Best exhaust system

[Alex73]

Hi folks

looking to do justice to my vitesse mk2 with the addition of a twin box stainless steel exhaust system

seen that there seem to be a number of options and prices.

Anyone out there able to comment on the best quality / sounding system?

 

 

[Clive]

Please define best? And what sound you expect.

If you want to annoy your neighbours, the bell system is probably the loudest. Add a centre box to help a little.

The Phoenix twins are a little less painful on the ears.

If you want something that looks more standard, and doesn't suffer ground clearance issues, plus means you can do long journeys without ear protection, the Canley Classics vitesse system is rather good (I ran one for years) or there is a phoenix single box sports system. 

I know I am sounding like an old fart, but the reality is the "joy" of a loud exhaust soon wears off.

[thescrapman]

I always fancied one of theMonza systems, VERY loud apparently. Seem to be US only so I have been saved from myself so far.

I wonder if I could get one over in a suitcase?

[Colin Lindsay]

11 hours ago, clive said:

If you want to annoy your neighbours, the bell system is probably the loudest. Add a centre box to help a little.

I know I am sounding like an old fart, but the reality is the "joy" of a loud exhaust soon wears off.

Never wanted one myself even back in the day, but these days I AM one of the neighbours, and the little ***** in the local estate with the black car with the spoiler and the lowered purple car that drive about all day with their exhausts rattling the windows are going to find the road outside my house covered in caltrops some day. Some days I feel like I've bought a house in Donington Car Park.

Similarly with those flaming whistling dump valves...

Clive's right, the novelty soon wears off, but sadly the driver is often the last to realise it...

[dougbgt6]

12 hours ago, clive said:

the bell system is probably the loudest. Add a centre box to help a little.

The club shop sell stainless exhausts made by Bell, sport, semi sport and standard. Sport and semi are too much for me, even though my daughters tell me I need a hearing aid. Standard includes a centre box and that's what I've got. It seems no noisier than the other standard systems I hear on club night, Rimmer, Canley etc. only difference was the price, much cheaper.   The issue on the GT6 is the centre box clearance is a bit tight, it started to slap on the chassis and my local tyre place realigned it for me, for free, well I buy my Jaguar tyres there so they like me. 

Doug

[rlubikey]

Agree with Clive, Colin, Doug and the others. Sports (pronounced "Loud") exhaust systems are a decision you may soon regret. Usually, the first time you make a long journey - I took to wearing ear plugs! The stainless "standard" systems are often considered louder than the now rare mild steel because the metal is thinner. I was really glad when I eventually swapped my Triumph Tune (Moss) Falcon wheelbarrow system for a standard GT6 including centre box. Less "Punk Rock", more "Operatic Tenor". Much more pleasant and still makes the right noise when I use the "loud pedal".

Cheers, Richard

[Anglefire]

As I've said before, mine originally came from Rimmers and has the center box - and whilst it is noiser than standard, its not bad. But then I am still a young pup at 54  😉

[JohnD]

I hope this thread doesn't mark the appearance of a bane of other message boards.   "what's the best ..." -  exhaust system, sparkplug, plug leads, for goodness sake!

It usually degenerates into, "XYZ are the best, no question, anyone who chooses different is an idiot" stuff, conspicuously absent here, so there is hope.

John

[dave.vitesse]

What exhaust you fit is a personal choice as far as the noise is concerned and in my view a good balanced feedback has been given. I guess the quality is about the same, but it's worth digging around for the cheapest.

John raises a good point as it can happen on some forums.

I use a single large bore box on my Vitesse, only because I don't want lots of noise and that suits me. But maybe not suit others.

Both Doug and I normal advice is to go along to your local area meet and you maybe able to hear the twin box system.

Dave

[JohnD]

Dave is quite right. everyone is different.   I use exactly the same configuration on my Vitesse - and just get in under the decibel limit for competition!

But mine is a straight through box, you can see end to end, it's for expansion not baffling.    Yours baffled, Dave?

John

[dave.vitesse]

John, it is straight through with the side wadding so it maybe not as noisy as yours. It's less noisy that the twin set-up.

The standard stainless steel system on my TR7 uses the same arrangement on it's two boxes i.e. straight through but with side wadding. Not to sure if wadding is the correct term. Wire wool?

Dave

[Badwolf]

Interesting...... I always worked on the premis that a noisy exhaust/silencer was damaged and needed replacement and was an mot fail. Only now do I find that you can choose the degree of noise with which to annoy everyone. For me, the quieter the better so I can hear the sounds of the country with the top down. Not the grinding noise of someone's exhaust, especially my own. Sorry but old age does breed excessive grumpyness which doesn't fit any manufacturers silencers

[JohnD]

So the silencers are internally the same, no doubt with small diferences, yet mine is noisy and yours is quiet!

