When it is time to think about a new exhaust system on your car or truck, you might want to consider having a custom exhaust system added to the vehicle. On a custom or modified car, a custom exhaust system may be your best option and can help you get more performance from the engine. Most exhaust shops offer them and can work with you to get what you need from them.
Choose the Best System for You
Before you put a performance exhaust on your car, you need to decide what kind of system your car needs. There are several types that you can choose from, all with varying levels of performance gains.
Cat-Back Exhaust Systems
A cat-back system starts at the catalytic converter and replaces the pipes, mufflers, and tailpipes on your vehicle. It frees up some horsepower and can add torque to the motor as well. These systems are a common starting place for street-driven performance cars.
Header-Back Exhaust Systems
A header-back system starts at the headers or manifolds on the vehicle and replaces the entire exhaust system with new pipes, converters, mufflers, and tailpipes. Often these systems use larger diameter pipes and free-flowing mufflers to get a significant increase in power.
Custom Exhaust Systems
A full custom system offers the best increase in performance for your car. The system uses a larger diameter pipe and high-flow mufflers, and the pipes are bent to fit perfectly on your vehicle. Often the pipes are coated to reduce heat, and the bends are made on a machine that creates extremely smooth turns for the gases inside the exhaust system.
Improve Your Fuel Economy
One area that you will notice an improvement in is the fuel economy of your car. The best increase will be in vehicles with full performance exhausts, but even cat-back systems can help. The free-flowing exhaust allows the gases to flow out of the engine faster and easier. While the gains may not be earth-shattering, every little bit can help when you are talking about fuel economy.
Exhaust Sound
While it may not be a benefit to everyone, the deeper tone and the more aggressive sound from the exhaust are often very appealing to the car owner. When you are selecting mufflers for the system, you can find highflow models with low tones that sound nice when the car is accelerating hard. Keep in mind that muffler shops will not build a custom system with mufflers that are not legal for the streets, so there may be some limitations in this area.
Exhaust Coatings
Custom coatings are often used to reduce heat under the car, protect the exhaust, and make the exhaust system look good. For show cars, stainless steel pipes are sometimes used, and the pipes are polished to a bright shine. These pipes are not typical on street cars, but they could be installed on one if you would like that.
Ceramic coatings are gray or black and will insulate the pipes so that they do not produce as much heat as standard exhaust systems. When you have a high horsepower engine, the amount of heat coming off the exhaust will be much higher than a stock system. Coating the headers and the exhaust is one way to reduce it.
Custom exhaust systems are not for everyone, but if you have a performance car, waking up the engine and getting more out of it can start with the exhaust. At Seeburg Mufflers Of MO, Inc., we can build you a new custom exhaust or install an aftermarket performance kit. Stop by the shop today, and we can discuss your car’s needs and how we can help.