The True Subaru sound!

[Knichol]

I am just finishing up and EJ in and old EA body swap and am getting the exhaust started. I have heard a couple 2.5's and wrx'x that have a nice throaty exhaust sound and I am wondering what brand muffler gives a good sound to Subaru’s. I don’t want the “Coffee can strung out lawn mower sound”. Anybody have any opinions on what sounds good and what sounds bad?

[A DOG]

I use cherry bomb exhaust, but that's for a more deep offroad sound. If you want a deep rally sound go with a magna flow exhaust. My friend just got a magna flow on his saab 900 and it sounds awesome.

[Knichol]

You know if that was the race series or street series?

 

I use cherry bomb exhaust, but that's for a more deep offroad sound. If you want a deep rally sound go with a magna flow exhaust. My friend just got a magna flow on his saab 900 and it sounds awesome.

[Andyjo]

i really like going with the "I cracked my headers and i'm to cheap to get them fixed" sound...

[carfreak85]

I like Flomaster mufflers. They made my buddy's mustang and 944 sound pretty darn good.

[Knichol]

I would most definitly agree with you, since I have single chambers on my Nova and the good ol' 40 series on a bronco, but I put one on an import and it didn't quite sound good. Personal opinion i guess.... I just am affraid I am going to get a muffler that gives my car that typical import sound, and since i have heard a couple of sub's that definitly don't sound like that I was wondering what people were using.

 

 

 

I like Flomaster mufflers. They made my buddy's mustang and 944 sound pretty darn good.

[Subarutex]

Borla is a really nice sounding muffler.

 

On my wagon I have 2.5" from the catback to a FlowPro muffler (flowmaster clone) it sounds awesome.

[1 Lucky Texan]

I have done some looking into this for an upcoming WRX purchase. I feel pretty sure I want a Stromung dual tip. Prodrive, Borla Hush and others get mentioned a lot - Blitz may be too loud. A lot depends on if you want to get noticed at idle, possibly even by the police, or not. And how much 'droning' at highway speeds you can tolerate.

at http://www.nasioc.com - search for an exhaust/muffler post by a guy called ' unabomber ' fairly (ahem) exhaustive research!

 

Carl

[Setright]

Well, my first off hand advice is to avoid stainless steel. It has a tendency to "ring" and masks the boxer engine burble. It just becomes a low pitch drone. That means Blitz, Ninja, Afterburner are off the list. All too loud.

 

I have a Subaru licensed, street legal sport muffler on my Impreza and it sounds fabulous. Quite at idle, distant drone at steady speed around town, and very hushed at 3500rpm=80mph for a relaxed motorway cruise.

It burbles very nicely and recently got a big thumbs up from a BMW mechanic at a gas station.

 

It's mild steel, but powder coated to keep rust away. You would of course have to find out if you local Subaru dealer can source one from Europe.

 

 

I would also trust Prodrive to make a nice sounding silencer.

[subyrally]

if you really want the boxer rumble, you need to get some tuned length headers. the only headers i know of like that are made by borla. i have em on my imbreza, sounds freaken sweet. ive been running the haders for over a year and a half. i still drive around without th stereo on just to listen to the car. i also, forr some stupid reason, am running a 3" cat back with a megan racing n1 muffler. i guess im just waiting for that turbo engine now to justify that exhaust. i also have another exhaust that was custom made for my car with a dual canister muffler on it, sounds sweet, but the 3" pipes sound better in my opinion. and trust me, it has never sounded ricey.

[NoahDL88]

In my(Austin's) EA-EJ swap i'm running the 2 cats, the flex pipe broke, so the cherry bomb is not functional, it sounds all sorts of mean, and it stays under the max decible limit, its not too bad on the highway either, i can still listen to the radio.

[Knichol]

the only headers i know of like that are made by borla. i have em on my imbreza, sounds freaken sweet.

Thats the header i am using. I think i am going to try the Magnaflow dual tip muffler, I would take tex's advice but I really like the look of the dual tip mufflers on sub's and borla doesn't make a dual tip that i like. Thank's for your feed back!

[Knichol]

In my(Austin's) EA-EJ swap i'm running the 2 cats, the flex pipe broke, so the cherry bomb is not functional, it sounds all sorts of mean, and it stays under the max decible limit, its not too bad on the highway either, i can still listen to the radio.

What electic fan you running for cooling? I am running the ea turbo rad. but dont know what electric fan will fit/use?

[Knichol]

Thanks to all who provided some comments on what exhaust to use! Its is always good to get advise from the those who have been there or done that!!

[Andyjo]

if you really want the boxer rumble, you need to get some tuned length headers. the only headers i know of like that are made by borla. i have em on my imbreza, sounds freaken sweet. ive been running the haders for over a year and a half. i still drive around without th stereo on just to listen to the car. i also, forr some stupid reason, am running a 3" cat back with a megan racing n1 muffler. i guess im just waiting for that turbo engine now to justify that exhaust. i also have another exhaust that was custom made for my car with a dual canister muffler on it, sounds sweet, but the 3" pipes sound better in my opinion. and trust me, it has never sounded ricey.

I have/had a set of borla headers for my impreza, but they cracked! 3 times! I sent them in, got new ones, cracked again, sent em in, got new ones, put them on, cracked again.. and then again.. i think there must be a design flaw or something.. or just horrible welding on the cat flange there. When i get back to school i'm going to try to send them in again, and re-enforce the welds first

I thought this was really wierd, because i've only heard good things about borla, one of my friends has an entire exhaust by borla, on his land rover, and we've dragged the whole vehicle on it.. and it still looks like new!

[subyrally]

ive heard a lot of people have had their borla headers crack, i guess i got lucky. im running the version 4 header and have had it on my car since winter 2003-2004 ish. the only issue ive had with exhasut is that the wrx cat back im running had to be fit to my car. other than that, i guess i have just been fortunate.

[Knichol]

I have/had a set of borla headers for my impreza, but they cracked! 3 times!

 

My buddy works at an exhaust shop and was told by him, then told again by Borla...

 

1) There was a design flaw in the original Design, Bolra told me the fixed it recently but....

2) Told by exhaust guy and Borla, when doing the system, make sure no weight is hanging on the header, add extra hangers to prevent weight of the system hanging on it if needed.

 

Hopefully this works?

[Setright]

Knichol, I would second your dual tip idea. The main advantage is that it can move as much gas a single big-diameter, but with less motorway drone. I also find that it can enhance the burble, since the gas fluctuatues from one exit pipe to the other during part throttle operations.