J Vette

Also Read Post 11 for update

Very nice low rumble Deceleration has a rumble but not the gurgle type sound. It's more muscular. These may be a little louder than the online clips. When I fist left the shop 1-2 & 3 gears were almost painful inside the car. Bear in mind I'm in an A6, using paddle shifters and coming from a stock exhaust. My 1st thought was Uh Oh! This is a mistake. But then I noticed that 4th gear at 45mph wasn't really that bad inside. 5th,...even better though I like to keep my RPMs higher. That may be because the stock exhaust needs to keep the RPM's higher just to sound like a real sports car. Not so with the Hookers. So I drove it out of town to the hwy. I was feeling more confident that they may be keepers. Still not sure. Got to the on ramp to the interstate which has a light. 2nd and 3rd are extreme from 2-4k Once again, 4th calmed some. 5th, even better. Cruising in 6th at 65-70 not bad. Can I hear it? Yes Its very deep note. Is it as quite inside as the 6 speed manual tranny with Corsa Sports that I drove? No. It may be a little louder and much deeper sound than my 96 Dodge Ram with the Cummins Diesel at cruising. Can I live with it? Consider that the mufflers only have 15 miles on them. I could hear them calming down the whole time I was driving. Its my understanding that they will get a deeper tone as the wear in. This may be just what the doctor ordered. Now, will my wife be able to live with it? Conversations can be held without yelling. Music can be heard. But yes, there is a deep hum in the background.

Muffler mechanic said to run it 2 weeks to know what it will really sound like. I better go out and play today. I'm thinking these are keepers and I don't want drone or really loud. I'm willing to bet the slight drone mellows back to reasonable. 1-2 & 3 SCREAM!!! Maybe not. Maybe its saying Get the h*** outta the way!!!

What would I compare them too? That's hard to say since I've only heard it at idle outside the car. I can't get a good feel for what they may sound like on the outside. My initial thought from the sound clips was a better Sport type note than the Corsa Sports....maybe along the line of the S2 Borla. Now I think they may be louder than the S2 and Pretty sure louder than the Corsa. sport. Then too, I don't much care for the Corsa sound. I'll need to get other input on what they compare too.. I'll update when I know more. But at $800 with little drone at cruising they may fit the bill. BTW, they are also lighter than stock by about 6-8 lbs

myredhead1

That's a great price.

Mikey_T

I like the exhaust plate, I wish I could get one of those for my Borla. Interesting that the exhaust has those extra cans on top.

Racer

Back in the day Hooker was THE header/exhaust to have, not sure about now...maybe.....

gsflyer2011

And the likes of the cars of those days, they rusted, holed and looked terrible in a short time. Especially if you lived in snowy climates where they used road salt. I could swear they were made out of thin iron. Like you probably, they have separated me from my money quite a few times.

J Vette

Okay Just got in from a short ride. I think these are going to be keepers. Tired now. i'll write some more tomorrow.

OlyC6

Nice review. I found a video clip on YouTube and love the sound. I also like the quality of the build, the rear bracket, the resonator to manage drone, 4" tips... and the sound... just about what I was looking for w/o the "Over $1,400" price tag. Found it on eBay - new with S/H for $799 and "Made offer" of $775 and it's now ordered.

Product Info

Can't wait to get it installed!

And yes... the whole "Hooker" thang is kind of cool... a throwback to an earlier time when Hooker was synonymous with street and hot rods...

J Vette

I think you will be pleased with your purchase. Like you, I just couldn't get my head (or wallet) to pay $1400-1500 for Corsa (which I don't really like) or Borla which has a deeper note on their touring than their S2 or ATAK which both have a higher pitch.

bgspot

Let us know what you think once they are installed. Also, can anyone who has heard both these and borlas in person give their thoughts or a comparison. I like the borla ataks, but dam $1,500+

bgspot

Are you able to give a comparison between these and the borla exhaust? What are your thoughts?

J Vette

AN UPDATE On The HOOKER BLACKHEART.

Day one - I took my wife for a ride. Mostly interstate with some back roads. It wasn't our typical back road fun. More like a ride to see friends. I used the paddle shift and also let the tranny do its automatic shifts. We are planning a 500 mile trip next weekend. So it was an effort to consider, Can we do 500 miles with these. To my surprise, my wife said nothing . No complaints. Like my OP, the Hookers calm down nicely at cruising speed 60-75mph. Theres still that very deep drone which is just a bit louder than cruising in my 1996 Dodge Ram with the Cummins diesel.
When we got home and talked, we were both of the thought that it is on the cusp of being something we can enjoy a 500 mile trip. You do have to turn the music up just a bit. The conversations are still easy . So, with 25-50 miles on it, they are just on the cusp of not being desireable for long trips. But it won't take much to bring them in. Around town they are sweet. It sounds like a V8 engine and not like an outboard motor. The decel is muscular, not at all like you are choking a little girl which I have heard from some. The cruising drone is not as good as the stock. Not as good as the Corsa sport w/man tranny. But the Hookers aren't that far off. Thats with 50-70 miles on them.
NOTE. The top was up during the ride and the AC on.

