mowmow

AirJames, have you talk to local muffler shop ?? They can probably do a pretty nice job for you at a good price.

AirJames

I'll do that but probably a half year from now as I'm busy getting springs/maybe shocks, body kit, tires a little later on. Don't know if I'll have money depending on the body kit cost.

Lexmex

Direct flow means that if you hold the muffler up you can look through one end and see directly through to the other end, i.e., it doesn't take a zig zag or circuitous route inside the muffler like the stock mufflers.

Mufflers are cheap. Resonator you can do without for now, you already have one. Key thing here (and I really can't tell you which one to get) is to go to a place that does muffler work (not a chain shop, but an independent) and tell them you want something like a Magnaflow direct flow, oval, that will fit your piping. Your upstream catalytic converters should provide enough buffer to keep the thing from sounding ungodly loud. The muffler should be stock size or just slightly smaller than your existing muffler.

AirJames

Thanks, LexMex! I'll memorize or print out what you just posted and use it as a cheat sheet when I go to the muffler shop! I'm sure I'll be asking the muffler shop this but... How much horsepower gain should I expect for which price range? How will the sound change? I'm putting a lot of trust in the muffler shop here aren't I? Is there a specific model that is known to work well that I should get and take to them to install? Also, wouldn't that save me money if they decide to overcharge me?

xfirechief

I bet they have a bridge in Brooklyn For Sale Too.

mowmow

AirJames, down here where I live, the average exhaust system upgrade with no resonator and a good size oval outlet runs about $350, Horse power gain claims to be 5-15hp, I don't have a dyno to verify the claim. If you have access to use a dyno, get a base hp # and compare with it after the exhaust upgrade.

AirJames

Thanks for the price mowmow. I don't even know where a muffler shop is much less a dyno =) but I'll keep the price in mind and know what I should expect if someone tries to swindle me.

MrBruin09

what part of California are you located in? Depending on where you are, I know of a muffler shop.

AirJames

I'm pretty open from going anywhere in So Cal, from San Diego to LA.

tomit

If you want a better sound from your muffler, change it. Fuel economy gains would be negligible and noticeable horsepower gains would happen only at WOT (wide open throttle). Save your money.

Tom

MrBruin09

Canyon Discount Muffler
20741 Soledad Canyon Road, Canyon Country,
CA 91351-2440
(661) 251-5544‎

Sam is Manager real nice guy. He put a magnaflow exhaust on my RX 330 and he charged me around $165 dollars.

AirJames

What do you think of this? Will it save on gas or increase performance?
http://www.pannauto.com/buddy_club/b.../i-287473.aspx

Grumpa72

Seriously? Do you really think that eBay is THE place to find fuel saving devices? eBay is the place where people pass off junk to others.

In this day and age of CAFE figures and auto companies desperately trying to increase fuel mileage, my opinion is that, if there was a bolt-on product that worked, the manufacturers would have it. Magnetic fuel thingy? Last time I checked gasoline isn't magnetic - so how on earth is a magnet going to increase fuel mileage. Tornado device was debunked a long time ago.

Save your money - keep your tires properly inflated, your car tuned up, and drive slower. My wife did a one way trip from Pittsburg to Buffalo, NY, driving at a cruise-controlled speed of around 58 mph. She got over 27 mpg. That was measured by dividing gallons used by miles driven. That is how you increase mileage, not some snake oyl.

AirJames

After installing 20" wheels, my mileage was 21.8 for my usual routine driving. About the same or maybe a tad more than with 18". (Highway on 18" wheels went around 26 but I went 70 and drafted(not tailgating) when opportunties permitted). I haven't gone long highway trips yet so I will have to update later. I just got an alignment because my car drifted with the 20's. After alignment, I get 23.8 and the car rides so smoothly! It's only been a day or so...