New exhaust system just arrived for my '88 .... - Exhaust - Third Generation F-Body Message Boards

LT1FUN · 12-21-2006, 11:11 PM

(To hear a sound clip of this exhaust installed on the car, follow this link: * CLICK HERE * (Borla exhaust sound clip on an L98 Iroc-Z) )

It just arrived this afternoon in the back of a FedEx truck. Borla's stainless steel adjustable cat-back for my '86-'92 Fbody's.
I have this very same exhaust on my 4th gen LT1. Bought it many, many years ago when it first hit the market and I've always had the opinion that Borla was the highest quality, best sounding exhaust available for the 4th gen LT1 cars.

I bought a second car last year (an '88 L98 Iroc-Z) to get around in while I finish building up the 396 stroker for my '93 Formula Firebird. I decided that when I upgraded the exhaust, I wanted something that wasn't as "attention getting" as the Borla was on the Lt1. I had already received more "excessive noise" tickets than I could keep track of and I didn't want to go through all the hastle over again with the new Camaro.
I ended up going with a Dynomax cat-back. It's a great exhaust, flows really well, looks factory-stock while producing a deep, low sounding rumble at idle and has a nice smooth tone cruising around town. Best part is, it doesn't attract the attention of the cops and that's the main reason why I got it.

Problem is though, as much as I like the smooth, refined sound of my Dynomax, I couldn't stop thinking about the sound my 4th gen made running an open Borla. It's just so different compared to every other exhaust available for these cars. It's got a sound all it's own. Totally different then anything else out there and on top of that, whenever you buy a Borla, you're buying "exclusivity".

I know that may sound kind of shallow, but it's a pretty cool feeling knowing you have something on your car that stands out and really gets people's attention. I see Flowmasters and Magnaflows and Aerochambers everywhere. Around here, 99% of all Fbodies run one of those 3 brands. You've heard one, you've heard them all. I love Borla 'cause it sounds DIFFERENT!!

Last Saturday, I watched some video me and some friends filmed of my LT1 driving around and doing burnouts etc. etc. Hearing the sound that exhaust made was driving me nuts. It was the final straw - sort of speak, I made the decision right there and then, I was going to buy a second Borla for my second Fbody

If I end up getting more tickets for excessive noise, so be it.

Placed an order last weekend, and part no. 14888 arrived at my house Thursday afternoon.

In case any of you are wondering about this exhaust, here are a few key features...

It's a full 3" stainless steel manderal-bent cat-back. Comes with Borla's inter-changable plates (to adjust the volume/tone of the exhaust) Borla's XR-1 stainless steel muffler with 3" inlet/outlet, duel angle-cut stainless tips , stainless clamps, stainless hangers (starting to see a pattern here?

) and all other necessary hardware to install the system (yes, even they're stainless steel too)

The only gripe I have (and it's a minor gripe mind you) is the exhaust tips. The tips are nice, but I prefer the "intercooled" duel/square tips that come with the 4th gen kit. But like I said, it's a small gripe I have and obviously it's just my opinion. Others might love them, to each there own. I think these would look much better on a Formula/GTA then they do on a Z28/Iroc.

On 3rd gens, especially the Camaro's, I don't like the look of any exhaust pipes coming out the back, so in all likely hood, I wont even install these tips and just buy a set of turn downs. I just like the clean look of not having exhaust tips on Iroc's, maybe it's just me....

Regardless, I'll put them on just to see what they look like. Maybe I'll change my mind when they're on the car.

Anyways, now my entire exhaust will be made of stainless steel from the headers all the way back, so I won't have to worry about snow and salt rusting anything out.

Stay tuned for installation photo's and sound clips once it's been installed.
I have yet to see a single 3rd gen in person that has this exhaust, so I'll definitely have something different in the sense that I'm not running the same Flowmaster/Hooker Aerochamber exhaust everybody else runs.

I can't wait to hear what this sounds like on my L98.....

Here are some pic's I just took. Any questions you have, feel free to ask...

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LT1FUN · 12-21-2006, 11:13 PM

Here's a few more....

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LT1FUN · 12-22-2006, 05:46 AM

The Project · 12-22-2006, 06:45 AM

NICE.........can't wait to hear a sound clip...is this system a single or dual cat back system? Thinking of changin my flowmaster for a borla.

Demon355 · 12-22-2006, 07:53 AM

Thats awesome dude! I can't wait to hear it either, who you getting to do the install?

