Ok so im sure this is a dead horse, but i tried to pull a search, and there are just too many posts with "catback" in them. Too difficult.
Ok, so has anyone actually dyno compared catbacks? i mean we all see what the advertiser claims, and we all love to hear the mean tone and compare price vs quality and all that...but which one for a bolt on car would really be biggest HP and TQ gainer? Please, i understand the cut out thing, but im talking true cat backs. Thanks
-Scoobs the curious

www.gcfba.org

 

I really doubt there would be more than a couple horsepower difference between any of them, which is why sound and price tend to be the most important. Personally, I love borlas, just the best sounding exhaust you can get, end of story. But my hooker aerochamber was 1/2 the price and sounds better than most of the other camaros i've heard...

 

Yeah just find a catback that is a price you want and sounds like you want it to. The horsepower difference is so small usually it doesnt even matter.

 

what are the real gains from a catback, for the price, it seems it would be better to get a set of shorty headers. But thats a different story, how about just replacing the stock muffler? is the 3" intermediate pipe the key, or is it the muffler?

 

I think the 3" intermediate pipe helps flow over the stock 2-3/4 but the real killer is the stock Y-pipe I noticed more gain when I replaced that than my catback

 

What Y-pipe did you go for with the dual cat setup? And how much?

 

'96 and later y-pipes are much freer flowing than the pre-'96 y-pipes. If you really want the best bang for the buck, replace the stock muffler with something else. Most of the restriction in the system is from the OEM muffler. The gains going from the 2 3/4 intermediate pipe to a 3" pipe are pretty small and not really noticeable until you get to very high power levels.

 

Do a search on the following 3 cat-backs:

1. SLP loud mouth (if you dont mind a loud car, this is the most recomended for under $300 for what I have seen)

2. Hooker cat back (most recomended alternative to the loudmouth if sound IS and Issue. cost $260 or close to that) I think it sounds awsome, and It will be my next mod.

3. Borla cat-back Cost $700 I think, but it is the most popular for people who live in any snow region. It is Stainless Steel which is why the price is so much. It wont rust out. I saw one on the for sale section for $450 a week ago.

These are NOT the only recomended, just the ones that show up the most. Some of the others can get a bit costly.

Do a search on sound clips for these.