I just put on the 3 inch hooker cat-back and I love it. I used to have just a flowmaster with the stock piping and I hated it. It only sounded good taking off then all it was was an awful droning sound. With the hooker theres no interior droning and it has a great sound whether I'm cruising or flooring. Everybody was right, it sounds awesome at WOT. Keep in mind I just put it on today....it can only get better. The only problem was customizing the I-pipe to fit to the cat, because I bought the cheaper cat-back. My friend can weld so it was pretty simple. I just have to have him weld up a hole in the cat because it's backfiring when I rev...then the system will be perfect. I am very pleased with this exhaust. And the tips look great on my car too...

 

I was in the same situation. I had a Flowmaster 80 series on stock piping, then went to the 3" Hooker system. If you think it sounds good now, wait until you put a couple thousand miles on it. It only gets better

I love the way mine sounds and for the price you can beat it

 

Just take care of those tips or they will rust. I think they have since remidied that situation with stailess tips. I replaced my tips when they rusted only a month after installation. The car was also driven in a rain free environment to, if that tells you anything.

Cat-back = awesome in every way
Tips = complete garbage

 

My tips are doing the same thing, though I've had'em on for over 2yrs in snow and rain....Shop said they would never rust though

 

yeah I just got my hooker cat back on about 2 weeks ago and I love it. What can I do with the tips to keep them rust free?

 

You can replace them with stainless tips or put some sort of penetrating oil on them every other day. My tips looked like a 30 year old muffler after 3 weeks. Complete destruction of material.

 

I just got my headers and exhaust on this weekend. (It's about time, I know)

I am so happy with the hooker exhaust it is not even funny. I am making up excuses to drive everywhere now.

There is zero interior resonance, and the sound at WOT is very good. I am very pleased with the purchase. Let's not even mention the fact that it is flowing twice as well now.

 

I don't wanna sound like a dick, but you guys just gotta keep your cars clean. My car is my daily driver, I have nothing else to drive, and my tips havent rusted in 2+ months. I drive it in the rain and have made many long trips.

You just gotta keep them clean and polished... its not that hard. Windex or Eagle One polish does the trick

 

When did you buy your cat-back. You may have the new stainless pieces. My car was always clean and garaged and the tips rusted in a month. I had only driven the car a handfull of times and maybe put about 100 miles on it when the cancer showed up. Another month past that and I took them off because they made the rest of the car look like utter poo. I even had Hooker send me new ones because they were so appologetic after they recieved what I sent to them. However, the new tips rotted just as fast. I then ordered the Borla tips.

 

Damn, sounds like some bad luck!! I got the catback in December, not sure though if they're the stainless ones?? I see no signs of rust on them at all...that would be cool if they are SS.

 

yea sound like you got the SS ones. I read a ways back that they were going to make the switch because of so many complaints and such. I have had this cat-back for over 4 years now so I am sure they have since changed it.

 

Are these tips the dual circle ones that come with the system? I was going to get the Hooker euro style slash cut ones Jegs has when I order mine here in not to long. Anyone know if a 3" highflow cat will bolt up to the stock y-pipe? I was thinking of getting a Catco cat. Do they have a direct fit or are they universal? Would love to see any pics of it on your car.

 

I absolutely love my hooker catback. I got the "cheaper" one too and had to find that F##### up flange, but It sounds great. I was really suprised. I'd say that it is the best $ I've spent on any exhaust product in a while.

 

They do make a direct fit cat as well as various universal ones. I would not replace the cat until you get a set of hedders on there. Things will bolt up much easier that way.

Oh and the tips are the dual 3" circle ones. They are thin and come with the kit.

 

Ok so no cat until headers. Well headers will be a ways of for a while. Oh well. Are there any problems I should be aware of for connecting the cat back to my stock appearing cat? It is gutted but it is starting to smell bad and I was wanting to get a new one to help try and solve that.

Thankyou.

