well it sounds different under load, so i don't see what use it would be.

 

Just received the Magnaflow #14220 today. I ordered it based on the recommendations on the list. Very easy to install, can reuse stock tips... etc etc. Much to my dismay, after actually putting my xfire up on stands and getting underneath it, the 14220# magnaflow is anything but an easy install. First of all, the exhaust pipe leading into the muffler is located off-center. The 14220 inlet is in the center - won't just slide right in w/stock pipe. So now, I need to get someone to bend me some pipe 45 degrees to made it fit. Secondly, the advice of reusing the stock tip doesn't seem to be a good idea, since the stock tips are smaller than the new outlets. Thirdly, it is a stainless steel exhaust. The stock exhaust is not stainless steel, if you try and revamp the hanger system currently in place, it'll rust out since it is not stainless steel. So I don't see - with these problems how you can simply install the new 14220 in the stock muffler's place. Are the exhaust setups for a roadster and coupe different? Any input anyone has on this would be appreciated, since after investigation, it doesn't seem as easy as it sounds. Probably shoulda done more homework before ordering...


-- '05 roadster 6 spd

 

Yep... all those things are problems for the average person with no special tools or abilities. I would have been happy to tell you that, but i kinda thought it was mentioned here a few times.

Yes you are correct, the inlet is not in the correct spot... and needs some fancy welding or additional pipe made to accommodate. You were wrong tho, the stock system is Stainless steel, and will require that someone that knows how to work with it is on the job. Most muffler shops will not even deal with stainless... its harder to weld, and even harder to bend.

The stock tips to fit pretty well, but again they require that they be cut and welded in place. The hangar will also have to be welded on and in the right place...

I did this myself, but then again i do have the tools to do it, a mig welder with stainless wire, Argon welding gas, torch, odds and ends of stainless material, and grinders. It took me around 3 hours, and i was not that happy with the loud drone sound that it made when i was done. Take it to a fab shop and see how much they want to do it... some i've seen wanted as little as 100 bucks to make it work. Its certainly worth the 100 bucks.

 

Well, I restore Classic cars for a living and didn't have any trouble fitting it but I have the equipment and the know how to do so.
I did take me about 2 hours. I required no extra pipes, as I cut off the factory one shortened it and re clocked it.
If a professional tell you it is hard to weld it, they are not very good.
I did have to get a little creative with the tips but they fit and look stock.
It is a little louder around 2 - 3,000 rpm then I expected but it sounds good.
If I decide I like the sound, I am going to ceramic coat the whole thing except the tips.
Good luck with your project.

 

Thanks for the info. Now I'm not sure what I'm going to do. I think I'll check into a custom set up. I'm not liking what I'm hearing about the Borla. So I think this leaves me one route.

 

I removed the Magnaflow from my car and installed the Borla... I like it just fine. Worth the 600 bucks just in quality alone. Sound and performance is very nice.

 

Did you find that the Borla didn't sound that much different than the stock unit? A couple of posts here mentioned that the Borla didn't really sound much different than the stock setup. Is the Magnaflow really that obnoxious sounding? If its really that super-loud and "drone-like" maybe I'll try and go w/ the borla setup. I'm just worried about it being too quiet, as I would like to be heard. Thanks for any input.

-- 05 roadster 6spd in Michigan, about to go into hibernation.

 

Well, from what I've read here, Its hard to get a good idea of what it sounds like cause there are so many different opinions. I tried to put it in perspective, so that any average person could understand but its still hard to explain. What people like is as different as their age and personalities. I'm 41 so, i want to be able to hear the radio and drive through nice neighborhoods at night. Others on here are 20 and think it sounds cool. etc...

Another big part is mine has an Autostick, so it applies torque in a different way and the engine tends to stay in that "drone" zone alot longer, especially in the interstate. The 6 speed might sound better as you can control the sound somewhat.

Lets break down the facts... Its a 6 cylinder plain and simple, and it will always sound like one no matter what you do to it. 6 cylinders have a bubble bee sound down low, and a nice scream up high. This car has a fair amount of compression and is a little louder than most, requiring a pretty high tech muffler in a small package to keep the noise at an acceptable level, and keep the flow good. It is especially difficult to mute sound when the muffler is at the end of the exhaust system, and the car is so short. Muffler is very close to the driver.

