Exhaust System

[StevieC]

I have recently purchased a VF Series 2 sedan and want a new exhaust system (full stainless 3”). I have been told that the manta systems are way overpriced and that I should go for an XForce system. Any advice will be much appreciated

 

[losh1971]

XForce are cheap for a reason, they sound like a fart from a bear.

 

[lmoengnr]

XForce are cheap for a reason, they sound like a fart from a bear.

Geez Losh, you're insulting bears now?

 

[losh1971]

DPE are the best and most expensive for a reason they have the best note. Second best is Magna Flow not a lot cheaper than DPE but they still have the nice note. Only people who like the sound of XForce are the owners.

 

[lmoengnr]

Only people who like the sound of XForce are the owners.

They might change their mind if forced to stand on the roadside as someone else drives their car and actually hear how bad it sounds.

 

[kleanphil]

Well , I get compliments from people all the time telling me how good my car sounds , and not just non car people but also mechanics.
Exhaust sound is very subjective, and to some i can guarantee it's too loud. To me i luv it and the louder it is the better ,f'em all i say.
Now, saying that, i'm not sure you really need a full 3' system unless you plan to supercharge or turbo which might help to tone it down a bit.

 

[Ginger Beer]

Find a "good performance" local exhaust shop, head in for a chat with your car, tell them what your after, how you want the car to sound, and specify no drone, and get them to send you a quote or write it down on their business card

A good shop will have made hundreds of custom exhausts, they will know what size and style of resonators and mufflers to use to give you what you want

The price of a custom exhaust with quality parts is typical to most middle of the range stuff, and sometimes cheaper than fancy pants brand name stuff, plus fitment will be nice and tight, fitment can be a issue with "bolt on kits"

Support your local businesses

 

[RevNev]

I have recently purchased a VF Series 2 sedan and want a new exhaust system (full stainless 3”).

Unless the engine is intended to make 600+ hp, V8 Supercar like horsepower, you're best to use a 2.5" exhaust.

XForce are cheap for a reason, they sound like a fart from a bear.

Yes, XForce are the raspiest and in my ears, produce the worst note.

Find a "good performance" local exhaust shop,

Good luck with that! Most specialise in fitting bolt on's

 

[RevNev]

The price of a custom exhaust with quality parts is typical to most middle of the range stuff, and sometimes cheaper than fancy pants brand name stuff, plus fitment will be nice and tight, fitment can be a issue with "bolt on kits"

To earn $100 per hour +GST, would cost 5k+ for a VF stainless cat back, TIG welded with custom fabricated mufflers and not many will pay that for a Commodore exhaust. Euro car enthusiasts will pay it when top end bolt on's are 10k+ and a full custom system is much cheaper.

I've done plenty of full custom exhausts over the years when crunching the numbers, earned $15.00 per hour and didn't make apprentice wages.

 

[Ginger Beer]

To earn $100 per hour +GST, would cost 5k+ for a VF stainless cat back, TIG welded with custom fabricated mufflers and not many will pay that for a Commodore exhaust. Euro car enthusiasts will pay it when top end bolt on's are 10k+ and a full custom system is much cheaper.

I've done plenty of full custom exhausts over the years when crunching the numbers, earned $15.00 per hour and didn't make apprentice wages.

I've seen a dual full stainless header back exhaust with high flow cats, 2 resonators and a couple of mufflers in the rear, all tig welded with nice bends, all tucked in tight and knocked over in under 2 days, I think the guy paid around $2k total for the pipe and labour, he did supply the cats, resonators and mufflers though, if I recall correctly he used Racecraft gear, the shop was Liverpool Exhaust

His car, VF Clubsport sedan, sounded epic, loudish, but not heat seaker loud cruising around, and zero drone

After a quick look at the Racecraft site just then, the parts that he supplied cost him around $1.5k, so a total cost of around $3.5k for excellence

For a cat back subtract the cost of the cats and that bit of labour, so under $3k

My custom stainless header back, with cats, to 3" Y pipe, to 4" single with a custom made resonator to fit under the VX (that space under the rear passenger seat) and a big off the shelf muffler in the rear that took less than a day to make, sounded epic, and didn't drone, costing only $1500 drive in drive out, again at Liverpool Exhaust

Disclaimer 1: I did get a noise warning once by a friendly member of the constabulary, so later fitted a 4" Varex muffler in the rear for keeping the constabulary happy when pulled over for "random" breath tests, and when driving into, and out of, the neighbourhood during early morning leaves or late at night arrivals, when closed the exhaust is as quite as stock, when open and cruising it's loudish, but "nice" and no drone at Hwy speeds, even with a slush box (which is amazing), but when open, and I'm up it hard it sounds like war

My advice to the OP is to shop around and buy to your budget, in the end it can be alot of coin if your putting it on a standard engine for some noise, unless of course you are planning for alot more mods and power down the track

Or, if you still run the stock headers and cats on a stock engine just replace the rear boxes for the sound you want, a cat back on a stock engine/headers/cats won't give any noticeable power gains, just noise, but.....only a couple of hundred for each nice straight through mufflers of your choice for the rear, that fits well and let's the noise out, plus labour to install them, is money well spent IMO for just sound on a otherwise standard car

Disclaimer 2. I'm grumpy and over opinionated, just ask any of my family or friends