Exhaust for 93 cabby 1.6 TD conversion - quiet please! - page 1 - IDI Engine - VWDiesel.net The IDI, TDI, and mTDI source.

• Exhaust for 93 cabby 1.6 TD conversion - quiet please! by RichMason on 29 Jan, 2006 00:05
• Greetings from Iraq,
  
  My mechanic back home is putting the finishing touches on a 1.6TD conversion in my 93 cabriolet.  We are using the engine and FN tranny from the 84 TD that I bought.  The final big decision before we start tuning is the exhaust.  I have already ordered the 2.5 downpipe from passengerperformance (thanks Dave) and I want to run 2.5" all the way back.  The concern for me is noise.  The cabriolet is already a little loud on the interstate at 80 mph and I don't want to make it any worse.  Can you guys give me specific recommendations (brands please) for a quiet "family man" exhaust?
  
  Many thanks,
  Rich
  Chapel Hill, NC/Baghdad Iraq
  85 Westfalia 1.6 TD
  93 Cabriolet 1.6 TD
  2003 Golf TDI
• #1 by RabbitJockey on 29 Jan, 2006 16:10
• i've ridden in a td caddy(i know it's not a cabby) that had a 2inch exhaust and no muffler and it goes out the passenger side before the wheel well, and honestly, it's not loud at all  the turbo really cuts out the sound.  where as my car with it's n/a 1.6 and 2 1/4 tt exhaust is loud as ***, especially at high way speeds, and it lets out quite a howl at 85 where my speed stops.
• #2 by 935racer on 29 Jan, 2006 16:39
• Just get a good free flowing 2.5" muffler and you should be fine, the turbo really cuts down on noise. That FN tranny will not fit your cabrio, the rear tranny mount is different. Your DP is going out on monday
• #3 by RichMason on 29 Jan, 2006 23:28
• Dave,
  
  I really hope you are wrong on the transmission because my mechanic has already made all of the mods to fit the 100mm axles and such.  I sent him your email about it not working a few days ago and he double checked.    The motor is going in today so we'll see.  I have a 93 cabriolet A1 style not a cabrio.  My fingers are crossed in any case because I'm supposed to be driving this thing in three or four days.
  
  Best,
  Rich
• #4 by 935racer on 30 Jan, 2006 00:10
• Oh if its a mk1 style than it will fit fine haha sorry for making you sweat :wink:  I guess 93 was half year for cabrios or something?? Everything 93-99.5 around here is a mk3 sorry for the mixup
• #5 by RabbitGTDguy on 30 Jan, 2006 03:51
• With the TD in there, the turbo does quite a nice job of quieting things down on its own. I'm with the rest here, you've got the dp, so go with a nice mandrel bent exhaust to the back with your choice of muffler and I think you'll be happy with the results.
  I personally have a 2.5 turbo back from TT with my own downpipe. The muffler I chose was the flowmaster, though ... I think a dynomax possibly would have been even quieter. I wanted a little bit of "noise" with mine and the flowsmaster suites it perfect to the point that on the old IDI TD (doing mTDI now) you could hear the turbo whining at idle and it had a nice "tuned" note to it. Up at speed on the highway...it was very nice...
  
  Joe
• #6 by RichMason on 30 Jan, 2006 05:03
• When you guys say muffler, are we talking about the center resonator or the rear muffler? Do I need both or just one?
• #7 by BlackTieTD on 30 Jan, 2006 06:50
• i'm gonna go against the grain here and say, get a resonator and a muffler. get the quietest setup you can find.
  
  i've had just a downpipe (no exhaust system or muffler) on my mkI for about 2 yrs now (1.6TD + FN gearbox) so i'm fairly used to how that setup sounds... city driving at low RPMs is fine (when i pass cops for instance, i'm able to keep it quiet), but it drones on pretty good at 80mph. if you think your cabby is too loud already at 80mph, its only going to be louder with a 2.5" + muffler + TD. if i were you, i would try to get the quitest system possible, and almost put performance by the wayside.... you'll see what i mean when you get up to 80mph and the initial cool-factor of the new setup wears off. the noise will get old fast....
  
  that said, it doesn't bother me all that much, but you've stated you'd like it 'family man' quiet. depends what your priorities are. i don't have a stereo, listening to the motor is more fulfilling  :lol:
  
  1993 mkI cabriolet? weird!
• #8 by bhtooefr on 30 Jan, 2006 07:25
• Google's telling me that the changeover happened in 1994. So, there was a 1994.0 A1 Cabriolet, and a 1994.5 A3 Cabrio.
• #9 by BlackTieTD on 30 Jan, 2006 07:37
• i always think of the original cabbies going to 1992, but he's right, 1993 was the last year. AFAIK 1994 was a cross-over year and VW didn't make many cabbies, if any.
  
  so mkI, mkIII, is there any talk of a mkV cabby?
• #10 by bhtooefr on 30 Jan, 2006 07:41
• It's called the Eos
• #11 by BlackTieTD on 30 Jan, 2006 07:48
• ah yes, the corolla convertible. any talk of a shorty mkV cabby, golf-length?
• #12 by bhtooefr on 30 Jan, 2006 07:50
• Not that I've heard.
  
  I'm more interested in Polo TDIs, though. Cars the size of our old Golfs and Jettas, with TDIs from the factory, and without the, ah, quirks of a 15-20 year old car .
• #13 by BlackTieTD on 30 Jan, 2006 07:52
• sorry to hijack the thread!!  :lol:
  
  we'll be seeing polos here in north america in a year or two, will we not? about time.
  
  1.4 TSI polo, i'm there.
• #14 by bhtooefr on 30 Jan, 2006 07:54
• Yeah, but the TSI is a gasser
  
  I want the 1.4 TDI. 75hp, not much, but it's a car that doesn't weigh much more than an A2, and it's a lot more aerodynamic.