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Question on exhaust on my 94

  • Thread starter Thread starter tboo
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tboo

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I just recently aquired a 1994 coupe that was ditched. The exhaust is ripped off from the accident-its missing the cats on back. Im going to take this opportunity to add an aftermarket system & have a few questions. 1st off, replacing the cats is too exspensive so there will be none on this car(I live in an area that doesnt have emission checks). If I add a muffler eliminator system will my exhaust be too loud because the cats are gone? I like a nice loud exhaust, but not something that will get me pulled over. If it is too loud & I go with an exhaust system with mufflers-what do recommend that is affordable(<$750)?

Thanks
 
I'll leave it for others to suggest mufflers for your application, but I would like to mention that the catalytic converters are an EPA requirement and are not governed by local laws. So even if your area does not require smog checks, you are still required to have the factory emissions equipment in place. :eyerole

Of course, we don't all play by those rules. ;)

Good luck.
 
Actually I think they are still attached- how many cats does the 94 vette have? I ask because my Stealth TT had pre-cats & cats.
 
I have an '87 which had three to start with, but I think the '94 had just one. ;)

_ken :w
 
I would get an Ecklers catalog and a Mid America catalog. I replaced the whole system on my 85 with a new front y pipe, new free flow cat and rear pipe and mufflers all stainless steel for 800.00. Nice to know I won't ever have to change it out....
 
I think the cats are still on. I looked at some aftermarket cats & they look alomst the same as the suspect ones on my 94. Now that I am almost postive that I have cats-how loud is it to go with muffler eliminators?
 
Ok, I did some checking & it does have the cats
 
Sound like you found the cats still attached. If they had been torn off, you would have had some major floorpan damage!

There is a center resonator on OEM LT-1 exhaust systems just behind the tranny. If that's gone, you can have a good muffler shop bend pipe from the cats back and add something like Flowmasters or Dyno-Max mufflers. That may be the cheap way, but you will get a lot of interior noise and resonance.

With the OEM resonator in place, you can run without muflers. It isn't too loud at idle or cruise, but WOT sounds real nice!

Most after-market systems like B&B, Corsa, Borla, Flowmaster and others can run from $600 to well over $1200. I have B&B Tri-Flos and they sound great, not too loud but a dood deep tone. The entire system is polished stainless steel. Fitment is excellent, but it is one of the higher cost systems. Corsa will run around $900 or so. Borla is close to the $1200 mark. Aftermarket systems use all the factory attaching points.
 
...loud

This is not from personal experience, but I would say with
eliminatiors it's going to be loud enough that you won't hear
soft music anymore. This is from word of mouth around here.
For sure, you will get some resonance in the interior parts
unless maybe you add a cross-over pipe (pipe that bridges
the Y to give equalized exhaust).

A full flowmaster system is $600 for your car. I think it will be hard
for you to get the other manufacturer's systems for under
$750--unless you are talking used. Others are: Power effects
($1250), Corsa($1000), Borla(1100?), B&B(1300?), TPIS (? maybe
you can do it for $750).
 
LT1 systems cost much more than L98 systems... so, If I were you, I would check out a local muffler shop first. If you are concerned with it being too loud, try a pair of flowmaster mufflers in the rear, with nothing but straight pipe before it. That should quiet it down enough.

I am probably going to cut out the center resonator, so I will have straight pipe from the cats back... i already ditched the mufflers, but it isn't quite loud enough for me:)
 
The price has dropped on the 3" B&B system into the $900+ range.
Flowmaster is the cheapest, Summit sells it somwhere in the $550 range.
LT1 catbacks are more expensive and the kicker is they yield very small gains if any. I saw no gain from the addition of a 3" B&B on my 94.
Fortunately I bought my system used. I was planning on just swapping mufflers but the deal was too good to pass on, otherwise there was no way in hell I was spending $800+ on a cat back.
The factory setup (catback) is pretty good on these cars IMO.

One option and the cheapest route would be to find someone selling or giving away a used cat back. I see them for sale very cheap or being given away on the Corvette Forum all the time. Put that on and then you can change the mufflers or add elims. You'll spend alot less than $600.

Since you don't have emissions though you may want to consider long tube headers. You could spend the $600 you would have on a flowmaster on long tube headers instead, put a factory cat back on with it , again you can do whatever you like with mufflers.
You'll see a much bigger gain than you would with just an aftermarket cat back and you'll spend only a little more than you would have for just a catback. If you like LOUD the long tubes through aftermarket mufflers or elims will do the trick. -lol
just throwing some idea out there for you.

There are 2 cats on the LT1, here is what they look like:
http://nick.vettextc.net/for_sale/LT1_Cats.JPG
(driver's side at the bottom)
There are three O2 sensors on the 94, 2 in the pass side cat and one on the dr side.
good luck
 
Mufflers are gone from my car, only center resonnator and cats and it is pretty loud after 2-3,000 rpms. There is not really a low grunting, rumbling sound at idle, but still sounds good. But when you tap the gas... VROOOM. Radio volume has to be increased a few notches on the highway. Forget about soft, quiet song too.

Its music to my ears,
John
 
eagle85c4, I cant seem to find the borla catback system for 495.99 at ecklers-can you point me in the right direction
 
Go to the Ecklers web site...click on exhaust....then mufflers....thel all...
There are seven pages of mufflers and they have the borla for your year there....
 
I can get a pair of magnaflow wide open mufflers(just the mufflers), new, from a friend pretty cheap-any word on this brand?
 
tboo said:
Darn, those are for up to 1991-I have a 94

Those are mufflers only, I thought you needed a cat-back :confused:
$459 for a set of mufflers is ridiculous IMO.
If you're looking for mufflers only you can pick up a set of Flowmasters for alot less than those Borla's. I was originally planning on using Dynomax Ultra Flow Welded Race mufflers on my 94. They are stainless steel, I have a friend who is using them on his 96 TA and loves them. $60 each from Summit or Jegs.
 

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