There were several reasons I couldnt justify shelling out 600 plus on cat back , namely all the ones on the market are too loud . Plus the stock cat back is already 2.5 all they way back until just before it goes over the rear axle and I dont need bling stainless , I just need something that works . I called a Borla rep to lead to the magic muffler Requirements were , max flow , quiet and no drone inside , and deep as possible . He nailed it imo . I used a Turbo xL series muffler , 2.5 in/out , borla pt # 40665 . I bought a 2.5" mandrel U-bend exhaust pipe from summit for $20 to make the over the axle transition , I cut it just after the resonator where it necks down to 2.25" , and used a Borla 2.5 in/4" out double wall stainless tip with a rolled edge and slight slash . heres the tip . My exhaust is now a full 2.5" with a sweet sounding muffler and cool tip for a total investment of $280 bux . I did keep the stock resonator and I do still have the stock cat . My buddy owns a muffler shop , so we did it after hours . So I dont know how much labor would add to that . I havent dynoed with it , but there is a noticeable gain in power over my stock exhaust with edelbrock SDT muffler .

It worked really well for me so I thought I'd share .

heres a vid clip

 

Damn, that sounds pretty good. I was looking at the Corsa Touring, because it was the quietest that I had heard. Now I might try this instead.

 

That sounds great! Not bad for an exhaust on the cheap. Is the stock 2.5" piping mandrel-bent?

 

silver SS/SC...dumb question that is irrevalent....your headlights are they stock? they look dark on the other colors it doesnt look the same i like it...maybe just cuz the silver car makes them noticable....and thats deff a beefy sounding exhaust, better then some of the others

 

The bezel inside is painted flat black .

Justinian- The entire factory exhaust is mandrel .

Thanks for the comments

 

thx for the help via pm... i missed this thread somehow... the shops up here blow and i couldnt get a decent quote... so im sad to say im going with a Corsa....

but i love how ur balt sounds... best vid clip i've hear so far, hands down

edit: oh god... i really bumped this. appologies. (at least it is worth reading)

 

Hey did you get a stock replacement muffler? I was looking at the footage we took yesterday and your exhaust sounds louder than tom or erics. Your exhaust tip looks different too.

 

ReMz - Eh , I think you wont regret the Corsa . After seeing the in car vid of Rob's SS with the touring version and no cat , my opinion has kinda changed there .

 

as in good or bad? got a link to a clip of it?

 

^^ good .

heres the link
https://www.cobaltss.net/forums/general-cobalt-68/car-video-cobalt-racing-20720/

 

I have to ask, is this something that someone could do in their own garage or is too difficult and better off being done at a muffler shop? If I just swapped the stock muffler for an aftermarket one, would I see basically the same gains? And/or would it sound like the one you just did?????

 

If you can weld , sure ....it wouldnt be a prob at all in the garage . The exhaust routing on this car is VERY simple IMO ...even going up over the axle . I have no accurate back to back comparison yet . I will say though , the 13.95@102 , and the pass I went 103 mph were with the injun intake , and 2.25 Edelbrock SDT muffler with all the rest of the exhaust , tailpipe included remaining stock . So , yeah , it was making good power with the just a 2.25 muffler swap .

I have had separate problems with my car ever since I went 2.5" and the Borla muffler . But I got it all worked out yesturday , so now I can get a good gauge at the strip with the Borla . Too bad I missed all the good air though .....its been in the 80's and low 90's and mega humid .

 

What problems where u having with the upgrade to 2.5" and the Borla Muffler?

 

That sounds awesome!

 

The problem I had with the car had nothing to do with the exhaust . I had a different problem , all my plugs looked good ....but 1 or more of them actually did end up being bad . So the plugs is where the prob was .

 

realistically, how much money am I looking at if I were to take it to a shop and have them do it?

 

that sounds good, and agree with you when you say you cant justify spending 600+ on a catback, when what you have is the same thing, AND sounds better b.c of the turbo muffler.

 

Very very nice. That sounds great.

 

also, do u think you can get some drive by's on video?

 

sounds pretty damn good. More proof to what I have been telling people forever. You don't have to buy a cat back for good sound and HP gain. If you have the money then go for it but I couldn't see your method costing more than $300 take the other $300 and purchase other goodies.

 

weird question... does the bottom of the U pipe show when you are on an angle... like say in a drive way ?

 

you are always doing good work on your whip!
sounds good great throaty tone!

 

How long did it take you in case I call some performance shops and they say they charge by the hour. I would think that if you have the right tools it would take less than 2 hours right?

 

Silver I was wondering when you were going to make a thread w/ the soundclip! When I heard it the first time it blew me away..seriously I think that's the deepest/nicest sounding exhaust I've heard on the LSJ so far. Good work!

 

I guess he could get some drivebyes but i don't think he lives in the ghetto but maybe some fly by's.

j/p