BeanSoldier
04-18-2006, 02:42 PM
Will be added to NA Power Stage 2
Just wanted to share a few things for those wanting an exhaust :)
Here\'s the Draxas base kit (seems to be the only mod that didn\'t come with decals), installed for $100 at a local shop (not welded) at a local shop. I think I overpaid, but I suggest finding a shop that can install it for cheaper. 2 cuts and bolting shouldn\'t cost this much. If yours comes with scratches on the bends (not really noticeable unless you\'re less than a foot away), don\'t worry. I was told by Nik that these are normal and from the mandrel bender. Looks like quality designed and built very professionally.
Passing gear, 3rd, feels so much stronger and onramps feel much quicker than the stock exhaust. The exhaust will resonate in the cabin, but not enough to be intrusive. The exhaust is loud and deep, and it does get attention. The slower you go, the deeper it is. Crusing gear, 5th is quiet, especially at the 3k sweet spot. Let off the throttle or push in, then it starts to resonate a little bit. I passed 3 parked cops just trying to find a place to get an \"after vid\" revving and they didn\'t seem to mind me passing by (this is very good).
Backpressure for cruising is reduced, so you save a bit of gas. First fill with the kit on is 27.7, i\'ve been averaging ~26 before the kit, so this is a good sign. It\'s ~11 extra miles per refill. Backing up also feels much much quicker, but starting from a stop feels like it lost a tiny bit of \"initial thrust\" from the no-gas method of starting, which means I have to rev a little to get moving, which I don\'t mind. Some might say you can only gain with a larger diameter piping, like what the dyno shows, but not everyone starts from a stop at WOT :)
Rev-matching is a little more fun cause you and everyone around you hears your blip, but is still easier with the windows down until we get some TB mods to reduce the lag (that\'s another story). Just make sure you blip away from squads cause like I said- it\'s deep. A quick blip to the floor is now a loud deep growl.
Draxas base kit: 29lbs. Stock exhaust: 26lbs.
Just got done with another dyno on the 20th to see how much I\'ve gained with the base kit, and the \"nudge\" I feel at 3-3.5k was actually the start of a nice beefy torque pull :)
Peak HP: 140.09 - 136.54 = +3.55hp
Peak TQ: 143.46 - 135.76 = +7.7lbs/ft
Highest gains: 9.76hp @ 4.5K / 11.76 @ 4.2K
once again, these are with the RX8 wheels, to keep the loss/gains consistent.
(side note: I finally got the A/F right, but now I have to start from scratch again since my ECU was reset-- dealer installed a new MAF, so no new dynos for another two weeks)
Here\'s a before and after vid. The videos in the draxas website sounds so tame. It could be that the hatch had an SRI. I\'m planning to get a drive by this weekend to compare. This vid *feels* much better with quality headphones :) The first after clip is a morning cold start and a rev up to 4k; second is a rev to 6k, then a few quicker revs. http://media.putfile.com/beanexhaustbeforeafter
Night time Base kit drive by http://media.putfile.com/basedriveby
Night time slowing to a stop http://media.putfile.com/base30-0
3rd gear...
http://i2.tinypic.com/so5v14.gif
4th gear... The \"baseline\" was just with the wheels and the AEM intake. No Condenser.
http://i2.tinypic.com/so5v5u.gif
Bottom line:
Pro:
- Dyno-proven power
- Aggressive sound
- Better gas mileage
- Quality parts
- Starting up the car sounds real nice
- Not intrusive at highway cruising speed (75-80mph at 3k 5th gear)
Cons:
- Might have to get it welded to stop exhaust leaks in the future
- Would\'ve liked an angled/slashed tip, like the Borla, to look a little flush on the bumper
Any further exhaust purchases for me will now involve the words Thermal Research and Development :)
Anyone interested in adding a race pipe? I’ve got a post for that too!
draxasbasedyno
Just wanted to share a few things for those wanting an exhaust :)
Here\'s the Draxas base kit (seems to be the only mod that didn\'t come with decals), installed for $100 at a local shop (not welded) at a local shop. I think I overpaid, but I suggest finding a shop that can install it for cheaper. 2 cuts and bolting shouldn\'t cost this much. If yours comes with scratches on the bends (not really noticeable unless you\'re less than a foot away), don\'t worry. I was told by Nik that these are normal and from the mandrel bender. Looks like quality designed and built very professionally.
Passing gear, 3rd, feels so much stronger and onramps feel much quicker than the stock exhaust. The exhaust will resonate in the cabin, but not enough to be intrusive. The exhaust is loud and deep, and it does get attention. The slower you go, the deeper it is. Crusing gear, 5th is quiet, especially at the 3k sweet spot. Let off the throttle or push in, then it starts to resonate a little bit. I passed 3 parked cops just trying to find a place to get an \"after vid\" revving and they didn\'t seem to mind me passing by (this is very good).
Backpressure for cruising is reduced, so you save a bit of gas. First fill with the kit on is 27.7, i\'ve been averaging ~26 before the kit, so this is a good sign. It\'s ~11 extra miles per refill. Backing up also feels much much quicker, but starting from a stop feels like it lost a tiny bit of \"initial thrust\" from the no-gas method of starting, which means I have to rev a little to get moving, which I don\'t mind. Some might say you can only gain with a larger diameter piping, like what the dyno shows, but not everyone starts from a stop at WOT :)
Rev-matching is a little more fun cause you and everyone around you hears your blip, but is still easier with the windows down until we get some TB mods to reduce the lag (that\'s another story). Just make sure you blip away from squads cause like I said- it\'s deep. A quick blip to the floor is now a loud deep growl.
Draxas base kit: 29lbs. Stock exhaust: 26lbs.
Just got done with another dyno on the 20th to see how much I\'ve gained with the base kit, and the \"nudge\" I feel at 3-3.5k was actually the start of a nice beefy torque pull :)
Peak HP: 140.09 - 136.54 = +3.55hp
Peak TQ: 143.46 - 135.76 = +7.7lbs/ft
Highest gains: 9.76hp @ 4.5K / 11.76 @ 4.2K
once again, these are with the RX8 wheels, to keep the loss/gains consistent.
(side note: I finally got the A/F right, but now I have to start from scratch again since my ECU was reset-- dealer installed a new MAF, so no new dynos for another two weeks)
Here\'s a before and after vid. The videos in the draxas website sounds so tame. It could be that the hatch had an SRI. I\'m planning to get a drive by this weekend to compare. This vid *feels* much better with quality headphones :) The first after clip is a morning cold start and a rev up to 4k; second is a rev to 6k, then a few quicker revs. http://media.putfile.com/beanexhaustbeforeafter
Night time Base kit drive by http://media.putfile.com/basedriveby
Night time slowing to a stop http://media.putfile.com/base30-0
3rd gear...
http://i2.tinypic.com/so5v14.gif
4th gear... The \"baseline\" was just with the wheels and the AEM intake. No Condenser.
http://i2.tinypic.com/so5v5u.gif
Bottom line:
Pro:
- Dyno-proven power
- Aggressive sound
- Better gas mileage
- Quality parts
- Starting up the car sounds real nice
- Not intrusive at highway cruising speed (75-80mph at 3k 5th gear)
Cons:
- Might have to get it welded to stop exhaust leaks in the future
- Would\'ve liked an angled/slashed tip, like the Borla, to look a little flush on the bumper
Any further exhaust purchases for me will now involve the words Thermal Research and Development :)
Anyone interested in adding a race pipe? I’ve got a post for that too!
draxasbasedyno