Why is Corsa so expensive now? When I started my 96 build just before Covid hit it was about 1300-1500 for the Catback for my 96 LT4. I figured I would get that last. After Covid it was running 1800+ and I checked today and they are avg 2300!! Its the SAME THING as it was before. What has happened??

I did find a used set right at the beginning of my build locally for 750. I am kicking myself now...

 

Cost of all materials has increased especially stainless steel. One 6' long bar of stainless I frequently use in my shop went from $73 to $135! Freight on everything has increased. Bottom line, they raised the price, because they can.

 

Because they are ripping everybody off. Anyone buying a Corsa C4 exhaust today is getting ripped off.

Their smaller-diameter-than-stock-2.5" pipes based catback system debut'd in 2001 for $895.
By 2002, it was raised to $995, and has gone up from there.

Heres the punchline:
Its the SAME system from 2001. There have been no improvements.

(even though they did put further R&D into the C5 (and other cars) line of exhausts, coming out with lighter weight TItanium exhaust options for those cars, but not the C4)

 

the cost of wood went through the roof too. The 4x8 BC sanded plywood we use went from $32 - $68 practically overnight. OSB decking went from $7 - $50! BUT the plywood has come back down to $42 and the OSB back down to $13. I am thinking like you they raise it because they can and also they don't sell enough of them to keep them in stock and waste money on inventory so charge out the *** and if someone actually orders one they make a killing...

 

I think the loss in value on C4 is making it not worth their time for RD and other options. I mean it's hard to spend 2K+ on exhaust on a 6K car right? Also headers are expensive too, standard SBC headers are $250, get them for a 96 C4 and your looking at $650+ for basically the same thing.

My dilemma, I have muffler delete and no cats. It's loud and fun but also annoying at times. I would like to get mufflers but I already have drone why buy mufflers that will do the same thing. From what I hear corsa doesn't drone so that was my direction. But not anymore. Dont know what to do...

 

Found this on ebay,

https://www.ebay.com/itm/17540835866...xoCaaMQAvD_BwE

But haven't seen any reviews. Anyone know anything about it?? Price is very reasonable for a car I drive on the weekends.

 

Ouch.

Full disclosure I paid $1554 for the lt1 cat back in March of 2021. That was high for me then…doing some googling looks like jegs has it for 1854 now… so $300 increase from when I purchased. When I bought a lot of sites had elevated prices…jegs tends to be the consistently cheaper for some reason and summit will price match for example.

So…I think many resellers are adding huge markups ($500+) compared to jegs and whatever their markup is… I think corsa has increased prices but places like summit are trying to justify high prices with “supply chain” where they can…and hoping people will just pay it.

EDIT: Checked corsa site and their retail price is 2345! Nuts! Oh and that jegs price was for pre 96 cars

 

The only thing that worries me is they dont state their warranty info.

 

Because people will pay it. And pay it, they do. Brand ******, with product fetishism, shell out the dough, for a medium quality product and Corsa rakes it in.

Based on forum advice, I made this mistake. Once.

 

If you search the forums, there are several threads discussing the Maximizer HP exhaust. Looking at the eBay ad, I wonder why it shows a "stainless steel" exhaust painted black.

 

It was worth it when I bought it, I’m very happy, I know you hate them and think it’s a waste and doesn’t sound “good to you” but opinions are like….

I’m certainly not a “brand *****” (I have no other corsa products and never have), it fit my needs, I didn’t want a chance of drone and wanted to do it “once”. I didn’t want to be another poster with “I can’t stand the drone from my exhaust”…wasting more time and money.

There certainly are folks out there who “flex” on how much their blingy exhaust cost and it’s the “best” etc…but there are also plenty like me who wanted it for the reasons above…

Also, for more subjective data, I get lots of compliments about how it *sounds* whenever I am around fellow C4 owners. “Hey what exhaust is that it sounds awesome”…

It was either corsa or jack up the OEM lt1 exhaust for me. If someone else came up with a proven “no drone” alternative that was bolt on and cheaper I would have done it.

that being said over 2k is crazy money and I would have then traded more of my time to figure something out with the OEM setup, hacked some other solution together or waited for something used to show up…

 

I paid top dollar for the ARH headers 1 7/8" / and their matching 3" lt1 exhaust (up onto the mufflers) in 2011

Only because I wasnt 'sure' how much longer they would consider making a low volume product for 92-96 C4's where most people dont care about performance, or the ones that do have chosen to LS - swap vs. build up the LT1 motor.

Theres stuff I dont like about the ARH headers. Heavy, and harder to get at spark plugs vs. the TPIS 1 3/4" headers I had prior installed. But I had to go with it because it was my only option.

