new borla not loud enough, to remove the long resonator?

R00ST650 · 07-15-2005, 09:51 PM

Attn WD: I dont think the other foci have this resonator? (the muffler shop guy said he did another focus and it only had a muffler and the rear lunchbox type deal) so I posted this in here. If the other foci do have this resonator feel free to move this into the exhaust section!

Alright, so I finally got the borla muffler through trubendz (step one in my list of mistakes...should have gotten a full cat-back...but live and learn i suppose!) 115 shipped.
Got to midas and wanted them to put it in, they said ok, 45 bucks (was originally supposed to be 25) they said they have to weld the one side and cant clamp it so now its magically 45. Since this price is still far better than most other places I said fine just do it.

I got it off the lift with my new 160 dollar borla exhaust...fired it up and...wow, sounds a lot like stock! :( just a little bit more raspy, not any louder.

I then asked how much to take the lunchbox off and bend a new pipe putting the stock tip back on, they said 75. I decided at this point im not going to spend 160 and have a 1% change in exhaust note, so the finish that up and I start up my new custom 230 dollar borla exhaust setup, and it has a nice deep growl to it down low, but at upper rpms it just sounds like stock.

I am now considering hacking the long tube resonator under the middle of the car (between cat and main muffler) they quoted me 50 to put a piece of tubing in there and re-weld it.

This i a serious kick in the u know what, because the trubendz borla muffler setup is like 330 shipped or somthin.

I was looking at trubendz site again and noticed their pics of cat-backs only included tubing, a muffler and a tip (no other sound supression devices such as resonators) so looks like my setup would be the same as trubendz basically if I deleted this resonator so all I had was the cat and the new borla muffler.

I am unsure if I want to cut out that last resonator without knowing the affect, because they said it would be a pain to put back in if I didnt like it (and would really stink to sink even MORE money into this "custom" exhaust I have going.) The tone I have now is similar to stock, just deeper and throaty, but sound darn near stock (at least in the drivers seat) at anything above 3k rpm. I am hoping chopping this resonator makes it louder (not REALLY loud) and dosnt affect the current sound (dosnt make it gargly or cheap-ricey sounding)

Does anyone know about this resonator? I am wondering how much flow it restricts and what kind of sound it makes when its yanked off. I dont want somthing that sounds bad (would rather keep my current quiet borla than have a loud crappy borla)

Any info is appreciated! I am a bit ticked at the total cost of everything, but at this point another 50 bucks is chump change to make it sound better.

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revamp · 07-15-2005, 10:35 PM

well, it's been said before, but I'll say it again...if you can't afford to do a mod right, just save a little longer until you can.

That being said, I would just chill on the hacking of your SVT exhaust. Stock, it's a great sounding exhaust. If you want louder, you could have gotten that with a used $150 ORP that you could bolt on yourself. I don't know what it is with young guys and loud cars. Contrary to what you may think, chicks don't like it, and contrary to what you think it sounds like while you're driving, a loud car sounds like shit 9 times out of 10 to other people on the road.

So, my advice would be to leave it as it is until you can afford something better, and if you want more volume, swap your cat out for either a hi-flow or an ORP. A muffler isn't/shouldn't make your car louder, only change the tone...

LastRites · 07-15-2005, 10:40 PM

It's been noticed that people can very easily loose power when modddiing an SVTF. I don't think that an exhaust system that hasn't been engineered at all would be a good idea.
I love the stock sytem actually, but then again I am an old man

Knuckles899 · 07-15-2005, 11:33 PM

HACK off your resonator for your borla and sell it to me

HONDAHATER · 07-16-2005, 09:05 AM

My local muffler shop installed a Bullit muffler, cut out the long resonator, and the "lunch box" one. They did all that for like $150, including the muffler.

Car sounds great!!! Get thumbs up all the time. One person even asked me if I had a 6 cyl motor.

It is loud when you get on it, but not obnoxious, and def not ILLEGAL, like an ORP is in CA.

It doesn't sound anything like a rice-burner, just sweet cosworth-tuned music.

Anybody that doesn't want to hear that music is a communist.

R00ST650 · 07-16-2005, 10:39 AM

Well I was comparing my current cost to the trubendz setup, (cheapest borla setup I could find) so im guessing they didnt really tune it, just run stock piping with the borla muffler.

I dont do exhaust changes to impress people, I do it for myself because I love being able to hear my engines through the exhaust.

I think I willl leave it for now and possibly get an ORP or high flow cat later on down the road.

svt medic · 07-16-2005, 05:20 PM

Why is it that my brothers and sisters keep trying to make a focus,svt or not sound like a v-8. Just cannot happen, no way,no how, just not with a focus. think of it this way, You are hacking apart a really descent stock exhuast set-up "if it's a svt". And Trying to achieve the sound of a v-8 engine. This sound can't come from an engine with the displacment of a 2 litre of milk, coke,pepsi,what ever 2 litre jug you want it to be.This is what all the owners of ricers are trying to do. Leave the exhuast stock for now, and ad real power makers. Then make the car breath appropriatley. LET'S NOT RICE OUR FOCI OUT>