hondarider17

hey guys! im looking for a catback for my 04 civic ex/si ( canada)
IM on a tight budget, $120 max
how are the ebay catbacks, im looking at this one
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/01-05...item1e66e4bfb7
Let me know what you guys think and have any suggestions!
thanks in advance!
James

VTEC-4.0

Sorry to say but $120 won't get you a decent cat back.If you're looking for performance parts,I'd stay away from Ebay.

hondarider17

i did some reading and seems like that n1 catback seems pretty decent.
what can go wrong with it though?
thanks for the reply!

VTEC-4.0

What N1 exhaust were you reading about?I've never heard of Cosmo Dynamic,but I know A'pexi makes a N1 exhaust.Judging by the fact that it's only $120 the quality isn't good.Maybe even lead to engine failure.Who knows it's ebay.I know for fact though an ebay turbo will destroy your engine.

hondarider17

Well i dont got much more to spend on exhaust

Muirsy

then save your money until you can afford a name brand cat back like apexi. if you buy a cheap exhaust it will end up sounding like crap and won't last very long. i have an apexi N1 cat back and i love it but it wasn't cheap.

hondarider17

im not gunna shell out $500 for a catback for a civic.
Piping is piping. How can it be that bad?

lowlife9

if your going to get ebay stuff i would go tsunami there like the top of the line ebay crap. but if i was you i would just cut the muffler off and replace it with a vibrant streetpower muffler there around 80-100 dollars then just have it clamped on.

Speed9117

iTrader: (1)

I don't think I would ever buy an ebay exhaust, but I've had kinda the same thought as Hondarider about exhausts. instead of buying a $700 or whatever exhaust I've contemplated just going to a local exhaust shop and having them rig up a custom 2.25" or 2.5" (basically one size bigger than stock) or whatever cat back and then adding the street power muffler (my friend has one and I love it) on the end and calling it good.

Is that just crazy or dumb or what? It seems like it should work right? I mean the idea is to increase airflow by decreasing bends and increasing diameter without going overboard. Since some back pressure is actually good you wouldn't put a 3" exhaust on an otherwise stock civic, but as long as you kept it reasonable it seems like it should work just fine. Maybe? haha

sl33pyriceboi

iTrader: (3)

N1 system are farty. they dont sound good...

and even worst, ur link is not a REAL N1 CATBACK....

look under the description... its an "N1 style" (means its fake)








which means...... its a generic ebay fart cannon that is welded together and you knows if it'll properly fit ur car.

MindBomber

piping isn't just piping, there's a reason an aftermarket exhaust for an sti or evo could easily be over $5000 and for exotics like an R8 over $10000. The quality of the metal, welds, the engineering that goes into the design of the exhaust all make a difference in the sound and overall performance. Go cheap if you like, but it won't sound anything like a quality exhaust, the cheapest I would go is an hks.

Ebay exhausts also rust to ****, so you need to spray it with lots of header paint.

sl33pyriceboi

iTrader: (3)

1. fitment and 2. sound quality.


1. its prob gonna fit like crap. chinese made with out much R&D. if it doesnt fit right or bolt on right, then its gonna be useless......and that means u have wasted ur money on useless crap.

2. sound quality: ever heard those nasty *** exhast? most of the time its some generic fart cannon without the proper baffling/noise dampening. ur gonna prob get something that sounds like **** and goes BEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH and its gonna make you look hella stupid.....not to mention to people and mostly cops.




but you know what, in the end, its ur car, your money. use it as you please...but these kinda advise are from people who have been stupid (and hard headed) and bought shitty ebay stuff only to realize it sucks *** and later down the line buy the legit stuff.

just like everything man, if u are going to do it, do it right the first time... so save you money, and buy a decent exhaust...there are used ones on here that sell for cheap.

my .02

Speed9117

iTrader: (1)

Sorry to thread jack again, but this has been something that's been bugging me a while.

