I just put the stock baffles back in the car and took it for a drive. Now it's too quiet! A quick note, the dealer had the baffles out when I bought the car, so I have never heard it with them in. Now it's quieter then when I bought it.

So, I have two choices, either buy a set of baffles with different sized openings, or take a uni-bit to these and open them up myself a little at a time until I get the sound back to what it was with the cats. I'm leaning towards the uni-bit, it's free.

As for power, the difference I see may be Shaun's tune that is now running on it. i gotta think the exhuast is flowing better without the cats. Not as good as long tubes, but these were only $139 from Jegs and pretty easy to put on. I may still do long tubes sometime in the future, but at least I can run the Lope tune. You can't with cats.

 

Jay, How much power do you think you have picked up with the tune and cat tubes? I am assuming at least a seat of the pants feel.

 

From what I have read on these fourms. Long tube headers do not make that much of a differance in HP compared to the factory headers. Most of the power gains are in the removal of the Cats.

 

I feels more perky, that's for sure. If I had to guess I'd say maybe 20hp between the exhaust and tune. I didn't get a before dyno but in the next couple of weeks I'll get an after. And just figure maybe 385 before. I was just looking at the cats. There are pretty small screens top and bottom that the exhaust air has to go through. Looks pretty restrictive. I dunno, but for $139 and maybe a couple hours to put them in I think the cat delete pipes are worth it.

I have two videos I'll post up, one prior to the baffle install and one after.

 

Before baffles:

After:

As with most videos , my iPhone doesn't do the sound justice.

 

Nice!!!

 

Will be installing Whiteline LCA's, PHB, PHB Brace, relo brackets, FRPP P springs, and GT500 hats. Hope to have a few pics of before and after.

 

Hey Jaywoo - I love the sound of your car even just at idle. I was actually thinking about doing the cat deletes myself and just wanted your opinion about how loud it is at idle and just putting around. I already have the side pipes open and GT500 axlebacks but I don't want to annoy my neighbors too much more (although I know how incredibly, awesomely loud it will be at WOT!).

Thank you in advance!

John

 

At idle without the baffles it sounded awesome! Even at highway speeds when the car wasn't under load it sounded ok to me. However under even light acceleration I thought it was too loud inside the car. Maybe I'm just getting old! Anyway, I still need to take the baffles back out (because now it's too quiet) and drill out the holes. Might be a project for tonight after work.

I was at Sam's Club a couple days ago before I put the baffles back in. I was kinda close to the entrance/exit area. Started it up and idled by and a bunch of people were staring. Half of them were probably thinking I needed a new exhaust.

Oh, I still have the stock Boss mufflers, but sooner or later I'm changing to the 2013 GT500 slash tips. I don't care if it's loud out back, but I can't have it rattling the interior.

 

Thank you for the feedback. I have some 7/8" discs that I bought a while back and if I go with the cat delete and feel like it's too loud, I may put those back in.

Two more questions if you don't mind: 1) do you still have your engine bay sound tube hooked up? and 2) do you notice an increase in smell or fumes from the side pipes since you removed the cats?

Thank you again!

 

The sound tube is gone, I took that out a while back. i couldn't hear any difference with the baffles out anyway. Without the cats and especially with the Lopey tune I do smell more gas at idle. No biggie though. The cat delete was a good mod.

 

Great thank you for all of your feedback, Jaywoo!

 

Thought about putting insurance back on her and starting to drive to work again!!!

 

I have to keep full insurance on it, even during storage, as long as I still owe the bank its required. :-(

 

Never asked my bank, of course it was USAA, same as my insurance, last year and they didn't complain.

 

Just finished suspension install, was able to set the rear up pretty well, just 1 mm off on the passenger side. Summit Point this weekend should let me figure out if itt was worth the time and money. Pics tomorrow.

 

new Hurst shifter :-)
love that spring action

 

Bought hood struts that dont require a huge bracket on hood.

 

Nice!

Drove her into work two straight days now!!!

 

I have the same shifter. Guess your also comfortable with no lockout rev. I have one question. The rubber gromet on your shift boot is different then mine. On mine you see the top of the gromet.
It just dawned on me. Is your gromet pushed down inside the shift boot?
Maybe thats why you dont see it. Nice install.