Ark Performance Exhaust Received/Review
 

I've finally received my exhaust from Ark Performance today ! I have had lots of trouble finding reviews on the Ark exhaust even though I know many people have them, so hopefully this will help a few. I will be doing a full review this weekend because that is when I will be getting it installed.

For now just a few pics, I apologize for the crappy pictures. I took them with my phone. And I want to comment on my initial impression, enjoy:

When I received the package, nothing was damaged on the outside and the system seem to be very well wrapped and protected.

Looks: The system looks great! I have a small ding on one of the pieces but its not a major thing ( very small ). Overall it looks very well made. I was hesitant on how the tips were going to look, because of the pictures I've seen they looked some what a grayish blue. But I think they came out just the way I wanted it too. :tup: Great job Ark !

Here are some pictures, again sorry for the poor quality. I will be doing a full review this weekend! and hopefully if I can get my hands on a good camera be doing some videos

http://www.the370z.com/members/zride...-10-31-994.jpg

http://www.the370z.com/members/zride...-16-12-289.jpg

http://www.the370z.com/members/zride...-28-42-866.jpg

http://www.the370z.com/members/zride...-34-39-742.jpg

So I had it installed this past saturday. And wow can't tell you how much more I enjoy driving the car now. It feels like a completely different animal.

Sound: I thought the exhaust was going to turn out a little too quiet, but man it is PERFECT. It still has a fimilar sound but the tone is much lower and when it gurgles on decel it sounds absolutely amazing. It came out a lot better than i expected. Videos really dont do the exhaust any justice. The main reason I purchased the exhaust was due to the fact I heard it has VERY minimal drone if none at all. And it is completely TRUE ! I still havent broken the exhaust in, but I took the car out on the highway several times and at cruising speed there is no drone. None. I 60 mph and up could not hear anything, it sounded like the stock exhaust. But when i pressed the gas it would come alive. I absolutely love it and I chose the perfect exhaust for me.

Fitment: At first there were no issues, but I have to go back because it is rubbing agaisnt the crossmember causing quite an amount of buzzing and vibrating noise, really annoying. The installer said that he could just place a washer between and it would solve it. He mentioned it right after the install because there was a small space between and said that if it were to happen he would be able to do that.

Looks: The rear end of the car looks a while lot better IMO. The tips stick out a little further than the stock exhaust but still looks very good.

I don't have any videos yet, or dynos, sorry. I will hopefully be able to do a video soon, but videos really dont do the exhaust any justice. It sounds 10 times better in person then in the videos. I was completely shocked. The sound is intoxicating!

More pictures to come!
http://www.the370z.com/members/zride...-37-58-757.jpg

Awesome. The tips look a lot bluer than the other units I've seen online...

thats what i said, but i love em :icon17:

I actually called and asked Alex at Ark about this, the grayish purple color(that I was really excited to get) was only on the prototype and early production units. The burnt blue look that is on all the units sent out now, yours and mine included, is the new standard look for the exhaust. Hopefully they will get updated pictures out sometime soon so people like us don't get excited for the purple though the blue has mellowed out after a few heat cycles and actually looks quite nice now.

Edit: He also mentioned that if there was enough interest in the greyish purple tips than its quite possible they could start producing them and work something out with the people that already have the blue so post up if you prefer the greyish purple ones.

Mine is still riding around on the Fed Ex truck today! Can't wait to open mine up once I get it.

Start the install, I want to have you guys experience what 370z is truly meant to sound like out of the factory.

Alex

updated, Alex the car sounds absolutely amazing.. words cannot describe haha

Looks like that makes 3 of us!

nice! i bought this exhaust before i have the car. its just sitting in my living room...

Those tips look like sex. But atleast I can prove to everyone I got a prototype beacuse they arn't blue and don't say ARK on them.

did you get yours fixed?

^^ Everything that was shipped out to consumers are production units. We simply redesigned the tips. Let me know if you need anything else

Alex

STFU Alex, Let me live in my own fantasy world. :bowrofl:

I'll trade ya mufflers. Just drive up to Albany. :rofl2:

Everyone, Just to clarify. Fullmonty has our original prototype. 1 of its kinds.

Is there anyone in the chicago area that has this exhaust?? I really want to hear it in person!

For those who have the exhaust, are you bottoming out during daily driving? Is it be able to go up a speed bump or down a driveway with a curb without scraping? Has anyone paired it with HFC's or Test pipes, if so how does it sound??

I have had no problems with clearance, scraping, or anything of that nature. Ive gone over speed bumps and some pretty steep driveways, so far so good ! :tup:

Thats what I like to hear!! I Ownz you All :happydance: :happydance: :happydance: :happydance:

Awesome! Have you or anyone on here been able to compare it to a FI CBE side by side?

I have not heard the FI exhaust, sorry =/

I got the same ones too (with the more grayish-purple tint and no ARK logo). I actually really like the color on them cause it goes amazing with the 40th Anny Graphite which is really similar in color.

Kinda hard to see here, but you get the idea:

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e1...HDR1modded.jpg

Looks clean. We have a couple more of these in stock

the grayish purple look great on the 40th ! :tup:

Lo0k's nice Bro!:tup: How much??

thanks. how much for what?

Just installed my exhaust last night. The quality is the best I have ever seen. I have test pipes, the sound is so much better than I expected. It is not a quiet exhaust with test pipes. The install was super easy and I am not having any rattling issues with the cross member. The passenger side muffler seems to sit lower than the driver side but I didn't really have time to adjust it last night. The only "weird" thing about it is when it is a cold start up, if I gas it and let off the gas, theres a whistle/sucking noise(almost like a blow off valve). Maybe this is due to the little cannisters? But after a few minutes it stops this noise. Also, the pipes hang kinda low, I don't know if I can lower the car now without scraping in my drive way. Overall I love this exhaust and should have vids up this weekend.

Nope, don't "Ownz" me either! Not sure which I like better, I like the purpleish one for being a little more stealth than the new one, but the ARK logo on the newer ones is very nice. Oh well, it looks good either way and sounds f'n great.

Do we have before and after dynos for these?

If not, anyone getting one?

Did you just put the test pipes on with the exhaust Big J? The whistle/sucking noise may be your test pipes. Or the exhaust made the sound more noticeable/magnified. I worry about ground clearance as well, haven't smacked mine on anything yet.

The test pipes have been on the car, then I added the cat back last night. I kinda thought the tp might be leaking but the sound only happens on a cold start up and you let off the gas. The streets around Memphis are HORRIBLE so I really worry about the clearance.

the whistling sounds is due to the x-pipe. the sounds is probably magnified because of your test pipes.

That's what I'm thinking. There have been post about this before hinting that.

^^What is happening is ARK designed the Exhaust with Stock Cats, The Increased Exhaust flow due to the test pipes is to much for the X pipe section thus creating a loud howl wistling noise. Which is the reason I sold mine soon after purchase, Because I was not going to take off the Test Pipes.

Note the exhaust will sound just fine with the stock cats, only when use of Test Pipes will it make this loud howl,wistle noise.


DAN

^^^hmm. i wonder if the case is the same with HFC's. although not as bad...maybe?

yep.

So it's been a few months, any of you guys having problems with scraping? I'm sold on the sound of this system, but am definitely worried about scraping every time I pull in my driveway, etc.

The position of the lowest point of the exhaust is where the wheel is. This means that your fenders and tires would meet before the exhaust touches the ground.

On KW v3's with ARK exhaust. Surprisingly, its very rare that I scrape.

Its all due to the position of mufflers.

Nice exhaust, how much did you get it for ?? (shipped)