Installation: No idea. I got lazy and took it up to a muffler shop while I had a meeting with a customer however it only cost me $55 including a brand new gasket. Could have done it I'm sure BUT, you need a deep 14mm socket - a standard one fouls on the bolt that protrudes through the nut and will strip the head of the bolt.
SO far I've only dríven it with the removable baffles removed to fully appreciate the new sound which is wonderful. Louder but not droningly so and deeper in pitch. You are suddenly aware and the cackle and backfire on deceleration which I hadn't noticed previously. Will see if the inserts make a difference but I wouldn't expect much.
Performance: Yes, noticeable increase in urge from 3,000 rpm with more urgency from 4,500 up. Thought that it might have been a placebo effect but picked up a mate and didn't tell him and he said "What have you done to Mace ???" <Macey is the name of my car>. VERY happy with this as this was my prime motivation for buying. Not massive but you notice it.
Appearance: I like the fact that now you can't see the main part of the muffler and now see just the tips. The tips are well polished and the whole unit is good quality but I would have preferred the Tips to be larger like others I've seen. The end is cut at a 15 degree angle which looks cool and the tips don't stick out as far either which I don't know if I like or not. It does look very discreet and finished though and at first glance looks like a stock unit. Only a true enthusiast would pick it from the looks alone so I would doubt if our dear Law Enforcement friends, or the Vehicle inspection guys would notice from appearances.
Conclusion:
Pro's: Good looks, great sound, more herbs
Con's: Nothing really except personal preference, would have liked bigger tips but possibly that's a Freudian thing
. By the time you add freight from the US they are a lot of money but then I spent much much more on my spoiler so I shouldn't complain and still cheaper than the units made locally. If you're looking for a new sound with a few more Kw then this is a good option and one that I'd recommend.
Regards
Guy
