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Old Oct 15, 2012 | 05:04 PM
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Default ZO6 Exhaust

Is replacing the exhaust on my stock 98 worth the effort?
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Old Oct 15, 2012 | 05:11 PM
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It depends on what you are after. If you want sound, go for it. Performance? Not so much.

So really it comes down to price if you ask me. the going price for a Z06 axle-back is 400. I wouldnt spend more.
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Old Oct 15, 2012 | 06:36 PM
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A lot of vagueness in your question. Woth the effort to achieve what goal? Are you talking catback or the manifolds and mid-pipe or the whole system? Looking for performance or for a sound difference?
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Old Oct 15, 2012 | 07:07 PM
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Looking for sound and performance, can get whole system,or catback.
Sorry for not being more specific.
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Old Oct 15, 2012 | 07:51 PM
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In a word: No.

There's no improvement in performance and the slightest bit of noise from the Z06 pipes. Way too much work for no particular benefit.

Nothing makes HP on the catback scene. Your best bet is to shoot for noise if that's your liking.
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Old Oct 15, 2012 | 08:46 PM
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Performance = Headers & X pipe.

Sound/Loud = Axle back/catback
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Old Oct 15, 2012 | 09:25 PM
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I agree with Mithchcole. Heads , cam , headers, xpipe(w/cats) and tune for the mildly serious. I am not even sure about headers for street. The catback is for how you want to sound.

I just replaced Corsa catback installed buy the previous owner. I did not care for the sound at idle, sounded like a gurgling walrus. Decereration sounded sloppy, popping. Awsome at WOT. No drone while crusing.
I went with Z06 TI catback. Imacculate condition for $450.00. The fit and finish are excellent. The welds would make any metal man want to cry, they are absolutly amazing for titanium. Alot quieter than Corsa. A much more tuned sound at idle, WOT and deceleration. Best bang for the buck IMO. About fifteen pounds lighter and will probably last forever to boot.
The Corsa I replaced was installed with the stock intermidiate pipe ( H pipe).

04 Coupe, MM6, Vararam B2, NGK TR55 plugs, GMPP Wires , NO THROTTLE BODY BYPASS
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Old Oct 15, 2012 | 09:27 PM
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The Ti exhaust will not set off car alarms. It does have a nice snarl at high RPMs, but most folks are looking for the low frequency bass note. Don't waste your time, you won't find that here.

Sorry, it won't make any additional power, either. It's only charm is that weighs a lot less than the standard hardware and you can sneak home at 3 AM without waking the neighbors.
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Old Oct 15, 2012 | 09:29 PM
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Hell, wake the neighbors. Life is short!
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Old Oct 15, 2012 | 09:36 PM
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Originally Posted by Paul 75 L82
Hell, wake the neighbors. Life is short!
So is my wallet!
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Old Oct 15, 2012 | 09:55 PM
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I much prefer the looks of the exhaust tips as another reason.
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Old Oct 15, 2012 | 11:06 PM
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It's an easy swap that works as well as most aftermarket systems without the dreaded drone. You save weight also.
So YES it is worth it if the parts are obtained for the correct price.
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Old Oct 15, 2012 | 11:44 PM
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OK, Z06 catback at the right price is a good improvement. Nothing else in the exhaust system is worth swapping into your car.
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Old Oct 15, 2012 | 11:46 PM
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Another vote for the ZO6 exhaust.. Cost effective and YES,, it DOES flow better and makes a really nice base mod for additional mods later in the future. The ZO6 system will wake up in sound quality following heads and cam swap!!

The tips also look 200% better than the crap GM gave the stock LS Vette..



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Old Oct 16, 2012 | 08:40 AM
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Z06 cat back for weight saving alone is a great mod.
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Old Oct 16, 2012 | 11:18 AM
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If you want sound, performance, and weight savings, the Borla straight pipes are the way to go. Not for everyone, but they are the cheapest axle back out there and the most beneficial in every way. I'm loving mine
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Old Oct 16, 2012 | 06:38 PM
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Rick, just to clarify: if you install the whole Z system - cast iron manifolds, midpipe with cats, and Ti mufflers - it's not quite a bolt-in.
The manifolds use a different right AIR pipe and oil dipstick. These will need to be replaced or jury-rigged when installing the Z manifolds.
The midpipe for the '98 will not mate to the Z manifolds either, so the Z midpipe will be required for sure with the Z manifolds.

Absolutely not worth it to install the manifolds, midpipe from the Z. although the Z manifolds will net about 5 HP over the '98's, the cats/mid-pipe gain nothing; so the work and AIR/dipstick hassle is not a good return on labor/hassle/parts at all.

DG
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Old Oct 16, 2012 | 08:16 PM
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Originally Posted by Tron Z
The Ti exhaust will not set off car alarms. It does have a nice snarl at high RPMs, but most folks are looking for the low frequency bass note. Don't waste your time, you won't find that here.

Sorry, it won't make any additional power, either. It's only charm is that weighs a lot less than the standard hardware and you can sneak home at 3 AM without waking the neighbors.


Although, if you spend a lot of time at Wide Open Throttle at high rpms the mufflers start to change their tone at idle. Sound gets deeper with more resonance in it. Can't hear the difference in the car but people always asked me how come my C5Z always sounded so much louder than others. That type of operation tends to turn the chrome tips blue pretty quickly so if you want shiny chrome tips you have to go to the Harley Store to get some chrome polish. After a while the heat also tends to break the welds on the inner outlet pipes and you have to have them welded back in place by somebody who can weld titanium (not many around).

Bill
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Old Oct 16, 2012 | 09:48 PM
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Originally Posted by mighty mousd
It's an easy swap that works as well as most aftermarket systems without the dreaded drone. You save weight also.

So YES it is worth it if the parts are obtained for the correct price.
Originally Posted by lionelhutz
OK, Z06 catback at the right price is a good improvement. Nothing else in the exhaust system is worth swapping into your car.
Originally Posted by Bill Curlee
Another vote for the ZO6 exhaust.. Cost effective and YES,, it DOES flow better and makes a really nice base mod for additional mods later in the future. The ZO6 system will wake up in sound quality following heads and cam. swap!!

The tips also look 200% better than the crap GM gave the stock LS Vette.
Originally Posted by SS2001SS
Z06 cat back for weight saving alone is a great mod.


With headers & X-pipe, in combination with Ti's, sound great, especially at 3/4 throttle and up. Weight savings is a nice bonus.

You see them on CL all the time for $300-400.
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Old Oct 16, 2012 | 10:06 PM
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Weight savings and looks are the main benifits, sound not so much.
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