I'm looking for opinions on headers and a catback exhaust system. Want it louder than stock at idle with no drone! I was thinking Corsa catback with kooks headers. Thoughts?

 

ARH is shown to give the best performance gains. They are who I am going with, Kooks seem to have a weird dip in torque in the lower band, but if all your looking for is sound, they all sound fantastic.

As far as mufflers go, Borla Atak is my favourite sounding, but is quite expensive. Corsa is a popular set-up and they do sound very good. I believe you lose your electronically constrolled flaps and the AFM with that one though, I could be wrong.

 

Thanks for the input

 

Headers and X-pipe will deepen the sound some from the factory mufflers. Try that approach before buying new cans. Some of those Corsa part numbers are also known as "drone -o- tones". Ask someone who has them or watch some Youtube vids on Corvette mufflers.

 

I went with ARH long tubes and I get a ton of compliments on the sounds with the factory NPP exhaust.

 

I agree with what's stated above. If you have NPP, then definitely just start with headers and x-pipe. I'm doing the ARH 1-7/8" long tubes and x-pipe with high flow cats. IMO it sounds amazing with the factory NPP cat back. And then if you're still not satisfied, order a cat back (I also would prefer the Borla Attak as to retain the NPP functionality, plus it too sounds fantastic!). May end up costing you a little bit more by not doing it all at once but it may also save you a ton by not having to order a cat-back! Just my opinion!

 

You just need to plan it out so you don't have to 're-do' anything when cafeteria style choosing the three main parts of the exhaust and doing them at different times.

If you have NPP and want to keep it - Borla Atak or Billy Boat Fusion are your main choices. Corsa retains AFM but does not support NPP. There are a lot of other non-NPP supporting choices for axle back muffler systems as well.

Choice in headers will dictate, mostly, what you do with the x-pipe. If you go with ARH midlength headers and high flow cats you can keep the stock x-pipe or change it to ARH, Corsa, or Borla x-pipe (recommend without the secondary cats on the x-pipe). If you go long tube - any brand - you will need their matching x-pipe to go between the header and the axle back muffler. You could have the stock or Corsa / Borla x-pipe modified to work but if you plan out ahead of time you shouldn't have to do that.

Long tubes - you need a tune, highest potential performance gains. Mid length - you dont need a tune, pretty good performance gains without a tune, better with a tune - but you don't have to tune it - that's a big deal to some and a tune is additional expense too.

I went in this order for my NPP car:

1) Corsa double helix - good sound difference but not enough.

2) Borla Atak dual mode axle back mufflers - much closer and different sounding than the stock NPP. Deeper, mellower, less raspy than the NPP.

3) ARH midlength headers and high flow cats - perfection. Loud when in 'track mode', screams above 4k RPM, and quiet as a mouse when in 'tour' or 'stealth' mode.

If I had to do it again, I'd probably start at the motor and work backwards. However, given the sound of the stock NPP with higher flow leading into it, I may have gone Borla or Billy Boat mufflers for personal taste anyways.

 

I went with B&B mufflers.Non NPP.I'm hoping ARH long tube with X pipe and free flow cats that
It won't be to loud.Without the headers it's not quiet.

 

Like others have said start with headers and work your way back.

Most go with ARH LT or middies which are great. I went with Kooks LT and love them as they sound more unique. Coupled with a Borla Atak it sounds delicious.

Corsa is a great system too but not as flexible as there is no npp support.

Acropovic is another npp catback that is recently available in the U.S.

Either way you go some of the best vendors for price and customer service are Ben from WeaponXMotorsports and John from Marylandspeed.

Good luck

 

PFADT headers sound great on the C7's

 

Here are some videos of cars with our headers we make in house w/ 100% usa components! Most have stock NPP, and the white C7 has the meistershaft exhaust in the last video.

CPR cam, CPR headers, Corsa exhaust

CPR Cam (A8 stock stall so it's small) CPR longtubes, stock mufflers

CPR longtubes w/ NPP mufflers

CPR longtubes, CPR Cam, npp mufflers

CPR cam, CPR longtubes, NPP mufflers

Same car above but w/ Meistershaft exhaust added