Ebay catback stainless exhaust system for under $300

I've been a member of this "club/forum/group/enthusiast website" for a few years now but I haven't posted much. I've been reading a lot lately and have found that I have some things that can help people out. I've also found a LOT of things from everyone here that has helped me out immensely, so it's time to give some back.

 

If you're like me, and I know a lot of you are because I read your threads and replies, you are on a bit of a budget and trying to get the most bang for your buck. As I'm sure many of you have seen, there are a bunch of stainless steel catback exhaust systems on ebay for sale anywhere from $299 up to $1000. I found one from a place called SpeedDaddy that had it at the cheapest on the bid starting at $287.99. I bid and extra $5 and won the system for $293.00 shipped. I know, I know.....it takes a lot of courage to purchase something like this from ebay, but I thought, what the hell....it's only $300 and it's MUCH cheaper than most systems. If you go to CXracing.com you can see one installed. I'm sure that everyone is purchasing them from the same place, so it's a matter of economics.

 

I received the system yesterday and it was packaged very well. It came with decent hardware and gaskets although you'll have to scavenge some bolts if you are running a DP like I am. I have a Cobb and it only has 5/16" holes in the flange and this entire system has 3/8" holes and bolts, so you'll have to find some fairly long (about 2") 5/16" bolts and nuts and washers for the DP (both have thick flanges). If you have stock exhaust, then just reuse your spring bolts. Here is a photo:

 

Now the beauty of this system is that the front pipe is simply a fairly straight long pipe and if the system turns out to be too loud, you simply cut the front pipe and put a 3" in and out muffler or resonator in it to quiet it down some and I'm most likely going to do that. I figure a glass pack of some sort (Cherry Bomb or something like that) will really help because I have to tell you that the mufflers are pretty damn light.

 

I spent tonight installing the system and it went on fairly straightforward although you have to remember to loosen your down pipe mount on the transmission (which I did NOT do at first and I was tearing my hair out trying to make it line up but finally realized that was the problem) and once you have it loose, it will allow you to make your adjustments to get it on. As I said earlier, longer bolts are necessary in a couple of places, but I will say that the hangers are in the right place, and they are nicely made.

 

I got it installed tonight and there are a couple of things you MUST know to install it properly. First, there are no instructions, so it's a trial and error process. Second, the front pipe section has a short angle downward and a long angle downward from the flange. The short angle goes to the DP even though it doesn't look like it should. I hung all of the mufflers and Y pipe first loosely tied together and then put the middle pipe in. The only concern I have is that the flat flange uses a flat gasket rather than the half donut that the stock system uses but the extra flange on the Cobb fit right inside, and once put together and checked for leaks, it seems to be fine, so I'm not too worried anymore. Here's a couple of photos installed:

 

All in all, it was worth $300 as it does fit nicely. It IS a little loud for my taste and my wife came out to the garage and said she was mad at me for making it so loud and would never drive it again (FIST PUMP...YEEAAHHH...LOL) but it doesn't get driven much on the street anyways. The mufflers don't hang up high enough for me so I will do some work on the hangers to bend them and push the system up but I will say that it certainly rapped up quicker than with the stock exhaust (mine was broken right in front of the resonator anyways) and the 4" outlets look very nice on the car. Once I have them pushed up and hanging where I want them, I'll send a couple of photos out to see. My garage is pretty small and I couldn't get behind the car to actually get a photo so that's why there are none on here now.

 

Screw up your courage, go to ebay, bid $5 more and get a 3" stainless steel catback system. It's easily worth that amount of money and if it's too loud, add a muffler in the middle like I'm going to. 3" pipe is 3" pipe whether Cobb or Perrin or anyone else makes it. It splits to 2.5" for the mufflers and they are flanged like the OE so it makes them easy to remove if you need to.

 

If I can help, PM me or find me on here and I'll do what I can for you.

 

Enjoy ! ! !

I did the same thing 2 years ago!

For the price you can't rellay be wrong except the tips didn't align well in the cutouts. I did the "5$ tip mode" with big hose clamps + shorter hangers.

 

My version came with a resonator (cxracing). I did paint the exhaust as it would see winter salt and read the "stainless" isn't really high quality. (which is true)

 

For a ± 300$ cbe the sound was incredible but after a while I got tired of it. The drone on the highway was too much, people sitted on the backseat couldn't talk or needed to yell upfront (really annoying)

 

This summer I made the switch to the OEM mufflers but kept the mid+Y pipes.

Cruising is now tolerable and can keep the upgraded exhaust flow for my stg3 setup.

 

It sucks that inside volume is way louder than outside... Hell I might put back the mufflers when i'll feel the need to hear moar rumble

I know. Mine is already too loud so I'm going to cut and install a resonator or glass pack or some kind of muffler just to cut down on the sound. The car very rarely gets driven except on track days anyway so I know that the system will stay quite clean. I had a friend who owns a company that makes stainless steel boat railings for about 15 major boat companies and he said that it was pretty good (T3) stainless although the gauge of the pipe was a little thin. He said it should hold up pretty well.

The only issue with inexpensive systems is that for every one that is a good fit, there are 4 or 5 that don't fit well. This is due to a lack of quality control at the production facilities. So while a few will fit well, it can be a major PITA for someone if it doesn't. We charge hourly for installs systems like this just to cover ourselves for having to fiddle with them as opposed to our fixed pricing for most installs.

 

-Mike Paisan

 

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I had a "CNT" cat back that wouldn't go on my car because it hit the center bracket of the drive shaft, it was nice of them to give me a refund.

I had a "CNT" cat back that wouldn't go on my car because it hit the center bracket of the drive shaft, it was nice of them to give me a refund.

 

Bummer. Well, at least you got your money back.

I got the kit with horrible alignment. Both of my mufflers are 4 inches to the left...

I got the kit with horrible alignment. Both of my mufflers are 4 inches to the left...

 

 

Keep messing with it. It will never be perfect, so don't expect that without cutting/welding. I installed it twice and the second time I tightened the mufflers first then went from there. Somehow that made the pipes pull out just a little bit enough to where they weren't touching the bumper directly. That and adding a couple hose clamps around the outside hangers to pull it away from the bumper helped a ton. Still wasn't centered but it wasn't touching anymore.

 

I only lasted three weeks before I took their hollow mufflers off and bolted the stock ones back up to their y-pipe. Too loud for my old ass and that will have to do until I get a muffler to put in the straight section.

Sounds like they welded on the hangers in the wrong spots of you installed something very incorrectly.

This exhaust has been on my car for a couple of weeks and despite installing a resonator in the midpipe, the drone and volume is too much.

I suspect there is no packing in these mufflers- can anyone confirm? Am I insane for considering cutting them open and packing them with steel wool and insulation myself?

From all that I've read there is no packing in the mufflers. I've seen someone mention cutting them open and packing it themselves but not anyone post that has gone through with it.

I was able to get them straightened out pretty nicely, but after three days with it the noise is too much.

Hmmmm. I have a wagon which is bound to be worse. Hope your ears are more sensitive than mine. The reviews all said this system was pretty mellow.