Custom 2.5 exhaust design question

[wolfsburged]

Talked to a local muffler guy with good local reviews about doing a custom exhaust for my car. He has a mandrel bender and can fab the whole thing from scratch. Probably going to get him to make me something up in the next week or two.

Going to do 2.5" throughout, aluminized for cost, all mandrel bent.

He told me he can do pretty much whatever I want for mufflers and resonators, I need to decide what to do.

He suggested either a single resonator and muffler, or doing two mufflers back to back. He suggested that I do two Borla mufflers, one before and after the rear beam. Also can do Magnaflow or Flowmaster.

Any recommendations on this? I have heard of all three brands, not sure what to differentiate them. Of course sound is always subjective too. I'd like it not to drone or be too obnoxious as I am daily driving this thing and live in a townhouse.

[clarkrep]

I have done 2.5" mandrel on two different mk1s with the1.6td. Used magnaflow part #12646. 2.5" through, 18" case length 24" overall 6" diameter.
They do a very good job(in my opinion) and the straight pipe drone is gone.
It was a bit of a squeeze on my gti but my buddies jetta had more room.
I guess it depends what you consider to be loud and all but I'm really pleased with the sound. 
Aaron

[R.O.R-2.0]

Talked to a local muffler guy with good local reviews about doing a custom exhaust for my car. He has a mandrel bender and can fab the whole thing from scratch. Probably going to get him to make me something up in the next week or two.

Going to do 2.5" throughout, aluminized for cost, all mandrel bent.

He told me he can do pretty much whatever I want for mufflers and resonators, I need to decide what to do.

He suggested either a single resonator and muffler, or doing two mufflers back to back. He suggested that I do two Borla mufflers, one before and after the rear beam. Also can do Magnaflow or Flowmaster.

Any recommendations on this? I have heard of all three brands, not sure what to differentiate them. Of course sound is always subjective too. I'd like it not to drone or be too obnoxious as I am daily driving this thing and live in a townhouse.

how quiet do you want it?

1 muffler will be really quiet.

1 muffler and a resonator will be really quiet.

2 mufflers will be extremely quiet. maybe stock quiet..

i would go with a resonator in the stock location, and a muffler of your choice in the stock location.. (my preference would be a 40 series flowmaster, but thats just me, i love they way they sound with a turbo in front of them.)

[vdubspeed]

magnaflow is a great muffler because of the straight thru design but I do not recommend them for NA vehicles. WAY to much rasp. Great for turbo cars.

I custom fab'd a 3 inch exhaust for my 20vT with all mandrel bends and v-banded and it sounds great.

However on my 1.6NA diesel I put on a magnaflow and pulled it off the next day. I had a dynomax in the shed so that's what it got.

My friend also had a magnaflow put on his 1.6 NA with a giles pump and pulled it off after one week. I welded on a generic muffler for him.

HTH,

Jason

[R.O.R-2.0]

magnaflows burn out and crack tho.. i know ive replaced atleast 10 magnaflow stainless cased mufflers.. all cracked and burned out..

holy crap they are loud. there pretty much just a FANCY glass pack..

my friends used to love running magnaflows (cheap, easy to get your hands on) until most of them cracked.. and they were all hung properly. no lack of exhaust hangers..

ive been running Flowmaster mufflers most of my life.. but the flowmaster exhaust note, you either love it or hate it. im one of the ones that LOVES the way a flowmaster sounds.. they are also WELDED construction, not crimped together like a magnaflow or most other mufflers..

and if it wasnt for the deltas in a flowmaster, you would be able to see right thru them.. they are basically an open muff..

honestly, if it was my car, i would probably just buy a resonator (a good one) and have that be all the muffler i use.

do you want a performance exhaust tone? or closer to stock?

[clarkrep]

The magnaflow mufflers I've used have been 409 stainless with a welded case. Could it be there is more than one "class" of magnaflow? They run about $100 so I wouldn't call it cheap...

[R.O.R-2.0]

The magnaflow mufflers I've used have been 409 stainless with a welded case. Could it be there is more than one "class" of magnaflow? They run about $100 so I wouldn't call it cheap...

there must be.. cause most of the ones if installed/removed were crimped together i swear. and around $50.. so there must be 2 different kinds. or else they quit making the kind i used to replace all the time..

[745 turbogreasel]

Odd, I've never seen a crimped or cracked one.  Could it be something with a similar name like Magnafrow?

Id chose Flowmaster if they hang low and you will bounce the car off them.

[R.O.R-2.0]

Odd, I've never seen a crimped or cracked one.  Could it be something with a similar name like Magnafrow?

Id chose Flowmaster if they hang low and you will bounce the car off them.

flowmaster mufflers will survive a bad car wreck.. so they should survive a lowered car too.

my knock off flowie survived a wreck rather well.. i didnt have to do too much straightening on it to get it back on another car..

[bajacalal]

I found this place http://www.etrailer.com/ with magnaflow mufflers and they look pretty cheap compared to other places... I'm thinking I need a muffler and resonator with my 2.5" exhaust. Anyone know where to buy a just a resonator that's 2.5" diameter? The stock one was like only 1.5"

[Fredrikkk]

Sorry to threadjack, but wouldn't a GTI rear muffler be enough? That'd look sweet in my eyes 

[R.O.R-2.0]

Sorry to threadjack, but wouldn't a GTI rear muffler be enough? That'd look sweet in my eyes 

wouldnt it just look like a normal muffler and exhaust tip? Jess is probably looking for a better than stock muffler..

[Fredrikkk]

Eh... not like that, I'm talking in means of the sound.

[R.O.R-2.0]

Sorry to threadjack, but wouldn't a GTI rear muffler be enough? That'd look sweet in my eyes 

Eh... not like that, I'm talking in means of the sound.

sorry to split hairs, and be so critical, but i just thought this was funny.. 

[JessaBug]

Honestly, Bill is charge of the exhaust. I know nothing about them. Not looking for loud (the clacking of the engine and all the associated rattles are loud enough :p) but we get some drones on our stock exhaust. Definitely want those gone. Of course, a "good sound" is so subjective. Hopefully we can find a good set-up. I know he was going to be talking to the guy again today once he got his hands on the car again. Not sure if that's happened yet.