So, ay advice we giev to Alex is probably useless!     Alex, consult your exhaust installer or supplier, and say what you want in terms of noise.   They will know better than I what to use.

John

PS Badwolf, your last post belies your name!     I always work on the premise, probably false, that noise energy absorbed in the silencing system suppresses engine power!   J.

[dave.vitesse]

John, I bought the Vitesse box from John Kipping 20 years ago. He had them made up by small suppler, if I remember a small German company. 

I wonder were your's came from ?

Dave

[Clive]

My box was fitted to my Vitesse 22 years ago, so probably same supplier. Always very pleased with it, seemed free flowing but a good, subtle sound..

I think they are still made? 

[Badwolf]

 

2 hours ago, JohnD said:

PS Badwolf, your last post belies your name!     I always work on the premise, probably false, that noise energy absorbed in the silencing system suppresses engine power!   J.

Probably very very true!!

[JohnD]

Mine was a local exhaust fitter.    Made up a tube from the collector after the 6-3-1 manifold to the silencer at the back, I told him how quiet, or not it had to be, he got it spot on!

John

[GT6M]

look at  Falcon types

the yans wid the thick ex pipe bit

this is an extra silencer inside the end tail pipe

cuts out left owa noises that other boxes cant shift

 

quite a few after market types ev a single thick tail pipe

wid a turned in end lip, all this does is sap power  an mek moer noises too

 

OR, ye could get a special oe type back box made, wid twin exits , or 2 a side so a 4 exit set up

for no much moer money

MX5 / MGF  TYPES

 

John says his just passes  the noise tests

mine does 4k revs at 82 dbs so quite quiet

[dougbgt6]

Something else nobody mentions, stainless systems deteriorate and don't last forever. My previous system was Rimmers, I can't be sure, after 35 years I haven't got the receipt. The stainless bits were discoloured but intact, it was the welds and internals that rotted. I didn't notice how noisy it had become, not the roar of a blown exhaust, but next to a similar GT6,  LOUD!  I didn't think anything of it, it was exhaust fumes in the cabin that finally made me buy a new one. What a difference, the sound! The burble of the 6 cylinder. 

Doug

[NonMember]

Stainless systems also deteriorate if the rear-most hanger breaks off the boot floor half way down the M6 on the RBRR and it takes several miles to notice the scraping sound. 🙄

One of these days I'll get round to replacing it.

[johny]

Ha mine was what appears to be the normal weld used to attach the rear bracket to my stainless system. It rusted through and luckily broke at slow speed so not too much damage done!

[cggs]

Can anyone advise me on the maximum diameter of resonator / GT6 style centre silencer that can be fitted between the chassis rails - even with some tweaking of the chassis rail flanges?  I have a Spitfire 1500 with an old but still intact S/S Triumphtune wheelbarrow system with a 2 inch centre pipe.  Being old and having recently resurrected the car  I find it far too loud but woud be reluctant to throw away the rest of the system. I am considering having a local exhaust expert make me a centre silencer. 

[rlubikey]

Hi cggs. I had the Triumphtune wheelbarrow system like you (oval "Falcon" boxes with acoustic tailpipes) and they look the business! Sadly the sound doesn't match. I eventually swapped mine for a GT6 system and, although it's VERY tricky trying to get the centre box rattle-free (clear of the chassis), the sound is well worth it. I can hear myself think now. (See my post above)

The GT6 centre box is also a straight-through type, and the dimensions are minimal - there's not much space, as you know. So I'm afraid I don't think it's going to make much difference to the wheelbarrow. It'll make a bit of difference but neither you nor the exhaust people will know if it's enough until it's fitted and you've handed over your cash.

My advice? Fit a standard Spitfire system. Or, for an even more mellow sound, the GT6 system.

This doesn't answer your question, I know!

Cheers, Richard

PS: Different people experience sound differently. One person's "nice sporty note" is another's "too loud man, too loud!" Never take someone's description of how something sounds, especially if they have a vested interest.

[cggs]

Thanks but not quite ready for that Richard.  It does have the 4 branch manifold and a few other performance tweaks and I would be reluctant to put a standard exhaust on without having tried to mitgate the present uproar.  I think I will take it to one of those custom exhaust places and see what they can fit between the centre rails even with a bit of metal bashing.

[Clive]

You may well discover that the wadding in the boxes has gone, making the boxes almost useless.

I know Marcus on here (sometimes) cut his boxes open, repacked them all to very good effect. 

On my (self made) system I used a 18" silencer between the chassis rails 3 1/2" wide i think, needed the chassis flanges bending down to gain clearance. Helped a bit. What helped more was using 2 boxes under the boot floor, one after the other, joined by a 180 bend. 16,", then right across the back a 30" or so box. Both 4"diameter. 5" would have been better, but ground clearance was a worry. Fairly quiet, 2 1/4" bore. But free flowing, approx 180bhp on a 4 cylinder.