haljensen

We just installed the #14366 Magnaflow mufflers w/#35163 Magnaflow single 3" tips on my car. Since the shop owner is a friend I got a break on price and ended up paying just over $400 for parts and labor.

2.5 hours with me "helping" him with the install. No major problems but really time consuming. We had to remove the full exhaust from the flange /gasket connection after the cat and drop (but not remove) the sway bar in order to remove the over axle pipe and muffler section. then we cut the stock muffler off the over axle pipe and trial fitted the Magnaflows with the complete exhaust re-installed. Lots of time spent with stands and adjusting clamps and then we tack welded the mufflers to the pipe and the tips to the mufflers. Everything had to come back off so he could completely weld the mufflers and tips and then we got to re-install the full exhaust again. Lined everything up, measured, moved the clamps until everything measured out OK and then welded the 4 hangers on to the mufflers. 2.5 hours total until I drove the car off the rack.

Sound is great, louder and deeper than stock but not loud enough to cause problems with the law. With just a couple of miles of testing there doesn't seem to be any resonation in the car at cruise speed, will have to put some miles on it to be sure.

Don't pay list price of $135 for the #14336 mufflers, I've seen dealer costs below $80.00. The list prices for the tips are outrageous, 3" single list for $68 to $115 EACH! I bought the $68 ones (discounted) and they look fine to me. I didn't want to use the stock dual outlet tips because they are only a 2" OD outlet, looked to me like a major restriction, 2.5" pipe and muffler with a 2" tip. The labor for 2.5 hours is up to you and your mechanic, maybe you can work a deal like I did where you hand him tools and bottled water and tell jokes while he's working.

I like the sound and have what amounts to a cat-back for $400 and some labor instead of $1000 + labor for an aftermarket cat-back.

Mayonayze

good for you man!

can you corroborate the "tinny" late 80's mustang sound? if you have heard other aftermarket exhausts on the C6, could you do a comparison?

JFTaylor

Smart move guy. Wish I had done that

TooManyIDs

No offense to you, but that's an absurd comparison. The sound reminds me of the B&B PRT's I had on my Z06.

SickRick

Obviously it's alot cheeper to install just the Magnaflow cans, if you like the sound. The downside comes when you try and go back to stock - as you've essentially cannibalized your stock system from the cat, back (as one other forum member has discovered).

I LOATHE to spend the kind of $$ Borla/GHL/Corsa are looking to get for an exhaust, but for a bolt-on-perfect, restorable-to-stock (or other system) exhaust - it seems like a viable option - versus having to cut-n-paste your exhaust together (or chop-n-weld as the case may be).

I'm going to pay a visit to my custom exhaust guy, and see what he suggests to get a better sound, while I'm saving up for the Kooks/GHL system I REALLY WANT. (not everyone is independantly wealthy like Larry_Chip, and can drop $15K of upgrades in right after thier car purchase)...

Regards,

Rick

haljensen

SickRick; I have no intention of going back to stock or of replacing my Magnaflows with another system, I thought long and hard about spending $1200+ for a better sound and decided to call in some favors on the price of the Magnaflows and a major price break on the install. I have no intention of showing the car and didn't expect 15HP for a cat back.

The option on the Magnaflows is there for anybody with access to an exhaust shop, regular price will probably run you $500-$550 with parts and install. The guy I worked with said he would have to charge a minimum of $250 labor if someone brought the parts to him, probably $550 for him to get the parts and do the install. Still 1/2 the price of an aftermarket cat-back.

Birdie2000

Any pics of the single tips?

haljensen

No pictures of mine yet, not until I clean up the welds on the hangers and tips and paint them.

The Dealer would have liked these mufflers two weeks ago when he installed a new differential cover and gasket, with the stock setup they had to drop the exhaust to get to the bolts on the cover, now it's wide open.

Lots of clearance for a trailer hitch now.

cerino2000

If you can wing it, try a sound/video clip as well. A lot of digi cams have a movie mode.

haljensen

I won't even try an audio, too many variables and too many generations from my recording to your speakers.

I'll get photos up as soon as I finish detailing the welds and hangers.

There are already pictures of the mufflers installed on a couple of threads, the only difference with mine is that I have single tips instead of re-using the undersize stock dual tips. Still the same polished S/S muffler and S/S tips.

need-for-speed

I can assure you this won't be a problem. What happened with the C5 was that so many people replaced their stock system with a cat back (like me) and put the OEM system in the attic (like me), and then sold their C5 with the cat back still on the car (like me). You couldn't give away the OEM systems. 6 weeks after I sold my C5, I threw the stock system in a dumpster.

crabman

Yep, mines sitting over on the side of the garage now. If you want it pay for shipping and its yours. This special offer expires as soon as I build up enough junk to make a trip to the dump worthwhile.

need-for-speed

haljensen

Same situation here with my old SRT-4 stock exhaust, kept the stock Turbo back in my garage, gave it to the dealer that bought the car, two weeks after he sold the car he asked me if there was any market for the stock system. It went to the dump after being shuffled around in storage in 3 locations for 18 months.

mr d

have you noticed any resonance or drone at cruising speeds since you swapped the mufflers. I know the complete magnaflo cat back system is very quiet at highway speed but I'm curious as to how a simple muffler swap compares.

haljensen

No "drone", very quiet at cruise but you can hear the exhaust if you accelerate.

It's a major improvement as far as I'm concerned. The car now sounds like it should have from the factory, like a performance V8. I can pull out in first at the 600 RPM idle speed (without touching the gas) because I can hear the exhaust.

skatemic

Cool!
How do they look?

haljensen

Put some highway miles on last night and there is no "drone". The gas pedal is now a loudness pedal, the further down I push it the louder it gets. I'm using all six gears around town just to hear the change in pitch between gears. Works as a good 1/2 price catback.

TooManyIDs

More like 1/3.

Mine were $399 parts & labor.

haljensen

Must be the friendly Texas parts suppliers.

List; mufflers, $135.00 X 2 = $270.00
List; tips , $68.00 X 2 = $134.00
Total Parts = $404.00 + labor?

I've sen the mufflers advertised for $80.00, must be a hell of a markup.