Help picking out exhaust for my 03 Cobra

[Cloud 9]

So my wife looks at me and says

"Honey, I want the Cobra to be louder"
:biggrin: :biggrin: :biggrin: :biggrin:
Just looking for a little input from some of you guys. Right now the car just has Flowmasters welded in. I'd like to save money and build off of that if possible. At the same time I want to get a good HP gain for a good price.

I am thinking

Long tube headers
X or H pipe (what is the differance?)

On my 96 GT I just put on flows and cut out the back two cats and it was perfect. That is about the sound I would like to get to.

[P Machy]

If you want loud...cant beat Bassini O/R X with Magnaflow Magnapacks...hit 118db in my old 03 Silver Cobra.

Now I dont want attention, so I run a Magnaflow Catted X & Flowmaster Cat Back in my new Termee. suttle but it has a good rumble to it IMHO.

[Radeon]

I would go with the stainless works longtubes with full 3" exhaust or Mac L/T's, Prochamber, Mac Catback. Shot a PM to James, he has some videos with his stainworks setup. He also has cams though, so it sounds alittle diffrent.

[cobragal]

Alright Boys or Girls!
Help him out please!!!! This is the car I drive during the week, and I want to TURN SOME HEADS!!!:lol:

[Viper_ed]

The long tubes will be a waste of money, not to mention a PIA to install unless you'r trying to get over the 550 rwhp mark. I run a Bassani catted X on mine with a 2.5" MAC catback. It's loud enough to hear over just about anything else, but not loud to the point it's annoying.

I went with the bassani X cause it is a 5 piece design that will also work with their long tubes if I ever decided to go with them down the road. Plus the catted one comes with the straight tubes you can put in place of the cats if you want it to be louder.

[Cloud 9]

Decent Long tubes are like $400+. Are they worth it? I have read I can get up to a 20 HP boost on the dyno.

[Cloud 9]

Sorry slow poster here.

What is the diff between X and H pipes? Sound?

[Viper_ed]

Sorry slow poster here.

What is the diff between X and H pipes? Sound?
Some difference in sound. I have always be under the impression that an X helps to better balance out the exhaust and is usually worth an extra 2-3 horses over a H pipe. In my experiences, it seems like the X pipes don't have as raspy a tone to them either.

[Cloud 9]

So...the bassani catted X is the pipes and will hook up at the factory manifold and replace the cats all the way back to the mufflers and the MAC catback will replace the mufflers right?

[Viper_ed]

So...the bassani catted X is the pipes and will hook up at the factory manifold and replace the cats all the way back to the mufflers and the MAC catback will replace the mufflers right?
That is correct. An if you ever get the Bassani Headers, they come with the pipes to connect to the same X pipe. This way you don't have to buy another one.

BTW, PM Sonic03snake if you're interested in the Bassani or MAC stuff. He can fix you up on either.

[Cloud 9]

Definately.

Hey do you still have your stock SVT wheels? Yours is a 03 right?

[P Machy]

Personally, I think Bassani has a raspy type of sound to it. Not a deep sound...IMHO.

[BurnTire]

I have a magnaflow catted x and cat back.
It is loud.
Headers would be a waste.
Really I would just start with a cat back.
On a stock pulley you will lose some low end with the x pipe and gain on the top end.

When you start adding boost then you would see the benefits of the x pipe.

Cat back is a 30 minute job on a cobra.

[Viper_ed]

Definately.

Hey do you still have your stock SVT wheels? Yours is a 03 right?
Mine is an 03 and the Anniversary wheels came on my car right from the factory. Aparently there was a material shortage of the chrome wheels and the Anniversary wheels got subsuited right at the factory. So I guess, YES, I do have them, they're the ones you see in the picture!:icon_biggrin:

The dealer was going to switch them with ones from another car when I was suprised to see them on the car, but I decided to keep them since they are a nice match to the Dark Shadow Gray color on the car. I just wish someone made them in a 17" x 10.5" so I could of got 2 for the rear.

[Cloud 9]

Oh!! I thought that the anniversary wheels where the same. Sorry. :icon_redface:

Sweet wheels though. They look killa'!

[BoneCrusher]

Some difference in sound. I have always be under the impression that an X helps to better balance out the exhaust and is usually worth an extra 2-3 horses over a H pipe. In my experiences, it seems like the X pipes don't have as raspy a tone to them either.

The X pipe is not as raspy as long as it has cats. If you get an uncatted X it is raspy as all hell. The uncatted H will give you a lower tone than the uncatted X.

If you want to ditch the cats and want a nice compromise consider the MAC Prochamber. It is an uncatted midpipe that doesn't crackle and gives you a nice clean deep tone.

[Wolfpack Speed]

i have had more than a few different combos on both of my 03's. the best sounding and all around performing setup imo is the full bassani catted setup. pretty loud for a catted setup but not obnoxious and extremely good and aggressive sounding. i have heard many mustangs over the years including my own, i have never heard a good sounding off road x setup so keep that in mind when looking for your new exhaust...everyone has there own opinion of course:icon_cool:

[50 BMG]

Alright Boys or Girls!
Help him out please!!!! This is the car I drive during the week, and I want to TURN SOME HEADS!!!:lol:

Long tubes will be a waste in terms of power unless you have ~550 at the wheels...

As Ryan (Radeon) already said, I love my 3" complete Stainless Works system. Screamn03 (Mike) has Bassani midlength headers, offroad bassani X and a borla catback...said it was the first time he couldn't hear his own car when we were racing.

Some vids if you want to hear different angles:

http://videos.streetfire.net/search/50+bmg/0/69C9BE03-CC42-4AC8-AD75-6E7C8EBE9B78.htm

50 BMG + Ascent Productions -- Cammed Ported Eaton - Video (http://videos.streetfire.net/video/612D1C5A-72C6-4805-8852-C218645791E9.htm)

50 BMG + Ascent Productions--Garage Part 1 - Video (http://videos.streetfire.net/video/57B85731-4104-47F5-A193-0830DF40D117.htm)

50 BMG + Ascent Productions--Garage 2 - Video (http://videos.streetfire.net/video/86C68F92-8439-41CD-9B66-379F34D28546.htm)

http://videos.streetfire.net/search/ricer+flyby/0/217EEF27-9BBC-4802-8696-807EFF74F20F.htm

[Brakelate]

Another vote for simply adding a Basanni catted X pipe. Relatively cheap and easy to install.

IMHO H-pipes give the old muscle car rumble tone, where you can hear the individual cylinders firing.

The X pipes give you that smooth revvy sound that these mulit-cam motors are known for.

The X's are much better, you don't want it sounding like an old Chevy pick up with glass packs. :lol:

[Lucafu1]

The X pipe is not as raspy as long as it has cats. If you get an uncatted X it is raspy as all hell. The uncatted H will give you a lower tone than the uncatted X.

If you want to ditch the cats and want a nice compromise consider the MAC Prochamber. It is an uncatted midpipe that doesn't crackle and gives you a nice clean deep tone.


not tru ive had a catted x, off road x, catted h and off road h and the X pipe is much raspier then the H. catted and un catted.

[BurnTire]

not tru ive had a catted x, off road x, catted h and off road h and the X pipe is much raspier then the H. catted and un catted.

I agree the x has more rasp, but it doesn't sound bad

[BoneCrusher]

not tru ive had a catted x, off road x, catted h and off road h and the X pipe is much raspier then the H. catted and un catted.
Yeah that's pretty much what I was sayin too. The X is not AS raspy with the cats, but it is still raspier than any H setup.:beerchug:

[Viper_ed]

If you still looking, here's a great deal:

http://www.highperformancestangs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=733