New Clio 172 owner - Exhaust advice needed

[jimtron4000]

Hi! I've recently become the owner of a ph2 Clio 172. I've previously owned quite a few Jap cars... rx's, silvia's, skyline, wrx... but now I feel like giving French front spinner a go. The Clio I've picked up seems like a pretty well maintained example, but the current exhaust is annoyingly loud... especially on the highway. I haven't had a good look at what's on there, but I'll describe (from memory) what I think is there. Starting at the cat, it looks like a high flow stainless unit with maybe 2.5" inlet/outlets. After the cat it reduces to a fairly narrow, but short section, just before it increases back to a maybe 2.5" section, then a flange (maybe 30cm from the cat). From there it's about 2.5" the entire way with one small resonator, a flange just before the muffler, and a small muffler. The 2.5" sections are all black in colour. I know the previous owner had the muffler installed not long ago, so I guess it's a bit of a bitsa exhaust. The car is just too loud though. I'm just wondering what my options would be to quieten it down, without restricting flow too much. I'm kind of over loud cars, so the quieter, the better. It's been suggested that I could have a standard muffler grafted on to the system, but this sounds like maybe it could be a bit of backward step. Can anyone recommend a good exhaust joint in the Melbourne area, or does anyone have a suggestion of what I could do. I'm not wanting to spend a fortune on the best system available... just something that does the job, and does it quietly.

 

Cheers,

 

James.

[walkie86]

Hey mate. It does sound like a bitsa system.

 

I'd be putting in a large centre resonator. I did this on my old 182 and didn't notice any performance difference.

[jimtron4000]

By the looks of things the rear muffler is probably what i need to replace... there's not much to it (ie. it's small). I would usually assume that having a good quality muffler (eg. magnaflow) fitted would be the the best option, but i've been reading that a few people have had bad luck with custom systems, and that only specialised systems can prevent loud cabin noise. I don't really understand this... what's so "special" about a bolt on, specialised option, that can't be replicated by a local exhaust joint?

[griffyn]

You get one attempt from a local exhaust shop, and if it's not right, you pay for another, and so on. If you get it right, happy days. If you don't, how many tries do you fund?

 

Give the local shop a crack, you may end up with a brilliant result with top-grade workmanship, and I really hope you do. Just go in with your eyes open, knowing that some who have gone before you haven't got what they wanted.

 

Mushu has a Remus fitted. It's barely louder than stock, but it's perfect for what was wanted. We may have been able to have something custom made, but I suspect anything would have been too loud

[wade]

I would just put a standard one back on..... Ace may even have one he wants to get rid of.....

 

From memory when we dyno'd a couple with exhaust's that were custom made they had all lost KW at the wheels.

 

Has anyone proven with before and after dyno's that even the branded ones work?

[jimtron4000]

If someone has a stock system they'd like to get rid of I'd probably go with that. How much difference in performance (bum dyno) do bolt on cat-backs make on the 172?