Exhaust Poll
 

Am deciding which exhaust to purchase (or have wifey let me buy) for Father's Day :) I've seen the various reviews, database clips, etc. But there's so many. What I want out of this thread is for you guys to recommend what you think I should get. I've narrowed it down to the exhausts listed above in the poll. I would like to know what you guys actually have. If there is another brand of exhaust worth looking into, please reply with that too and I can add the poll choice. After voting, can you please also reply with this format? Again, I would like your "personal opinion" regarding the points below, of what you think of your own exhaust.

Exhaust Name:
Quality:
Fitment/Looks:
Sound:

FYI, I don't like exhausts that stick out a lot further out than the stockers... to me that looks ricey. I would like to avoid my car being thought of as ricey as much as possible:icon14: both in looks and sound.

Last thing, I also would like to keep my OEM cats, and no test pipes... if that helps any. Thanks

=============
UPDATE 4/16/2011

Went with Invidia Gemini and installed it today. Here are the details and review:

http://www.the370z.com/intake-exhaus...st-review.html

All or any of them you listed are good choices.

Generally, I do not think you can go wrong with any of which you listed. What might really matter though is your 'style' preference' and what you expect to gain from the exhaust.

Do you want OEM style canister that tucks and hides behind the rear bumper? or do you want dual canister? or do you want dual canister with helmholtz resonator?

Next is cost and waiting time.

Stock style: Most expensive to less expensive. (minus Amuse and other 3k+ JDM)
Berk (X pipe, US)
Stillen (Dual to Y pipe to Dual, US)
Exotic speed (X pipe, Canada)
Invidia (adjustable tips, X pipe, sub $1000 US)

Dual Muffler: Most expensive to less, (minus Amuse and other 3k+ JDM)
HKS (adjustable tips + Helmholts + JDM + H pipe)
Fast Intentions (US, X pipe, most gains)
ARK Grip (KDM/US, Helmholts, X pipe)

As far as gains go, Fast Intentions and Stillen seems to produce the most HP/TQ gain but differences are minimal at best.

Personally, I love how HKS sounds and looks. Authority speaks for itself. Daddy AK also has HKS ;)

Also, following sticky post might be helpful to you.
http://www.the370z.com/intake-exhaus...data-base.html

Cheers!

I am running the Greddy TiC turbo exhaust and it looks and sounds great. Fitment is fantastic amd the burnt blue tips look cool.

Exhaust Name: Greddy TiC turbo
Quality: Very good
Fitment/Looks: solid
Sound: Good growl at full throttle, not to loud, does not drone will cruising.

you forgot MXP also... :)

[Mackin eXtreme Performance]
http://www.the370z.com/intake-exhaus...deo-sound.html

Thank you sir. Yes, I have seen that database thread plenty of times :) Just wanted some more opinions of what forum members had/liked, etc...

As far as HKS, I think it sounds good, but I think it looks "too loud" for me. Those tips are HUGE! I wonder if cops here would prey on me for having those :(

I need to look at this one closer. Got a good vid to refer me to? Does it rasp?

I looked at this one after reading your post. I've never heard of MXP. Quality seems to be really nice from your link! I listened to your clip and of another, but it might seem a little too loud for me???


Here's a link to one of my favorite vids/sounds for Stillen... IMO, it sounds closest to how the original stock Z/G exhaust sounded like, but a little more mean :) I'm not saying it's Stillen for sure what I'll get, but I really like how it sounds (I think I embedded the vid correctly??!!?!?!? :icon14:)

YouTube - 370Z w/ Stillen Exhaust & Berk Tech HFCs: Launch Clip

I have the Stillen HFC's and CBE. There were some fittment issues very early on with their set-up. They were solved pretty quickly. I enjoy the sound mine makes and the HP gains. The fittment on mine was perfect. There have been other manufacturers who have had fittment problems that have been documented on these forums. And others who didn't like the sound of their set-ups. So, use the search function and good luck!

