OK, I finally installed the FR500 catback. Here’s my report:
The stock exhaust came off fairly easily. The pipes separated as soon as I took off the exhaust tip hanger. The hardest part was getting off the other hangers, until I figured out a trick. Lube them a bit with WD40 and use a giant pair of pliers to pop them off. Just position the pliers to push the metal posts through the hanger. It worked great. :biggthump
The FR500 is a high quality piece. It’s made with pretty thick stainless steel tubing and all the welds were perfect. It has a downstream X-pipe and the tailpipes are separate pieces. It fit very well and was just a little bit out of position compared to the stock system. Installing it was easier than removing the stock system, but there was one anomaly. The part of the passenger side pipe is VERY close to the vibration damper and part of the suspension. It's about 1/8 of an inch away, but everything is very snug and the exhaust system doesn't move. I'm hoping that it will remain this way and not get any closer, but I'll have to spot check it occasionally.
It sounds great! It's actually pretty quiet from inside the car, even at WOT, but louder than stock. It has a nice deep, throaty growl and is very smooth at higher RPM's. It's actually a bit louder when you first start up and the exhaust system is cold, but gets quieter as it heats up. I've noticed that a lot of exhaust systems have this characteristic. There is a tiny bit of drone between 1500 to 1800 RPM's, but only when accelerating and it diminishes as the system heats up. The small amount of drone hasn’t really bothered me yet and probably won't. Also, it's almost as quiet as stock when cruising on the highway.
I'm not sure what it sounds like from outside the car though. Maybe at our next meeting, one of you can do a few drive-bys for me while I stand outside the car. I’d also like to get your opinions on how it sounds. My guess is that most of you will think it’s too quiet.
The performance gain was immediately noticeable. I really didn't expect such a big gain from an exhaust system. The engine revs much more freely and the car accelerates more quickly. It's like someone took the lead out. :burnout: I guess the stock exhaust really IS pretty restrictive.
Verdict: The FR500 is a good choice for those who want the performance gains of an aftermarket exhaust system without excessive noise.
The stock exhaust came off fairly easily. The pipes separated as soon as I took off the exhaust tip hanger. The hardest part was getting off the other hangers, until I figured out a trick. Lube them a bit with WD40 and use a giant pair of pliers to pop them off. Just position the pliers to push the metal posts through the hanger. It worked great. :biggthump
The FR500 is a high quality piece. It’s made with pretty thick stainless steel tubing and all the welds were perfect. It has a downstream X-pipe and the tailpipes are separate pieces. It fit very well and was just a little bit out of position compared to the stock system. Installing it was easier than removing the stock system, but there was one anomaly. The part of the passenger side pipe is VERY close to the vibration damper and part of the suspension. It's about 1/8 of an inch away, but everything is very snug and the exhaust system doesn't move. I'm hoping that it will remain this way and not get any closer, but I'll have to spot check it occasionally.
It sounds great! It's actually pretty quiet from inside the car, even at WOT, but louder than stock. It has a nice deep, throaty growl and is very smooth at higher RPM's. It's actually a bit louder when you first start up and the exhaust system is cold, but gets quieter as it heats up. I've noticed that a lot of exhaust systems have this characteristic. There is a tiny bit of drone between 1500 to 1800 RPM's, but only when accelerating and it diminishes as the system heats up. The small amount of drone hasn’t really bothered me yet and probably won't. Also, it's almost as quiet as stock when cruising on the highway.
I'm not sure what it sounds like from outside the car though. Maybe at our next meeting, one of you can do a few drive-bys for me while I stand outside the car. I’d also like to get your opinions on how it sounds. My guess is that most of you will think it’s too quiet.
The performance gain was immediately noticeable. I really didn't expect such a big gain from an exhaust system. The engine revs much more freely and the car accelerates more quickly. It's like someone took the lead out. :burnout: I guess the stock exhaust really IS pretty restrictive.
Verdict: The FR500 is a good choice for those who want the performance gains of an aftermarket exhaust system without excessive noise.