 

Well if it is gutted than your exhaust will smell stronger than if you ad it in place. If you are getting a cat-back only right now get one tailored to your engine. That way it will have the necessary reducer/connection to hook up with your stock cat. All cat backs prett much have the same size piping but the difference lies in the cat connection size. Buying one that matches your engine type and code will result in a simple bolt on.

 

Ok so the one on Jegs for 86 - 92 305 TPI would work out good then. How long are the tips on the catback? The Hooker euro tips I want are 14" long. Want to know if I would have to cut some off the tail pipe so they don't stick out too far past the bumper.

Thanks for all the help.

 

Hey, im thinking about getting the Hooker catback system, do any of you that have it, have a picture of how the tips look in the back?? I wanna see what itll look like before I buy it. Also, it doesnt come with a cat does it? I dont want a cat. And one last question.. I have a pretty close to stock iroc 305.. ive been trying to find a sound clip of this hooker catback exhaust on a 305 but they are all 350 . damn wish i had that 350 haha

 

Check with Hooker's site or cust support too. I ordered my Force II from Summit from their description, and it turned out the cat flange was 3". Someone had mixed up the part #s. From this I learned never to go by Summit's description alone if possible. So go to manufacturer's site or just verify with someone that has the correct set before you order... this way you avoid the pain or having to ship it back and wait for the second set.

 

Do the 14 inch tips stick out too much? How long does it need to be to just barely stick out past the bumper, kind of like the new mustangs look where they are semi-flush with the cutouts on the bumper. Also, does anyone here have a flowmaster 80 series cat-back and headers on a 350 that likes their sound. I havent really considered hooker due to its different exhaust note.

 

there is no "best" sounding exhaust, that's all just a opinion, nothing set in stone. The flowmaster lovers have thankfully left this thread alone thus far with their "well I had hooker but i think my flowmaster sounds so much cooler"... it goes like that in a pro-flowmaster thread too, hooker guys will chime in with the opposite.

Go to the sound clip section on the site, there are plenty of sound clips of the exhausts from hooker, as well as flowmaster.... though the flowmaster exhaust clips that i've heard were of it just idleing, the hooker ones i've heard are of everything from idle to about 5500RPM or so.

Personally I'm going with hookers because every car in my area that has an aftermarket exhaust (or just muffler... espescially the ricers) have flowmasters (which sound good on V8s but like poo on a 4banger IMO)... so I want to have a distinctive tone, plus I've grown to dislike the flowmaster sound BECAUSE of all the people in my area having them and thinking they're hot stuff (lol).

You wont find many (if any) sound clips of 305's with different exhaust setups, but I couldnt imagine that the stock 305 and a stock 350 would have much different of a pitch or tone, mostly the loudness of it would be effected (but i'm no expert, so i'm probably wrong).

Anyways, do a on flowmaster, you'll find many many many many posts

 

well anyways, how loud is the hooker exhaust compared to your old flowmasters? I'm extremely curious heh.... some people say that they set off car alarms in parking lots with their hookers (funny saying that hehehehe), while others say that their hookers are really quiet (even funnier heheheh), quieter than stock even, just a new tone to the exhaust.

 

Mine is alot louder with the Hooker.

But then again I went from a 80 series on stock piping to a Hooker in 3". Either way it sounds wayy better and has a nicer tone to it. More throaty and less hollow/poppy than the Flow.

 

What Size is the Catback where it connects to the Cat. I have no cat and one day will have a Hooker Cat Back but I don't want a bottle neck down where it would normally connect to a Cat.

 

Alright guys. Whoever has hooker catback exhaust and a digital camera needs to take pictures of there rear end. I am about to purchase this buttttttt i wanna see how it looks comin out. And ive heard the clips, it sounds mean as hell. Anyway, if someone could get me 1 or 2 pics of there exhaust from the rear end that would be great... thanks guys.

 

88irocz28305 it looks good, trust me two pipes on each side of the car, shiny, looks stock, but still mean as hell

 

Here ares some pics of the exhaust tips not the best but thats all I got

 

So give it up... How much and where?