So, if you went to a reputable shop where you know the weld quality is going to be good and such and you made sure to get quality materials you could in theory get something good. But at that point you'd probably be spending about the same as a good kit?

haha I think I'll stick to a brand name cat back... or better yet, my ricer chrome tailpipe tip

I'm done thread jacking now, I promise.

sl33pyriceboi

iTrader: (3)

i dont know if u can call the hks a cheap exhaust... its pretty expensive for just a tip (axle back)

and its harder to find now because they dont import/make them anymore for our cars.

sl33pyriceboi

iTrader: (3)

oh yea man, none of this is personal and we hope u dont feel like we're talking down to you or anything. just friendly advise from people who have been there, done that and failed in order to know.

sl33pyriceboi

iTrader: (3)

yes...and actually it'll cost you more in a way. because those "high end" exhaust ARE mass produced to cut down cost.

and remember, throwing together an exhaust system is a gamble. you dont know the final sound of ur exhaust (where as the good exhaust manufacture will test out the exhaust, aka R&D, and make sure it sounds good.

for example akra exhaust are extremely high end. you are going to pay $5000+ but just look at their quality
http://www.akrapovic.com/car-exhaust/products/



^for crap sake, look at that!

MindBomber

It's a good thread jack, because this is a very valid option that a lot of people wonder about.

Any exhaust shop should be able to weld you up something custom and it should cost less compared to something like an apexi or greddy exhaust, even if you buy a good muffler. People are willing to spend the extra bit of cash on a complete name brand exhaust, because there's no hoping that the exhaust sounds good when you start the car the first time, you can listen to youtube videos and know exactly what it will sound like. Every subtle bend will have a slight impact on the sound produced, we don't think of it this way, but the flow of gaes through a complete (header to tip) exhaust is almost as complex as a musical instrument.

It's just the axle back, but it sounds great and its a quality exhaust for under $350 if dezod can still get some. Unless your doing serious engine mods it's not that big a deal to only have an axle back and not a cat back, in my honest opinion.

sl33pyriceboi

iTrader: (3)

i couldnt help laughing when you said that....lmao

MindBomber

I'm going to build my d17 and make my honda civic into a race car, so I need a full header to tip exhaust.

sl33pyriceboi

iTrader: (3)

dont forget the JDM cold air intake.... and the magnetic fuel stabilizer.

MindBomber

woooooaaaaa!!!

did you feel that dude, vtec-e just kicked in.

sl33pyriceboi

iTrader: (3)

fixed

brobo

i have an ebay exhaust and i would say save up for a real good one. mu head hurts so much from the loudness

VTEC-4.0

To me,if you really don't have the cash flow for high quality parts,don't tune at all.Leave your car stock.Better to save up for quality parts than a new car.

lowlife9

oops i meant to say TSUDO exhaust not tsunami tsudo is the best of the ebay crap i used one for about 2 years before i upgraded it had a nice low rumble with the silencer on off it was to loud but it didn't rust at all through connecticut winters so if i had to choose it would be tsudo but knowing what i know now i would have saved my money and do it rite the first time anyway here is the link
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/CIVIC...item56306a202f

Speed9117

iTrader: (1)

Yeah everything you guys said makes sense. It's better to go with a known quantity... Something you know will sound good, not something you hope will sound good.

Duuuuuuude. These are pure exhaust shiny glory. They did a review on one for an Evo X in Modified and it was sex.




vtec yo! I feel like there needs to be a Johnny Tran vtec smilie.

VTEC-4.0

^ I had a pic of that in my sig before.lol

iridehonda

You can pick up a nice used catback in the marketplace for cheap. Or just go with a vibrant muffler. If I could do it over I would have went with a vibrant.

hondarider17

thanks for all the help guys, and ive been keepin an eye out for used catbacks, havent found any unless you guys have, and where do i find a vibrant muffler?

MindBomber

http://vibrantperformance.com/distributors.php