3200 custom X or H pipe

Massa in Perth

New Member
Messages
277
Hi gents, looking for some advice from those who know please..

My car has Tubi rear boxes but is otherwise stock.

I'd like to free up the exhaust and get the car sounding its best. I'm not chasing power per se, it's got more than I can use now, but I'd like to get away from the restrictive factory cats altogether or replace with 200 series cats. Don't want to see any CELs afterwards either.

I am struggling to justify the cost of exotic (Larini etc) X or H pipes and I have a local exhaust guru who is highly regarded for his custom work (race cars and road) so I'd like him to make me something up. Have to be able to return the car to stock.

Thoughts?
 

Contigo

Sponsor
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18,376
Both mine have had a custom straight through system (straight pipes). There are two sets of cats, the pre-cats (1) off the downpipes and then the centre cat (4) which doubles up as a silencer. It's dead easy to remove this centre section and replace with X or straight through.

Cats.jpg

The pre-cats can be replaced with Larini race pipes (no cats) but bear in mind emissions might be a real issue. I've just MOT'd the auto car and it scraped through so removing the pre-cats as well will be pretty difficult. Because of their proximity to the turbo's I would urge caution as when I tried to remove the pre-cats the nuts were seized on solid! The last thing I wanted was to crack the turbo manifolds!!!! Job put on hold for fear of damaging them and engine out job.

Larini.jpg

This is what the auto sounds like with straight through.

https://www.facebook.com/tallphilc/videos/10154608103275016/

Tubi's and Larini's still have sound deadening in them so really if you want the full works then you need straight through and cat/silencer delete. Removing the centre on yours would be a start too but won't add a massive amount.

This was mine with centre off and standard rear boxes.

https://www.facebook.com/tallphilc/videos/10153314681755016/
 

Massa in Perth

New Member
Messages
277
Thanks Phil, that vid of MAFs is hilarious. might be a reason to consider a 4200 if I didn't have a QP5.

Back to reality, I won't be deleting the rear Tubis, so it's either replace middle section only or middle section and pre-cats. But won't precat delete screw up the O2 sensors?
 

Contigo

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18,376
Thanks Phil, that vid of MAFs is hilarious. might be a reason to consider a 4200 if I didn't have a QP5.

Back to reality, I won't be deleting the rear Tubis, so it's either replace middle section only or middle section and pre-cats. But won't precat delete screw up the O2 sensors?

The Larini race pipes actually have lambda mounts on them so I doubt it, there are ways around it anyway online to move the 02 sensors further away etc.... I never did get round to fitting them as I said because I was worried about the damage to the manifolds and turbo's. I'd go with the centre box first mate.
 

beau

Member
Messages
1,391
I had the cats all cut out of my 3200, no warning lights, wouldn't pass an mot though
 

Massa in Perth

New Member
Messages
277
Thanks Phil! I agree mid section is the may to go. Re the sensors, if the sensors are after the pre-cats then the mixture of gasses will be different without them so I would expect CELs particularly on these cars with their tiny tolerances.

Not sure I'm any clearer on H or X or no balance pipe at all though.
 

Contigo

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18,376
Well according to Beau the standard centre pipe /resonator had an X in there and this gives better performance BUT the best sound is straight pipes.
 

Twinturbo

Junior Member
Messages
101
Yeah, I'd like to see the evidence.
C

Ive had straight pipes sounded cool/different like a couple of Ducati motorbikes a little droney too,noticeable decrease in performance over stock merge cat pipe though, went to a gutted highflow x pipe sound decreased significantly but performance increase noticeable over whole rev range, very quiet though no difference to stock in my opinion.

I have straight rear no boxes too , X pipe got rid of drone which I'm glad about
 

RSM Masser

Member
Messages
2,437
^^^
Altogether a much more pleasant experience that the drone form the quick silver boxes that I replaced with straight through
Unless of course you are following in a convertible
 

Twinturbo

Junior Member
Messages
101
No drone on mine at all with straight through.

My straights had. No muffler or silencers at all in the mid or rear which might have made the difference, wasn't a bad drone only slight on highway at around 2,500k-3k but yes I miss the noise straight is best noise although I can't comment if h might be better or similar
 

Contigo

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18,376
Mine has nothing at all apart from the pre-cats.

13181_10153739312285016_2522806678295929391_n.jpg
 

rs48635

Member
Messages
3,181
I like that 3200 sound
AND I like the second 3200 sound too.

Will get me some straight through pipes :d