Something good came to my door

[Kevin@nextmod]

After a few days of waiting it finally came.
http://x11.putfile.com/1/914351491.jpg (http://www.putfile.com)
http://x11.putfile.com/1/914343877.jpg (http://www.putfile.com)
http://x11.putfile.com/1/914335924.jpg (http://www.putfile.com)

I\'m hoping to have it installed by the end of this month. I was thinking i should wait for spring to come but on the other hand the exhaust will eventually see winter so might as well.

And no I\'m not just installing the muffler on my car. I\'ll be customing my midpipe with stainless steal pipe.

The reason I didn\'t go for the full catback is because I heard a few people say that the catback from HKS have pretty bad materials on it so I just went for custom with universal muffler.

Comments welcome and thx for any inputs.

[RedRaptor]

I don\'t get it...catback before winter tires? Yeah I know daddy\'s TL has winters but do you get to use his beater forever? :)

[Kevin@nextmod]

Originally posted by RedRaptor


I don\'t get it...catback before winter tires? Yeah I know daddy\'s TL has winters but do you get to use his beater forever? :)

Not forever but at least until the next winter comes. And I\'ll be getting winters just before next winter comes, at least it will be slightly cheaper then getting them during winter.

[Caz]

Looks nice. What\'s next?

[dr_sarcasm]

the muffler is pure sex. looks hot indeed.


dr_\"i can see my reflection in that bad boy\"_sarcasm

[chaser]

Sweeeeeet!! Please post sound/video clips after installed.

IMO, snow tires are cheaper after mid-winter than before winter. Shops need to clear room for summer goodies.

[FLIPDADY]

Sound before safety...everyone has their own priorities.:sarc

Where are you getting the pipe work done?

[majic]

Originally posted by FLIPSPEED


Where are you getting the pipe work done?

probably at school.. it\'s cheap (free) there :D

[Kevin@nextmod]

Originally posted by majic



Originally posted by FLIPSPEED


Where are you getting the pipe work done?

probably at school.. it\'s cheap (free) there :D
Ummm...No..
First I do\'nt know how to weld and second I don\'t know how to weld. :p
Too much work to DIY.

My friend is suggesting me to go to a place called Hi Tech? or High Tech? Not sure either one. Since he got his done there and they did a pretty good job.

And I will for sure post up sound clips after. I would like to compare the sound of a custom and an original full catback. If there is a differnece that is.

[///M]

Good luck...I have a feeling it might not fit.

There\'s minimal clearance due to the short rear overhang of the 3. The HKS exhaust for the 3 uses a shorter muffler that\'s about half the length of the universal unit.

[Kevin@nextmod]

Hmm..Didn\'t know that but I think they will figure something out. Thx for heads up.

[whodilly]

Nice! Like to see how it sounds/performs.

Is that your car in your avatar? or is it from somewhere else?

[Kevin@nextmod]

Its from someone else. But I like that avatar. I\'ll use my own when i actually get mine on.
And thx for the comment

[whodilly]

shit it looked like you already got that bad boy on! lol same colour and everything!


how much is it going to run you in total for the complete set-up?

[Kevin@nextmod]

I got the muffler for $360 plus another about $300 so $660.

[Optimzer]

Originally posted by majic



Originally posted by FLIPSPEED


Where are you getting the pipe work done?

probably at school.. it\'s cheap (free) there :D

maj would know being from u of t engineering.. :D

[wtom]

Originally posted by autoexe


Good luck...I have a feeling it might not fit.

There\'s minimal clearance due to the short rear overhang of the 3. The HKS exhaust for the 3 uses a shorter muffler that\'s about half the length of the universal unit.

You\'re gonna need to hack at the rear bumper ... at the least!

Angled upwards view of the stock exhaust/muffler;
http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2705515093&idx=28&mode=invite

Notice where stock muffler actually sits (pre-axle);
http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2705515093&idx=34&mode=invite

Hope your contact at the shop can figure something out (ie. sideways exhaust!) lol

[TheProfessor]

It\'s a very nice exhaust but fitment will be an issue. Also, I wouldn\'t bother using stainless for your piping unless you plan to show people the underside of your car. Just make sure you are getting mandrel bends and that\'s all that matters. Make sure to post up some pics when it\'s on. Oh yeah, I dealt with Hi-Tech quite a long time ago and wasn\'t too thrilled with the work, but that was only one instance.

[FLIPDADY]

If it\'s the Hitech Auto on Beaver Creek I wouldn\'t go there. I did my Talon\'s coil overs there and it took them forever to finish. Give Sherman or Andy at Speedtech a call and they can hook you up.