Name: Berk
Quality: very good, after a harsh winter with lots of salt on the road the pipes and mufflers are still rust free and shiny!
Fitment: very good now, but I had to do some adjustments to the hangers to have the tips line up right. However, I had one of the first two batches of this exhaust, so I assume those were early production issues and will not be there on newly produced exhausts.
Looks: tips are very similar to the stock ones, slanted and in the same position, similar size too. Muffler position same as stock but shiny stainless instead of painted flat black. So a little bit of bling under the bumper.
Sound: perfect! Nice deep tone but no drone or rasp. Nice growll when you step on it, but never too loud. Note: this is with stock cats, I had HFCs before and that made it too loud for me (but it did sound even better supercar/ race car like)

Yes! I defeinitely want to keep stock cats. So the exhaust I will be getting will just be the CBE.

Whhhaaattt???? No hks?!?!?!





Dan

Tanabe Medalion CBE would also fit the bill. Sounds great and excellent build quality. Also it has no bling hanging down.

Invidia
Fitment was excellent. High quality welds Stillen and Invidia look the most "OEM". The sound is deep but not too loud. Exhaust tips are adjustable and don't stick out too much. You have a choice with dual walled vs single wall and stainless steel vs burnt titanium looks.

Hi Dan... sorry but the look of HKS is too "loud" in terms of looks... :( see my first post.

I'm not familiar with this CBE, jaycz. I will do look into it. You have it on yours?

I heard good things about both Stillen and Invidia. Are you happy with your invidia? I think I will definitely go double walled, as that looks less ricey to me.

Wow, this thread looks to be as popular as the dreaded oil thread. Great info and opinions.

As I said, Berk sounds great with stock cats and looks almost stock, not flashy at all.

If you got balls get greddy.:tiphat:

I voted for f.i.
but if you are looking for something that you can dd but when u womp on it you coast i recommend the stillen cbe.

Stillen kinda looks stockman and stick out a bit

Huh? I don't think so.

Yes the tips do stick out further then stock

I voted F.I. I was buyer #3 of their catback for the 370Z and I still love the exhaust. Light weight, sounds great, looks great. Only issue I have is ground clearance, but I am lowered quite a bit too.

Mackin - distributors for Volk, Project Mu, Espelir, Advan, etc. in the US. they now have their own line of performance products now. quality stuff.

mine is loud because i have resonated test pipes, so i do get some of that rasp... but none of that hiss or drone.

Wow... thanks for the responses guys.... keep em coming! So far, F.I. is winning by a landslide, followed by Stillen.

I love the F.I. sound too, but am worried about how low it is. Will it be an issue if I am riding stock and currently have no plans of lowering?

edit: is it just me, or am I the only who thinks that just "maybe", the F.I. cbe looks a little too blingy??? just curious.

hey crown... thanks for response. My Z is a 3rd car, so definitely not dd. What do you mean by "but when you womp on it you coast"??? Meaning coasting sounds better than womping on it?

The fast intentions looks good especially the carbon fiber. Great sound and loved mine but it's sits low. If you plan on having a major drop on coils watch out. Only reason why I changed mine is causE I wanted to slam my car and not worry abot the exhaust. My exhaust isn't for everyone but sounds good and is already ready for FI

Yeah, I git an Invidia exhaust for my FX45 in 2009. Liked it so much I got one for the Z last year. I have the double wall SS for both. Good sounding, good pricing and good quality. I wouldn't hesitate recommending it.

The invidia is probably the best choice for what you are looking for. The FI exhaust is louder and more "bling" than the HKS (which I have) but my second choice was invidia. I will be getting the rolled ss tips for the HKS when Nissan Generation finally gets them...

Greddy TI-C

ARK FTW. SOUND, PERFORMANCE, and Price.
Did you see that TT 370z with the exhaust video? Pure Sex

Get out and listen to as many aftermarket exhausts for the 370z as you can. That's is the best way to decide!

