Articles » Basic Mods Part 1

Okay, now exhausts can be many things, but what I’m talking about is all the piping after the catalytic converter, which, if you remember from the previous section, is what directly attaches to the exhaust header. Again, when you replace your stock one with an aftermarket one, it does the same thing as all the other modifications, frees up airflow and lowers restriction and resistance. One type is a full cat-back exhaust system. This type provides the greatest benefit and power increase as it replaces everything from the catalytic converter on back. It usually comprises of 2.5 to 3 inch stainless steel piping. You have to also be careful when replacing this to make sure the aftermarket one will pass emissions testing because there are some that won’t. GReddy is known for making all their products pass emissions testing in all fifty states.

Another type of exhaust would be just the muffler and tip. This will not gain much, if any power but will definitely make your car sound better. If you’re just wanting your car to sound real good, but you don’t want to spend all that money that a full cat-back system would cost, this is your best option. There’s a wide variety to choose from and almost all of them will pass emissions.

Finally, if you just want looks and don’t care too much about sound and really don’t want to spend very much, that leaves you with just adding a tip. Most of them you can just bolt right on and it will give your exhaust an aftermarket look and won’t change the sound at all. There are also some that you weld on and actually act as resonators making your exhaust sound different.

Now, something to remember is that the previously stated modifications provide the greatest benefit when all are used jointly. If you just do one or two, you still have the third restricting air flow, so you’re not receiving the greatest gain possible out of the whole thing.

I hope this has given you a good foundation on the basic bolt-ons available for your car. In our next article we will move a little further and begin discussing the various options you have for increasing the handling and looks of your car.