04WHITEC5

I just recently got my first C5 it is an 04. Its all stock and im in the market looking for exhaust. I need some ideas on which exhaust sounds best, with stock headers. Any tips would be helpful or videos!

Vetteman Jack

You're going to get a lot of different opinions on this issue - your best bet is to go to say a car show, find some Vettes with different catbacks on them and ask to listen to them. I have run a set of the B&B Route 66s on my '00 - loved the look but had lots of resonance and popping from the system. Solved the majority of that with the install of an x-pipe. Has a slightly deeper and louder exhaust note to it compared to stock.

My '03 has the Corsa Indy Pace Car catback on it - much, much better sounding exhaust when at idle and step on the car - awesome sound. No drone or popping and I am not running an x-pipe on this car.

steve8

Stock headers?
You need to hear some for yourself, in person.
GHL's here.

SuzukiDan7

One of the best sounding exhaust I have heard to date is yours! Stock c5 axlebacks! Except for one little mod..

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-g...rying-out.html

Its a little louder at cruise than the stock titanium setup on my z06 was, but has a much better sound. Flow was not hurt as the pipes coming in & going out are the same size. If anything it removed restriction as the stock titanium setup probably has some kind of baffles in it.
Basically I cut a square from the top of the mufflers with a plasma cutter, gutted all the tubes / baffles / restrictions, and bolted it up to my z06 . It sounds great!! Not too loud, Id say its the perfect mix of loudness and a great crisp "raspy" muscle car sound. Ive had it on for 2 days and already had a ton of compliments! Cant beat the price either!

Only draw back is it weighs 5-10 lbs more than my stock titanium setup, oh and you gotta have a plasma cutter / welder to do this. Welding the flap back down on the mufflers was tricky too since the steel is pretty thin, easy to burn it.

Bailout13500

I went old school because of the symmetry with the bumper slots and sound.



Sound here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATGIF...ature=youtu.be

WickedVetteLT4

I've been in this same dilemma myself for about a week. I like loud so all of my choices are aggressive systems.

Been choosing between:
-B&B Bullets (Deep but unrefined sound IMO and drone like hell from what i've gathered here)

-GHL Bullets (Great tone... Loud, crisp and aggressive sound with little to no drone and excellent quality fit and finish as well as affordable price wise)

-Corsa Sport (Slightly higher pitched unique tone in comparison to the B&B/Borla as expected from Corsa but definitely a vicious and crisp sound with NO DRONE and the best quality fit and finish offered IMO but you'll pricey)

-Magnaflow race mufflers (LOUD! Muffler cases are only 6" in length. Deep and aggressive at idle and cruise but get a little raspy up top)

-Borla Stingers (Deep, crisp and refined sound that remains deep all the way up to the top of the RPM range but they do drone some. Def a quality system with a nice fit a finish with a middle ground price between the GHL and the Corsa)



I think i've marked the B&B's and the Magnaflows off my list. They both sound great but neither of them really stand out enough for me compared to the others IMO. Plus... Too much drone (B&B) wont work for me since my car is a daily and i am on the highway quite often and the rasp up top (Mag race muffs) just doesn't appeal to me.

My top choice is the GHL bullets. Best of both worlds! Fair price... Loud and crisp sound (a little deeper than corsa) and has little to no drone in the car. Second is the Corsa. The Corsa i have always loved but the higher pitched tone is a love or hate thing for people. Some love it because its unique and refined supercar sound and some old school and prefer the traditional deep muscle car tone of the Borla. Corsas biggest attraction is their fit/finish. Prob the nicest quality system of the bunch with the best looking tips and the guaranteed NO DRONE is a major perk and selling point! Plus... when running an intake manifold, Cam, Headers, no cats, etc, the Corsa tone tends to come down a little and gets a little louder and more aggressive than on a mostly stock car. Borla in third place is a very close runner to these other two because it has that deeper yet still crisp and refined muscle car sound.

If you are concerned with drone... Common consensus is to go with the GHL bullets or the Corsa system. If drone isn't much of an issue and u really prefer that deeper tone, go with the Borla Stingers. This is where i am left trying to decide which route to go. I have an 05 CTS-V so whatever i get will have to be fabbed onto the car. Not a big deal but considering i'll be cutting it up to only use the mufflers and tips, i wont be buying a brand new catback. Sucks they dont make any of these systems ready to bolt on my car other than the Corsa which is $1400!! No thanks!! Lol I found a deal on some nice used Corsa sport mufflers with the Corsa tips so im going to give them a shot. GHL's are def the hardest to find used and i just cant bring myself to spend the money on a new catback to cut it up so even though its prob my favorite of the bunch, unless i find a set used for a good price, i prob wont be running them. Borla stingers are easier to find used and the mufflers (S-Type) are sold individually so its a good and affordable choice for me.

