Exhausts - Prefab vs Custom

[Nuci]

Hey all,

Im currently researching exhaust systems, and was wondering what the advantages / disadvantages are of getting a custom exhaust (from the cat back) made over a prefab exhaust system (Spoon N1, Fujitsubo, Mugen, Buddyclub etc etc). Im under the impression that a custom exhaust would work out cheaper, is this generally the case? Is it harder to get the same power from a custom exhaust system?

Also, do the different types of material used (mild steel, stainless, titanium) affect power? Exhaust note? Any help would be great.

Cheers.

[Stig]

wank factor and resell value would be higher for a prefab exhaust

[EKVTIR-T]

By the time you use mandrel bends and finding the right workshop and material then the mufflers you want and getting it all fitting perfect its close to the same price as a premade catback.

Comes down to personal choice of course in the end

Yes wank factor comes into play also :D

[blabla]

stainless muffles the sound more then mild steel.. Mate has same setup in stainless and i've got mild steel HUGE difference

[act_gooner]

I bought the Xforce twin loop and got the catback all custom, sounds pretty awesome to me. I'm a student and low income earner who doesn't get any benefits from centrelink so I'm happy with anything I get to do to my car.

[Stig]

^^ if youre tight on budget just do what act_gooner did, just get a branded muffler and custom the catback, that is also something i am thinking of doing, only costs like 100-150$ for a custom piping from the cat to muffler

[DC5.Raven]

IMO custom exhausts are abit hit and miss.
If you want some power or decent resell value (as Stig has pointed out) then custom isn't the best way to go.
Fabricating an exhaust that gives you power gains isnt easy.
There's quite a bit of research and development involved.
Requires alot of testing/dyno runs and tuning.

Prefabricated exhausts will definately cost you more,
but you're paying for the R&D, testing and tuning that's involved.
Personally, I think its worth the extra money.
But at the end of the day its up to you.

[DLO01]

Headers yes, but exhaust its just a single length of pipe at a given diameter, whats the R&D in that? If you do a bit of research, find the diameter you want/need, find a decent welder, get it done and yes it will be cheaper. The trick though is finding someone that can do decent and quality weld, if you can't then go your Pre-fab.

[Nuci]

So what exhaust places do people know of in Brisbane that do quality custom work? Ive heard good things about Exotic Exhausts at Sumner Park..

[MM89]

Headers yes, but exhaust its just a single length of pipe at a given diameter, whats the R&D in that? If you do a bit of research, find the diameter you want/need, find a decent welder, get it done and yes it will be cheaper. The trick though is finding someone that can do decent and quality weld, if you can't then go your Pre-fab.

different exhaust manufacturers produce exhausts in different manners. for example, brand A will locate resonator(s) at a particular position that differs to brand B - this can affect where your peak power is in the power band. the size and construction of the muffler will have an affect on the power that can be drawn from the particular catback and noise levels.

As DC5.Raven said, custom exhausts are a little bit of a hit and miss.
I've had work done at 2 different exhaust shops and I can say that I was satisfied with one and disappointed with the other.
One exhaust shop cut and then shut only 180deg between my axleback piping and the muffler and did a pretty poor and inconsistent job with the welding; chunks everywhere and gaps in
the welds which caused some exhaust leaks. The other did a satisfactory job. Wasn't anything special but welds were neat and there weren't holes.

[6thgear]

i'm a sucker for jdm stainless steel. custom is fine if you know the shop has a good rep, but as above, most are hit and miss. i couldnt be bothered waiting around for custom work, another reason why i'd try go the pre-fab jobs where possible. tend to be better quality, welds, sound!

but i guess depends on level of mods also, whichever is more suited to your application?

[Super-DA9]

I've had a custom exhaust on my old integra, very disappointed, as I have been with almost anything I've gotten someone else to do. So it sounded ok, except it got a bit tinny at high RPM. problems were, the guy overlapped one pipe over another, and tack welded it in three places, so it didn't take long for one of the welds to snap, making an angle grinder sound at 3000RPM+. and have a guess what he did to fix it? tacked the f***ing thing again. and after this I had an exhaust leak, so I gave up and fixed it myself.

I was VERY disappointed because people spoke very highly of this guy but he did such a sh*t job for me.

So with my DC2 I decided to buy a premade XFORCE catback system and install it myself, which sounds and looks SO much better! But there were downsides to the installation process though, such as an 11cm gap between the cat and the pipe of which I had to have a bolt on extension made up to fill it with, and the tip hangs too far out the back of the car, so I've got it booked in to have the tip modified very soon, which is only gonna be $60.

