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As some of you know, I bought my C5 FRC a couple of weeks ago and was searching for a quieter exhaust. The car came to me with a recent cam install and full exhaust with headers, O/R x-pipe and Billy Boat Bullets. Although I love the sound of the Bullets, particularly in tandem with the cam, the overall volume level was just too loud. Many of you suggested the Z06 Ti Axle Back as an option. So, I bought one from a member on Tuesday this week and installed yesterday after work.
First the install.
I called a few muffler shops and local garages, but no one seemed interested in making a quick buck on the install. So, I decided to do it myself.
I backed the car up to a hard slope at the edge of my driveway for more clearance, jacked up the rear (3 ton floor jack and jack stands) and began the removal of the BBE's. As an aside, I know this is not the safest method for this type of work. It was much more stable than it looks in the pic. This was before everything was tightened up.
The Bullets came off with ease. I removed the 4 bolts holding the sway bar and lowered it out of the way. Because the BBE pipes are sectioned (and not one continuous unit) it was very simple to unbolt them from the flange, loosen the band clamps and remove them in two sections.
Installing the Z06 axle back was just as easy. The slope of the edge of the driveway provided enough vertical clearance to invert the unit and simply fish the axle pipe over the rear bits. The flanges mated up perfectly and once I tightened everything down, the tips magically aligned themselves.
Now for my impressions.
I wanted something quiet. Well, I got something quiet. Maybe a bit too quiet. You can still hear the cam chopping away, but the overall decibel level has been reduced significantly. The volume difference doesn't translate well through the video. But trust me, it's way more mellow.
My neighbors are probably happy. In fact, I had one come over while installing. He mentioned how loud the car is and how they can hear it in their house every time I start it (especially in the morning).
I can actually have a conversation in the vehicle now. That's a good thing.
I don't hear much exhaust from inside unless I'm nearing 4000 RPM's. But what I do hear is that noisy LS1. The engine sound is much more pronounced. Tick-Tick-Tick-Tick
Since I don't fear every cop in a 2 mile radius hearing me get on it, my gas mileage will surely go down.
I'm considering the bypass mod. I'd like to hear one in person first.
The stealthy exhaust kind of reduced the WOW factor a bit for me.
Like I told my wife, I'm in the beginning of the relationship with this car. I need to spend more time with it and start to build a trusting relationship. She thinks I'm crazy. I might be.
I went thru the same issue. I have headers but no cam. It was really loud with my Borla’s and put Ti’s back on total different sound. It does sound good when you get on it. But at idle no comparison to my Borla’s. If I do make a change down the road I’m going with Corsa I had years ago on my other Vette the Indy design.
I had Borlas that were a bit loud for me, and they droned. I switched to the tis and they were a bit quite until the headers/heads/cam and I like were the noise level is now. I can hear some cam lump at idle and they wake up when you get on it. With the top down everything is louder, so there's a difference there.
Sounds like your having fun with your new toy. Enjoy the tinkering.
Love the combo of LTs, cam, and Tis. I do wish they were just a tad bit louder, but my neighbors don't complain every time I start it, and it sounds insane when you get on it, so I'll probably just leave it alone. I'd absolutely try the bypass mod if I could find someone to do it.
Sounds good! I love the chop of the cam. Let me know if you ever want to sell those BBE Bullets (assuming they're quad-tip)
I currently have the Borla Stingers on my 02. Based on the YouTube videos I've watched, the Bullets have a raspier sound. Is that your take?
Thanks!
The Bullets are quad tips and they are for sale. I don't know how they compare to the Stingers, but they sound fantastic at all RPM's, They were just too loud for my neighborhood (and my wife). I'll PM you. They have less than 2000 miles on them, build date June 2017.
Pics:
Last edited by FR-CYA; 07-20-2018 at 09:46 AM.
Reason: Added pics
I went thru the same issue. I have headers but no cam. It was really loud with my Borla’s and put Ti’s back on total different sound. It does sound good when you get on it. But at idle no comparison to my Borla’s. If I do make a change down the road I’m going with Corsa I had years ago on my other Vette the Indy design.
I agree, it sounds good above 3000 RPM. But at idle the Bullets sounded nasty.
Did you notice the ability to hear much more engine noise from the in the cabin once the Ti's went on?
I agree, it sounds good above 3000 RPM. But at idle the Bullets sounded nasty.
Did you notice the ability to hear much more engine noise from the in the cabin once the Ti's went on?
I did not notice any difference probably because I have the inside of my car sound deadened. But even having that done my exhaust was very loud out the back . Don’t get me wrong I do miss how that sounded but you cannot have best of both worlds. I would have bought a set of Corsa’s already but I don’t have the extra money for that now. Looking to do other things before the exhaust. So for now I’m content. Hope this helps.
I have some high quality audio sound clips of the super modded Ti I did in my vid. I mod the Ti, do a bunch in the vid, but about 2/3 way through I do the full modded Ti exhaust comparison to BB. MUCH quieter inside and cruising, but honestly...still sounds pretty mean. I also found the tips I used added a lot to the Ti sound. Check out the vid and throw me a subscribe if you can! I have a lot more stuff coming shortly for C5 and C6....
I have a PA plate in the vid, but I'm not in Pa...so no luck of a "local" in person, sorry.
I have some high quality audio sound clips of the super modded Ti I did in my vid. I mod the Ti, do a bunch in the vid, but about 2/3 way through I do the full modded Ti exhaust comparison to BB. MUCH quieter inside and cruising, but honestly...still sounds pretty mean. I also found the tips I used added a lot to the Ti sound. Check out the vid and throw me a subscribe if you can! I have a lot more stuff coming shortly for C5 and C6....
I have a PA plate in the vid, but I'm not in Pa...so no luck of a "local" in person, sorry.
After the first 15 seconds I know I’m gonna go subscribe. On my iPad so I stopped the video and am gonna pull it up on the tv. Such a production warrants some surround sound.
After the first 15 seconds I know I’m gonna go subscribe. On my iPad so I stopped the video and am gonna pull it up on the tv. Such a production warrants some surround sound.
Haha...that's awesome, thanks. Trust me...I'm just getting started. I'm going to push hard on this. I enjoy it, and it's allowing me to focus back on what I enjoy most. I have some good Corvette stuff in the funnel that's coming shortly. Good stuff that isn't out there...production value only going to go higher as well.
You could install some cutouts and have the best of both worlds, quiet around the neighborhood, and gnarly out on the highway.
I was actually considering the next mod to be cutouts before the X in the pipe, to take away the cross scavenging which alters the sound quite a bit. The C5/6/7R's all have long tubes on each side with no interaction and sound pretty mean at the race track.
It'll be my follow up vid to the SuperTi mod vid I think...problem is, I have to move my shop....2080 miles in 3wks....ughhhhhhHHHH....my lift is heavy as a B.
07-19-2018, 09:12 AM
Swapped BBE Bullets for Z06 Ti - My Thoughts
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