I had FI before and it sounds awesome slightly on the louder side as compared to Invidia which I have now. There will be some drone in Fast Intention between 2.2k to 2.9k rpms and yes it sit a bit low.

I am totally happy with Invidia, tips have options to choose from, you can have plain SS ones as stock as well and are adjustable. Sound is just perfect you only hear it loud when pushing the car like crazy else it serves the purposde.

Last but not the least cheapest of all other out there.

Greddy Ti-C

YouTube - Greddy Ti-C on Nismo

Technically the tips are about the same size as the other exhausts and it sits up underneath the car a lot more than the FI exhaust so "cops" will see less of the exhaust. Not to mention the extra resonators make it one of the quietest exhausts to get but is nice and deep and throaty when pushed over 4k RPMs. It's an amazing exaust but ultimately it's your decision. I'm just giving you the hard facts that you may be over looking.

My 2nd choice would be a GTM or Greddy exhaust as a tie.

My 3rd choice would be FI. Great sounding and performing exhaust but it sits too low for some people and the waiting times to get this to your house are ridiculous in my opinion.

Do you have HFC or Test pipes with your HKS exhaust?? if so how is the rasp/drone?

There's no rasp or drone right now with stock cats and Stillen G3 and no VQ hiss either. I'm sure swapping out the cats will give some hiss though. I'm awaiting Motordyne ART pipes right now and supposedly there's no drone or rasp either. The only regret is that the tips are too easy for somebody to steal. Two tiny hex screws on each tip. I'll probably make the tips permanent with a torch.

Actually when I did my reserach on this forum...Berk came out on top with a Dyno'd number of 36WHP with HFC/CBE combo...

Exhaust Name: Berk
Quality: Great..Welds and Pipings are awsome
Fitment/Looks:Perfect...No issues with fitment...Mine was from the 2nd batch...Has stock look and Pipse DON'T STICK out from rear bumper...Has a nice flush look...Tips are beautiful
Sound: As Matt put it..."EXOTIC" a perfect 11 out of 10... :bowrofl: Really though this exhaust sounds amazing IMO....

Judge for yourself...Here's a link to my vid
YouTube - 370Z Berk Exhaust

As mentioned earlier...all the exhausts that you posted on your poll are great exhausts...It just all comes down to what you want and your preference...They've all got different styles which makes them all unique...as you can tell by your Poll and the F. I. Exhaust thread...F. I. is one of the most popular exhausts out there...If you're looking for a more stock/sleeper look, then your choices will be narrowed down.

Best of Luck!!!!

Somehow this thread has turned into "what's your favourite exhaust" rather than answering the OP's question of what meets HIS needs. FI is definitely not what he is looking for in sound/looks. :twocents:

IF your not gonna get HFC or Testpipes. The best sounding exhaust is hands down ARK.

HKS ftw...
Sounds even better with F.I resonated hfc's.
No rasp, not loud compared to others and sounds aggressive. Just perfect. Extremely satisfied.

I agree... what's with the long wait? What if I buy it frome some of our sponsors here on this forum? Don't they already have them in-hand?



Wow Bolio... I need re-consider Berk. That look is almost stock. But the sound is sooo sweet. That's the stock sound I miss about by G35C, but a lot deeper and more authoritative. I just hate what they did with the stock 370Z exhaust sound. I can't even hear it from inside the cabin while driving. In your vid, it's even captured on an audio recording.

However, I did read somewhere on here, that there were some quality fitment issues with Berk initially? as well as bad customer service and long wait times? Does this still hold true today? And what if purchased through a sponsor, do I still have to deal with Berk directly for issues or do I still have to wait as long as I would for F.I. to purchase one?!?!?

That's ok... I welcome all your opinions... in the end, it helps me decide what I will get. As for F.I., though I like how it sounds, too much bling, sitting low, and the price are what's concerning me...

Right now, am debating between Invidia, Stillen, and Berk.

All three are winners, but for the money, I vote Invidia. It sounds sweet, looks awesome and is the most affordable.