Cat-forward or cat-back?

[NashvegasCG]

So I have some money not doing anything, and I was wondering if I could get some input on the two items I was looking at. The two choices are cat-back exhaust or cat-forward....headers etc.. I just don't know. I like the way my car sounds now with stock exhaust. Without any major motor mods, I don't know that a cat-back would do any more than buying two mufflers and having them welded on. On the other hand, looking and reading about our factory manifolds has convinced me that aftermarket ones where each port has it's own tube, is better for airflow... I know the first response is going to be save for a 6spd swap, but I just replaced the tranny. If you have some personal experience advise... please let me know.

 

[inspired1]

stick with the basics. I/H/E.

 

[NashvegasCG]

stick with the basics. I/H/E.

so I should go in that order you are saying? A friend of mine just said that aftermarket headers might cause me to not pass emissions.... Never heard of such a thing

 

[nyknick1015]

huh... im confused about what your asking

Cat foward??? Anything before the cat is the headers, anything after the cat is the exhaust (midpipe/mufflers). mufflers arent going to give you the same performance as a catback because its an upgraded midpipe, resonator(if av) and muffler

 

[jdm00accord]

so I should go in that order you are saying?

that sounds like a good order to me, once i put my headers on i noticed a large power gain because the stock ones are so restricting. it was way larger than what i noticed from putting a catback on.

 

[NashvegasCG]

that sounds like a good order to me, once i put my headers on i noticed a large power gain because the stock ones are so restricting. it was way larger than what i noticed from putting a catback on.

It seems that most headers are made of CNC machine molds? Is this good or bad? This is what I'm looking at getting.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280457626363&viewitem=

 

[NashvegasCG]

What's the chance of a 4cyl axel back (single muffler) bolting on to my AV6 coupe? I'm thinking of doing something like this...Not necissarily this cheap one, but switching to a single instead of dual exhaust. Would an axel back bolt up to mine if it's meant for the 4cyl?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/98-0...ptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

 

[nexTOme]

Have you searched?

 

[jdm00accord]

It seems that most headers are made of CNC machine molds? Is this good or bad? This is what I'm looking at getting.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280457626363&viewitem=

imo pipes are pipes, those jvts will do the same thing the no name ones do and the expensive ones do. theyll all increase the power about the same. id just go with a middle class name to insure the integrety of the welding and whatnot, nothing cheap, nothing too pricey. i have a megan exhaust manifold and a generic ebay down pipe. works great together.

What's the chance of a 4cyl axel back (single muffler) bolting on to my AV6 coupe? I'm thinking of doing something like this...Not necissarily this cheap one, but switching to a single instead of dual exhaust. Would an axel back bolt up to mine if it's meant for the 4cyl?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/98-0...ptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

im not positive. my advice if you want a single exhaust is either buy a 4 cyl catback (im not positive it fits but i think so, you should search about it first though) or what i would do is buy a really nice muffler take it to a shop and tell them to cut off your dual exhaust and weld new piping to the new muffler for a single tip.

im thinking of buying an HKS muffler and getting it welded onto my aftermarket catback piping.

 

[finch13]

It seems that most headers are made of CNC machine molds? Is this good or bad? This is what I'm looking at getting.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280457626363&viewitem=

Molds? The manifolds are probably machined from a piece of billet steel. If you know anything about computer numerically controlled machining, you'll also know it's the most accurate way to shape metal with tolerances as small as .001"