custom exhaust vs. AEM tested exhaust

[Great White Versa]

I was talking to one of my coworkers about having installed the AEM cold-intake and that I was thinking of getting their cat-back exhaust. When I told him that it cost ~$600 he laughed and said that he had his dual exhaust (Dodge Charge SR). He LOVES it and paid half of what AEM wants for the Versa model. Crazy! He gave me his guys' number and when I gave him a call I was told that it would cost about $200 to get mine done.

I am going to go pay this dude a visit to see what exactly it is that he would be doing. The CAI was the first upgrade i've ever installed on a car so I don't know what to look for in this guys' shop. Does anyone have any suggestions of what to ask him and/or look for? Why would I spend the extra money to get the AEM built exhaust?

Thanks for the help.

[law]

I dont know if the AEm exhaust is cat back or axle back. If its cat back is going to be mandrel bent and your friends guy might be crush bent.

[Ever Victorious]

A couple good reasons...

1) for $200 I can GUARANTEE you that the exhaust system will be crush bent, which will restrict flow. the AEM is mandrel bent, so the diameter of the pipe remains the correct size, even inside the bends.

2) the AEM exhaust has been designed for maximum flow with a relatively tuned exhaust note. for $200 it will be hard to tell what kind of muffler you will get. You may absolutely hate how the exhaust sounds afterwards (speaking from experience... I was given a Flowmaster 40 series on my last exhaust, which was a mistake... it droned BADLY at cruising speeds)

3) replaceability. With a custom exhaust, they have to cut off the exhaust pipe at the flange exiting the catalyst, and then weld the new exhaust on to that. If for some reason you need your stock system again, you would need to buy a new one off a wrecked V. the AEM is a complete bolt-on replacement so you can keep your stock exhaust just in case.

And yes, the AEM is a full cat-back.

[Nismo V]

Reasons not to do a custom exhaust.. 1) all the ones EV said.

Reasons to buy an AEM cat-back exhaust..

1) 50 state smog legal.. a must have here in CA.

2) Better apperance.. gotta love the seemless look

3) It's tested for more perfomance with a better sound..

4) Less install time..

[blindsnyper]

i had a custom exhaust put on my '93 toyota 4runner for $200 and i got manderal bends. personally id say go for the custom exhaust. the aem cat-back i dont think is worth 2-3 times the price. the next time i have a couple extra bucks i am getting a custom exhaust for my V.

[Great White Versa]

Why would the AEM exhaust be legal but not one made in a shop? What do you mean by the seamless look on the exhaust? Are you talking about the view from underneath the car or muffler to exhaust tip?

Aside from the mandrel bends and welding the new pipe to the cat, what else should I be looking for when I go see this dude?

[lain]

Well what I am planning on doing is buying the AEM exhaust just for there bends and selling the muffler part to someone else.

Its an expensive way but its also my lazy way of getting what i can without going to a muffler shop. Besides I rather make the bends myself and have a muffler shop do the work. they do terrible jobs as my friend experience with his MR2. With my old 240sx I got a Flowmaster cat-back with hi-flow cat and it sounded sweet...from the start it was so deep and quiet at the same time. But at 3k+ rpms that beast opened up.

[Nismo V]

Why would the AEM exhaust be legal but not one made in a shop? What do you mean by the seamless look on the exhaust? Are you talking about the view from underneath the car or muffler to exhaust tip

1) A 50 state legal exhaust has met stringent testing and conforms to state and local law requirements regarding air and noise pollution.A one off does not that is were the cost comes into play manufacturers pay fees to agencies that give the product after testing a stamp of approval.. which keep you from needing to worry about the fix it ticket..

2) A seemless look exhaust doesn't have all the imperfections associated with a shop welded ones, burns are not as visible and it is smoother to the touch and it has an overall better quality look and you won't have an issue with future leaks at weld points..

I've done the one off exhaust system before and honestly tested products are always better for most daily driven rides for fit and finish, unless you are trying to become a reseller of the part or have show car experience... Either way you choose for your ride you get what you pay for rember that...

[blindsnyper]

you can get the aem cat-back exhuast for $682.50. or you can have a custom exhaust made for, lets say $300, that doesnt look as good AND get the aem cai for $258.30 and still have so extra money.

although if you have the money and are worried about LOOKING at it all the time then you should probably get the aem product.

think about it

[Great White Versa]

Acutally, I got the AEM CAI for 195

[Rockhound]

you can get the aem cat-back exhuast for $682.50. or you can have a custom exhaust made for, lets say $300, that doesnt look as good AND get the aem cai for $258.30 and still have so extra money.

although if you have the money and are worried about LOOKING at it all the time then you should probably get the aem product.

think about it

Yeah, I don't get all this talk about the AEM passing emissions tests and looking better. I mean first of all, the catalytic converter is the primary device for reducing emissions - mufflers just reduce the exhaust note. Since this is a *cat-back* exhaust, you wouldn't be altering the *cat* with the AEM or custom exhaust.