LT1FUN · 12-22-2006, 09:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Billsblue89

NICE.........can't wait to hear a sound clip...is this system a single or dual cat back system? Thinking of changin my flowmaster for a borla.

Borla only has one part number (14888) for all 86-92 Fbody's. Although I snapped a couple pic's I haven't really got a chance to really look at this cat -back closely. What I do know is that the 3rd gen version has about 3x as many parts as the 4th gen ones. This thing has like 20 exhaust clamps

I actually looked at the instalation instructions and was like WTF??

It looks pretty complex. Too complex for a cat-back

I'll only be able to say for sure though, whether it works better on a duel cat/single cat set-up after I install it. I'll let you know.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Demon355

Thats awesome dude! I can't wait to hear it either, who you getting to do the install?

Haven't decided that. I only have about 2 weeks left of work for the year before the company closes down for the winter and I go on unemployment. Don't know how much I'll be getting but I'm sure it won't be as much as I'd like

So money's an issue and plus, most shops are going to be closed for holidays for thee next little while.

I want to do it myself, but this system is different than on my 4th gen and I'm really not sure if I'll run into any installment issues.

I'll pass by Autoworx and see how much they want. If it's reasonable, I'll just go with them. If it's not, I'll do it myself and then have them finish off anything I can't do myself (welding or pipe modification etc. etc.)

Stay tuned....

87camaro kid · 01-10-2007, 08:59 PM

So did you install i yet? im deciding between borla and GMMG leaning more towards borla right now...if you have it instaled how do you like it so far, and do you have or can you get install pics and sound clip...i would love to hear it, make my decision alot easier lol. What cat are you using and what headers?

LT1FUN · 01-10-2007, 09:57 PM

Yeah, it's been up and running on the car since this past Saturday. Sounds very similar to the Borla on my 4th gen LT1.

How is it?

As expected, it's got that unmistakable "Borla" sound. Anybody who calls this system an "over-priced cut-out" is talking out their @ss

It's obvious they've never even heard Borla in real life 'cause it sounds NOTHING like a cut-out. It's completely different sounding than any other exhaust available for Fbody's.

From idle to about 2500rpm, it's got an aggressive, deep "gurguly" tone that really gets people's attention. It's a sound you just don't hear from any other exhaust. It's hard to put into words. Definitely something you'd have to hear in person.

At wide open throttle, it absolutely SCREAMS!! Honestly, it's down right ridiculous how loud this thing is at WOT.

And this is on a motor that only rev's to about 5000rpm at best

When you're not driving aggressively though, there's very little "drone" inside the car. This is with any of the "bypass plates" installed,mind you. If you decide to run the "solid" plate (running 100% of the exhaust threw the muffler) it's practically silent at cruising speed. At WOT, it sounds like an M3. Refined, quite, yet powerful sounding..... (whether or not having a car that sounds like an M3 is a good thing, is a matter of opinion of coarse

) But it's definitely a nice feature for an exhaust to have when you're driving on long distance road trips.

That of coarse, is the beauty of this exhaust. Whether you're looking for insanely loud, or you prefer something quite enough to travel long distance road trips without getting a headach, this system is capable of proving both...

I ended up ditching the cat all together and replacing it with a section of stainless tubing instead. My cat got clogged a few weeks back so I ended up gutting it originally. After I got the Borla though, I realized that the intermediate pipe that connects to the cat, didn't have a flange to attach to the flange on the converter. So I decided it was easier just to unbolt the cat all together, and replace it with the stainless pipe I mentioned above.

I haven't gotten a sound clip yet though, as I'm currently working 12 hour shifts and by the time I get home, it's freezing cold and pitch black outside.

I'll see what I can do on the weekend. If I can find the time, I'll record some clips and post them for all to hear.

Stay tuned...

Oh by the way, I'm running SLP 1 3/4" headers. Up untill a few weeks back, I ran a 3" Dynomax cat.

http://www.thirdgen.org/techboard/ex...p-1-3-4-a.html (SLP 1 3/4 stainless headers FINALLY arrived....)

