Exhaust Help

[NHLEG]

Ok, here is my situation. I REALLY want to take my '05 LGT wagon to Stage 2 w/ Cobb (I still trust them) and a full turbo back (I know I only need s DP). HOWEVER, I'll be 36 in 2 weeks (approaching fuddy duddy), have a wife with good ears, live in a quiet, upscale neighborhood and do not want something TOO much louder than stock (well, a little bit...stock is too quiet).

 

I've tried every search here and listened to every clip available (although I only have a laptop, thus poor sound quality), but I either cannot decide, don't like the sound on my computer, or think it's too loud (the fuddy duddy kicking in).

 

What I would really like, besides recomendations on exhausts (DP, cat back, or full turbo back), is to hear some aftermarket set-ups with my own 2 ears. I live in So NH and would be willing to travel or better yet, are there any people in New England planning on attending some Subaru events this summer? The 2 I'm planning on attending are the Subaru Meet at Nashoba Valley in Westford, MA on June 11 www.subarumeet.com and on June 19, Exeter Subaru is having a customer appreciation day at New England Dragway in Epping, NH (7 min down the road for me) http://www.newenglanddragway.com/schedule/callist05.shtml.

 

Thank you in advance.

[PGT]

I good choice to satisfy your needs would be a DP - it will let you run stage 2 and will be louder than stock.

 

You might get more local attention if I move this to the NE forum - whaddya think?

[TSiWRX]

NHLEG,

 

Please keep me informed if you get acceptable results. I'm on the same boat - although I couldn't care less what the neighbors think, LOL!

 

It's just gotta pass the wifey's inspection.

 

Even my relatively mellow (as acknowledged by most import tuners) GReddy SP (on the TSi, running cat-less) causes her some discomfort (she's very sensitive to low-frequency noise....which is why the GReddy's rumble got to her - it's unfortunately one of her migraine triggers).

 

Thanks for any help - I'll try the same from my end if I get to any Scooby meets here.

 

 

-A

[sandwood]

I think quite a few of us are in the same boat. You may want to do the up and downpipes first and see how loud it is before buying the cat back as well - I think that's probably what I will do. I still don't particularly like the look of the stock mufflers/tips (and under the car the other day saw how much wear was already on them), so I am going to be sorely tempted to replace the lot no matter what. Like you tho, I need it to pass the strict, sensitive-eared wife test!!

 

We'll see what prodrive, stromung, and all the other makers eventually come to the market with.

[TSiWRX]

I good choice to satisfy your needs would be a DP - it will let you run stage 2 and will be louder than stock.

 

 

You mean _no louder_ than stock, correct?

 

Catted or catless?

 

Thanks!

 

-A

[PGT]

No - I did indeed mean louder than stock. I have run the car with no mufflers and it is not all that loud (but too loud for nomal use)...The turbo and cats in the DP muffle the noise. A DP with HFC or no cat at all + the stock CBE will be louder than the stock TBE.

[TSiWRX]

Cool. Just wanted to make sure we're on the same page.

 

 

Thanks for the honest assessment.

 

-A

[PGT]

I had planned to take Sandwood's route as well and just swap out the DP to see how the sound changes, then add a CBE if it wasn't enough. Since the RP group buy went into purgatory with no 'real' ETA, I ordered a full TBE from AVO. It should be on the car by the end of the month. I have traded PM's with a few members who have one and have heard side by side with the Stromung and it's quieter by far.

[NHLEG]

Update - I'm probably screwed in the wife category. This is an honest to God, swear on my kids life story. For those who don't believe wives have esp...read on.

 

My wife drives a Mini Cooper S. I get home before her and was playing with the kids outside. She drives down the driveway and stops near the garage. She puts her window down, says hi and then says, "My exhaust is loud." (The Cooper S does have a nice tone at idle) I could not believe it. Just 2 hours earlier I had started this topic.

 

Do I swap out the exhaust or wife? I am screwed in the wife test dept, right?

[PGT]

LOL

 

<----- MCS too.

 

Despite the exhaust burble, my fiance 'authorized' me to put a nicer, louder exhaust on the MCS. Better do it before the wedding date, eh?

 

I put a new set of wheels on her car as a pre-emptive move, then ordered my AVO exhaust.

[sandwood]

Do I swap out the exhaust or wife? I am screwed in the wife test dept, right?

 

you're screwed.

 

when you get the exhaust, because you know you will, make sure you distract her with flowers or some other such thing. that's what i'll probably do. the wife will protest about the noise of the exhaust, make a few faces, and then it will subside to the occasional remark on long trips. It happened that way with my old A4.

 

I bet we can all live with that.

[TSiWRX]

 

NHLEG, please send your wife over here to my place - I'll bring her out in my Talon for a quick ride.

 

If my wifey is any judge of how horrible the TSi was (hum, still haven't sold the car yet, so I guess that should be "is?"), then your wife will think that anything else is much quieter.

 

 

Seriously, though, I'd love for a powerful, free-flowing system capable of supporting Stage 2 with not too much more noise than the stock exhaust, and definitely no smell......

 

-A