Help me choose a muffler for my 4cyl vehicle

Shift518 Automotive
1

My current SS Supercharged’s stock muffler is pretty much shot. The car has been getting progressively louder as time has gone on, and today driving to Schroon Lake with the a/c on and the 'yaks on the roof was the end for me. Awful, awful drone coming from the rear of the car at 70mph. However, finding the correct muffler isn’t as easy as you’d think.

Visually, the stock muffler has some rust on it, especially at the base of the inlet side, and a SHITTON of soot. I’m talking excess, even on the base around the drain holes. It looks like something exploded inside of the muffler, if you can picture that image. The resonance inside the cabin also pisses me off, in fact I think it’s louder inside the car than it is out! Da fuck?!

So basically, I need a new muffler, BUT. I don’t want something that is going to sound any louder than stock. Obviously, with a midlength 1.75" header, 3" resonated DP, and 2.5" catback piping to the muffler, another stocker isn’t going to last very long, either. (I told you this wasn’t going to be easy) It’s simply too much flow for the thing to handle and it just blows out over time. This is my second one in 50,000 miles, and the header was on the car for half of those, if that.

Idea #1 is the Dynomax Super Turbo. Supposedly has near-stock db levels and doesn’t drone on the highway. I also looked at Summit’s turbo muffler, but that’s gotten some shitty reviews (quality-wise).

Other than the d-max, I’m not sure what to go with. Flowmaster is out of the question, as is a straight-thru magnaflow muffler. I want STOCK quiet, but something that can handle higher velocity and not blow out after 20,000 miles. Hell, I’d love a quieter than stock muffler that will last, if there’s such a thing. :wink:

Option B, is to completely revert back to a bone-stock exhaust and have another bone-stock slow Cobalt. Changing the header is the biggest pain in the ass known to man, so I’d rather not do that.

Thanks in advance.

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http://powerblocktv.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/21.jpg

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Cherry fuck off bomb.

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good luck… nothing solves this issue… i’ve gone through 4 different kinds, all suck

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the d-max turbo is junk . rots out / burns out quick and has a tinny sound in high rpm,s … do a magnaflow can or suttin that has a nice deep tone to it

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SRS though, even on the stock header and everything, the car was still loud. And the muffler wasn’t even worn in yet, lol.

I think the way the exhaust mounts on these cars contributes to it. The fucking muffler mounts RIGHT onto the underside of the trunk, which fucking resonates throughout the car once it reaches that certain frequency. ~2750RPMs. It’s horrible with the seats folded down, lol.

Perhaps tampering with the way the exhaust mounts to the car will help? Right now it just uses 2 short rubber grommets. I’ll try temporarily unhooking them and drive around the block to see if there is a difference and then go from there.

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The vibrant mufflers are nice on the cheaper side, Thermal makes some nice mufflers on the more the expensive side. Moderate deep tone. sound varies on different vehicles. I do have a 3" vibrant here.

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Thermal looks legit.

Vibrant is straight through. No good. I’ve heard vibrant and magnaflow on the Cobalt and it is way, way too loud.

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Walker also makes OE-style mufflers. I doubt that’d last more than 2 winters, if that.

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Thermal Research mufflers are nice I have on on my 200 if you want to go that way I can get you a price on one if you have the part # for one of there universals that works for you

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Okay. If repositioning the muffler doesn’t work, then I am going to try the dynomax super turbo first. I just watched vids of it on the same platform as myself, with the same exhaust setup and it sounds stock. On the highway video it sounds stock on the inside too, and at ~50 bucks from summit, it’s worth a shot.

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http://img.youtube.com/vi/n2fWCSMfqC0/0.jpg

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Haha. I remember when I was in little league, my friend bought a whistle from spencers and we put it in his dad’s Rav-4 exhaust. I don’t think I ever laughed so hard in my life. His dad was totally clueless too, you could hear him from the time he started his car to when he turned onto Lincoln Ave from Cook Park.

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http://i3.ytimg.com/vi/jpl_ey5cVnk/hqdefault.jpg

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The best part is when the guy is stunting and he runs the stop sign on the news. haha

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i think straight pipe is the only way left to go

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Aha!

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x153/crazyz250/Civic26.jpg

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i have a sweet mbrp 4" straigt through muffler that would look and sound sweet on this ride

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turn downs… NICE!

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Bassani inline.