IM thinking of buying a ebay catback I asked this once already and no one responded but Im sure someone here has experience with these things please let me know.
I almost bought a set that was really cheap to try but he wouldn't allow local pick up. His shipping was almost twice as much as others. Guess he was trying to make up the profit with shipping and handling.
twilight....I am thinking of doing this also....how does it sound and have you heard someone elses more expensive one and been able to tell a big difference?
you cant really compair exhausts from one to another unless they are pre-made ones. the reason being different pipe work and resonators make a lot of difference. also engine mods make a big difference too. my mate with the same muffler parts but in 2.25" (mine is 2.5") sounds similar, but still you can tell the difference.
i have two inline resonators and the ebay cheapie muffler and the car sounds fantastic. think of a subaru boxer crossed with a deep sounding turbo car. has none of that buzz at all - resonators help this.
anyway, i have a muffler like this one (cant find my exact one anymore) :
I got one of the universal mufflers then had it installed at a local muffler shop and I love it. Sounds great, came with a silencer for long trips, and I got to choose which design and tip I liked best. Total=$95
I dont have experience for the protege but i did buy one for my gf for her cavalier. It was actually an obx catback specifically for a cavalier. I think the best way to describe my experience was that it was a nightmare. The first one we recieved had messed up tips on it and it wasnt like it was damaged in shipping they were just cut incorrectly. Once i recieved the replacement it was a good 2 feet too long, the flange that bolted up to the cat was welded on upside down and none of the hangers were in the right positions. Being that it was somewhat of a brand name i figured i shouldnt have any problems but i guess i was wrong. The seller really wasnt all that helpful but in the end he did refund my money in full and didnt even want me to ship the exhaust back to him. Which kind of made me feel like they had quite a few problems with incorrectly fitting. So i went ahead and made a few of my own brackets and did use just the muffler figuring it wouldnt be a total waste. Needless to say the stainless steel it was supposedly made of began rusting within a couple of weeks. Im sure there are ebay catbacks that will fit the way they are supposed to but i would definitely be weary. I would contact the seller before purchasing and find out what kind of guarantee they have of it actually fitting and make sure that if you are not satisfied they arent going to charge you for the return shipping. That way if you dont like it you wont be out of any money. Just keep in mind like everyone has already said you get what you pay for and it probably wont be an exhaust that will last all that long. They are cheap for a reason. Hope that helps and sorry for such a long post.