Its going to come down between the Corsa Sport or the Borla Stingers in my case. Quality is good on both, sound is good on both, tone is nice and crisp on both so its just going to be a tone difference i'll be deciding on. Corsa doesn't drone and the stingers do so that obviously a nice perk. It'll be Corsa for me if i'm satisfied with the sound of these sport mufflers when i put them on but if its not deep enough for me, I'll swap to the stingers.

I know i prob said too much but hope this helps... lol

Jet-Jock

Hmmm no one mentioned Billy Boat C5 Fusion.

http://www.bbexhaust.com/car/corvette/c5fusion/

WickedVetteLT4

My choices were limited to the louder more aggressive systems with straight through muffler designs that had a relatively small length case considering i'm putting them on a CTS-V instead of a vette. There is just so much good info over here that i still log on because parts and info are inter-changable since drivetrains are the same. I only have room for an 11-11.5" long muffler behind the bumper to make the bends in the pipe i need.

For vette guys... this isn't an issue.

94centennial

i have the corsa touring. it is a complete waste of money. the sound was only slightly better than stock. i talked to corsa, who said i should have bought the pace version. but they said i could convert it to near pace sound by inserting and welding a tube that they supplied inside the muffler. this tube bypasses a chamber making a little more straight through. i did so. it helped only a little. if i had it to do over, i surely would not go with Corsa.

JJBZ06

WickedVetteLT4

The touring is advertised to only be a little more aggressive than stock especially with stock manifolds and cats. Catback only, the Touring system isn't very loud at all. The aggressive systems Corsa makes are the Sport and the Xtreme. Paired with headers and no cats, they are loud and vicious. If you intending to do a catback only, the corsa sport and xtreme both sound nice but wont be ridiculous as far as volume goes. To be louder with just a catback alone, the GHL is a better choice.

RetiredSFC 97

I don't think any of them sound best, I just prefer one sound over another, but I've never really heard a bad exhaust on a vette.

I agree, you need to listen to them yourself, then come back and ask specific questions on the ones, or one, you've narrowed it down to. I like mine, but I've heard some others I like just as much.

You can find a lot of examples on youtube. If you happen to need help, let me know and tell me what you want to hear and I will find it for you. But you have to have good computer speakers to really tell what it sounds like.

jrose7004

Go to a Corvette meet or a Corvette club meeting and hear them for yourself Judge. No one here can possibly tell you what you think sounds the best. Besides there have been at least 1,000 threads about it over the years! Good luck and happy hunting.

Polar Jet

The best way to decide is to hear for yourself in person!

When I had my C5, I went Borla Stingers. They were fine with stock exhaust manifolds, but once I added long tube headers I had to get rid of them as the drone was just too much. Ended up ditching them and replacing them with Z06 Ti's witha 1.5" bypass.

mchicia1

If modding (headers,cam, etc) I think corsas are the best. I didn't like the sound very much when I was stock though. Too exotic sounding.

The thing that is great about the corsas is they do not drone AT ALL and they go mild to wild. You will not draw attention to yourself from police unless you go WOT.

TC_1961

I think the previous owner of my car went to a muffler shop and had some short glass packs installed straight out the back with the tips right on the glass pack. Hell of a sound and looks like it might have cost 200 bux as it is dirt simple

WickedVetteLT4

I agree with mchicia1. If you're modding and u want to have some tolerable but still loud when u want it loud... Corsa. If u plan to stay mostly stock... Borla stinger will be fine and the drone won't be too bad

Electronblue

My personal favorite is my quad oval tip borla stingers, they are extremely aggressive and has a great loap at idle. I also run borla headers and a catless HPipe

Mastertvtech

That is the best sound I personally have heard. What is it and can it be setup with quad tips?

Also, how bad is the highway drone?

Frank4202

The only mod I have do to my car is the Borla axle back exhaust. I wanted the car to be heard so I put one of the loudest exhaust systems you can buy. It sounds great and I get many compliments however it does have a slight drone but nothing too bad. All in all, I am very satisfied.