just installed the borla cat back system last night and must say that as usual the quality and fit is amazing. it also has a very nice tone to it, although not much louder than stock. (not very helpful with out a sound clip i know, working on that over the weekend). i did notice however that the car seems to rev up quicker, not necessarily saying that it added x amount of hp, or that it is faster, just that the rpms raise faster and smoother. also the tips on the muffler actually look good, 100% better in person than in photos. so i just wanted to share my experience so far and will try and get a sound clip for everyone.

 

I had mine done last week (got the exhaust from moparsupercenter.com).

I guess I'm a bit more picky about the sound. I have had cat-backs before and I am pretty used to the drone sound that comes from a car in the lower rpms.

What I don't like about the borla catback is the two muffler setup. When I step on it, the sound is no different than stock. However, between 2k-3krpms I hear (and somewhat feel, although extremely minor) a loud drone sound which seems to come from first muffler (one closest to the driver seat).

This is the first time I have ever had a exhaust set-up like the borla. I know there are no leaks, I guess it's just character of the exhaust.

 

the new component in your borla system (the "first muffler") is the resonator.

i'm a little disappointed, that Borla designed a system that is no different than the stock exhaust. what the heck is worth $600?!?

 

Hey, I've heard you guys talking about Borla but none of you ever posted the specs of it on how much power it'll improve our crossfires! I'm stuck with my magnaflow, because I love the sound it makes and maybe some power increase (???). Until such time that a real catback or dual exhaust out there will come out and have proof in the increase of power, then I'll switch to it. As of this time we are only talking about how much better sounding our exhaust / muffler sounds from Borla, Magnaflow and Lorinser with no documented increase in power posted in this forum. It'll be good if one will be available.

 

The Borla cat-back has the same diameter piping that the stock exhaust does. So, IMO, you are right that the only thing it's changing is the sound.

The only thing that might help would be the type of bends on the pipe and the muffler (don't think that will create an extra 7 - 15 ponies). I sent an email to Borla about the specs of the muffler and have yet to receive a reply.

 

I hope Borla hasn't phased out the Crossfire catback exhaust the fact that they already removed the Crossfire in their ad! Maybe we can ask Mopar to give us the specs too since they are selling a similar catback exhaust like Borla.

 

I just installed my Magnaflow... and on the other end of the spectrum, i'm slightly disappointed in the resulting sound. Its VERY loud. Particularly around the 2000 rpm range. It is so loud the vibrations from the sound can be felt in the seats and doors, and it overpowers the radio at most average volume settings. Yea its a small car and you sit fairly close to the muffler and exhaust, but gezzzzz...

With the stock muffler on the bench you can see that its very well designed, but fairly restrictive and done so to keep the sound down. In the sock form, the sound was nice at 4000rpm, but whisper quiet at lower rpms and idle. Now the engine sounds good at idle, like it should, but painfully loud as the engine is loaded in the lower rpms. Im installing a small resonator to kill time and hopefully tame this magnaflow some. I really hate the Honda Civic droan at 2000 rpm.

 

Figitt, insulate your window sills first for $5 bucks from AutoZone and you won't hear it loud anymore. The problem here is not the Magnaflow but the crossfire insulation that's why we have that wind noise problem. Insert the new insulation behind the original rubber..there's a space there just enough for the half inch thick insulation from AutoZone and you won't hear it loud anymore. Also, allow a break in period for at least 500 miles for the exhaust to settle down.

 

Very happy with the sound of my exhaust after just removing the resonator. (SRT-6)

Gives it what I would of expected a aftermarket system would have done by giving it a nice, deeper growl.

 

No disrespect to your door seal theory, but my car has no door seal problem. The car is whisper quiet when going down the street at 100mph. Rolling the windows down only makes the muffler slightly louder to the driver. When you crank it up in your garage it sounds like a 300zx that lost a muffler. If it was a more refined, mechanical sound i would be pleased, but its a raspy, loud, drone. This is a fairly expensive car and needs a more refined sound that a fancy car demands. Just my opinion.

I will sell the magnaflow and lead-in pipe with factory tips all complete as a package as soon as my Borla system comes in. Anyone interested can shoot me an offer.

 

Got the new Borla system installed today... and i am very happy with the results. The car sounds like i expect it to sound. I think we each have different ideas and limits on this sound thing... I've tried both systems now, and i prefer the Borla system.