I put the magnaflow into a category with the Honda Civic that your neighbor has with the sewer pipe muffler on the back. Loud drone at 2,000 rpm, that eliminates through the whole car, a tone range beyond anything the radio can put out. Downshift and she starts to scream. My wife can hear me coming home up to 3 blocks away. It was nice at idle, just slightly louder than stock, but at 2,000 rpm it was just too loud for me. Wind the engine up and it sounded nice and mean, but in every day driving it just sounded too much like a cheap car.

The Borla on the other hand is a complete 180. Only slightly louder than stock, but very refined and deep. Idle is the same as stock, just lower in tone. At 2,000 rpm, its a nice deep sound, and then when you wind it up, it screams like a refined sports car should. It can be heard inside the car, but then so could the stock system when you tached it up. The Borla is just a very deep sound, and flows much better than stock. After having it on the car a while its a little louder too, but still very refined and sounds nice.

Its a hard hump to overcome... the torque drone at 2,000 is what the muffler must fight, and in doing that it seems quieter in the other ranges of rpm. Its hard to make everyone happy. I wanted a car that sounded like a quality european car, not a ford or chevy or honda. I also wanted a system that fit and looked like it fit... the magnaflow has to be hand welded and tips hand welded, and will never quite look the part, in some cases. (depending on the guy installing it).
If you put a nice resonator ahead of the magnaflow it might sound better, and i think some people did that in an effort to quiet it down some, and remove the crackle you hear when downshifting... I didn't go that far so i can't speak on that level.

Good luck.

 

Borla here, too. On a 6 speed. Around 2,000 RPM it can get a bit of a drone, but a quick downshift or speeding up and up shifting takes care of the situation. The Borla has been on since November of 2004 and I believe that the tone has deepened a bit. I've got about 22,250 miles on the car. The Borla is indeed a classy package. No welding, modifying. Install and run.

 

Just installed a Mopar/Borla Cat-Back. At idle throatier sound, 1k - 2.5K good bass, above 2,500 rpm sounds almost stock with windows up and at highway speeds. I love it! Sounds really sportier now!
Great choice! This is also a 2 piece system, not single as with stock! Easier to install than removing the old one!

 

Can someone with the Borla/Mopar system please take a sound clip...

 

I posted it in my gallery... zipped... its not the best .. but its something... mic was on the ground about 10 feet behind the car. At one point it tipped over the gain point of the mic.

 

Mmm, I don't seem to see it in there... can you post the link?

 

Well you know its literally impossible to store a file on the internet these days. I've got it in 20 different formats... and none of them are allowed as attachments or in the gallery. I give up. I can email it if you like... just let me know.

 

You have a PM, I'll host it as long as I have room for it.

 

Borla is always the way to go > that is a fact! There are ways to tweak the sound if that is what you want to do. Flowmaster (choke master), dyno max, and other brands are cheaper alternatives > but not the real deal. I don't have a Borla yet, but that is the brand I will spend my money on. Magna flow is pretty good > but is not a Borla. I have owned all brands on different cars and have never found better sound, installing, and over all quality than a Borla system. No I don't work for them...

Here is a pic of the system. This is from www.summitracing.com and the system sells for $713.99.

 

Checkout this link! This is a Borla system. Mopar is imprinted on the Converter and the Borla name is imprinted on the chrome exhaust tips. Looks great and sounds even better. Easy to install. I've had mine for @ 6 months and love it, also Price is $587.93!

Link: http://www.moparsupercenter.com/

 

If thats for the entire cat-back system, thats a great price for sure. I paid $170.00 for my Magnaflow and installation and love it also! I did re-use the stock tips, but to give it a more "distinctive" look, go with round or oval tips.

 

That is a very good price and its the same as the Borla. How does it sound thru the RPM range?

 

Well here is figit's sound clip. Sorry it took so long, it got put in my junk mail. Link