After sunday's GTG and Tim's demonstration of his APR exhaust I decided it was time to install my exhaust. So here it goes.

If you read my other rant in the Regional Forums, you'll see that I was quoted $350 for the install of this exhaust by GMG Racing. [sm=jawdrop.gif]

SO, I said to myself, "Screw them, I installed by boost guage, exhaust, cha!" So monday rolls around and I'm excited, twas the day my exhaust will finally be put in. I tell my boss, through an e-mail...distribution...list "I have to take the wifey to the doctor" and I'm off at 12:30pm. Oh happy day. I then take a trip down to the local auto store to pick up a jack with some stands and a O2 sensor remover and drive on home. Feeling a bit hungry, I pop the hood and place a fan to cool the engine down and have a quite bite of some cup-o-noodles.

I return to the garage in about an half hour and begin the process. I remove the front air dam coupling, MAF wires, and unclip the two thingies that connect the airbox to the turbo to prep the engine cover for removal. I recall the 30 minutes I wasted a few weeks ago trying to remove this cover and proceed with the trick that work for me... pull like you never pulled before... CRACK!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Well, now I got a nice stress crack on the bottom of the engine cover. I panic for a few minutes but assure myself that the money I save in this install would goto an air intake... *breathes in and out*

5 minutes into install I began studying the down pipe. I feel 4 bolts total, 2 accessible from the engine bay and 2 located below. EASY! I begin pulling my metric deep sockets, 17mm... nope, 18mm nope... 19mm... nope.... 20mm where's my 20? CRAP!... 21mm too big. DAMNIT!!!

I look all over my tool box and find out that 20mm was never part of the costo tool set! I then curse the manufacturer and costco for making them cut corners! And then move to the standard section of the tool box. A few more seconds pass and I find 5/8" works! Praise allah!

So in we go, surgery begins! The first two rotations... cake! Then somehow, the nut was stuck! I begin struggleing with the wrench to turn the nut... "click.... puuuuuuuuuulllllll!!!!... click.... pppuuulllllllllll!" I swear I was averageing one click every 5 minutes.

Well 3 hours pass and I'm dripping sweat everywhere, hands, eyes, back, on my glasses. and I only made 4mm of progress. The $350 for gmg is starting to make sense. But I snap out of it and upgrade to the box wrench. As I adjust, I begin doing slightly better with the box wrench... pull... adjust... pull... adjust... pull...SLIP!!! OUCH!!!!!!!!! I begin to go into dispair and begin to give up. I regain myself and wrap my hand in a shirt and attempt one last try as I only have 3 more mm to go before the bolts off. As I spend the next minute trying to fit the wrench I realized I fudged the nut when the wrench slipped. Game over! I couldn't fit the wrench nor the sockets. *Sigh*

I sit there for the next 30 mins as ebay and craigslist come to mind. I begin to tell myself "I'm giving up, I dont want this anymore... this sucks. My audi is sealed with the stock exhaust for life." I then proceed to putting back the cracked engine cover, mounting the maf, attaching the metal clips, and close the hood. I'm done. Gotta think of plan b. I go inside get a shower and fall into a depression for the rest of the day.

Tuesday:

I call an exhaust shop called API exhaust down in Irvine and set up and appointment. "Sure come in at 3" he says, we can take care of it. "Even with a fudged bolt?" "Yea no problem." Feeling a little better. I begin to cook up a plan to leave work again early. As 2:30 rolls around I tell my co-workers the truth that I broke a bolt and my new audi needs to goto the dealership (partially true). I come into API and the meet the manager and tell him "I'm the one with..." He begins telling me he's behind schedule and it will take a couple hours. I say no problem, I just want it installed. He then calls up his customer in front of me and asked he needed his car by. From here I find him pull my car onto the lift and tells me be back in an hour. As an hour passes, I come on and its there! installed! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I pay the labor $160 and drive off!


Now the review:

All I have to say is DSG makes this exhaust good! The puffs sound so clean and cut that it makes me want to put my hand on the shifter so others think I'm a pro at shifting . During down shifts the exhaust is clean in delivering the change in exhaust notes during both the gear shift and application of gas which again, makes me want to put my hand on the shifter so....

On freeway the exhaust is barely audible however, at 3k and above around 78mph you get resoanance. Also the noise from the exhaust does vibrate the cabin as well. I opted for the sport version of apr's exhaust and was forewarned about these annoyances and they are in fact annoyances. However, I NEED these noises because... because... I dunno but I like. APR also has a stealth system for you other babies out there.

During city driving, the exhaust is just right... Barrrvrooooom! Puff! BBBAAArrrrVOOOOM! Puff!

Now the price! Is it worth it? YES! You are getting a full race exhaust from the turbo back. Cat backs suck and are only poseur exhuasts. APR out of the box is a quality system. Do it right and save the beans for one if your in the market for an exhaust. Its the only way to go.

Anyways I'll probably put another review after I get the stage II upgrade... but right now I can't give my boss anymore excuses to skip work

Also, moral of the story... dont do exhaust work... it sucks!

Here's the video.

Exhaust Clip

 

SWEEEET !

hey Rich - u gotta post some video clips of that exhaust !

 

very nice

 

Very nice, envious.

What more can I say?

Chef

 

very very VERY nicely written....... oh, the exhaust is great too.

dude, i don't want an exhaust for my car, but if i keep staying in touch with you guys, i think i'll end up shelling out the money for the exhaust. then cold air intake....then god knows what, carbon fiber hood, sway bar, fatter tires, bigger turbo, F*ck it, i'll just replace the engine all together. hee hee.

chef, you're right, it's a freakin addiction. yeah, just wait til i get a gf, then bye bye $ for my audi. =(

 

So you got the non-resonated version, right?

 

Yup,

non-resonated version aka sport exhaust. My mod craving should end once I get a rear sway and cai.

 

oh, and i don't think A3Night will ever stop, it's an addiction, you can't just stop an addiction!!! he might go for wider rims/tires, get a bigger turbo............ unless his wife tells him to stop, then he WILL stop. hee heee. j/k

 

I will have to agree with Audinam. Wait till the GTG after someone gets the big turbo. Everyone will be itching to have one installed in their cars too. I just hope that it's me that gets it first! LOL

Mods never stop, they may slow for a while, but NEVER stop.

 

[sm=boohoo.gif]

thats just soo nice...