Exhaust Q: volume of having a straight through pipe

JustAnotherSaver

I don't know anyone with one so can't just go & have a listen.

I had a stainless system on my car. Earlier in the year the downpipe badly rusted so i just replaced it with a standard pipe - no stainless.

Anyway i've sprang another hole - this time where the centre pipe connects to the backbox pipe work. It's on the centre pipe side of things but i was thinking of just replacing the whole lot since surely it's only a matter of time before the back box side gets holed up also.

When i had the system done which is probably about 7 or 8 years ago now i paid extra for a mid silencer because i'd only heard that a straight through was "loud". I'd ask online how loud but just was only ever told "LOUD".

Well are we talking aircraft loud or what?

Anyway, so i was thinking of just getting them replaced for standard - so it'd be standard pipework with a mid silencer & a standard back box with peashooter tail pipe (currently i think it's a 3" round pipe. If not 3" then it's 2.5" but i think 3)

Until someone suggested earlier of getting a straight through - so no mid silencer, just straight from the front downpipe straight through to the back box. Stainless. They said it'd probably be cheaper this way than even standard as it's just a straight through pipe and "it's not THAT loud".

Now i know it's difficult to say how loud it is just by talking about it on a forum but i'm trying to gauge the noise level here. I don't like anything ridiculously loud which can be heard 10 miles away.

The setup i currently have (well before i got the hole) was just like a nice deep rumble but nothing that i'd consider "loud".

So this thread is really about the noise level of a straight through centre pipe to the back box & also the cost of this vs just going standard (so actually having a mid silencer & standard back box).

DUTR

Come on ! You see the boy racers with those pathetic straight through exhaust systems, waking up the neighbourhood with a vehicle that can barely pull skin off rice pudding.
Depends which side of the fence you wish to sit on? I'm sure on a longer journey the boom drone from the exhaust becomes tiresome, it'll probably look cool outside your favourite fast food chain, beyond that though you know folk are thinking...????er.

EssexExile

Has the definition of "Straight through" changed over the years? It used to be a silencer that did not impede the flow of exhaust gases, not no silencer at all.

DUTR

EssexExile wrote: »

Has the definition of "Straight through" changed over the years? It used to be a silencer that did not impede the flow of exhaust gases, not no silencer at all.

For the purposes of this thread the OP included"Until someone suggested earlier of getting a straight through - so no mid silencer, just straight from the front downpipe straight through to the back box. Stainless."

HTH

JustAnotherSaver

yes, talking about no mid silencer but back box for clarification.

So ... noise (compared to no mid silencer) & cost (compared to standard system)...?

thescouselander

It will be annoying. Years ago I made the mistake of getting a cheap exhaust for the wife's car and that had practically no middle box. The drone on the motorway was extremely tiresome.

DUTR

JustAnotherSaver wrote: »

yes, talking about no mid silencer but back box for clarification.

So ... noise (compared to no mid silencer) & cost (compared to standard system)...?

I don't know the answer to your question, I do recall back in the day when the mid silencer had failed or was failing it seriously hindered the driving experience, nowadays some cars simulate exhaust noise in the cabin.

Richard53

Probably not the same car, but I got a full stainless system for my Mazda MX-5. The suppliers (Longlife Exhausts Swansea, highly recommended) offer 5 'tunes' or loudness levels (Quiet to Antisocial). I like a nice fruity pipe and the OEM exhaust was pathetically quiet, so I asked for No.3. Nope, said the lady on Reception, you want No.2, 'mild sports'. We argued for a bit, but I gave in. The main reason she gave was long journeys - the drone from a loud pipe can become very wearing after a while. It was the right choice - quite rich and burbly without being in any way loud or nasty. I think they achieved this with no centre box and a lightly-baffled back box. I had a straight-through (i.e. no silencers at all) on my V8 trialler for a short while, and not only did it sound horrendous (banging and raspy, not fruity at all) but the performance was shot to hell.


Most engines need a degree of back-pressure to perform well, and a straight-through is often not the best option. If you are even slightly mature, you will tire of 'LOUD' very quickly indeed.

JustAnotherSaver

DUTR wrote: »

I don't know the answer to your question,

Then no offence, why are you here?

I know - it's a public forum & we can say what we want, but if you can't answer the question then genuine question to you - what was the point?

thescouselander wrote: »

It will be annoying. Years ago I made the mistake of getting a cheap exhaust for the wife's car and that had practically no middle box. The drone on the motorway was extremely tiresome.

This is why i opted against it when i got my stainless system. That's the kind of thing i wanted to avoid. I also avoided huge tail pipes (i guess 3" may be large to some) because i didn't want anything like DT described in their first post. Right now i just have a nice low tone rumble but not what i would consider loud at all. Mine is perfectly fine on the motorway. I could handle louder but it depends how much. I don't think i could go too much louder tbh as i'm already close to my limit on it.

I'll call our mechanic tomorrow and get it booked in for a standard change.

spiro

If you car is factory fitted with 2 boxes and you turn up for an MOT with one I'm lead to believe it's a fail.

JustAnotherSaver

Richard53 wrote: »

Probably not the same car, but I got a full stainless system for my Mazda MX-5. The suppliers (Longlife Exhausts Swansea, highly recommended) offer 5 'tunes' or loudness levels (Quiet to Antisocial). I like a nice fruity pipe and the OEM exhaust was pathetically quiet, so I asked for No.3. Nope, said the lady on Reception, you want No.2, 'mild sports'. We argued for a bit, but I gave in. The main reason she gave was long journeys - the drone from a loud pipe can become very wearing after a while. It was the right choice - quite rich and burbly without being in any way loud or nasty. I think they achieved this with no centre box and a lightly-baffled back box. I had a straight-through (i.e. no silencers at all) on my V8 trialler for a short while, and not only did it sound horrendous (banging and raspy, not fruity at all) but the performance was shot to hell.


Most engines need a degree of back-pressure to perform well, and a straight-through is often not the best option. If you are even slightly mature, you will tire of 'LOUD' very quickly indeed.

Perfect. Just the type of answer i was looking for and confirms for me that no mid silencer is not really an option for what i want.

I work with a chap (who's in his 40s) who has a car. I'll not say too much about it but he uses it for track days too and got banned due to it being so loud. Most certainly not what i'm looking for. It's good for a laugh & a shake of the head like what are you playing at & a point of ribbing for the lad but i personally couldn't own something like that.