Need help deciding on an exhaust setup
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Aug 2019
Posts: 25
Likes: 2
From: Stow, Ohio
Need help deciding on an exhaust setup
I purchased my 2002 C5 (manual) last year. It had a Corsa Sport system on it with the x-pipe, but otherwise stock.
I recently finished building the car with a cam (228/232 112LSA), headers (ARH Catted 1 7/8"), and cylinder heads (243 castings). With those upgrades, the car got considerably louder & now the Corsa Sport system is definitely too loud for me. Coming to the forums for recommendations & to see what others have on their car.
I bought a cheap set of stock mufflers, and definitely think this is too quiet & sounds off to me, I very much liked the tone of the Corsa setup before.
I am leaning towards a Borla Touring set - would that put me somewhere in the middle of stock and Corsa Sport? What are others running?
Thanks for any input!
I recently finished building the car with a cam (228/232 112LSA), headers (ARH Catted 1 7/8"), and cylinder heads (243 castings). With those upgrades, the car got considerably louder & now the Corsa Sport system is definitely too loud for me. Coming to the forums for recommendations & to see what others have on their car.
I bought a cheap set of stock mufflers, and definitely think this is too quiet & sounds off to me, I very much liked the tone of the Corsa setup before.
I am leaning towards a Borla Touring set - would that put me somewhere in the middle of stock and Corsa Sport? What are others running?
Thanks for any input!
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2022
Posts: 1,486
Likes: 1,165
As someone suggested to me, add a pair of small straight thru mufflers to the current borla setup.
I have the S-type on my stock car and it is too boy-racer for me, so I can imagine what it would be like with your current build.
I have the S-type on my stock car and it is too boy-racer for me, so I can imagine what it would be like with your current build.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2022
Posts: 1,039
Likes: 901
From: Nappytown MD
I don't care for Borla personally, they always sound off to me and are not that quiet. They have more of a raspy sound, to my ears anyway. I like the Corsa Sports myself (what I run), but the headers are what's really adding to the sound level increase. The small straight through option is about the best way to tone it down some. Changing just the catback won't do as much to deaden the sound unless you go almost stock (which you tried) and then you are strangling the performance improvements possibly.
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Corsa used to make a touring system, which was quieter than the sport. Could be an option for you. Or, consider the C5 Z06 Ti exhaust - could sound very good on your car.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 1,688
Likes: 692
From: Pingree Grove IL
C5 Z06 titanium exhaust and corsa sport is about as quiet as it gets besides stock mufflers. Borla is going to make it louder. That about sums it up, in my opinion, put the corsa sports back on, but you need to decide what you’re going to do from here.
Are there cats on the car? If not, it would probably sound perfect with cats and corsa sport on the car.
Are there cats on the car? If not, it would probably sound perfect with cats and corsa sport on the car.
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 197
Likes: 66
From: S. Nj
The Ti exhaust sounds good but little quite at idle. I opened mine up with the bypass mod. Sounds perfect. Not over loud idling, at wot sounds awsome. Zero drone. American racing headers and catless X. Its a unique hire pitch, not a deep pitch. Car is cammed also
working on a before and after full video.
working on a before and after full video.
Last edited by Rozee06.; Jun 18, 2025 at 10:46 AM.
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I purchased my 2002 C5 (manual) last year. It had a Corsa Sport system on it with the x-pipe, but otherwise stock.
I recently finished building the car with a cam (228/232 112LSA), headers (ARH Catted 1 7/8"), and cylinder heads (243 castings). With those upgrades, the car got considerably louder & now the Corsa Sport system is definitely too loud for me. Coming to the forums for recommendations & to see what others have on their car.
I bought a cheap set of stock mufflers, and definitely think this is too quiet & sounds off to me, I very much liked the tone of the Corsa setup before.
I am leaning towards a Borla Touring set - would that put me somewhere in the middle of stock and Corsa Sport? What are others running?
Thanks for any input!
I recently finished building the car with a cam (228/232 112LSA), headers (ARH Catted 1 7/8"), and cylinder heads (243 castings). With those upgrades, the car got considerably louder & now the Corsa Sport system is definitely too loud for me. Coming to the forums for recommendations & to see what others have on their car.
I bought a cheap set of stock mufflers, and definitely think this is too quiet & sounds off to me, I very much liked the tone of the Corsa setup before.
I am leaning towards a Borla Touring set - would that put me somewhere in the middle of stock and Corsa Sport? What are others running?
Thanks for any input!
Instructor
Joined: May 2024
Posts: 191
Likes: 16
