This isn't the 90s, old timer. I can call you that since you called me son, right? Go to the track now, and see how many people run mufflers. I have no intentions of making my street legal car run sub 10s, that's just rediculous. Why would I want to impress a promod? I'm not at the track to impress anyone. I'm there because I enjoy racing. How do you figure a more restrictive exhaust is going to gain me another .3? (read: cutout = open exhaust. A muffler is not open exhaust.) Personally, I think you're just trolling

Anyway, to stay on topic, how do you like your cutout Buggy? I finished mine up today, and I love it. Here are a few pics.


I cut off the ball flange from the cat converter, no point buying a new one when I can reuse the hanger too.


Here is the extension I made to make up for the difference from the cat converter compared to the cutout.


Here it is finished. So far it fits perfect, no exhaust leaks, and the cutout being open or closed makes a world of difference as far as sound goes. I'm not too worried about the cutout leaking, as I'm guessing that's from where the cutout clamps onto the exhaust, not where the cover is. I cut off the inner lip on both sides and just welded 3" pipe flush with it, so no leaks there. Overall I'm very satisfied with my cutout. Taking off the cover takes literally less than 60 seconds.

 

Very nice looking mod. I would like to do the same sometime with the cat as I have to have it. Does anyone know if this will be a cause for failure of the Virginia State inspection for having the cutout.

 

If you can find a place to put the cutout before the cat, you should be alright. It just acts like a pipe when the cover is on, directing exhaust through the cat. It's very hard to put the cutout before the cat in the stock location though, and even if you can, it's really hard to get to. I would suggest moving your cat about 2 feet back from it's stock location, and just put the cutout where the cat was.

 

In my case I'm returning the Summit brand cutout so Summit is giving me a credit towards the QTP. SO I'm laying out the $50 difference. I have heard that the QTP is a much higher quality product then the Summit brand. Anyway being I'm orderering the QTP through Summit I'm sure they would be better, they always take my returns. Sounds like your ordered through QTP direct?

 

Nice work. I love my cut-out. Driving home from a show yesterday, I must have gotton atleast 4 thumbs up with the cutout open.

How loud is your cutout out with no cat?

 

Closed it sounds about normal, same volume, just a different tone from the headers. Open, it sounds like open headers on a race car. Not quite the same, as I have the stock cam, and a racing cam would make it sound a lot more choppy. Definitely enough to not run stock at the track with it open though

 

yea. i ordered through qtp direct and i wont ever do that again. there cutout and motor is probably the best quality around, but after dealing with their customer service i wont ever purchase anything from them again. and i probably live about a half hour from them. buggy, you never answered me where i asked where you ended up putting it?

 

mines under the passenger seat where the cat was

 

Oh my bad. I put it after the Cat, around the middle of the driveshaft area. Right under the passenger side Ebrake cable mount.

 

well that would explain why it isnt as loud as you thought it would be..

 

Yeahp. The guy said my exhaust was real thin, and I will need a catback soon. I figured thats when I get new headers, than have the cutout before the cat, then have the magnaflow muffler. Im hoping the new magnaflow will sound like the way my cutout sounds, then my cutout will be loud.

 

well if your putting your cutout then before the cat...it wont matter about a muffler... the exhaust is leaving the pipes way before it reaches the muffler. and magnaflow isnt that loud until you get on it. at idle its pretty quiet. a muffler wont even sound like a cutout either, especially if your running it with headers before the cat.

 

I think what he wants is to put the cutout before the cat, and get a muffler that sounds like the cutout does now (after the cat), and for his cutout to be louder, since it will be before the cat once he gets a new cat-back system.

As far as a muffler goes, you can have a loud car with a muffler on it. I'm at the track 3 nights a week, and there are quite a few 4th gen guys that run stock class but they definitely don't sound like it. I asked them about it, and they run headers back to a muffler. No cat, but the muffler is pretty much an open pipe with a spiral in it. You can't really tell until they really get on the gas, but at WOT they are loud! You could probably get away with something like that on the street, just like on the track, for the sole reason that it is considered a muffler.

 

well yea i totally agree with you, but he isnt ever gonna get the sound the cutout will make with a muffler you buy from magnaflow. unless its hollowed like you said.

 

Yep, I know exactly what you mean. Nothing really compares to the sound of open headers on a V8. Personally, that's one of my favorite sounds

 

haha well either way..i dont know if he understands that a muffler cant make that same sound an open exhaust will.

 

Thats what I mean. I know a muffler won't sound like an open header. I guess I mean I want a muffler to be as loud as my cutout is now (since the cutout is currently after the cat), not necccesarily tone.

And I know a muffler cant make the same sound as an open header does. Especially if it's cammed.

 

Personally I'd get headers and a full exhaust. But if that's not in your budget then I'd say ditch the cat all together (if you don't have emissions testing in your state) and put it there... it won't be that much louder when it's closed just because the cat is gone. Also, if you're only planning on leaving it open for short periods of time (like one run down the strip) then it's fine to just run it out right under the car. If you're planning on leaving it open for extended periods of time I'd run a pipe so it goes out the side of the car... like behind the front tire.

Get electric for sure, it's worth the money... if your at a light and a mustang pulls up and wants to race you gotta be able to open it up on the spot.

And regarding the talk about whether it will add power or not... of course it will. Anytime you reduce back pressure you're adding power. How many car shows have you seen where they add a 'cat back' exhaust system (with mufflers), throw it on the dyno, and pick up 10hp or so (give or take depending on the car and what else has been done). Of course it will add power. And it will be LOUD AS HELL once you break about 3000 RPMs!