Getting a better sound from a NB..

[Silvia]

I want to change the exhaust note on my 2002 . It's too quiet for me to drive by engine note as I prefer. A simple rear muffler change transformed my Subaru XT Forester and I'm hoping to do the same with Silvia
Not interested in a performance mod ( or inhibiting current performance ) just a better
audible exhaust note and I was wondering if anyone had successfully done this and could give me some tips on the best way - probably some type of rear muffler that's straight through design ?

[initial D]

This is wat you want.
I wanted this but never got around it

[Mr Morlock]

you have to do some searches on the forum this question has been canvassed regularly.

[NitroDann]

+1.

Dann

[Silvia]

I hate my miata with a Borla exhaust- help!
Hey gang -

Good example of why you just want someone who has done the job sucessfully to help out with some info;

Very very dissappointed with my purchase of a Borla Dual Tip Exhaust from Moss .com/Shop/ViewP...eIndexID=73705

This thing sounds and feels horrible. After driving for a half hour I had a headache and a pain behind my ears...it's like an annoying humming through the car that resonates to my head. My girlfriend had to get out and take her car. I regret taking off my old muffler. I hope my mechanic didnt toss it away. And I cut out the bumper on the drivers side too. God what a complete waste of time and money. I paid $100 to install this too. I have to pay again to take it off and put the old one back on. It's a nightmare. I need to get my old muffler back on and buy a new rear bumper and try to return this thing back to Moss. What is wrong with this thing??? Did I buy the wrong muffler? I read all the reviews and for the most part, they were good. I even stuffed a huge thick blanket in my trunk hoping it would reduce the resonating/droning - it didn't do a damn thing. I drove it with the top down and still it's just annoying. Feels like a tuning fork is going through my head making me sick. I can't ever drive my car anymore...I am so angry at myself for ever doing this. Any suggestions please.

It's so easy and lazy to put down newbies by saying "covered 100 times before - use the Search facility." That shows Borla to be highly approved by some Yanks, years ago. I'd be pissed off getting that advice and buying one for big bucks.
I'm going in to...actually you don't care what I do really do you? You just look for an opportunity to pass smart gratuitous remarks because you have no answers but are hooked on writing stuff in forums.
Any real sincere help out there...?

[deviant]

That exhaust in the video sounds terrible! A horrible, high pitched drone / buzz noise.

[hks_kansei]

Exhaust sound is a VERY subjective thing.

I love my RS*R Exmag, but it's bloody loud and on long highway trips can give you a headache.
Part of my love is the character it gives.

depends what you want, loud? slight noise increase?

The N Power muffler is a decent option for those who don't want a super loud one that still sounds nice.

[NitroDann]

Ok then, Ill give the same advice Ive given here numerous times before.

Ever seen a megaphone? Loud horrible blaring things right?

Well did you ever notice what shape they are? Dont make your exhaust this shape.
In other words, stock exhaust is what? 1 and 3/4''. So dont put a 2.5 rear pipe on it.

All the fully hektik JDM sick braaaaaah exhausts that are popular here sound rubbish and are similar to the story just posted above.

If you have a turbo car you can run a straight through exhaust because the turbo muffles the note and it will still sound good. There is a reason that cannons and similar hotdog like mufflers are often called turbo mufflers. You want a sports chambered muffler like the ones magnaflow and lukey make. Probably in a 2'' size.
Chambered mufflers are what gives you that deep throaty sound.

Having said that, some of the best sounding mx5 exhausts Ive heard have 'turbo mufflers'.

Mine for example, while loud, doesnt drone and sounds fantastic imo. It is 2.5, straight through stainless, but the key is it also has extractors and a big high flow cat, and the hotdog is HUGE along with the muffler.
My motor is also quite worked.

Putting my rear muffler on a stock car would be a droning LOUD horrible buzzing, milo-tin-on-a-civic type sound.

Now if you search, you will find that post many times over.

Dann

[Silvia]

When you try, you can be quite helpful Dann.... other times...
I feel better equipped now to tackle our local muffler shop and try a few up on the hoist tomorrow. Chambered eh?
Pipe size of NB8B is 2 1/4" by the way....

[NitroDann]

Theres no reason the exhaust bloke cant hold a few mufflers up to the midpipe and give you a listen.

Dann

[Silvia]

None at all, in fact it's arranged for tomorrow. They actually gaffer tape them on.
I did this with my Turbo Subaru when it was new and near silent, and the third one we tried , a Lukey Sports - (sometimes known as a chambered pot) was magnificent!
Hopefully we can repeat that success....

[Okibi]

My NB has a 2 1/2" cat back exhaust with a big ol truck baffled muffler, I think it sounds good but it does drove on long highway drives.

Some members must have SMB exhausts through Mania, i'd be checking out their range.

http://www.smb.net.au/mx5zone.htm

[Silvia]

Had a look at the SMB one and that's the basic idea I'm working on. I've seen many reports that stainless does not give the best sound, which suits me as ordinary steel ones seem to last a very long time and I plan to tuck it out of sight anyway - except for a chrome tip of course. I really think the muffler looks like it was tacked on later, rather than part of the original design, and it's such a pretty back end

[Regie]

I had a smb on my nb....best sounding exhaust out there

[Silvia]

Ok it's all done!
Local Carline let me try a range on the pipe with rear muffler removed while on the hoist today. Tried from 16", 14" and hot dog varieties and the winner was a 14" Lukey Sports steel.
Looks much like the SMB set up but 50mm shorter, no rasping or droning, just a deep mellow growl and quite soft but subtly audible at all revs.....naturally lifting as revs rise over 2000rpm.
Happy with the result and price ($200 fitted) and feel aurally in tune with the car now.
And it feels faster now needless to say.
Also nicely tucked up and invisible too....