlas are great exhaust from what I've heard. Hope the one for the LNF sound good.

 

Well I can tell you that just an XR-1 muffler on the stock exhaust sounds pretty good. I had a catless downpipe and Borla muffler on the stock exhaust and it sounded great.

 

What is you setup right now ?

 

I got an XR-1 on my SS/SC with the OTTP longtube with hahn 3 inch pipes and it sounds pretty good!

 

Well it WAS a badmab catless downpipe and 3" inlet Borla XR-1 round muffler welded in place of stock. As you can see by my signature though I no longer own the car.

 

It's a 2.5" exhaust, just like the stock exhaust.

 

Also noticed this when searching for a catback

 

borlas on ANY car sounds good

 

No dude, not even!!! It is a 2.25" catback!! So, even SMALLER than the stock one!!! This is the piece of the description of it on the OTTP website: "Stainless Steel Cat-Back 2.25" BORLA Cat-Back exhausts feature patented, straight-through and multi-core technology to unleash hidden horsepower" (I've copied and pasted the description from OTTP website because the one on TTR website the size of it has been cancelled, but the rest of it is the same as the OTTP site). So it is like going backwards compared to the stock one. 720 dollars for it?? What?? Damn what a rip!! They sell it for 720 $ and it is smaller than what we have!! Unless you really really really really really like the sound waaayyy more than any other exhaust, I think it is a total waste of money. If you're looking in the future for a set-up such as bolts on and tune, I think (my personal opinion) that you would just cut yourself some performance with that exhaust, even on the stock one. Imagine how much performance you cut yourselt over a 3inch cat-back. That's why I've never read of anyone in here with the Borlas, $ 720 for a smaller exhaust than the stocker!!! For that price we can get a 3inch cat-back with a nice downpipe from zzp. Comparing a 3inch exhaust PLUS a downpipe with a 2.25inch cat-back without downpipe, I think that ones you tune it, you're losing about 20 or even 30hp just right there.

 

Actually you are right. My bad. The description is the same but the SKU# is different. I went to look @ Borla's website and I saw that it is a 2.5inch and that TTR is selling it for $ 730. But still!!!! $ 730 for getting something the same as the stocker?
I mean, this is my thought, please tell me guys if you think I'm wrong:
Borla 2.5" cat-back ONLY: $ 730
ZZP 3" cat-back, plus ZZP 3" downpipe, plus ZZP 3" Cold Air Intake with K&N filter: $ 780 for the whole set-up. I mean, isn't it a hell of a huge difference as far as power? Once the car gets tuned, aren't we talking about 20/30whp difference if not more? Just for a $ 50??
For $ 50 more than just the 2.5" Borla cat-back ONLY, you can get all the ZZP bolts-on setup ENTIRELY in 3". If you add $ 150 for the hotside, there you go, for $ 200 more than the Borla cat-back you have the whole bolts-on setup. Can't really go wrong IMHO. The Borla's better have a damn good sound I hope

 

not LNF but my vid is pretty good!

08 Cobalt LS ZZP downpipe - YouTube

 

Just because a exhaust is bigger doesn't mean its better. In some cases smaller is better research scaveging effect. It actually makes the exhaust flow faster

 

I can see that. But we are talking about the equivalent of an entire zzp bolts-on setup. For sure it has to be much much better than just a 2.5inch cat-back

 

Generally speaking, this is more so with N/A vehicles. Not so much with turbo vehicles.

 

That's exactly the reason why I was impressed. Don't think that performancewise this cat-back is giving any improvement at all not even with a good tune.

 

For sure. In my opinion, it's not worth the money. Hell, even if it was around the same price as similar systems, I still would not get it due to the fact it's 2.5 inch piping. People can bring up the 2.5 inch vs 3 inch on stock turbo argument all day, but even if the 3 inch performs just a little better, it's still worth it. Not to mention if you plan to do a turbo swap down the road, a 3 inch system would be a great investment as a 2.5 inch would likely be inadequate.

 

Damn right. Actually when I've got my turbo upgrade and I've explained Nick my future build plan, he even suggested me to get a 4inch cat-back instead of the 3inch. So he ended up building me a custom 4inch system. I've also had the Hahn before, and I like this even better. And the sound.......simply the best. This all 4inch cat-back with the HKS muffler with 5inch tip for about $ 500 dollars. Comparing a 4inch at $ 500 with a 2.5inch at $ 730........

 

Damn, a 4 inch custom exhaust sounds sweet. Must be planning a huge turbo upgrade eh?

 

Well, right now, as far as performance, I have:
Autowerks 55/57 dual ball bearing turbo kit with catless modular DP
TiAl Bov and wastegate (came with the kit)
Hahn FMIC with charge pipes (except for the upper one, for which I had to use the one that came with the turbo kit)
Custom 4inch cat-back
Ported Throttle Body
NGK iridium coldest sparks

Dynoed @ 409whp/389wtq. The future plan, to be done hopefully in 1 or 2 years at the most, is: girdled forged block 2.1 setup from ZZP with Wisecos 88mm, Carrillos H-Beam, ZZP neutral balance shaft and ATI SFI turbo balancer. ZZP ported head/cam combo with ZZP 82# valve springs/retainers and Supertech .5mm oversized inconel valves. ZZP stage 2 transmission with 4.45 gear ratio. Driveshaftshop Level 5 axles. Plus, when I do all this, I will swap the 55/57 with the 58/57 which can hold up tp 605whp against the 535whp of the 55/57.
And hopefully, before the summer begins, I will be able to get 18x8.5 rims with 255/35s Yokohama Advan Sport

 

Damn, you have a pretty sweet setup already. Your future build looks sick, get to it!

 

It will be a very long time, it is about a 10k dollars build just in parts. But I've got my turbo kik less than 2 months ago, so this summer I will enjoy it and by the first half of 2013 I hope to get the engine built.
By the way, when you get your turbo, be prepared to get a lot of comments about your money and your pockets from a lot of people, like it always happens to me

 

Just wondering, can you post pics of this 4" exhaust you have? 3" is a very tight squeeze on these cars. I don't see how the hell you can fit a pipe that big back there. Not saying you don't have it, just wanna see what it looks like.

 

Next time I have the chance to put the car on a lifter I will. Nick @ BYT built it, try to ask him, maybe he has some pix/info of it