Hey everyone, I'm planning on going fully bolted eventually. I'm kinda lost on the exhaust setup. I don't want anything much lounder than stock. I've seen all kinds of exhausts but I'm just lost when it comes to sound. So is there any kind of header/downpipe/exhaust combination I should know of? I'll go slightly lounder than stock if I need to. Thanks!

 

any header/dp combo with the stock catback would be good, or the gmpp sport is pretty quiet. i would suggest a bad mab header and zzp dp though

 

bad mab makes good stuff same with zzp

 

I was pretty much already set on the badmab header but I heard the zzp dp is loud. The gmpp exhaust was looking good to me to. Any idea of the power gains after this is all done?

 

run me for a 1000 dollars

 

I have a zzp header/dp combo I might wanna sell.

 

Power gains won't be much without a tune. You might feel a little quicker in the upper rpm's though. However a downpipe and header will help power way more than any catback, just make sure the downpipe is catted and it won't be overly loud.

 

When I had the gmpp sport exhaust it was loud as hell. I put a 3" magnaflow on after that and it was probably about the same. This was also on a ss/sc tho...

With a 3" catless dp and longtube header.

 

Probably because you were catless, the 3 gmpp sport (not touring) exhausts I've heard all sounded equivalent to stock at idle with only a deeper tone under acceleration, not louder.

 

i have a 2.2 but im running a badmab header, catted zzp dp and a gmpp touring exhaust, and its definately louder than stock. its not obnoxiously loud, but your not gonna find a quiet full exhaust.

 

The sport exhaust was quiet at idle just sounded really deep, but when you start driving it gets loud and doesnt sound all that great, not raspy but could be better.

 

I'm gonna get a tune after its all done. I'm fine with it being loud at wot, I just don't want it loud while being in town.

 

If you get a catted dp it probably wont be that loud normal driving, mine was but I was catless. So idk how much of a difference thats gonna make.

 

catted isnt too bad. with my setup it growls a little bit during normal driving so i can definately tell its there, but when i put my foot down it gets peoples attention. the gmpp touring is the quietest exhaust ive heard on cobalts

 

I have a badmab header and a zzp 3" into 2.5" catted d/p with a magnaflow muffler. It isn't that loud but it's louder than stock. I am waiting to find a shop that can mandrel bend a 2.5" set up for me and I want to get it as quiet as possible without robbing power. I don't care if they need to put one of those round little mufflers in the place of a resonator, I just want quiet power.

 

I have the badmab/zzp 3" catted/corsa touring on my ss/sc and he's right. Without a tune, you notice the car pulling harder way up top (like 4500+) but other than that much change.

 

Thanks for all the replies! I live in Western PA so the weather is all over the place sometimes. I was gonna get this intake( Injen Cold Air Intake System Chevy Cobalt Pontiac G5 05-10 2.2L and 2.4L Ecotec - Sale Today ONLY! - Air Management - Turbo Tech Racing, LLC ) but I'm worried about hydro locking. Do I really need to worry about it that much or should I get one of those covers for the intake?

 

If you get an Injen deffinately get the hydroshield for it. For the price it's added security.

 

+1 for hydroshield

has literally saved my engine twice

 

One last question, would I be better off going with that Injen or this K&N? K&N Typhoon Air Intake System Chevy Cobalt 2.4L SS 2005-08 - Air Management - Turbo Tech Racing, LLC

 

If I was staying NA I'd buy that K&N. Any header is going to make it louder. An off-road pipe (cat-less DP) would make it louder still. The GMPP Touring with an added resonator would probably be one of the quieter options if you get a header and a catted DP. Also you'll want to go with a mid-length header with the 1.5" primaries since you are staying NA, and 2.5" piping.

 

ZZP midlength combo

 

I was for sure going to go for catted. Any major differences between a midlength and shorty header? I'm really glad I found this site, you guys know your stuff!

 

shorty is more low end...midlength is more mid power.

catless you will get some rasp in the exhaust tone

 

The shorty header will give you more low end power compared to the mid length which will give you more high end power. Also for intake i got the k/n intake and love it. For a quiet exhaust make sure you have a catted downpipe. Also I would just replace the 2.25 section of your stock exhaust with the cti 2.5 inch axel back kit and then add a dynomax super turbo muffler. I have this setup and my car is very quiet when just cruising and then when I go wot you can here it. If you wanna stay quiet but still get some hp thats the way to go.