All in all there were downsides to both, but in the end I am so much happier with the XFORCE system.

[NSPYRE]

^^^ u got the wrong cat-back for your car. its well known that vti-r differs from GSi and type-R

[Super-DA9]

well I asked specifically for one to suit a VTi-R and thats what they sent me. And I even said that it didn't reach properly and he said it's meant to go with an Xforce cat...

[Lowiez]

Custom exhaust systems can really shine, esp. if you have big power mods to go with it.
I.e K-series love their 3"-3.5" catbacks, even with just bolt ons. Typically JDM pre-mades are 60 or 70mm, mainly 60mm which is <2.5".
That being said of course it has to be made well...mandrel bent and as already mentioned, quality of welds ect.
If you want straight power (DC5) get 3.5" straight piping with no resonator/hotdog

Consistent although, as with most performance increments streetability is lost with wide width custom catbacks, in terms of drone, DB readings and legality.
A more quiet slightly more restrictive stainless steel 60mm JDM catback will be more comfortable in the above areas then its mild steel 3.5" counterpart.

Sum up also the costs vs the benefits, costs being price and comfort and benefits being increases in varying places in the power range.
Remember that on our 2.0L 4CYL at best an effective well made catback exhaust is good for roughly 7kW atw compared to stock, whether you are gaining 4kw or 7kw can be 20 decibels worth of noise. The main gain is the header and that is good for another 7-9kw or so

Fitment will be really good or perfect in the high end JDM brands Fujitsubo, TODA, J's ect. With a custom the fitment is..custom? Chances are you won't be dealing with fitment anyway as obviously custom exhausts are fabricated to your vehicle and getting them to fit is obviously included in the cost of fabrication generally.

Whether it is titanium, stainless steel or mild affects weight, lifespan and note/pitch of your exhaust system. T>S>MS

Keep in mind a custom isnt necessarily that much cheaper if its a top notch quality, for example Westside Mufflers who are renowned for their work and have much experience in Hondas and integras will charge you something like 1.2k for a stainless steel DC5 catback, and 1.4k or so for a header. You can pick up a 2nd hand Fujitsubo Power getter for ~$800, and new for ~$1.4k, and you can pick up a 2nd and TODA header for 1-1.5k. These are just an examples of typical JDM exhaust parts.


So you have to weigh up your specific needs and situation.

One size does not fit all :thumbsup:

[DC2-PWR]

Custom exhaust systems can really shine, esp. if you have big power mods to go with it.
I.e K-series love their 3"-3.5" catbacks, even with just bolt ons. Typically JDM pre-mades are 60 or 70mm, mainly 60mm which is <2.5".
That being said of course it has to be made well...mandrel bent and as already mentioned, quality of welds ect.
If you want straight power (DC5) get 3.5" straight piping with no resonator/hotdog

Consistent although, as with most performance increments streetability is lost with wide width custom catbacks, in terms of drone, DB readings and legality.
A more quiet slightly more restrictive stainless steel 60mm JDM catback will be more comfortable in the above areas then its mild steel 3.5" counterpart.

Sum up also the costs vs the benefits, costs being price and comfort and benefits being increases in varying places in the power range.
Remember that on our 2.0L 4CYL at best an effective well made catback exhaust is good for roughly 7kW atw compared to stock, whether you are gaining 4kw or 7kw can be 20 decibels worth of noise. The main gain is the header and that is good for another 7-9kw or so

Fitment will be really good or perfect in the high end JDM brands Fujitsubo, TODA, J's ect. With a custom the fitment is..custom? Chances are you won't be dealing with fitment anyway as obviously custom exhausts are fabricated to your vehicle and getting them to fit is obviously included in the cost of fabrication generally.

Whether it is titanium, stainless steel or mild affects weight, lifespan and note/pitch of your exhaust system. T>S>MS

Keep in mind a custom isnt necessarily that much cheaper if its a top notch quality, for example Westside Mufflers who are renowned for their work and have much experience in Hondas and integras will charge you something like 1.2k for a stainless steel DC5 catback, and 1.4k or so for a header. You can pick up a 2nd hand Fujitsubo Power getter for ~$800, and new for ~$1.4k, and you can pick up a 2nd and TODA header for 1-1.5k. These are just an examples of typical JDM exhaust parts.


So you have to weigh up your specific needs and situation.

+1 rep, perfectly said.

[89lude]

I say go the prefab. Unlike custom exhausts:

- Gains of a prefab exhaust are already dyno'd and proven.
- If you buy second hand, when you resell you dont lose any money.

So for proven gains and good resale price, not to mention easy to sell when you have genuine stuff - why not?