Jump to content
SAU Community

Recommended Posts

Ok I'm close to buying an exhaust for my R33 GTS25T. I am on a budget and these are my options for an exhaust as I see it:

OPTION 1: Full 3" Custom Mandrel Bent system including dump pipe, Hi-Flo Cat and stainless steel muffler. Best price quoted: $1080 Fitted

OPTION 2: APexi or HKS Stainless Steel Cat-back only: $1200 (not fitted)

I'm seriously considering Option 1 only because I think it will give me a bit more power with the dump pipe and HI-FLO cat, and it is a bit cheaper :) What do you guys think?

sounds great amd it doent sit to low like some of the brand named ones it a little bigger than 3" mines 31/4" pipe from the turbo back and a 4" tail pipe, that sits back under the car a little. no one ever see it so why spend heaps of money on it, spend what you save on something that people can see

$1080, and thats a cheap option????

Dont do it, buy a second hand Jap one, they flow well (they have been developing these things for a long time), they fit up perfectly (their systems are modular, and they change out in a few minutes), and they will retain their resale value.

I have now tried 3 different cat backs, an apexi N1, a nismo street legal, and now on a HKS super dragger. All up it has cost me $50 to swap between them, if you shop around, you can find a good system at a good price and if you sell it get your money back, try that with some no name made system.

If you want power I can recommend either the N1 or super dragger, both flow very well, if you want street legal, go something like the nismo.

And you can expect $300 plus change from your $1080 if you buy second hand Jap system, and that is a pretty good saving IMHO

Just be careful buying an unknown quantity - it may be 3", but how well does it flow? do you have a verifyable result available to check? I have had 3 cat back systems, and they all flowed very differently, and made for a different car to drive.

Upside to buying a Jap cat back would be ease of fitment (all modular systems ), proven product (alot of R+D) and good resale value if you want to change it.

I have spent $50 changing my cat back systems, I am on my 3rd system, cos I wasnt 100% happy with the previous ones (too loud, quiet but choked top end above 290rwkw, and now just about spot on)

If you are after good power, get an N1 system (as long as noise isnt an issue). dump pipe wont make a huge difference with stock turbo, but front pipe will as will cat - with cat, make sure it is a high flow, not just a standard cat with 3" flanges. I have seen a few of these getting around, and they are a total waste of money.

lukits01, what to look for depends on what you want.

Noise and power go hand in hand, but noise doenst always mean power.

Look for 80mm+ diameter, straight pipes, ie the more severe the bends the more restrictive

Mufflers/resonators should be straight through design and the same diameter as the pipe

A good example is the Apexi N1 system, and as the pipe has few bends, the rear resonator sticks out at an angle.

lukits01, what to look for depends on what you want.

Noise and power go hand in hand, but noise doenst always mean power.

Look for 80mm+ diameter, straight pipes, ie the more severe the bends the more restrictive

Mufflers/resonators should be straight through design and the same diameter as the pipe

A good example is the Apexi N1 system, and as the pipe has few bends, the rear resonator sticks out at an angle.

thats right the straighter the pipe the better and make sure that the cat and muffler are the same size as the rest of the pipe, other wise your wasting your time....

Myth33, cat size is usually (AFAIK) measured in litres. A true highflow cat will be alot larger in diameter than the stock one. Some highflows are only marginally larger. Cats are a major restriction, therefore, make sure you have a look at a few and get the largest one you can find.

Internally they are all pretty much the same design, with a honeycombe type arrangement, which wont vary a heap, but often inside has thick packing material between the catalyst and the side of the canister - so even though it looks alot larger, it may not be quite so good.

the people I know that have used the exhuast plug that goes in the rear of the tail pipe have all said it kills power a fair bit. I know a guy with a 250rwkw supra that had one, then changed to an Apex flap valve, and found that alot better, and more user friendly as it can be adjusted from inside the car - a bit more expensive though.

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Similar Content

  • Latest Posts

    • I got back to Japan in January and was keen to get back on track as quickly as possible. Europe is god-awful for track accessibility (by comparison), so I picked up a first-gen GT86 in December just to have something I could jump into right away. The Skyline came over in a container this time and landed in early January. It was a bit battered after Europe, though—I refused to do anything beyond essential upkeep while it was over there. The clutch master cylinder gave out, and so did the power steering. I didn’t even bother changing the oil; it was the same stuff that went in just before I left Japan the first time. Naughty. Power steering parts would’ve cost double with shipping and taxes, so knowing I’d be heading back to Japan, I just postponed it and powered through the arm workout. It took a solid three months to get the car back on the road. Registration was a nightmare this time around. There were a bunch of BS fees to navigate, and sourcing parts was a headache. I needed stock seats for shaken, mistakenly blew 34k JPY on some ENR34 seats—which, of course, didn’t fit—then ended up having the car’s technical sheet amended to register it as a two-seater with the Brides. Then there’s the GT86. Amazing car. Does everything I want it to do. Parts are cheap, easy to find, and I don’t care what anyone says—it’s super rewarding to drive. I’ve done a few basic mods: diff ratio, coilovers, discs, pads, seat, etc. It already had a new exhaust manifold and the 180kph limiter removed, so I assume it’s running some kind of map. I’ve just been thrashing it at the track non-stop—mostly Fuji Speedway now, since I need something with higher speed after all that autobahn time. The wheels on the R34 always pissed me off—too big, and it was a nightmare getting tires to fit properly under the arches. So I threw in the towel and bought something that fits better. Looks way cleaner too (at least to me)—less hotboy, less attention-seeking. Still an R34, though. Now for future plans. There are a few things still outstanding with the car. First up, the rear subframe needs an overhaul—that’s priority one. Next, I need to figure out an engine rebuild plan. No timeline yet, but I want to keep it economical—not cutting corners, just not throwing tens of thousands at a mechanic I can barely communicate with. And finally, paint. Plus a bit of tidying up here and there.  
    • Nope, needed to clearance under the bar a little with a heat gun, a 1/2" extension as the "clearancer", and big hammer, I was aware of this from the onset, they fit a 2.0 with this intake no problems, but, the 2.5 is around 15mm taller than a 2.0, so "clearancing" was required  It "just" touched when test fitting, now, I have about 10mm of clearance  You cannot see where it was done, and so far, there's no contact when giving it the beans Happy days
    • It's been a while since I've updated this thread. The last year (and some) has been very hectic. In the second-half of 2024 I took the R34 on a trip through Germany, Italy, France and Switzerland - it was f*cking great. I got a little annoyed with the attention the car was getting around Europe and really didn't drive it that much. I could barely work on the car since I was living in an inner-city apartment (with underground parking). During the trip, the car lost power steering in France - split hose - and I ended up driving around 4,000kms with no power steering.  There were a few Nurburgring trips here and there, but in total the R34 amassed just shy of 7,000kms on European roads. Long story short, I broke up with the reason I was transferred to Europe for and requested to be moved back to Japan. The E90, loved it. It was a sunk cost of around EUR 10,000 and I sold it to a friend for EUR 1,500 just to get rid of it quickly. Trust me, moving countries f*cking sucks and I could not be bothered to be as methodical as I was the first time around.
    • I assume clearances were all a-okay?
×
×
  • Create New...