So i called a shop and asked about a custom cat-back for my ss s/c. They said they can do it and put a magnaflow muffler on it. And resinators if i wish. The shop doesn't have the stuff to do mandrel bends in the pipe. They do have reg. pipe bending machines, that wont crush or put dimples/ripples in the pipes, but he said it will make the diameter of the pipe a Hair smaller in the bended sections. I'm going to go 2.5 from the cat back. What i am wondering is, is it worth it then ? If the pipe will go smaller in the bends then should i just buy a after market cat-back? He is only going to charge me $150.00 for the custom exhaust. What do you guys think ? Will the bends hurt performance, and defeat the purpose of the exhaust, and just make is a $150.00 noise maker? Anyone else do custom exhaust that can chim in...

I wonder what it will sound like also....

 

dude, for $150 you should get it and if you don't like it, ebay them. how much could the bends effect the diameter... i imagine it would be negligible

 

so you'll basically have exactly what you have now, just a different muffler. get a mandrel bent exhaust or don't get one.

your current exhaust is 2.5" and gets smaller on the bends. no point in buying the same thing.

 

Just do what I did and buy the mandrel bends and the magnaflow. Then have a shop of your choice weld it together and I reused the stock tip. The shop I went to charged me $30 for labor, I bought the mandrel bend kit for like $60 or $70, and the magnaflow was like $65. Now all I need to change is the stock downpipe.

 

I have heard the stock exhaust on the 07's is 2.5 to the car then after the cat its 2.25.....

So 2.5 after the cat would be an upgrade.

 

no, it's 2.5" untill the bends. around the bends the diamater gets smaller. that's exactly what you'll have with your custom exhaust.

trust me, if you can't find a place to mandrel bend and you don't want to get a catback from a company that makes them for the cobalt, just get a muffler and swap that out.

and just because it's bigger doesn't mean it will be better. it will still be restricted by the crush bends.

 

I have an 07 and the exhaust restricts down to 2.25" right in front of the rear suspension and it reduces down at the collectors in the stock downpipe. My suggestion is to do what I did and replace the stock downpipe with something like what zzp makes.

 

I agree