New Exhaust

[urweak]

Well i finally got it put on. Got a new carsound cat 2.5inch in and out to a mangaflow round body muffler 2.5inch in and out as a resinator, to a borla pro xs muffler 2.5inch in and out and a borla tip 2.5inch in and 4inch out (looks kinda gay and ricey but i guess im stuck with it now) and 2.5inch pipe to put it all together.

Car sounds good (no buzzing or anything, nice mellow deep tone), although i wish i could make it quit sometimes b/c it gets annoying being loud all the time. Car seems to have gained back some low end power, and also picked up some top end. But im happy with it, and hope to get a header from TRS to complete the whole system. Then its motor work time.

[not2good]

Pics????

[Bjornboy81]

Definetly pics needed! :D

You gained low end with 2.5" pipe on a 4 banger?!!!

[urweak]

Tip and muffler (may car has a lot of rust on it)

[urweak]

Another shot of the tip (and not where the dealer sticker was for 8 years, nice shinny paint)

[urweak]

Cat (took pictures at night)

[urweak]

Magnaflow Round body muffler for a resonator.

[urweak]

Originally posted by Bjornboy81
Definetly pics needed! :D

You gained low end with 2.5" pipe on a 4 banger?!!!

I think i did, before the car was really sluggish with just the HO manifold, but with the exhuast it seems to have brought some of the bottom end back.

[urweak]

A little clip of what it sounds like. ( i kinda think it sounds alittle like my buddys SRT-4)

http://www.geocities.com/urtoweak4me/Exhaust

[Jordon'sGrandAm]

awesome looks good. suprised you did not do duels.

[urweak]

My car doesnt have outlets for duals, only the GTs do. It would look gay.

[VanishingImage]

sounds good, a little deeper than mine,prolly because of the extra muffler for the resonator. I took mine out and have 2.25 coming from the cat to a 80 series muffler to 2 dual tips. Might get a high flow cat at some point

[FiFdYnUtZ]

urweak..i cant get the link for the sound clip to work for me...i really wanna hear it

[urweak]

Originally posted by FiFdYnUtZ
urweak..i cant get the link for the sound clip to work for me...i really wanna hear it

just let it load, its the background music on the page, and only plays one time (doesnt play over and over agian).

[FiFdYnUtZ]

ok it works now...sounds great!

[IamChevyman5]

how much did the whole deal cost you? was it worth it? what would you chage about it? I was thinking of doing this to mine for a long time, but I couldn't find a system...where did you get yours...basically, tell me everything you know. I don't know if it would be worth it on mine. My grand am is a 2.4 with a bad paint job, and a slightly bad engine, which I bought this year for $2,500.00
thanks,
Dan

[urweak]

The muffler, resinator, cat, and tip where in the $200 dollars range. Then i had a local speed shop bend up 2.5inch pipe to repalce my old pipe, and put all the mufflers and things on for another $200. Do total it cost me about $400 for the whole deal. If i could change anything it would be the tip, I HATE IT! its so big it looks retarded (i want something that looks stock, not some ricy POS) But i will just have to live with it. Everything else is great.

[IamChevyman5]

where can i look and see all these things you bought for the 2.4?

[urweak]

Go to ebay and type these item numbers in the search

www.ebay.com

7992737390 is the muffler item number
7990357182 tip item number
7974394438 resinator item number
7987674455 cat item number

Thats all the parts i bought, then i had the shop bend up pipe and install it all.

[IamChevyman5]

I searched magnaflows website, and I couldn't find anything for a grand am except for the univeral stuff. What was it that you did?

[IamChevyman5]

went to borla through carsound and they didn't have any parts for us 2.4's either! >(
Dan

[carlover626]

Look around in e-bay, and Andy's Auto Sport. I have been able to find a bunch of stuff for the 2.4 but I don't have the $$$. : (

[IamChevyman5]

that's nice, but I want what "urweak" got

[Matt95GT]

There's no "kit"... he researched, purchased universal parts, and had a shop fabricate piping and install the parts. You'll need to do the same - there are no exhaust systems made for any pre-99 Grand Am.

[urweak]

Originally posted by IamChevyman5
that's nice, but I want what "urweak" got

In my posts on the other page, i put all the item numbers to the items on ebay. Just go to ebay, type in one number at a time, and it will take you to the auction for the product i used.

There is no catback or premade system for these cars. You have to buy the muffler and other parts one by one, and have a place install it all for you. Also, you might want to go with 2.25inch instead of 2.5 inch (depending on what mods you will do down the road, and what tranny you have)

[IamChevyman5]

F'in sweet...what kind of things would make me decide between the exhaust diameters, like the 2.25 and 2.5.
Or in the same category, the in and out of the muffler or cat, i can't remember what it was that you said it was.

[DrFabulous]

If you're not boosted, you don't need anything bigger than a 2.25 exhaust, in a performance standpoint.

[urweak]

Originally posted by n4sir1085
If you're not boosted, you don't need anything bigger than a 2.25 exhaust, in a performance standpoint.

or unless you plan on big cams, head work, and so on.