[Kevin@nextmod]

Ok so far i got 2 not too good responses for hitech. I guess I\'ll give speedtech a call. Price I guess wo\'nt be a dilema for me as of now because I just want to have it done right and perfect.

Also Thx for all the inputs and comments and tips from you guys.
Greatly appreciated.

[FLIPDADY]

To tell you the truth Speedtech deals with a very reputable exhaust shop for many years. If you do a search I\'m sure you\'ll find out that info.

[MajesticBlueNTO]

Originally posted by PSIVIC

Also, I wouldn\'t bother using stainless for your piping unless you plan to show people the underside of your car. Just make sure you are getting mandrel bends and that\'s all that matters.

when going custom, polished stainless steel is pointless for the piping...unless you plan on showing the underside.

there is unpolished stainless steel that is used. If you don\'t specificy stainless steel, you will get the cheaper aluminized steel which will rust. Here\'s a pic of the old old integra\'s DynoMax SuperTurbo muffler (aluminized steel) after less than 2 years:

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/1/web/337000-337999/337094_245_full.jpg

and here\'s a pic of the unpolished stainless steel piping after the same amount of time ...only the very minor, spotty surface rust:

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/1/web/337000-337999/337094_246_full.jpg

mandrel bends on a custom exhaust is hard to come by...unless the exhaust shop has a tens of thousands $$ mandrel bender. what most exhaust shops do is stock 45* (degree) and 90* mandrel bent pipes and cut and weld as necessary.

the other method, that is not crush bent, is a pressure bend, as shown in the last pic, that is not as drastic as a crush bend, but still not as good as a mandrel bend. an exhaust shop might \"cheap\" out and go the pressure bend route since they have an abundance of straight pipes to work with.

in that case, you\'re limited to the smallest diameter of the pipe at the bend so, if you use 2.5\" piping, the lowest diameter will be around 2.3\".

[TheProfessor]

Mandrel bends are not hard to come by.....when I had my turbo installed I had to have all of the intercooler piping custom made and it was very easy to find a number of shops in the GTA willing to do the work. I also had a full custom cat-back made for my first Civic with mandrel bends for about $400.

As for going to Speedtech, I love that shop and will always give them business when I can because I believe they deserve it, but I\'m not sure they\'re capable of doing custom exhaust work (in terms of equipment). I know Gilman does as he almost did the intercooler piping for me.

Edit: I should have specified that there is no point doing a cat-back using polished stainless ;)

[Kevin@nextmod]

Wow lots of valuable info here. Thx again to MajesticBlueN and Psivic and everyone who chipped in with info. I will make serious considerations on where to go and do some research first. Also I will for sure post some clips after the installation.

Thx again for all the input

-kev

[midnightfxgt]

Wow I missed this thread.... anyways I think Neil and PSIVIC have got it all covered. I shopped around a bit, and nothing local did mandrel, so I went to Karbelt (Hi-Perfomance shop) where my buddy helps run the place, and had him order in the bends. Then took the bends to the exhaust place, and they did my mandrel system...

-John

[MajesticBlueNTO]

Originally posted by PSIVIC


Mandrel bends are not hard to come by.....when I had my turbo installed I had to have all of the intercooler piping custom made and it was very easy to find a number of shops in the GTA willing to do the work. I also had a full custom cat-back made for my first Civic with mandrel bends for about $400.



meant to say a shop with a mandrel bender is hard to come by :) the pre-bends are not hard to come by and good exhaust shops will have a good supply in stock ;)

[mEtH]

Yah I want to do a custom 2.5\" exhaust but don\'t want to have to ship things in from the states. Trubendz sells the piping but for that stuff to come from florida will kill me in customs.

http://trubendz.com/home.asp?producttype=exhaust&productfor=mazda3&pag etype=main15

midnight, could you send me a pm with any other details you might have that could help me out? I ain\'t asking for a hook-up but a person to call would be kewl.

Thanks

[TheProfessor]

I\'m not sure if they\'re still in business as I haven\'t been there in ages, but a shop called Optional Performance on Green Lane (Bayview and John area of Thornhill) does mandrel bending in house. It isn\'t the cheapest place, but they\'re local and seem to do good work (at least ten years ago).

[FLIPDADY]

Originally posted by PSIVIC


I\'m not sure if they\'re still in business as I haven\'t been there in ages, but a shop called Optional Performance on Green Lane (Bayview and John area of Thornhill) does mandrel bending in house. It isn\'t the cheapest place, but they\'re local and seem to do good work (at least ten years ago).
Actually Lim is no longer there. Optional mandrel bent my Civic\'s custom exhaust a while back. Don\'t really know what happened to his shop.

