Hello,

I know its been covered before, but I was hoping someone with my exact type of car can tell me what they did to there stock exhaust to customize it.

I am looking to spend <500 bucks, or in that ballpark, and am looking for an aggressive sound, but nothing to loud.

The easier to install the better.

Last question, can someone tell this idiot (meaning me) what exactly a resonator does/how easy it is to extract

 

the resonator is kind of like another set of mufflers, the big muffler looking thing inbetween the cats and rear mufflers. kind of pointless. i cut them out of my 01 a6 and put 2.5" piping in its place and it didnt make much of a difference sound wise. then i cut of the mufflers and put on 2 magnaflow round straight through mufflers that were like 2.5" inlet/outlet and 4 inches around and 12 or 14 long. made a huge difference sound wise. but at a low rmp it was loud inside the car like a drone and was kind of annoying when just driving on long trips or with the gf. but when on the gas it sounded awsome and i recieved many compliments. i would recomend putting an entire exhaust system if you were to do anything. either 2.5" cat back downpipes and all. on my 02 a6 i wont be going with straight through mufflers and most likely with borla chambered mufflers to maybe try and keep the drone down at low rpms

 

I had the local shop just cut out everything past the factory H pipe and run 2 1/4" straight pipes to some 3"X12" long tips sound great and you can't even tell you did anything after 50mph its completely silent. When you floor it is when it sounds just right. Bottom line great rumble at idle and slow driving quiet on the hiway, and only cost me $200.00.

 

My plans is to keep the stock catback but install aftermarket mufflers and larger diameter tips along with vast piggies.

 

I talked with EuroWise, my shop of choice for both upgrades and basic problems and they said the do not do mandrel bends...

can anyone explain what that means?

 

You can buy mandrel bent pipe from jegs, or summit racing and have the shop cut it and weld it up for you. The answer to your question is that they use dies to bend the pipe up. mandrel bent pipe has the same dia through out the bend. die formed or bent pipe will be dented in the inside of the bend.

 

which is something I should not want correct?

Will it compromise the sound?

 

No you will not be able to tell the difference. The difference is the $1600 you will save by having a shop you can trust make you a custom exhaust and installing it v/s buying one that costs over $1800 and then having a shop charge you to put it on.

 

Sorry to pipe in but any advice regarding the cheapest way to help performance on the same car ( 02 ) with the orig exhaust that is likely plugged ( sound be damned but within reason ) as the pass side cat code comes and goes??