The quietest exhaust I've heard is Magnaflow. I'm not sure if it is the quietest system there is though. Some claim there is no drone at first with the Magnaflow, but there is slight drone after the burn in.

 

I've had mine for over a year and it doesn't sound any louder than when I first got it. Most of the time, you can barely tell its there, soundwise.

 

I recently installed the Magna Flow catback system on my 5 speed and I'm quite happy with it. It's not ricey at all and only drones at rpm lower than 1500 when you are lugging along. I'm much happier with the car now....better low end and just feels better all around.

 

I'm in the same boat as you, I wouldn't mind a little change in sound and performance, but in general, I don't want to hear this car.

I looked into it a bit and it looks like you can always do exhaust + another in-line resonator but it increase the price somewhat and I am nervous to be a guinea pig on it

 

I'm personally OK with a bit of a price increase if I can get an exhaust that adds performance and is quiet. Does a header also make an exhaust loud?

 

It changes the tone, so yea you'll need a good muffler.

 

Header's def. louder, remember you're removing a CAT when changing to a header on these removing the muffling effect from that.

CAT's are the reason a few get away with straight pipes without being insanely loud.

 

I've usually found a header makes the exhaust sound a bit deeper, less ricy...bigger pipe helps the tone a bit too...I always run a resonator, as long as I can fit and a cat.

 

Magna-flow has a few universal conveter's that'd work as well as mufflers & resonators. Go w/ a 2.5'' mandrel bent ss system.

 

The stock ST exhaust is fairly mellow when just cruising on the 2.0L GDI in the base Focus, but open it up and it lets you know it.

 

I am in the same boat. I think that the stock exhaust looks terrible, and I would like to buy an performance exhaust. I want something that looks nice, adds some performance, adds some fuel economy, and I do not want it to be loud. I have checked out the magnaflow, and I am also looking at the Ford Racing cat back. Does anybody have experience with this?

Also, it says that the FR exhaust fits hatchbacks. What if I have a sedan, will it still fit?
And does anybody know if the warranty will be voided?

 

I'd just go for a 2.5'' flex back system.

 

yeah, in the past it's been cheaper for me to go custom too. I had a 2.5 inch flex pipe back on my mk1.5 focus and a 3in flex pipe back on my 07 mini cooper S and they both cost $350 intalled, mandrel bent, SS pipe with magnaflow muffler. Id much rather do that then spend $450+ for a aftermarket kit and then have to install it myself on top of that.

 

Yea, thats true as long as the shop uses ss pipe & nows what they're doing,,,,,,

 

I'm going to due a custom exhaust in stages.

I have Magna Flow universal/Camaro to be installed tomorrow. It's a 2.5" in with two 2.25" outlets and the internal piping is 2.5". It's about 8" shorter and 5" narrower than the stock, so I think it will be a lot less visible, especially after painting it black.

There is thread on this install somewhere on the site. I liked the dual outlet look and it sounded lower, but not really too much louder, which is what I want. Then after living with it a while I will decide between 2.25" or 2.5" for the little front muffler and the rest of the piping.

 

I want to go custom, but I haven't found anywhere in the Cleveland area that does mandrel bending or SS. You have to bring the stainless and they'll do it....crush bent. Weird no one in a city the size of Cleveland does exhausts right.

Every shop is a budget shop.

 

Not even compression bent, which is similar to stock exhaust systems, slight reduction in OD and ovaling of bends....crush bent is terrible with the ripples in the metal...no-one even does that anymore around here.

 

Get A K&N Air Filter!
I heard that flowmaster has some performance enhancing exhaust systems that are very quiet. even their moderate sound emitting mufflers arent too loud.

I ordered a Flowmaster 50 delta flow. i havent recieved it yet but i looked it up on youtube and people say you can't hear it at highway speeds only in the street. it is a moderate sound emitting exhaust muffler.

It should arrive monday and ill instal it tuesday

 

The lunch box has been deleted and the magnaflow installed. It's slightly louder in certain rpm ranges under hard acceleration, but it has a nice low mellow tone. Now I have to decide on which tips I want. Then on to the rest of the system, I still can't decide between 2.25" and 2.5".

 

Go for the 2.5'' system,,,,,,

 

I am looking to remove the 3rd muffler off the system and replace it with a muffler that is split. Magnaflow and Borla are the two I keep seeing reccomended. I am keeping both cats and resonators on the car. Only thing from stock that's coming off is the lunchbox 3rd muffler

 

Like said those two= Borla & Magna flow are the ones to go with.

 

I don't have any way to do a sound recording. However, it's been a week and 100 miles on the new Magnaflow (part no. 12266) and Tom's initial tune. I would say the sound level is less than 15% louder in general. I can't tell any difference just walking up to my car while it's idling. But just from driving it, I know it's louder in the 2500 - 3500 rpm band. The sound is definitely lower at all rpm's. But I don't think any neighbors would really notice it.

General Exhaust pipe question: is there any Sound Level difference between 2.25" and 2.5" pipes?

FYI: My car came with just one catalytic converter.

 

2.5" a little bit deeper sounding, maybe a bit louder...but better performance gain.

 

in the same boat I don't want to hear the car till I mash the pedal but I also want a little grumble at idle

 

2.5" would be the best choice overall, but I'm getting the Magnaflow 2.25" cat-back based on sound alone. I plan on adding a header later on which would make the 2.5" system an even better choice at that point, but I honestly think that a header w/ a 2.5" system (w/ no cat) would end-up being way too loud for me. Kind of sucks, but it is what it is.

 

2.5'' or go home,,,,



Go w/ the 2.5'' system, the 2.25'' is going to sound the same & cost just as much as a 2.5'' if not more, as there are more options w/ a 2.5''.

 

So what is the size of the down tube/flex pipe (I'm not sure what it's called) where it connects to these cat-back systems?

Also, I took a peek at one of the online Ford dealers part catalog at the exhaust manifold, see below. What is the large canister thing that attaches right to the exhaust manifold? I'm assuming the 2nd canister is the cat-converter, is that correct?

 

Converters ^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

It looks like the first one is a cat, and the second one is a resonator. I'm really interested in knowing this myself.

 

They're both converters,,,,,,,then the flex & then muffler(s),,,,,,,,

 

That is all correct.

 

Does this mean the second bulge (no pun intended) is a resonator then?

 

If I remember correctly my exhaust manifold on my non-pzev only has one canister.

 

Does anyone know if a cat can be put onto the OBX header?

 

Sure, a universal Magna flow one,,,,,,