GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

I have ordered a TRD air filter for my vibe and now I am thinking about an exhaust system. The factory exhaust has a good sound to it. How restrictive is it compaired to after market ? Would I be wasting my $ and l loose what little low end the base engine has? Any thoughts?
[Modified by shibaman, 12:54 PM 7/8/2002]

You will pick up some top end HP from changing the exhaust out with a high flow system. I personally am not going to pay $500 to $600 for a exhaust. I'm going to go to a exhaust shop and have them install a custom 2 1/2 inch. exhaust. I'm going to run a 2 1/2" diameter 30" long Thrish glass pack out the back. It'll be very free flowing and the sound will be mellow since I'm going to have the glasspack installed right after the cat instead of at the end of the tailpipe. Total cost will be around $175 to $200 bucks and probably flow just as good if not better than a pre made exhaust system.

That is true to a point. If the exhaust has ripples is it at the bends that isn't good and hurts flow. Most exhuast shops if they make you an exhaust use a crush method to make the bends and it's pretty smooth just smaller diameter because of being slightly crushed in the bend.So if a shop makes a exhaust for you and you want a 2" all the way back get a 2 1/4" to make up for the smaller diameter bends. I want a 2 1/4" all the way back so I'm going to tell them to use 2 1/2".Hope that makes sense. Mandrel bent exhaust is to expensive and I agree the gain are minimal.

Going a 1/4" larger on exhaust pipe is really cheap. Might as well since there isn't much price difference but yes you have a point.

Yes your right. If you run forced induction you want as little to no back pressure as possable. This would be the only time big would be better.