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After months of research and flip flopping on different systems, I saw Bassani finally released their Aft-Cat system for the 370z. With all the good feedback on their 350 exhaust, I decided to pull the trigger.
After talking with their marketing rep Gary and placing my order over the phone, it took about 5 days from the end of the phone call for the package to arrive.
Packaging
Sleep was hard to come by on the days leading up to the install!
Upon opening, all the parts were very well wrapped and packaged tightly. No signs of damage on any of the components.
Quality
The welds aren't the prettiest, but appear to well done. all logos are properly aligned and all necessary hardware was included, with the exception of cat-midpipe gaskets (can be picked up for ~$10 at a local parts store). the whole thing fit together very well and craftsman ship is top notch.
The system is made entirely of 439 stainless steel, which is more resistant to cracking under high heat.
It has resonated tips, and utilizes slip joints for maximum flow. The connection at the cats is 2.25", and opens to 2.5" after the resonators.
Install
With a friend and some jack stands, start to finish the process took about 2 hours 45 minutes. This was the first CBE I've ever installed, so I imagine the time to be less than 2 hours for those with more experience.
Slip joint systems require a bit more adjustment than the typical flange style, as a bit more adjustment is required to get everything to fit, but allows for easier final tweaks when lining up the axle-backs.
Only issue during install and initial assessment was a smaller-than-pinhole sized leak on the right side flange. Only noticed when Simply Green was sprayed on the flange connection to check leaks by way of bubbling. Was easily remedied with a spot of QuikSteel. Not a big flaw, just enough to bother someone as OCD as me.
Impressions
This system is incredible. A very exotic and deep tone, good rumble at idle, and nice throaty tone under partial load. At WOT the exhaust roars and perfectly hits the zone between subdued and rasp. The butt dyno tells me some power was gained, but I haven't dyno'd it so the jury is still out for actual numbers.
Perfect sound levels during normal driving, offering a mild volume increase without being obnoxious whatsoever. Cruising on the highway there is zero drone. It turns heads without blowing eardrums, and has already received numerous compliments in the two weeks I've had it.
Another bonus is the fitment itself. Sometimes there are fitment and clearance issues with aftermarket units, but I was extremely pleased with how well everything fit. I hate tips that jut out from the bumper so it was great to see these fit flush.
I'm very particular about exhausts and looked at many sounds clips and reviews before finding this. I cannot express how amazing it sounds.
Here is a quick pull at night a couple hundred miles after install.
Packaging: 10
- Box was well sealed and all components were well protected and carefully wrapped
Quality: 6
[SIZE="3”]- Welds aren't the prettiest and there was a pinhole-sized leak at the flange for the cats. Otherwise I was pleased with how everything looked and fit together.[/SIZE]
Install: 8
- Everything fit together very well and the slip joints allowed for a wide range of adjustment to make sure everything sat well when tightened down.
- The right side canister hung a bit lower than the left, pretty typical for this type of axle back design on these cars from I've seen. Was evened out easily by putting a few washers on the left side hanger.
Sound: 7
- The tone is exotic and really gives the car some much needed character. It is mellow around town and on the highway, but screams when you put your foot down. A nice deep tone, gets a little tinny in the midrange yet cleans up at high RPM.
Experience: 9
- The team was helpful and quick to answer any questions I had during the process.
- Quality product with good fitment.
- Makes a good noise, but differs a bit from the teaser videos they use to advertise it.
Overall: 7
This is a decent system for anyone who wants a little more sound but isn’t fixated on performance. The piping is narrow and I think it’s a bit overpriced, but exhausts are super subjective anyway.
UPDATE - SYSTEM MODIFICATION
I have fixed much of the "tinny" sound
If you look at the pre-production photos and videos of the system you'll see it has longer primary resonators and no secondary helmholtz-style resonator. It cost $40 for a local shop to cut out and replace the section of 2.5" piping, and wow what a difference. the tone is much lower, there is more burbling/crackling when you let off, and the volume has increased slightly - but still no highway drone. Below is the illustration of what was done:
I believe the exhaust now sounds how it should’ve from the manufacturer. For future orders I seriously think Bassani should forego the secondary resonators. Will try to upload a new soundclip later.