In a bit of a dilemma, help me out.

[Mid]

I want to change my exhaust set-up. Right now I just have dual exhaust, but only the tips(axel-back).

Having the tips is pretty loud, but I want it to be a little quieter and more performance rather than just sound.

Should I:

Buy stock tips, and then get headers, y-pipe, midpipe, etc..for better performance?

Get stock tips and just get a cut-out?

Other suggestions?

I'm kinda new to the modding game.

I don't want to spend too much money, and it doesnt have to be loud. I just want more performance and less noise.

My only other mod is SLP CAI/K&N Air Filter.

[Stock98camaro]

...What are you talking about? Are you talking about muffler or catback instead of tips? If you want to know how a catback sounds, listen to the sound clips because most of the people here are bias to their catback. My car is stock, but if I decide to put a catback on, I will go with the rumbler because it sounds good to me, and is a good bang for the buck.

[MrCoffee]

LOL you want it quieter so you're going to put headers on... good call!

[Mid]

From the muffler to the back.

MrCoffee: I want to:

1) Put on stock exhaust(muffler to back) to make it quieter

2) Put on headers for the performance gain.

[loser]

i think the little bit your'll gain from headers, will be lost becuase of the stock muffler and tips. there are quite cat backs out there, but headers will make anything louder, puting headers and then putting the the stock restrictive muffler and tail pipes/tips doesnt make much sence to me.

[chets bird]

maybe go headers with an electric cutout, then stock muffler, when u want performance flip the swithc and itll be there and when want quite it will also be there?????

[Mid]

^^^I think thats what I want to do.

good idea

[Mid]

loser: what quiet catback do you suggest?

also where is the best place to get all of these?

[MrCoffee]

your delima is that you're trying to do the impossible.

You cannot have quiet performance in an exhaust. If you want performance gains, then you get less restrictive parts, which means air flows more freely, which means its 'blowing faster' out the back. Which means its louder.

You mentioned tips... all they do is change the pitch of the noise comming form the back. It will be the same decibel.

Headers add very little gains (assuming stock engine and no power adders, which is a safe bet since we're having this conversation right now), esp if you have a 00+ car. You will notice louder exhaust and a deeper pitch with them on.

Bottom Line:
If you want quiet stick with completely stock. change nothing.
If you want HP gains, change out parts but note that it will get louder.

I really suggest you do some more research on the design of a F-Bodys exhaust. You might be able to answer some of your own questions once you see how the components work. Plus in another thread you said you wanted an x-pipe... and you definitly cannot have one of those. You need true dual exhaust, which is really loud!

[Mid]

ok, then lets forget about it being quiet.

what would give me the best performance?

[PalmHarborBlkv6]

Best performance? Put and Keep 32 pounds of air in each tire.

Make sure wires after 60k miles are replaced.

go with K & N drop in filter.

Forget the headers and exhaust. The outcomes will not be worth the time and dollars.

[loser]

from the clips ive heard, the from the review's magnaflow is pretty quite compared to others. hooker also sounded quite. i heard a lt1 and a ls1 with magnaflows but never a v6 in person yet. headers,high flow cat and a free-flowing cat-back will get you noticable gains.you can always add a resonator/bullet to the cat-back if its too loud.

[T-Punk]

get a 3" I-pipe with a 3" electric cutout and put either the stock muffler or a v8 muffler on. Like it has been said the e-cutout lets you have performance when you want it and have it quiet for everyday driving. If you have a 2000+ dont bother with headers the stock tubular manifolds are just about as good and its a major pain to get the old manifolds off. After this i suggest modifying you lid, getting rid of your baffles, and putting in a high performance air filter.