INTAKE & EXHAUST

EXHAUST FABRICATION AND INSTALL - 08/2004

From the day I bought my car, I want true duals. I have them on my truck. They sound great and just wanted them. I quickly learned that there were no aftermarket systems and was very disappointed as I made many attempts to find a place in or near NJ to do it. I decided to just progress with what was feasible and keep my eyes and ears open and read read read on the forums. Thus, my first exhaust mod was a cutout. It is what I like to consider the "cheap man's exhaust". It gave the car a better sound but the road to more power leads you into headers and an ORY. Unfortuantely, this made my car very raspy and unrefined. I thought about adding a catback but that would only quiet it dowm a bit but I heard you still cannot get rid of the rasp. Putting the cats back in would eliminate the rasp, but it would also reduce the power. So, I just left it like that for a while until I found a place.

Well, I eventually found a shop with experience in LS1 TD exhausts, was willing to work with me and was very reasonable - no hiking the price up because of not wanting to do it. The catch was that it was 2.5 hours a way. I consider my options for a really long time (about a year) and went back and forth on whether I should spend the money, and drive etc. and finally said "eff it", so I went for it. I didn't stop at that. I wasn't about to settle on Aluminized. I wanted Stainless to match my headers. Only way to go, IMO.....

So, I finally got my 3" Stainless Duals fabricated and installed on 0813/04 in Baltimore, by Tyson, owner of Performance Auto Fabrication.

To sum it up in two words...THEY ROCK. They are all 304 Stainless steel with Edlebrock 304SS mufflers. My intent was to get the best sound, flow, clearence, durability and longevity. I bought the X pipe, bends, mufflers, clamps, and hangers. I designed the system the way I wanted and worked with Tyson to find what bends would make life easier for him. It took both of us 8 hours to do and was well worth it. My impressions of the system are as follows:

SOUND:
They sound very deep. They are not loud at all. They rumble at idle, growl at part throttle and roar at WOT(not scream). I used to drive around with my ORY and cutout and it was loud and when I got on the gas, it sounded like ass. I didn't mind the cutout volume but it was just too raw, raspy and unrefined. The duals sound very crisp and have NO rasp at all. When I decide on what cam to get and heads it souond increase the volume and be very nice.

PERFORMACE:
I definately noticed better throttle response when I step on the gas. The car seems to take off quicker and when I let off the throttle the RPMs fall alot slower too.

CLEARENCE:
There isn't any clearence problems at all. There isn't any banging, or rattling coming from underneath. I'm not lowered but I don't think I would have any problems with the ground clearence at all if I dropped an 1". Tyson tucked the system up great.

WORKMANSHIP:
Tyson worked with me for a good couple of months before I even made it down there. Tyson's attention to detail was great. He spent alot of time setting up the angles for the pipe bends and just getting everything perfect. He tucked thre X up in the tunnel so well that I am tempted to try out the chassis mount Spohn TA because it looks like it would fit. He was a great guy to do business with who didn't mind me helping out and hanging around all day. He sacrificed lunch and dinner and just wanted to keep working. He spent alot of time precisly TIG welding it together at the end and then polished the beads so good that you can just about make out the weld. While I was there. I got to see a SICK custom front end frame support he did. Anyone who lives remotely close to Baltimore should give him a call.

Some clearence shots. Enjoy

Had to adjust the drivers side off road pipe and decided to disassemble the system just to prove a point to some folks on the forums.

Here the clips:

Nondirect Links:

LS1sounds(02 TA Kooks LTs, Stainless Works X w/ Edlebrock mufflers)

On the dyno

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Page 3: Internal Engine & Valvetrain
Page 4: PCM Dyno Tuning & Related
Page 5: Diagnostic Tools, Electrical & Wiring
Page 6: Interior, Exterior, & Engine Bay Aestetics