I just thought I'd post my own 'lil review of the Hooker Aerochamber catback. I never really got around to it till now. Alright, I got the 200$ system from jegs. I also got the SLP mandrel bent Y pipe, 2.5 inch collectors to single 3 inch I think it was, forget the specs, and my stock cat. My car has a lope to it now thanks to the hooker catback, and that's suprising with my peanut cam. It also seems like it picks up alot better, althought it could be my imagination. It's got a great sound when you get into it on the inside, although I haven't heard it from the outside yet since I don't let anyone but my dad drive it, and I haven't had him take off for me yet. Whenever you let off the gas, it gets quiet. It doesn't drone on the highway either like my previous setup(stock everything, 3 inch flowmaster american thunder catback). The muffler itself seems quite a bit heavier then the flowmaster, I'm guessing that it's because the flowmaster uses baffles and I think the aerochamber is more of a stuffed kind of muffler. I don't think my system has broken in yet either, it's still got a bit of crackle on the downrev when I played with it last(less then a week ago). It also seems too quiet at times, although it could be my imagination. Hopefully it'll break in and get a little louder.

And, this is what really gets me. This other car guy at my school, pretty sure he hates me, or at least really really dislikes me. He had to have heard my car before with the flowmaster, knowing the kind of car guy he is, and he said that flowmaster is THE best exhaust, PERIOD. A few weeks ago he comes up to me in class:

Him: "Hey, what exhaust is on your Camaro?"
Me: "Hooker.... why, does it sound good or bad or what? I've never really heard it from the outside before..."
Him: "Yeah, it sounds mean dude."
Me: "Did you just hear it in the parkinglot or have you heard me taking off somewhere?"
Him: "I heard you taking off..."

All in all, it's not quite as loud as flowmaster, but it has a more unique sound to it. It's got more of a 60's/70's muscle car type of tone. I knew it was something good when my dad says "It sounds like a Corvette....." Hope I didn't waste my time, and hope this helps someone else looking at exhaust setups...

 

glad you like the system. it will sound even better if you get a high flow cat or no cat and some headers.

just to clear things up, the aerochamber mufflers dont use baffles (like a flowmaster) or fiberglass packing (like a dynomax), they use somewhat of a chambered design, with a couple of chambers of different sizes and this somehow reduces the sound....i dont know the physics behind it. at least thats how the single in and out versions work. the crossflow version will be similar. on my offset in, center out version, you can see right throw the muffler. as for the sound level, hooker says the sound wont change over time because there is no fiberglass packing or baffles, but that statement is debatable.

heres a pic of the single in/out aerochamber so you get an idea of the design:


A Stainless steel perforated plate eliminates internal rust.
B Aerodynamic lens directs sound pressure waves out of muffler.
C Sound absorption chamber for high frequency sound waves.
D Aerodynamic lens directs sound pressure waves into acceleration chamber.
E Stepped acceleration chamber increases exhaust gas velocity for maximum flow.
F Resonance chamber and tuning tube cancels unwanted frequencies and amplitudes.
G 16-gauge aluminized steel case.

 

I've been driving with mine for 5 days now and I love the tone. The car sitting at idle is very quite but if you are outside the car you can tell there is something different about it. Even under acceleration there car is not loud. At about 3500 RPM's you can tell that the car has some work done to it . The tone of the Hooker isnt like any other that I've heard. I dont know about stock cat forward , but with headers and no cat very nice. The best thing about the system is that at crusing speed about 2000-2800 RPMs you hear the fuel pump over the exhuast.

 

yeah, it's ok

 

cool! glad ur happy with it..

 

Glad your happy man. Once I get another thirdgen, prolly by april, the first thing I'm doin is exhaust. I'm thinkin, a single 3.5in aerochamber with headers of course, and I'ma try and pass smog w/o a cat.


Tim:rockon:

 

If they do a visual you will fail right of the bat with out even being hooked to the machine.

 

Im about to pick up a hooker...you saying its real quiet?? I dont want my car really quiet...hell im used to a dual setup now.

 

My hookers LOUD.. real loud. And got worse when i put a set of 3 1/2" by 18" tips on it. Of course theres no cat and i modified the hedman Y pipe to 3". Plus i've found 327s sound just a bit louder than 350s anyway for some reason. On the freeway(turning 3200, no OD) theres a serious, monotonaus drone. Going under overpasses sounds like nascar or something. My flowmasters sound nice and quiet by comparison.

 

TBI305Camaro,

i am still unclear as why you dotn try to make your dual system work alittle better, ie modifiy it for better clearance. i dont know, i just hate the factory style exhaust on these cars and i love my duals more each time i drive. i would stay with the duals, better flow, better sound, at least in my opinion.

 

I have 2'' drop springs (pervious owners) and clearance just isnt happening

 

hmmm......lowering the car and duals rarely mix. i would say remove the 2 inch drops...but i liek duals. didnt you consider the fact that the car was dropped 2 inchs before embarking on the dual project?

 

I love my dual hookers, and they're not quiet at all. It sounds great, even with my peanut cam and restrictive heads, but that will change soon...

 

*** bless the dual hookers. i love mine as well. they sound awesome and cost me the same installed as the cheapest cat-back costs uninstalled.