Would straight pipping car reduce HP?
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2025
Posts: 130
Likes: 4
From: San Marcos CA
Would straight pipping car reduce HP?
Hello! I am interested in making my c5 obnoxiously loud 
and was thinking of doing a muffler delete on my car and getting a shop to weld some pipe so I can still have my exhaust tips. My mechanic told me that this would actually result in less HP due to a loss of back pressure. Is this something that’s even remotely noticeable? I’m also throwing in a set of American racing headers with a high flow cats and a AR mid pipe. (Plus CAI and tune).
thanks everyone
and was thinking of doing a muffler delete on my car and getting a shop to weld some pipe so I can still have my exhaust tips. My mechanic told me that this would actually result in less HP due to a loss of back pressure. Is this something that’s even remotely noticeable? I’m also throwing in a set of American racing headers with a high flow cats and a AR mid pipe. (Plus CAI and tune).thanks everyone
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 3,771
Likes: 940
From: Orlando Florida
The need for back pressure is an old established myth. You probably will need a tune to optimize for increased flow — do you retain your cats now, and will you continue to do so, or are you eliminating both cats and mufflers? If you don’t reduce pipe diameter or add bends then a tune with increased flow will result in increased power. Though not necessarily a lot with just these changes.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2025
Posts: 130
Likes: 4
From: San Marcos CA
The need for back pressure is an old established myth. You probably will need a tune to optimize for increased flow — do you retain your cats now, and will you continue to do so, or are you eliminating both cats and mufflers? If you don’t reduce pipe diameter or add bends then a tune with increased flow will result in increased power. Though not necessarily a lot with just these changes.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2025
Posts: 130
Likes: 4
From: San Marcos CA
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2025
Posts: 130
Likes: 4
From: San Marcos CA
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2025
Posts: 130
Likes: 4
From: San Marcos CA
. A car that isn’t smelly I feel like would get me out of situations I don’t want to be in if I’m carful.
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 3,771
Likes: 940
From: Orlando Florida
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2025
Posts: 130
Likes: 4
From: San Marcos CA
oh and I 100% agree with you don’t get me wrong. I just feel like it definitely would help even just a little. But the main thing for me is the smell, I can deal with the loud exhaust just not the smell.
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,722
Likes: 138
From: Florida
St. Jude Donor '09
Hello! I am interested in making my c5 obnoxiously loud and was thinking of doing a muffler delete on my car and getting a shop to weld some pipe so I can still have my exhaust tips. My mechanic told me that this would actually result in less HP due to a loss of back pressure. Is this something that’s even remotely noticeable? I’m also throwing in a set of American racing headers with a high flow cats and a AR mid pipe. (Plus CAI and tune).
thanks everyone
and was thinking of doing a muffler delete on my car and getting a shop to weld some pipe so I can still have my exhaust tips. My mechanic told me that this would actually result in less HP due to a loss of back pressure. Is this something that’s even remotely noticeable? I’m also throwing in a set of American racing headers with a high flow cats and a AR mid pipe. (Plus CAI and tune).thanks everyone
Pro
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 649
Likes: 348
From: San Jose CA
No mufflers is perfectly legal here in Cali unless you go to a super bougie are that has noise restrictions like Hollywood. I’m also located in a more laxed county and I’ve never had issues with the cops in my area. Obviously my car with the long tubes won’t pass smog here but I know a guy.
My recommendation is to do your long tubes and see what you think of the car - if you want it louder, you have options.
Be very carful with the long tubes, you will need to reprogram the ECM to deal with the headers, and it's the ECM check that gets most people nailed in CA.
Removing the mufflers won't hurt anything (also won't gain you anything). I think you're going to find the drone on the freeway gets old fast, but each his own. If you just want to be loud, https://www.ebay.com/itm/276775536754?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 777
Likes: 290
From: Middleton, Id
I used to live in Cali - no one obeys speed limits, Harleys are super loud and just no respect for anyone on the road. You'll fit right in lol. On the odd chance you actually do see the Highway Patrol just back it down a bit. Hell, they don't even pull you over for expired registration for fear of getting accused of profiling, not to mention the hordes who somehow get licenses with no insurance.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2025
Posts: 130
Likes: 4
From: San Marcos CA
That's false, all of California has noise restrictions for passenger cars: 96db on the freeway is the technical maximum. It's rarely enforced, but it is law.
My recommendation is to do your long tubes and see what you think of the car - if you want it louder, you have options.
Be very carful with the long tubes, you will need to reprogram the ECM to deal with the headers, and it's the ECM check that gets most people nailed in CA.
Removing the mufflers won't hurt anything (also won't gain you anything). I think you're going to find the drone on the freeway gets old fast, but each his own. If you just want to be loud, https://www.ebay.com/itm/276775536754?
https://youtu.be/DvMkwh_xn3E?si=Ri0iVcR9IVDDAHrj
My recommendation is to do your long tubes and see what you think of the car - if you want it louder, you have options.
Be very carful with the long tubes, you will need to reprogram the ECM to deal with the headers, and it's the ECM check that gets most people nailed in CA.
Removing the mufflers won't hurt anything (also won't gain you anything). I think you're going to find the drone on the freeway gets old fast, but each his own. If you just want to be loud, https://www.ebay.com/itm/276775536754?
https://youtu.be/DvMkwh_xn3E?si=Ri0iVcR9IVDDAHrj
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 1,679
Likes: 692
From: Pingree Grove IL
Strait piping will not reduce horsepower but adding headers and high Flo cats, it’s possible your at a sound level and drone where you won’t be able to hear yourself talk. I say try it, see how you like it, you can always add a catback if you want to reduce the noise and drone. Good luck, post a video/sound clip when it’s done.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2021
Posts: 888
Likes: 754
From: SW Desert
Maybe consider some electric exhaust cutouts. Best (or worst, LOL!) of both worlds. https://www.summitracing.com/parts/s...xoC3RAQAvD_BwE