Day Two Took a ride by myself. Top down. Curvy roads.
THIS is the way we usually drive this car. We are fortunate enough to live wher ther are some of the best roads you could want. People come here to ride these roads.
This was nice. Very nice. Nice DEEP rumble. Still loudest at 2500-3000 RPM. Decel still nice. Maybe not as much in quantity. But the quality is there. Deep, muscular. Back on 4 lane to get back home. 55-75 is getting better. On flat ground its pretty quiet. Then again, this was top down..

Back in town. A good ride on the twistys always makes me feel good. It was nice to go through the gears. Muscular tone. Deep. Gearing up too quickly would definitely alert any law enforcement around. Driving a bright yellow convertible in a small town is an alert as it bis. Fun is had going through the gears. Fourth gear at 45 mph is little or no drone. That is my choice gear in town where the speed limit is 45. But I can do 5th gear at 45-50 and still hear the motor. I like to hear the motor, especially in traffic. That allows me to know what I have to work with IF I get into a panic situation. Went home feeling good

Day 3 Went out by myself again. Top up this time. Windows down. Kinda like a little ride to clear my head at the end of the day. Around town driving for some time with speed limit at 45-50 mph. Some in town, some back road. Some interstate. Around town there is absolutely NO DOUBT. These are KEEPERS. It sounds like a V8. Deep. Nice decel. Get on her hard and you'll definitely draw attention. I made sure to hit the interstate so I can tell whether we are going to be able to take the Vette on our triip next week. . Got on the interstate. Roll up the windows, AC on. Jump on it a little hard on the on ramp. Why? Because its fun. I use my paddle shifter a lot. Going through the gears is fun. Especially when you have a tune as I do. Its a canned tune which I just reflashed with my InTune. DiabloSport tune (93 octane) with firm shift. Oh yeah baby. Hit the interstate at about 85 and let her come back down to 70mph which is the speed limit here. I had 8-10 miles back to my off ramp for home. Driving 70 in 6th. The drone is getting awfully close to the Corsa. Very deep constant sound in the background. There's never baeen any problem with a conversation. The music sounded a bit more clear cecause the low tone in the background is heard a little. But the music covers it very easily. And without the music, it is easily lived with IMO. The comparison to my diesel pickup now is that the 96 Dodge Cummins and the Corvette are about equal except the corvette sound is much deeper. I'm guessing these mufflers have about 125 miles on them now. There is more break in left. And these are headed in the right direction.

To say I was pleased is an understatement. There is not much press about these Hooker BlackHeart system. They are fairly new to the market (2 yrs). But Hooker is an old line company whose headers ruled to 60's and 70's. I took a chance on them At $ 800 and little or no drone when broke in, these are a steal. I have little doubt that as the name gets out more and their performance is talked about, these will go up in price to align with the other's like the BB PRT, Borla S2 and Corsa Sport.

We have a ride coming up this weekend. And a 500 mile trip coming up soon too. I'll update as necessary. But at this point, i'm feeling much more positive about the long trip with very little or, who knows, NO drone at Hwy cruising !!

Geez, I hit the preview and realized I'd written a short story. Hooker, If yer listening you owe me one.
But seriously, we Corvette people don't get many breaks with the Corvette tax. Install price was higher than I expected because GM said it was a 3 - 3 1/2 hr job for install. It was 1-1 1/2 hr. I didn't pay for 3-3 1/2 hr. But the scare cost me more than it shoud. Then too, if he had read the Hooker instructions, they were accurate. Another plus for Hooker. Don't let your installer look at his computer program. He'll be scared to death.
OK. end of rant on install price. I was anxious and paid for my anxiety. The install was done good though. Tips look good.

Iceman007

Great review! Although I can't see your photo of the exhaust installed. Are the 4" tips round? I'm still trying to decide what exhaust I want to put on, found a similarly priced kit, the SLP Loudmouth locally, but hadn't heard much talk about them other than on trucks. Good that your review is a convertible so I can compare, thanks!

