is there really that big a difference in flow and power when talking about catbacks and mufflers?

for instance we all know our stock i pipe is 2.75" and pretty much every catback out there is 3"... is that extra .25" really worth it. cause lets face it, in the end you could pay for just the muffler and save yourself a hell of a lot of money... a couple hundred bucks...

id be willing to keep my stock tips and i pipe if need be, just so i could get a little extra power and a completely different sound...
300 bucks is a lot compared to 70-80 bucks... am i way off in assuming that a catback cant be that much better than a replacement aftmkt muffler?

 

cutout and yes i think a muffler will pretty much do

 

well besides the extra .25 on the i pipe, the stock i pipe is crimped over the axle, catbacks arent, and stock tailpipes are 2 1/4 vs 2 1/2

 

i know the quality of the bends is different between the two... but i still dont see how it would be worth the extra couple hundred bucks...

and on a side note, are you sure the stock tail pipes are 2.25" and not 2.5"???

 

ttt

 

A good catback is mandrel bent, which will flow a whole lot better than the factory pipes, which are "crimped," I believe.

As someone else said, the aftermarket catbacks aren't "flattened" in spots either.

 

leave your muffler stock, throw on an electric cutout.

 

If you want something that is going to be quality shell out the 300 bones if you want something that is half assed then just go with the muffler. If you arent planning on modding but just want sound just go with the muffler. If you want great sound and added performance down the road go with the cat back.

 

save your money and buy exactly what you want

 

couldnt have said it better myself

 

alright let me clarify a little more. i plan to eventually go with a dual exhaust setup with pro flow twisters... which i have already. but for now (atleast the next year) i want a setup that just a little better than what i have, which is: hooker long tubes, orypipe, and stock catback with a cutout. the cutout is good for the track, but bugs me for just normal driving. and when it goes through the stock muffler it just sounds wayyyyy to quiet... it doesnt sound like it should. im just trying to find a way to change my exhaust tone and possibly gain a few hp's for very very cheap....

so now i guess im trying to find out what (muffler) would sound the best with long tubes and no cats. im heavily debating between hooker, magnaflow, and flowmaster... of those three what would do my car justice?

 

I thought the exact same thing when I first crawled under my car and had a look - that's why I only went with a muffler and a couple of crome 3" tailpipes.
Got the sound that I want and the looks to boot.
All for under a hundred smackers.

 

STOCK I-Pipe = 5.94 ci.
3" I-Pipe = 7.069 ci.

A 3" I-Pipe is a 16% increase in crosscut area. Plus, factor in the bends. Then, think about spending money on a muffler with a 2.75" inlet that will be worthless if you ever go to a 3" I-pipe. I wouldn't want to spend any money on a muffler that has the same inlet as the stock, unless it was a straight-through, NON-chambered muffler.

 

well if you just want the cool sound then buy the hooker muffler it makes the car sound bad *** even with out headers. Once you get the headers on its a screamin cheetah at wot and not too loud at cruising speeds. But loud enough to let everyone know you are coming


Hooker