Stupid Stainless Works makes a 1 5/8" stainless steel long tube header for 92-96 LT1, whereas they make a 1 3/4" header for 93-97 Camaro LT1 - so they werent an option.

 

Smaller diameter and makes the same HP as a unnecessary 3" system?
Cost is in their quality and warranty. Been plenty of people here complaining about the lack of quality in the B&B system and fighting to have the work repaired. Also plenty of complaints in the drone that is present in B&B.


So? Why update something if it doesn't need updating?


They only made the C5 Titanium system briefly. It was for the guys racing in the World Challenge series to have a better lighter exhaust, they then adapted to a street setup with mufflers and it was EXPENSIVE. If I remember it was just a shade under 2k in early 2000's. It was a costly material to work with and they eventually pulled titanium out of their catalogue due to price and material availability.

 

I don't hate them....but it IS a waste. It's a $400 system that they're selling for....

Same. I'd do, and have done, something like ^that. Works great, sounds great, quality is about the same....costs pennies.

 

Care to elaborate on what you did? I am all about putting a system together. I can weld it if need be as well... Let me know, please.

Thank you
Doug

 

Ecklers has the 96 catback Corsa at $2307.00 today. Ouch!

 

I've bought bent and straight pipe segments from Summit, chopped 'em up, and sectioned 'em back together, the way that I wanted them. I have bought a complete exhaust system from our local classifieds, chopped it up, and sectioned it back together again, the way I wanted it. That was on the Kart and it cost me ~$35 for a dual exhaust, w/two mufflers, an H pipe and one O2 bung. Just the way I wanted it.

You can go to muffler shops and poke around in their scrap bin, and find some gorgeous, stainless, high doller muff's and exhausts that were take-offs. Magnaflow, Borla, Flowmasters up the wazoo....if you have a plan, a minute and make a few trips, you can literally build a nice, hi $$ system for basically nothing.

When I had my C6, I bought corsa....due to universal praise of that, and only that brand. It arrived and I was quite disappointed to see that (for the money) the quality was marginal, welds were fair, one muff was dented when it arrived....not great. It was $1200 in '06 and that was for "axle back": two bent pipes, two muffs w/hangers and tips. $1200 in '06. RIP. It sounded like poo, (lame, is a better description), so I sold it on these here forums and spent another whopping $800 for a GHL "axle back", which was superior in quality, fit & finish, welds, it was way lighter, and it sounded better, too. No one on the forums recommended GHL, but that system was better made, hands down. I still didn't get the sound I wanted, so I stopped wasting money on overpriced systems, and I built three different systems for the C6. None of them made that car sound great, but none sounded any worse than the Corsa, either....and they cost some labor.


So? That's where I'm at, today. Build my own. $2k for some pipe and two muffs is simply dumb. I used to be "that guy"....not anymore.

 

The main thing about Corsa (to me) is the anti-drone technology...something that can be accomplished with J-pipes (aka 1/4 wave resonators). They also have cutesy tips that (truth-be-told) are the kind of stubby tip I've always thought were cheesy. Don't get me wrong, I'm a sucker for shiny exhaust tips, but FULL tips where you can't easily see they are 4" long. Seriously? What kind of "statement" do stubby tips make?

So....for 2 grand, you're buying stubby tips and getting mufflers with semi-appropriately attenuated drone frequencies. Semi, you ask? Other companies are starting to joining the search for better no-drone exhaust.... Borla "Cratemufflers" for one. And they don't sound "hollow". I've seen a couple of other gimmicky "solutions" but we all know they'll get there. Some ARE there. Valved mufflers is another example.

I agree, pick your mufflers, pick your pipe, and have someone install it. Or, build it -- if you can weld! Save hundreds. Smile as you drive down the road.

Just don't let expensive products get your goat. Truth be told, that's a big problem now. People just keep paying STUPID prices for stuff they just gotta have. Its no wonder there's been run-away inflation. Quit buying. MAKE prices come down. Find solutions other than the expensive ones.

In this case, put your own exhaust together. Piece by piece.

 

I have a Corsa exhaust on my '95 and like it.

I would never pay the $2k+ price for them now. I bought a used set a few years ago for $500 so I look at it as a good buy now.

I have a Borla exhaust on my '96 and like it too.

It also is $2k+ for them now and I would not even consider it. Mine came on my car when I bought it so I am happy with the price.

The low cost side I had muffler eliminators on my '94. They can be made up from a short piece of pipe and put the stock tips on (or other tips). The whole change could be done for under $50. They were quite loud under throttle, but I got used to them and I still miss them since I sold that car.

 

It is 15% off now and if you guys have Discover and can pay via some online wallet deal, you can snag another 5% off.

I too, like most, just want no drone.