Extremely inexpensive axle back

[Maiden69]

well... OBX and a lot of the Chinese systems have come a long way. I bought my SS with OBX on it, planning on turbo charging the car in the future I didn't care about replacing them, but added a 3" ebay (DNA seller) stainless cat back. Perfect fit, and for the price ($379 shipped to my door in 3 days) I couldn't even piece out a stainless set up for me to TIG. Does it drone, yes. Same as almost every 3" flow through design except Corsa, but it has the deep tone I like, instead of the extreme high pitch Corsa provides.

Just got beck from HPT yesterday doing a tune, and I won't argue with 423/415 at the wheels. That's the same numbers I have seen here for brand name systems.

[shibbs]

I'm gonna recommend starting at the FRONT of the car for sound. Lots of people will go nuts on a catback, and then put on headers and piss and moan that it's too loud.

Throw on a set of headers and HF or no cats. Sounds great through the stock exhaust.

[Maiden69]

Originally Posted by shibbs

I'm gonna recommend starting at the FRONT of the car for sound. Lots of people will go nuts on a catback, and then put on headers and piss and moan that it's too loud.

Throw on a set of headers and HF or no cats. Sounds great through the stock exhaust.

That's pretty good advise. I think that if you want a nice sound, LT headers - Magnaflow True-X - OEM mufflers is a great set up. If I wasn't going to change to 3", I would had added the True-X and be done with it. The OEM muffler have a J pipe inside that eliminates the drone, and the addition of the Magnaflow X will deepen the sound and take the raspiness added by the headers.

[jcampos]

Originally Posted by Maiden69

That's pretty good advise. I think that if you want a nice sound, LT headers - Magnaflow True-X - OEM mufflers is a great set up. If I wasn't going to change to 3", I would had added the True-X and be done with it. The OEM muffler have a J pipe inside that eliminates the drone, and the addition of the Magnaflow X will deepen the sound and take the raspiness added by the headers.

I have LT headers 1 7/8", a true 3" X-pipe, and 3" exhaust out to 5" tips. Sounds guud! Do what others have said though, start up front and work your way back. Cant go wrong that way.

[shibbs]

Originally Posted by jcampos

I have LT headers 1 7/8", a true 3" X-pipe, and 3" exhaust out to 5" tips. Sounds guud! Do what others have said though, start up front and work your way back. Cant go wrong that way.

Sounds almost identical to my setup.
2" LT headers, catless, into 3" Magnaflow Competition catback. Not a resonated X-pipe, but the Magnaflow cans in the back do a GREAT job at letting a wonderful tone through. I do get a bit of drone at 1500 RPM, though.

[Maiden69]

Originally Posted by shibbs

Sounds almost identical to my setup.
2" LT headers, catless, into 3" Magnaflow Competition catback. Not a resonated X-pipe, but the Magnaflow cans in the back do a GREAT job at letting a wonderful tone through. I do get a bit of drone at 1500 RPM, though.

Yes, the dreaded drone between 1500-2000, I think all the cars running straight through mufflers (other than Corsa) without a resonated X or resonators before or after the X are getting that. I wanted to use the Magnaflow X but the 3" is not a Tru X but a double Y so it close the diameter to a single 3" in the middle unlike the TruX that overlap the tubes in the center.

I will probably add Vibrant race mufflers after the headers, or get their long resonators and place them after the X. I wish Magnaflow will redesign their 5x8 3" resonator to be a TrueX, it will be so much easier to do that than the dual resonators.

[2012OrangeVert]

Just to let everyone know , I found a LS3 catback with a GMPP axle-back on it and purchased it. I have already installed it myself. Took 3 hours for me counting putting car on jack stands. I am happy with it. It just makes a little more sound, deeper, especially at startup, and has a little more sound all around. It is not loud. It is close to exactly what I wanted for now. I like the sound of the BBK Varitune the most but they didn't have anything to fit my convertible. Maybe one day I will swap to those, if I can figure out how to do it. And to the guys saying start at the front, I have been reading a lot about this, and that does seem to be the wisest choice with the cars if you can do that. I just have 4 years of warranty left and wasn't ready to do headers. Thanks guys for all input and advice.

[985ss]

I was amazed at the sound difference from headers alone. I'd second the advice about starting from the front because you get the sound AND the power.

[acammer]

I'll chime in with another vote for front to back - my OE cat-back sounds pretty incredible with headers/x-pipe. It's really tame just cruising, but when you get on the throttle and get those revs over 4000 it positively screams. I can't believe how bi-polar the car is, super quite and docile until it's not, and then it's an animal.