[IamChevyman5]

would it not be better to get the muffler and the resignator direct from the company? Do you save any money through e-bay? I'm worried that I'm going to work and save for 8 weeks and buy all this stuff, and the e-bay dude will have screwed with it.
thanks,
Dan

[IamChevyman5]

urweak, if you were to get a header right now, what would you get...if I get a system, I'm definately getting a header along with it.

[DrFabulous]

Originally posted by urweak
or unless you plan on big cams, head work, and so on.

:agree2: True, but even then, 2.5" would be the most you need.

[urweak]

Originally posted by IamChevyman5
urweak, if you were to get a header right now, what would you get...if I get a system, I'm definately getting a header along with it.

Its said to say, but no company make a header for the 96-98 body style. And no header from a cavalier with the same motor, or a 99+ GA with the same motor will even fit our cars.


To answer your other question, i bought my borla muffler on ebay for about 90, when places like Jegs and Summit wanted about 110-120 or more for it. Same thing with the magnaflow muffler i used as a resinator, it was about 50 bucks, when most retailers where more. I also go the tip for about 40 bucks when most placeds wanted 70 for it, and the cat i got a steal on that, but that was from a local guy i knew that sold it to me for like 25 bucks. So just shop around, and find the best price you can.

[IamChevyman5]

So basically I lose on the whole header thing...
I'm still confused on the piping thing though. What would be the advantages or disadvantages of going with 2.25 pipe? The exhaust is the only MOD I'm planning on doing to the car, but if 2.5 is better in any way, why not?
Dan

[urweak]

Originally posted by IamChevyman5
So basically I lose on the whole header thing...
I'm still confused on the piping thing though. What would be the advantages or disadvantages of going with 2.25 pipe? The exhaust is the only MOD I'm planning on doing to the car, but if 2.5 is better in any way, why not?
Dan

If you are just going exhaust and nothing else, then go with 2.25, your not going to be flowing enough air for the larger 2.5inch and you might not make power with the 2.5inch or you might not make as much as you could with 2.25.


There is a slim chance on a header for these cars, but if TRS ever makes them they should be in the $400-$500 dollars range.

[DrFabulous]

^^ I agree 100%. If you're just doing exhaust, 2.25 is perfect. If you jump up to 2.5", you'll actually lose a little power, especially low end.

[IamChevyman5]

give me a "guesstimate" here. If I were to do the same thing as you did "basically," for the system, how much Horsepower do you think I would gain on my 150 horse 2.4? (currently stock)
Dan

[DrFabulous]

Just exhaust? Maybe 5-7 horses. With a header and CAI, bump that up to around 10-12. That's my guess.

[urweak]

for a catback i would say about 5hp on a stock motor, with other mods though that number will increase.

[jayhawk]

Originally posted by urweak
My car doesnt have outlets for duals, only the GTs do. It would look gay.

Any 4 cylinder car with duals looks silly.

[DontPassTheFence]

Originally posted by jayhawk
Any 4 cylinder car with duals looks silly.
shush you, my duals are shiny. :P

[urweak]

Originally posted by jayhawk
Any 4 cylinder car with duals looks silly.

yea, but for the GT guys you have to, other wise theres going to be a notch cut out in the back bumper without a tip to go in it, i think that would look worse. I think though if you can get away with not having dual tips on a 4 cylinder then do it.

[carlover626]

I would agree with urweak, I have a GT and when I finally go get the exhaust done I will not have a single pipe when I can have two and look clean.

[IamChevyman5]

r u effin kidding me? 5 horsepower? That's sooo not worth it to me! If that is truely the case I will stay stock thank you.
Dan

[IamChevyman5]

r u effin kidding me? 5 horsepower? That's sooo not worth it to me! If that is truely the case I will stay stock thank you. One of my buddys had told me that it would be like 10% of what my horsepower was, and I said that I didn't agree, but I didn't think it would be that bad. Gee wiz.
Dan

[urweak]

its not a v8 its a 4 cylinder, your not going to make 20hp from a catback or something. If you want to make power you have to spend the money. If it was so easy to make power everyone on this site would be running 11s.

[Jigga9JayZ]

Originally posted by IamChevyman5
r u effin kidding me? 5 horsepower? That's sooo not worth it to me! If that is truely the case I will stay stock thank you. One of my buddys had told me that it would be like 10% of what my horsepower was, and I said that I didn't agree, but I didn't think it would be that bad. Gee wiz.
Dan

lol...kids these days



urweak sounds nice....tip is big like you said but it all looks pretty good!

[DrFabulous]

Originally posted by IamChevyman5
r u effin kidding me? 5 horsepower? That's sooo not worth it to me! If that is truely the case I will stay stock thank you. One of my buddys had told me that it would be like 10% of what my horsepower was, and I said that I didn't agree, but I didn't think it would be that bad. Gee wiz.
Dan

Did this same buddy tell you to get the air intake resister mod too?? :lol:


You have to realize that by adding exhaust, you're making it easier for the engine to breathe out, but you've done nothing to make it breathe in easier. That'd be like having a bigger butthole without having a bigger mouth. You can't eat any more, so you can't expect to poop more. If you get what I mean.

[IamChevyman5]

I already understood the exhaust before, but I can't claim to have been able to come up with as good as an analogy as you.
Dan