For those interested, I can express that the exhaust note at idle is vastly different than it is at 55 mph (2000rpm). And this goes for both systems. My car has the automatic, and i think it tends to put more of a load on the engine where the manual transmission driver would normally downshift and bring the rpms back up above 3000. But at 2000-2400 in a loaded situation its the loudest you will notice the exhaust note. The Borla muffles that to a nice LOW dull sound... the Magnaflow is a little more free and expresses that in a fairly loud, low droan... but...on the other end of the spectrum... in the high rpm range... the Magnaflow sounded quite nice, and has a horn like whail, and the Borla is more quiet and to the point... no roar at all.

Again i say... if your interested in the magnaflow muffler welded in place of the stock muffler and with the stock tips on it... let me know... i have one laying in the garage.

 

It would be really awesome if there were some sound clips on here on the two different kinds of exhaust. And what they sounded like on start up, revving it up and maybe at an idle. I don't want something that will wake the neighbors everytime i pull in my drive way. But just something that sounds good on start up and when punch it. A nice deep sound. My ideal exhaust would be like the ones on the new 05' mustang GT you can hear it at: http://www.fordvehicles.com/cars/mustang/launch/

 

well... i listened to that clip and it sounds nice... but... that's a V-8. The Crossfire will never sound like that. The Crossfire sounds more like a mad bumble bee. And of course i'm telling ya, idle is one thing and loaded on the highway is another. The Borla sounds as close to the Mustang as you will ever get, but you will need to stand behind the car to hear it. Inside the car its more reserved like it should be (than the magnaflow).

The magnaflow is all out noisy. Idle is a nice low rumble and sounds nice. Rev her up and its very noticeable. A good unbiased opinion is that if my wife sits on the front porch and i drive away in a normal fashion... she said she heard every turn i made for around 4 blocks... this is a residential neighborhood with 3 stop signs. The borla blends in with the other sounds in the area by 2 blocks.

Maybe its just me... but this is a high lux expensive car that doesn't need to sound like a camaro or a mustang with flowmasters on it.

 

What you said about the Borla, is what I am looking. I still want it to be like a nice lux car with just some feel to it. I am glad that it doesn't drown out the inside like some exhaust do, where you can't even hear each other talk. How does it sound it when your just cruising on the high way around 70-80 with low rpms?

 

It sounds very nice... almost undetectable at that speed due to the wind noise and in my cars case, the cool jvc stereo. Like i said... at 2000 rpm in the top gears is where the noise is most noticeable from inside the car... (and outside i'm sure). The borla system demonstrates this rpm range moan but at a fairly subtle level. Its not so loud you can't talk over it or whatever. Riding in the car you almost wonder why its not louder than the stock system, but it actually is, you just can't hear it from inside the car. It certainly flows better than stock, as you don't hear that restrictive loud hiss at high rpms like the stock system shows. The borla system uses a 2.5 inch inlet and pipe diameter all through their system where the stock pipe and magna flow uses a 2.25 inlet and pipe. The magnaflow might have sounded better with a medium size resonator ahead of it, but i just don't have time or desire to weld on a 30k car. After struggling to weld the magnaflow on straight and get the tips straight (not as easy as it looks), i was just not happy with the resulting sound and fit. The borla system fits perfectly and is welded very precisely, very high quality... certainly worth the $650. I paid over $1200 for a system on my street bike... my buddy put a system on his porsche and paid $1200, and its only a boxster.

 

Sounds good Figtt, can you take some pictures and post them to your gallery?

 

The system looks just like some of the pictures i've seen on here... some of them quite good actually... My picture taking is not that great.

I am trying to get a good sound byte on here though, and of course its more trouble than usual. I have it in a WAV and it seems that's not an approved file type for upload here. I'll try and convert it and get it up in my gallery tomorrow.

 

I installed my borla and was not as excited as I thought I would be. I guess it did exceed my expectation. 2000 - 3000 rpm you hear a distinctive moan but not far different than the stock. At first when I drove off with it I was wondering if it was any better than the stock after a week I notice the difference and it's not much but different than stock. Over all, I like it and I believe it's better than stock. I like the sound when I had the stock exhaust off and started it up and revved it, Wow it sounded like a race car but I knew I couldn't keep it that way. Anyways thanks to my friend Brian D's help with the install.

 

figitt how about some pix or an audio clip...

 

I sold the Magnaflow just last week... still working on the Borla sound byte... i'll try it again tonight...

Pictures of the Magnaflow are in my gallery.