J Vette

I can give you my thoughts because Borla was on my list along with the BB PRT.. Its hard to know how these sound compared to Borla. They may be deeper than the attack. AAMOF, I'd almost guarantee they are. One interesting thing about Borla is that their note gets higher pitched as you go louder. IOW, the touring are deeper than the S2 and the Atak.

https://www.borla.com/chevy-corvette...haust-systems/

Go to the 6:30 mark in their video and you will see what I am talking about.
I believe the Hookers have a lower tone than the Borlas. I doubt they are as loud as the ATAK. I suspect they are comparable to the S2. Bear in mind, I'm reporting on what I hear in the car and the note I hear at idle. There are a few youtube clips on the Hookers which I think will give a representation. Also bear in mind that the Borla clips from Bondurant have headers and xpipes and probably no Cats, which makes them sound different.

Also, Hooker makes a straight through design with no muffler. I also read this artiucle before purchasing. Of course magazine reviews must be read with understanding the wording. Bad reviews don't get advertising $$$'

http://www.superchevy.com/how-to/exh...ne-c6-exhaust/

J Vette

Yes 4" round tips . Look good. The loudmouths sound good on the outside and drone bad on the inside from what I've read

BTW, the tips look good and they align pretty easily. . Thus my little rant earlier about the installers program or whatever making it a 3 hr job with the need to remove several parts. The hooker instructions are correct. If I had a lift I could have done it myself. though I would fuss the whole way through the process. I'm a master carpenter. I have a basic knowledge of motors and mechanics. But I'd have starved to death as a doctor cause I ain't got no patience. And I HATE close spaces

RagTop69

I remember when hooker was synonymous with things other than headers (or maybe not).

I hated the stock exhaust note on my '09 and installed a pair of QTP low profile electric cutouts for the same $800 you spent on your Hooker cat back. $400 for the cutouts and $400 for the install on my A6. That included turndowns and a remote system. The car makes lots of noise on acceleration, burbles on deceleration and does not drone at highway speeds. That's with the cutouts barely open. At full open it scares people in Priuses. If, however, I get tired of listening to the car's exhaust note, I can make it go back to "Toyota Camry" by clicking "close" on the remote. Purrrfect!

Iceman007

Yeah I just realized the loudmouths don't come with 4" tips, and the vids I watched they seemed almost too loud. Those Hookers sound good! This might be the ones to get! I will say on a nice quiet evening cruising around with top down is very relaxing, but I imagine with the extra exhaust rumble probably still relaxing lol.

J Vette

Indeed, we ride top down mostly except for hwy and interstates which we try to avoid. The idea of a relaxing leisurely ride , especially on a hot night, is just superb. This is why the drone or lack thereof is so important. I don't like really loud cars. But I wanted a little more than I got from stock. And I had the better stock. yes, they made 2 different stock. Mine were perferated in the tips. Had a good note on hard accel and a decent gurgle on decel. But it was a gurgle like choking a little girl. Now its like choking a mamoth. As I said, I think they will settle in more.

FWIW, Hooker also sells a dual mode too. Somewhere around $1250. But my car isn't set up for it. Too much trouble. I'm satisfied with the ones I got

J Vette

Thats a good option. I thought about those also. But I'm in a place where I don't have many I'd trust to work on my Corvette or even give me good advice. Plus I wasn't sure they would have a good place for the cutouts. I didn't think anyone could mess up a muffler install too bad. But installing cutouts ......ahh, who knows. I may have ended up with $1500 in it. Got tired of waiting and took the easy and safe way. But I like your way too.

RagTop69

Of course, it remains to be seen how long the electric motors will hold up. I guess they replaced the nylon gears in the earlier QTPs with aluminum gear sets. Less of that unfortunate melting. And you're right about locating them on an A6 car. Very hard to find any unused accessible exhaust pipe space. Mine are mounted on the pipes in front of the tranny where they go up over the axles. The guy who did the install was amazed at how good they sounded and told me he hadn't expected that. He said most cars with open cutouts are really loud. I have manual cutouts on my '69 Mustang right behind the collectors and it rocks the neighborhood when the plugs are removed. I think the double CATs on the Vette serve to provide some muffling and tone to the open exhaust system.

J Vette

While researching I ran into another company which makes cutouts that are like a Y. You cut out the length of pipe and replace it with this Y which has the cutout in it. No welding needed. remote control. Everything you could want, especially if you are a DIY type. They weren't that much more expensive than the QTP's IIRC. Very tempting. But I don't do mechanic work very well.... especially underneath the car. And again, the space needed for it is hard to find.