I just had my cats go out on my 98. Luckily they are warrentied till 70,000 miles so GM is fixing them for me. Now, I think I want to run a cat back system on the car and wasn't sure which system to go with. I am looking to sell the car in the near future so don't want one of the high dollar corsa system (would prob never recupe that $$). Looks like Elderbrock, Hooker, and Flowmaster all have systems around the $300 range. Has anyone had experience with any of these? Any recomendations?

Also, like I said I may be selling the car if anyone is interested. 98 Z28 Hardtop 6 speed. 18 inch Z06 wheels, ss spoiler, lowered w/ 8 way adjustable shocks. Have all original parts too.

Thanks for the help!!

SK

I had a Flowmaster on my SS and it was pretty loud.. sounded good though.

Here is what I got for my Z28:
http://www.vilipend.com/~brian/NewExhaust

A real good price for stainless steel.

there is a sound clip there too.

It sound nice and mello and it is not too loud that the cops take notice.

I also have a magnaflow, and i'm pretty happy with it. for a straight through muffler, there isnt much for rasp, just that fluttering noise that you can hear off of shortbus's video clip when the motor revs down.

Its stainless steel, and I got mine for 320shipped (new of course). if your interested in it, email me and i'll try to get you the contact info where i got it from.

In my opinion, its got to be the best bang for the buck catback for the ls1 cars.

miki
mikic@cox.net

SK, just curious, but if you're going to sell the car in the near future, why do you want to spend money on a cat-back exhaust? You won't get any of that money back when selling the car. If you're just looking for a better sound, I'd get a muffler put on your existing system and save the money. If you're looking for more performance also, and to keep the cost down, I think the Magnaflow cat-back would be good, as was suggested above. I run a Walker Ultra-Flo on my LT1 and love the sound. I believe an Ultra-Flo and Magnaflow are similarly designed.

BTW, since you're not very far from me, how much are you thinking of selling your car for?

I liked my old SLP Loudmouth pretty well...

That magnaflow clip sounds really good!
Was there anything else done to the car? did it have headers?
I was gonna have a good local shop build a 3" exhaust for me, single tip. But after hearing that clip I may just order that setup! I just really want a single tip though, its simple and weighs less.

If you really want something simple that weighs less, just replace your cat with a tube muffler like an Ultraflo or the like, and dump at your rear axle.

I've been running the Hooker cat-back for about 4 months now and absolutely love it. One of the better sounding catbacks I've heard on LS1 cars, save the double-the-cost Borla/Corsa, etc...

The cat-back runs about $290 but Hooker also sells the muffler by itself for about $80-$90. Might be a good option if you're thinking of selling the car soon. Though if I were about to sell my ride I wouldn't want to invest any more money in it I know I won't get back.

2 words for you......... BOOM TUBE

electric cutout... cheaper.
Plus, you can always remove it and use it for your next car.

Or even a plain wingnut cap cutout. $40 shipped from Summit Racing.

I second the plain old cutout - best bang-for-buck exhaust you can get.

Whatever you do, DON'T get the Flowmaster. With a Flowmaster, 18" wheels, lid, and K&N filter, I put down 292 corrected rwhp. Then, 6 months later, with a cutout at the axle, 16" stock wheels, same lid and filter, put down 322 corrected rwhp! (Note - both runs on Mustang dynos, first in August, second in December. But, supposedly the "correction factor" removed variables such as temp, humidity and air density, right?)

I've heard that Flowmaster is the worst flowing muffler for 4th gens. Granted, this is all intarweb hearsay from LS1 message boards, but it's a well publicized fact. And I think 00 Trans Ram has added a real life experience to back it up, because I don't think cooler temps would add 30rwhp.

With a cutout and lid, I dyno'd 330rwhp in November in Texas. But November in Texas is still 95 degrees

I've been considering a Magnaflow, I just wish I could get it without the "ricer" tips. I've got no use for shiny 3.5" tips on my car. It's not like I'm going to keep them clean, and I don't think I can paint them black, I just wish they did it in a "normal" version, maybe something I can weld the stock tips back onto or something like that.

I don't care for the ricer tips either. But for $315 shipped I'm not going to complain about a 409 system with 304 free-flow muffler and tips. Magnaflow

The loudmouth is appealing for cutting weight but it's too loud with LT headers and no cats.

Is anyone else scared that FRRAX now has a catback thread? (help)

Yup.....

I like the sound of my Magnaflow. I don't like the rice pipes either, but they aren't quite as bad now that they have a nice base coat of dirt. They do hide the hitch from the side though, so it isn't all bad

However, installing a Magnaflow catback along with a hitch is a major pain because the hangers and hitch want to share the same space. I made it work with fabricated brackets, but ....

www.ls1sounds.com Everyone's ear likes something a little different.

sorry it took so long to see this...