Also, I don't know about anyone else, but the only part of the exhaust that you can see on my car is the muffler tip.

I got a custom cat-back exhaust on my old B13 back in the day. I bought the performance muffler and glass pack and then took them to my mechanic and had him weld the mandrel bent pipe. Parts and labor for the welding/pipe was around $200...the muffler combo was a little over $100. It was a freer flowing exhaust than stock and had just a little more noise (better tone).

I did some research beforehand and luckily there was a website dedicated to GA16 modifications - and the Dynomax mufflers were recommended for sound/performance. And they're affordable.

I'm not doubting that the AEM is well designed and attractive, but at that price, I'm going to question whether it's worth it. Perhaps on a much more expensive vehicle.

[Ever Victorious]

i had a custom exhaust put on my '93 toyota 4runner for $200 and i got manderal bends.

Important to note that this is the EXCEPTION, not the rule.

You have to find out specifically what kind of bends will be in the system. In my neck of the woods, NOONE has a mandrel bender, so it is 100% guaranteed you will get a crush bent exhaust unless you order a bunch of mandrel bent pipe sections from Summit Racing and bring them to your exhaust guy. And chances are if you do that, your exhaust will be more than $200 once you total everything together.

Exhaust systems are still bound by laws. For MOST area of the country, they must be less than 85 decibels at both cruise and WOT as measured 30 feet from the tail pipe. Most places also require a muffler, and the exhaust system must terminate behind the rear wheels of the car. I can't speak for California law, as I don't live there.

[lain]

Cops really don't care about mod's to your care here in los angeles, they got better things to do...but every now and then they get bored and pull us over.

I remember one time i was at the street races over here and about 1 block down there were 2 cops just chilling and talking outside there cars. We were racing for probably 2 hours...they never came or anything...and i know they could hear us easy.

back to the subject. Cali has the hardest rules when it comes to cars. Even coilovers are illegal. ANYTHING aftermarket, besides audio, rims, and body kits are illegal. at least it seems that way.

they even start to do check points where cops stop modified cars and give them smogs test on the spot. and if you dont pass you get your car towed.

[Nismo V]

Yeah, I don't get all this talk about the AEM passing emissions tests and looking better. I mean first of all, the catalytic converter is the primary device for reducing emissions - mufflers just reduce the exhaust note. Since this is a *cat-back* exhaust, you wouldn't be altering the *cat* with the AEM or custom exhaust.

Also, I don't know about anyone else, but the only part of the exhaust that you can see on my car is the muffler tip.

I'm not doubting that the AEM is well designed and attractive, but at that price, I'm going to question whether it's worth it. Perhaps on a much more expensive vehicle.

Rock... here in CA. though C.A.R.B. rules are strict so any part that increase the flow of exiting exhaust emissions is up for scutiny Headers, Mufflers, Etc... even our C.A.I. and yes the CAT is a primary tested area, but it is not the only area tested for emissions compliance.

Here's a link for more info on C.A.R.B. http://www.racingbeat.com/emissions.htm

As far as how it looks goes heres a comparison of the rear section part of the Stock v. Cat Back http://automedia.com/Easy_Impo...1eu/1The price is inline with most aftermarket systems and at a pretty good price considering it had to pass C.A.R.B. testing and fees as well.. But don't get me wrong I like the sound of a Magnaflow, Dynoflo as well but on a muscle car, import cars are a different thing... it's nice to have a refined sound on a smaller car.

[NOreasonY]

600 bucks for an exhasut for a versa....mad expensive. 310$ for a magnaflow catback for my old focus. I'd say chekc out what the custom guy is gonna do first.

[Rockhound]

Rock... here in CA. though C.A.R.B. rules are strict so any part that increase the flow of exiting exhaust emissions is up for scutiny Headers, Mufflers, Etc... even our C.A.I. and yes the CAT is a primary tested area, but it is not the only area tested for emissions compliance.

I can be pretty close minded sometimes. Not living in California, I'm not subject to such strict rules and regulations, so I simply don't think that way. We used to have annual vehicle inspections here - but they were a joke. I think we should have them, but they should actually mean something.

Anyway, I also don't doubt the quality of the AEM catback, and there's something to be said for it being a direct bolt-on. And yes, it looks great. I think for those who don't live in an area with such strict regulations, however, they'd be wise to at least consider a custom job for the money savings. I still think that the AEM system is an expensive exhaust for the Versa, but depending on what kind of laws govern your mods, it might be worth it.

[Neo Xian Wu]

well i happen to have a shop with a mandrel bender in the area and was wondering what you guys think the optimal sized piping would be. i was thinking 2.25in due to the smaller engine size.

[NOreasonY]

That soudns about right...2.25 is usually standard for these kinda cars unless you plan on FI (in that case bigger would be needed) I'd say thats fine.