Good, inexpensive aftermarket muffler for '99 Protege?

[Hazman]

Hey guys, I'm looking to get a muffler for my '99 LX. It seems like there is a VERY broad range of options to consider. I see some mufflers on eBay for $15, and some for hundreds. Are the $15 - $30 "N1-style" or "Bomb S" mufflers pieces of crap? I don't want to spend more than $100 total, including installation. Speaking of which, what is better, bolt-on or welded? I also have no clue how much welding would cost to have done. I guess I'm full of questions and pretty clueless. One thing I do know is that I do not want a "fart can". I don't want an annoying, loud go-kart sound. I want a higher-quality, deeper sound. Not necesarily a lot louder. I mainly want a new muffler for an increase in sound quality, looks, and performance. Any help would be highly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[KYMP5]

http://www.carxpressions.com/gate/muffler_gate.html

 

[1Canuck2]

I seriously doubt your needs and expectations are going to be met by a $15 - $30 muffler. Even for $100 (including installation) you may be hard pressed to find what you want.

I think (althoughs will have to confirm) that most mufflers will be welded not bolt-on. You may want to look for an axle-back instead, but the price will go up even more.

Ractive is a cheap brand that many have used, but I don't know how well it will meet your needs. Bottom line is, you'll get what you pay for.

Good luck!

 

[Hazman]

Hey guys, I was wondering what the differences would be between one of those less-expensive Ractive mufflers, and something like an Apexi N1. I want to get something good, not necesarily "great", but just something that isn't considered a piece of crap. I want it to be worth potentially paying a healthy sum of money to have it welded on. I want a more deep, "solid" sound, rather than a loud, chopper-like fart sound. I hope that is understandable. Thanks!

 

[Striker187]

you get what you pay for. seriously. those ebay bomz pieces of s*** are pieces of s*** for a reason...they sound like s***. if you're just after the sound and don't care about performance, just get a muffler and weld it on. but just a warning, NA cars can sound buzzy if not done right. if your car sounds buzzy, put a resonator on it.

i doubt you can get anything for $100 total. save some money and buy a quality piece. if you're gonna do something, do it right.

 

[Black Majik MSP]

Have you thought about buying someone's MSP axle-back (not sure if it fits your car, but they sell for that price) or getting a shop to put on a straight pipe? You could also try these, but I can't say anything about their quality:

http://www.apexr1.com/unmuf.html

 

[Hazman]

Ahh, looks like I accidentally deleted my post, dammit.

I found these real Apexi N1s for $160 BIN each, "Turbo" and "NA":

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2437199367&category=33636

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2437199366&category=33636

These prices seem too good to be true considering the catalog N1s I've seen...?

How are these, and which of the two would be better for my Pro'?

Thanks a lot... I appreciate it!

 

[KYMP5]

you would need the na one. the turbo one would probably have to big of an inlet on it

 

[Installshield 2]

And those N1's are extremely loud and buzzy on small displacement NA engines...

IMO just save your money and wait..."Good" and "inexpensive" contradict each other very often...Save up and by a full cat-back eventually with whatever style and sound you want...The RB will sound and look infinitely better to me, but that is me, not you...but I guarantee that N1 will be in Civic territory...

 

[Striker187]

yeah if you got an N1, chances are you'll sound very buzzy. a resonator will help but i don't know how much.

btw, if you want one that most likely won't be buzzy, get a tanabe racing medallion. my friend had one on his civic before he went turbo. very deep, loud, and no buzz.

 

[Black Majik MSP]

My friend put an N1 turbo on his RSX-S & it sounded great. He had an exhaust shop do some custom piping so that it would fit, but I don't think you should rule out APEXi. The N1 is probably the cheapest muffler you'll find that is still GOOD quality & they come in a bunch of different colors too.

 

[kk52736]

any website is for canadian buyer cheap?