87camaro kid · 01-11-2007, 11:11 AM

Have you had any experiance with GMMG exhaust or at least heard it in person?
Im not lucky enough like you to have goten headers that come with 3in y pipe...i got headman headers and it only comes with 2.5 so now i have to modify it using the flowmaster y-collector to make it 3in

ws6gta89 · 01-11-2007, 11:40 AM

i havent heard a borla on a third and i cant wait for some clips,i have heard them on lt1's and ls1's and they sound sick i was thinking of pulling of my hooker exhaust and putting a y-pipe just as the pipe goes over the axle and making my own borla type exhaust but i havent figured out what type of muffler to use

88camaroTBI · 01-11-2007, 06:22 PM

so the way that it looks, one of the pipes runs straight open and the other runs thru the muffler?... well if so sounds pretty interesting...cant wait to hear a clip...good luck

Wishmaster's87IROC · 01-11-2007, 11:09 PM

Excellent!...thanks for showing the pictures of a newly purchased Borla!....I made my mind up on a borla months ago.....as I will have full Hooker LT's behind my 383....what kind of Y-pipe are you running on you 3rd?

I too dont like the tips that come with the 3rd gen kit...is there anyway to order it with the square intercooled tips?

what did you pay for Borla?

Jetmeck · 01-12-2007, 02:11 AM

Sound quality is relative to each individual. How much was the BORLA ? 5-600 ?

nelapse · 01-12-2007, 06:03 AM

my edelbrock exhaust is top notch sound wise and it's aluminum oxide coating is great. You cannot beat $280 for that particular setup

87camaro kid · 01-12-2007, 10:32 AM

iv been looking around for the best price for the borla system and i found on jegs to be the cheapest for just under 600 for it

87camaro kid · 01-12-2007, 11:01 PM

Any pics or sound clips yet?

Reid Fleming · 01-13-2007, 04:13 PM

You say it's loud...but you have headers, no cat, and wide open Borla.

87camaro kid · 01-15-2007, 04:26 PM

anything yet?

gray89vert · 01-15-2007, 05:29 PM

awesome dude! got any pics of it installed?

LT1FUN · 01-15-2007, 06:08 PM

Sorry it's been taking so long guy's, the whether took a turn for the worse over the weekend and the temperature has dropped 15+ degrees. We had freezing rain all last night and pretty much all throughout today. Just heard on the news they're issuing a "severe cold whether alert" tomorrow and the day after.

I don't know when I'm going to get the chance to record anything. With all the snow and ice that's fallen over the past 2 days, and the freezing temperature's, it's almost impossible to go out and record anything.

Rest assured though, the moment the whether clears up enough to take some video, I will. Don't worry, I won't forget about this thread

I'll post up some vid's as soon as I take them....

87camaro kid · 01-16-2007, 07:23 PM

haha no problem

Stevo · 01-16-2007, 08:46 PM

I have been wanting to go Borla after hearing it on vettes, as its just such a refined deep nice tone. Except i will never pay 500-600 for a catback. I plan on dumping the exhaust before the rear axle out the side this spring and want to still use a borla muffler.

Summit sells the XR1 borla race muffler, is that whats included with your catback or is it its own special muffler for that catback only. If the borla xr1 that you can buy seperate is the same id love to hear a sound clip of your car through just the muffler and not the cutout.

Im just not sure what kinda muffler to buy...i dont want a race muffler thats god awful loud all the time.

nelapse · 01-16-2007, 09:06 PM

I still have not to this day found an exhaust system that sounds better than mine.

Hooker 2055's 3" Y-pipe w/ edelbrock exhaust...

Guess it's time to make a video....

BRB

nelapse · 01-16-2007, 09:56 PM

http://s70.photobucket.com/albums/i9...v?t=1169005884

sounds like crap I will do another one with my wife outside the car.

TransAM Joe · 01-16-2007, 10:26 PM

nelaspe do you have the newer edelbrock rpm catback?, could tell it sounds pretty mean even though the vid is a little rough

nelapse · 01-16-2007, 10:27 PM

Okay here are some MUCH MUCH better clips w/ video (kinda grainy)

Hooker 2055's 1 5/8" primaries 3" collector Complete 3" y-pipe 3" edelbrock catback no cat.

http://s70.photobucket.com/albums/i9...t=IM000842.flv Idling and reving

http://s70.photobucket.com/albums/i9...t=IM000844.flv Short Pass

http://s70.photobucket.com/albums/i9...t=IM000846.flv Full pass
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I have edelbrock RPM turbo exhaust. I ordered it on summit for like $280. I absolutely love it to death. Sounds awesome, no cackles.... no cut out sounds.... just pure throatiness.