[midnightfxgt]

Meth,

The shop was:

Karbelt Speed & Custom
905-839-4421
1652A Bayly Street,
Pickering, ON L1W 1L9

Steve or Troy can help you out for sure. Fine out what kind of bends you need. They sell 45deg, 90deg and 180deg bends, as well as a 180/45deg combo piece (little cheaper than buying both). This is all from memory, so I could be a little off.


I hope that helps lol!

-John

[Kevin@nextmod]

I\'m not sure if i\'m going to go that far. I have school everyday and saturday i have work so I doubt I\'ll have time to go there. But thx for all the inputs and suggestions. I\'ll keep that in mind and IF i have any frds that wants to do it I\'ll offer them this place.

[TheProfessor]

There\'s a pretty high end performance shop in Scarborough called Ultimate Racing. I had my turbo installed there and had all of the FMIC piping custom done. They are expensive, but do really, really good work (mandrel bends). I think their website is www.ultimate-racing.com, and if not, just google the name.

[///M]

Hopefully it won\'t end up looking like this:

http://www.partyeastcarolina.com/photos/fullsize/205346.jpg

There\'s even less clearance on the hatch (shorter rear overhang) - universal mufflers don\'t mix well. Good luck, and keep us posted when it\'s installed.

[Kevin@nextmod]

I asked that it is possible to have it installed but I\'ll have to cut some of the input pipe and will diagonally stick out like the WRXs. Or I can have the pipe go under the axle.

[mEtH]

Saw that thread on M3F
http://www.mazda3forums.com/index.php?topic=32377.30

Kinda weird looking, I am sure he wouldn\'t drive out with it looking like that though.

[midnightfxgt]

Originally posted by Pearl_Hatch


I asked that it is possible to have it installed but I\'ll have to cut some of the input pipe and will diagonally stick out like the WRXs. Or I can have the pipe go under the axle.

WOW.... I would sell that thing FAST... After reading the thread Meth posted, not only is it hideous, but it sounds like complete crap! Apexi mufflers are liked by many, but on that 3.. ughhhhhh


-John

[Kevin@nextmod]

Originally posted by midnightfxgt



Originally posted by Pearl_Hatch


I asked that it is possible to have it installed but I\'ll have to cut some of the input pipe and will diagonally stick out like the WRXs. Or I can have the pipe go under the axle.

WOW.... I would sell that thing FAST... After reading the thread Meth posted, not only is it hideous, but it sounds like complete crap! Apexi mufflers are liked by many, but on that 3.. ughhhhhh


-John
Thats because that guy didn\'t do it properly. Some other guy have the same muffler and he din\'t have this ugly problem


Originally posted by RedHatchMan

heh well I ventured today, and I bought a N1 muffler. When I first got it my first thought was, will it fit? It seemed to long I had a local shop make the piping for it. The stock exhaust was cut after the second cat, and up went the 2.5\". The muffler was so long that we couldn\'t make it come out strait because of the back left axel. So we made the muffler angle out about 30 degrees. The install was clean and it looks great. Most of all, felt the performance between 3-6k and my shifts seem a lot smoother. The sound is great (sounds like a can when it\'s cold) when the engine is warm. Will be posting pics and a vid soon. No clamps all welds!

Iam still currently trying to contact this guy for pics. But no luck still.

[midnightfxgt]

Well if you can somehow make it sound 10x better, and not look like ass, thats awsome. Hope to see it done soon!

-John

[Kevin@nextmod]

Don\'t worry, I wo\'nt force it on if it looks really fugly.

[mEtH]

Here is the same idea that another guy did on a sedan.

http://www.ozmazdaclub.com/forums/photogallery/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pos=117

[Kevin@nextmod]

That actually looks ok. One thing is my muffler isn\'t even that big. Then i guess mine won\'t sit as low as his? I\'ll see how it goes when i put it on. Thx for the pic meth:)

[Kevin@nextmod]

Latest update*
I just went to hi-tech yes eventually went there because my frd keeps insisting for me to go there.
So i booked an appointment and its next friday. I asked him about the fitment of the hipower muffler and then Eric (the guy who works there) said theres no problem it will fit cause his cousin did the exact same thing on his car, same color , same model. And he told me the price will be $330 or less.

I\'ll keep you guys updated as soon as i get my car back from them and will take some pics.