I have been getting P0430 on and off for some time and at 138,900 I think it is time to refresh the exhaust system. The original exhaust is still in there, aside from the passenger cat which had been replaced prior to 60k when I got it.

My goal for the vehicle is to try to not just update, but upgrade. For the exhaust I would like the car to sound better, but this is a family car that I use in the city, and for long trips with dogs, so I don't want it to be loud.

I prefer stainless steel, but the original muffler has lasted this long so that is not a bad option either.

What would you guys recommend? Is there enough of a bump in performance to go Magnaflow or Borla? Or, are they loud and should i stick with stock or comparable?

Any advice would be awesome.

 

move up one page and there is a post listen to my exhaust note or something like that, you can hear a couple options.
there are also links on utube
on the dII's i left the resonator off, on the p-38 i left the muffler off and have just the resonators

 

You're not going to see a huge performance bump, but both systems sound great, and aren't obnoxiously loud.

That said, any exhaust is going to have something of a drone, your level of tolerance is going to dictate what works for you and what doesn't.

Personally, I have a Borla catback on my '99, and I love it, but on long highway trips (3+ hours), the drone can start to wear a bit thin for some people.

 

Was that you that commented on my Borla YouTube video earlier? I tried to respond, but when I hit reply it deleted what I had typed. I was going to tell you that I love the Borla. Out of all the systems I've run on the disco at various points (stock cats w/single Thrush glasspack, catless with stock muffler no reso, Magnaflow cats wit stock muffler no reso, Magnaflow cats with dual Jones Exhaust glasspacks, Magnaflow cats with Flowmaster 40 and stock reso, Flowmaster without reso, Magnaflow cats with Borla Pro XS, and Magnaflow cats with a single Thrush glasspack with a dump) the Borla has been my favorite. It had the best sound and droned the least. The only reason I replaced it was because the shop that I paid to run my dual tail pipes tan the passengers side on (in the only route they could have) too close to the gas tank, so it would occasionally come in contact with the tank and had melted a flat spot. I just hacked it out and threw the glasspack on there until I had time to rework it the way I needed. This weekend I will be upgrading to headers, 2.5" pipe on both sides back to the Borla, then a single 3" out into a v-band clamp which will attach a Flowmaster cat and the tail pipe. I'm putting the cat so far back so I can use just one and so I can simply bolt it in and out as I please.

 

Alex, placed that far back, the cat will never get hot enough to be effective. It has to be much, much closer to the engine.

 

Yea, I'm really only having it there to pass inspection, we don't have emissions testing. I'll wrap it in header wrap so it gets warmer, but I'm not really worried about it either way. It probably won't even be installed most of the time.

 

If the shop is paying attention, you won't pass inspection with it there.

Good luck either way.

 

Luckily, shops around here don't very much. Probably don't even need it at all, but you know, better safe than sorry.

 

It was me. I am thinking the magnaflow cats and either Borla or NRP exhaust.