The cat has a stock motor, manifolds, intake.

BTW, a little fine steel wool or wet-dry to dull the polish would probably help the Magnaflow rice pipes a LOT.

I have had the Hooker catback on my T/A for about 2.5 years. It sounds great, and flows well. With cats, it wasn't much louder than stock at idle, but has a nice rumble at WOT. With no cats, heads and cam, it sounds mean, while not tooo loud. For the $$$, you cannot beat it. And yes, the FlowMaster cross flow muffler does not flow very good.

I speak to Paul at Thunder Racing quite often. One time I mentioned I was pretty dissapointed in my dyno numbers considering the mods on my car. He asked what had been done. After telling him he told me the 2 things holding back the numbers were the Flow Master and the K&N FIPK. He suggested the Hooker catback as an inexpensive alternative and go with a high flow type lid.

There are a number of systems that are nice for the cars. We carry a lot of them, and so I've had the opprotunity to see/hear the systems in person.

My favorite's are (in no particular order):
SLP 2OTL & Loudmouth: The Loudmouth is light, and sounds mean. I don't have an issue driving it if I stay under about 78 mph where it gets a little boomy. But my car is not an everyday driver. The 2OTL just has a great smooth tone that isn't Loudmouth loud or harsh. It fits and flows really well. Has understated "who me?" tips. Considering that it's a full cat-back and stainless and under$400 I think it's a good deal.

Magnaflow: Great price for Stainless (though I think the $319 price is very old considering it's a lot less than I pay for it, or it could have been one of the older systems that was aluminized pipe with stainless muffler/tips). I like the fact they don't use a cross-flow muffler but turn the right side tip around to minimize restriction in the muffler. Not crazy about the tips though.....

Edelbrock: Not stainless, but just over $300. No tips that tell you anything (think V-6 dual muffler). But it sounds nice, while not being loud, ever. And the muffler is the best idea for a cross flow you can get. 3" in, then 4 1" straight perforated core tubes to a large open end on the driver's side. Air then turns right and T's to a 3" pipe and gets out whatever tip is the easiest. Makes good torque.....

Borla: Again, not a cross-flow. Tuneable for sound. I find if you think you want to run is capped the SLP 2OTL is a better deal as it sounds about the same and is less $$ (but not the cool tips). If you want to run it open, buy the less expensive Loudmouth. If you want to monkey with it, buy the Borla.

StainlessWorks Chambered system: 3 chambered mufflers "turbo tubes" 1 after the y-pipe, 1 in each tailpipe. Very throaty but not the sharp edge of the Loudmouth. Similar to a GMMG, but with less piping (and less weight) and with an extra chambered muffler to kill resonance. Couple tip styles available.

I wouldn't use a Flowmaster on anything I own. I have one on my '91 and it sucks. Fit for shit, and worst the car doesn't rev as well as it did before with a home-made system and a Borla muffler. That is sad, because L98's with stock TPI's are already strangled to begin with.

Nope $319 is from last year and for 409 SS pipes and 304SS tips and muffler. I ordered from the below vendor and it was 300 before shipping.

http://performanceintl.com/shop/products.c...ne=5.7L,%20LT-1

Evidently prices have increased this year. IIRC, the LS1 magnaflow catbacks have always cost more.

I had the Edelbrock on my 96 3.8. It is (or was) stainless, but it wasn't the mirror polish stuff. I really liked the sound - it had an exotic performance flavor (closer to Ferrari than Shelby Cobra). Of course, it was a V6....

Hooker. Sounds great and costs nil. I have heard them all more than once and it sounds great with cats, witout cats and with headers.all without rasp.

Derek

I'm waiting for the " how much horsepower do I have" thread

So Tom, how much horsepower do you have?

I noticed that the LT1 MagnaFlow system looked just like the LS1 system, except you get the s-pipe for the pre-96 LT1 cars with the LT1 system.

Is the I-pipe the same length on the two systems? If that's the case, I'd order the LT1 & save a few bucks.

Is anyone running this SLP both pipes on one side system on a near stock LS1 car? I like the looks of it. Right now I have a Shadey Tree Design* Borla muffler catback and a big fat tail-pipe, which were the previous owner's idea of cool, and I hate how it looks and sounds... It's too rice and way too loud.

-John

*Its patented STD design--not my own, mind you--uses a 3-inch mid-pipe and a 3.5-inch muffler, filling in the gap between the two pipe sizes with weld slag, thus no adapter is required at the muffler entry.