Low Cost Exhaust

The four most basic (and arguably most important) car mods are rims, exhaust, tint, and paint. While exhaust is often one of the less expensive and more rewarding mods, for those on the tightest of budgets such as myself, an even cheaper option can be very well received. In order to achieve an appealing exhaust note, there are a few factors that must be understood:

Resonators: most sports cars from 3000 GTs to Mustangs have resonators to improve the quality of the exhaust note. These are typically incorporated into the exhaust somewhere between the engine and the muffler. Most SUVs and trucks do not have resonators, although some do. Resonators may be identified by their football-like shape and location between the engine and muffler.

Mufflers: these are what keeps your car from sounding like a rally truck. Without a muffler, your car would likely set off every car alarm you passed, and while this may seem cool, trust me, it gets old fast. Many cars have more than one muffler and will produce a much more pleasing exhaust note if only one is present, but this differs greatly by car. In some cases, such as in the case of my car, this is the best option. To remove one of the mufflers, it is only practical if the muffler is bolted on, rather than welded on. it is not usually necessary to actually remove the muffler, but it is often enough to simply unbolt it and adjust it so that it no longer restricts the flow of exhaust.

The best way to modify exhaust on most cars is to unbolt a section of the exhaust and use washers to create a gap in the exhaust pipe. most cars, but not all, have their exhaust pipes held together with bolted joints which may be easily unbolted, however some cars feature welded pipes and for those, this method is not applicable. With this method, you can adjust the volume and pitch of the exhaust note by adding or removing washers. I would recommend purchasing ten washers, five for each bolt on the exhaust joint, and adding or subtracting washers as you see fit.

DISCLAIMER: It is important to remember that in some places, it is illegal to perform certain modifications to your exhaust system, so check with your local laws as to the legality of specific modifications. Also, It is illegal for automobiles to be over a certain sound threshold in some areas, so be sure to know how loud your car legally can be to ensure that you will not get a sound violation. I have tested all of these modifications on my own and my friends' vehicles and have ensured that these are viable options for modifying your exhaust system, however, perform these modifications at your own risk.