My C6 straight pipe review
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 214
Likes: 1
From: Ashland MO
My C6 straight pipe review
Just thought I would throw my opinion into the ring on this subject. I have owned my 05 for about a month now. The first thing I noticed and wanted to change was the exhaust note. I have been spoiled with exhaust setups before this car i.e. Roush, Chevelle and a Dodge Charger that sounded amazing.
I knew I wanted the car to sound like a hot rod. I wanted loud and did not care too much about cab noise. Again see the above listed cars!
After pricing some kits but more imoprtantly getting to hear many of them on different vettes I decided to try the ecomonical solution first. I do not have the factory exhaust with the valves so I decided to remove the mufflers and just add straight pipes.
I had the shop weld my factory tips to the new piece of pipe so I could retain my full exhaust filler plate. Cosmetically it looks stock.
The sound I think is AWESOME. It is not a loud as I thought it would be but has a good tone. Sounds like it should from the factory.
Here is where things get dicey. At highway speed it is not loud at all! I love that.
Total cost was $85. I think it is worth a shot for those that do not want to spend $1,000+ on a kit.
I knew I wanted the car to sound like a hot rod. I wanted loud and did not care too much about cab noise. Again see the above listed cars!
After pricing some kits but more imoprtantly getting to hear many of them on different vettes I decided to try the ecomonical solution first. I do not have the factory exhaust with the valves so I decided to remove the mufflers and just add straight pipes.
I had the shop weld my factory tips to the new piece of pipe so I could retain my full exhaust filler plate. Cosmetically it looks stock.
The sound I think is AWESOME. It is not a loud as I thought it would be but has a good tone. Sounds like it should from the factory.
Here is where things get dicey. At highway speed it is not loud at all! I love that.
Total cost was $85. I think it is worth a shot for those that do not want to spend $1,000+ on a kit.
Racer
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 339
Likes: 0
From: Camby IN
I also have straight pipes on my C6. I have kooks LT's and a Kooks catless X and it is incredibly loud at WOT but I love the way it sounds. Even with my headers my car is actually not that loud between 1500 and 3000 rpm and highway cruising is surprisingly quiet. Above 3000 is when it starts to really come alive. That being said the drone is terrible in 5th and 6th gear below 1500 and when more than about 25% throttle, it rattles the car and makes it difficult to talk to the passenger/hear the radio. This is a simple fix though, I speed up or downshift to fix the problem.
Racer
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 310
Likes: 55
From: Brentwood CA
Straight Pipes
I love it. While some of us are throwing hundreds of dollars at our cars to get the perfect sound, this frugal gentleman is getting what he wants for pennies. God bless thinking outside the box in the interest of fiscal conservatisum.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 11,331
Likes: 18
From: Missouri City Texas
Yeah, straight piping the rear section is a perfect solution, although once you add longtubes it will get VERY VERY loud.
I was considering doing the same thing until I figured I'd just mod it further anyway and then it would become too much at hwy speed.
I was considering doing the same thing until I figured I'd just mod it further anyway and then it would become too much at hwy speed.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 214
Likes: 1
From: Ashland MO
No problem at all. My car is a manual. Stock headers with all other components there. They cut my stock exhaust right at the back of both mufflers and at the back of my tips. I will try to get some pictures up.
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 1,803
Likes: 17
From: Walnut Creek, CA
Nice. I did something a bit similar...bought magnaflow mufflers on ebay for $160, then paid a shop $50 to weld them in place of the stockers. The car sounded much better (didnt have the npp option stock) and cost me just over $200.
Glad you're happy!
Glad you're happy!
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Advanced
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 69
Likes: 0
From: Biloxi Mississippi
I did the same thing. I had a C5 for about 9 months and the first thing i did after owning it for a week was chop off the mufflers and run straight pipes..and it sounded so good that i did the same after owning my 08 c6 for a week..i added 4 4.5 inch chrome tips as well for 25 each and they look amazing...also if you decide to get this done you can get these steel hooks and weld them to the factory rubber hangers..it adds factory support and looks like the zr1 setup...
Racer
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 343
Likes: 1
did the "no more mufflers mod" myself as well. Car is my daily driver but my hearing is shot anyway so loud is fine by me To me the cars not excessively loud at all, but others may say different. Haven't gotten the car on the scale but I'd assume saved quite a bit of weight. I'm running Kooks longtubes with their high flow cats then dumps right after. With the cats still in place it's not as loud as many expect but get plenty of compliments and many disgusted looks from non-car friendly people 
I don't know how to post up a video clip but you can find a few not so great cell phone quality clips of the setup at http://www.youtube.com/user/bbq52686?feature=mhum
Another upside is never having to polish up exhaust tips during a car wash anymore, I think it gives the car a cleaner look as well. Had corsa's on it before but I prefer my sub $50.00 catback.
To me the cars not excessively loud at all, but others may say different. Haven't gotten the car on the scale but I'd assume saved quite a bit of weight. I'm running Kooks longtubes with their high flow cats then dumps right after. With the cats still in place it's not as loud as many expect but get plenty of compliments and many disgusted looks from non-car friendly people I don't know how to post up a video clip but you can find a few not so great cell phone quality clips of the setup at http://www.youtube.com/user/bbq52686?feature=mhum
Another upside is never having to polish up exhaust tips during a car wash anymore, I think it gives the car a cleaner look as well. Had corsa's on it before but I prefer my sub $50.00 catback.
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 100
Likes: 0
From: okc
I also have straight pipes on my C6. I have kooks LT's and a Kooks catless X and it is incredibly loud at WOT but I love the way it sounds. Even with my headers my car is actually not that loud between 1500 and 3000 rpm and highway cruising is surprisingly quiet. Above 3000 is when it starts to really come alive. That being said the drone is terrible in 5th and 6th gear below 1500 and when more than about 25% throttle, it rattles the car and makes it difficult to talk to the passenger/hear the radio. This is a simple fix though, I speed up or downshift to fix the problem.
i currently run straight pipes with zo6 headers and 3 inch xpipe on my 2005, and am upgrading to long tube headers soon. I was just curious of what it will sound like idle/ rev/ driving.
Thanks!
Advanced
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 69
Likes: 3
So how is the drone on the car w/ factory cats and no mufflers? The previous owner of my new car had Flowmaster super 10 mufflers put in place of the factory cans and the drone is TERRIBLE! I will eventually go to corsa sports but not for a few months. Right nowi just want to be able to drive the car without getting a headache.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 3,394
Likes: 12
From: Leon Iowa
St. Jude Donor '06-'07-'08-'09
i had the slp loudmouth for a short time on my 07 because I figured I would like it since my c5 had borla straight pipes. Well i got older and after a 160 mile drive with the SLP I removed them, haha. The drone was horrid! I did find that driving in 5th gear cut down on the drone a bit so I drove 80 miles in 5th because 6th was just too loud inside. I know it cost alot but I bought a borla s type 2 exhaust and put on. Love it. no drone but still talks when on the gas.
Last edited by mvvette97; Dec 5, 2015 at 09:10 PM.
