Well ozone alert or no, I went outside to the parking lot and installed my new exhaust yesterday.

Please, no flames: it's the Pacesetter. I got it from NOPI for $150 with no problems (the right parts came, it was on time, etc).

I see what everyone says about the Pacesetter, the coating they put on it is crap. Utter crap. Worse than crap. However, I wasn't even expecting it to be coated, so I don't care. I may even insulate it later, so all that won't matter. The part that does show is a nice chrome tip (not too big) that is well resonated.

Why did I go with this one: cheap, quiet, and most importantly -- I could do the install myself, which is why I do these things. Honestly, I know the KORE exhaust will be better quality and the Speedstate will last longer and a custom shop would be great too, but I am saving for a turbo and can't justify spending $650 for an exhaust.

Installation: bolted right up, took about 90 minutes total. Hard part was getting the stocker off. Bolts were rusted pretty thoroughly. WD-40, some soak time, and a big-ass torque wrench took care of that. Put on the O2 sensor and the three pipes, secured the pipe clamps and I was off.

Sound: Deep, steady, and quiet. It almost seems louder right off idle than it does at cruise. The cabin is a bit louder at 65mph on the highway. I also noticed that the volume is tied to the engine load. Downhill or level it is really quiet. Same speed, same gear trying to pull up a hill, gets louder. I really didn't want a Cop-attracter, and I think this is it.

Performance: noticable improvement throughout the power band. I won't guesstimate numbers, but the butt dyno says more power. The air conditioning doesn't seem to be as big of a drain as before. Also, the same throttle position on the interstate had me going faster (usually my comfortable foot position gets me to 65/70, but without realizing it, I ended up doing 80). I'm due an oil change this weekend and a fill up, so I'll try to keep track of any gas milage differences.

Overall: I think I got a bit more than I paid for. Yeah, I'll have to monitor it for rust (unlike stainless steel) but I got some cheap power gains and some fun doing the install with the look and sound that I wanted.

That is all,
a

 

Hey man....good job. That's what it's all about. If it makes you happy, then who cares what other people think. Plus you get the satisfaction of knowing that YOU were the one that did everything. You didn't have to take it somewhere and pay someone else to do something on your ride. Glad it came out good, and good luck with it.

 

Yeah, for me it's not so much about having a fast car as it is working on the car. I like the journey more than the destination.

Sometimes it's frustrating, though. I really wish I had a garage, lift, welder, pipe bender, air tools . . . smile.gif

Oh well, I will defend Pacesetter a bit, though. People seem so quick to lambaste their products. yeah, they are inexpensive, but they aren't terrible.

I also encourage people to do as much to their car themselves, without getting in over their heads. Obviously, don't pull your engine if you don't know what you're doing. But I've found that every time I do one of these projects I learn a lot about the car.

later,
a

 

Congrats Curtas, I work on my car myself also and I enjoy it. I wish I had access to the tool you mentioned.

Does the Tibby exhaust fit the Elantra? I 'm looking for a system that gives gains without the noise. smile.gif

 

Honestly, I don't know. A lot is similar in the two cars, but this exhaust fit perfectly, so any minor change would probably rub/rattle. You may want to contact Pacesetter, otherwise hopefully someone else on the boards will know.

Good luck,
a

 

The elantra has 3" more wheelbase, plus more rear bumper overhang. It would not fit without some exhaust hanger fabrication.

 

I believe that the extra 3" in length is in the rear section of the exhaust. We tried fitting my stock Tib rear section onto Brendan's Elantra. The tip say way inside the rear bumper and was barely visible.