Intake or Exhaust

[HaiDef]

I need your feed back. Should I get AFE Intake or Stromung exhaust first? The price range is pretty simliar.

[tekmoe]

Get the intake and build yourself a custom exhaust. No sense in spending a bunch of money on a pair of mufflers.

[whitejdm]

Get an exhaust for sure, it completely changes the demeanor of the car. On the intake side grab a ram air scoop (whichever brand), do a hi flow filter with charcoal delete and you're laughing.

[3002 tii]

neither, put the money towards headers. else go custom piping & magnaflow mufflers.

[dekaliber]

Are you going for performance, sound, or aesthetic appeal?

I don't think either is going to get you very far in terms of performance. If anything, I think it's as likely to do harm as good.

I've never heard the AFE intake in person, but am I the only one who thinks that it looks cheap and out of place? It looks like something that got jerry-rigged together with a few pieces of sheet metal and a cone filter. Assuming neither affects performance in a positive or negative way, an exhaust seems like it has more impact on both aesthetic appeal and sound.

[Finnegan]

Yeah, I'm going off track here and not sticking to the poll (which I did answer: exhaust.) If you have the stock contis still I'd say tires, a good alignment, and then transmission mounts before exhaust or intake. Those really change the nature of the car and dramatically improve things. The stock contis are bad--really bad--and are pretty old by now too if they're still on the car.

As for exhaust vs. intake go with exhaust simply because I prefer a better exhaust sound to intake sounds (totally subjective). But I'd try to hear a few first if it were me.

I've heard the RPI and Eisenmann Sport so far in person--the RPI adds a nice throaty sound but has a bit of drone at some RPMs. The Eisenmann has no drone except a bit around 2,000 RPM (not a rev range the car sees much of even when cruising). I'm very sensitive to drone, can't stand it, so for me they'd have to be little to no drone (like the ES). Drone tolerance is another totally subjective thing, and if it's an issue for you I'd make sure I heard it inside the car before shelling out $$$.

[ZStig]

whatever's more expensive first

[45ACP]

Stromung because:

- price is due to increase in the near future
- there's a group buy for them now (the last one was in 2009)
- intake at regular price can be had any time

[Finnegan]

Ah--the GB is on with competitive prices I see!

[45ACP]

Originally Posted by Finnegan

Ah--the GB is on with competitive prices I see!

Yes, so when are you adding your name to the list?

[HaiDef]

Yeah I was aiming for more sound. When I floor it in the car now it seems kind of girly. When im in my co workers IS-F, i'm always so envious of his deep throaty sound. I know its a V8 compared to a I6 but I know I can acheive the sounds if a couple of mods were to be done. That is why I considered the Stromung since i heard there was no Drone. I still have yet to hear any kind of intake or exhaust in person because ive missed all the autocrosses I've signed up for.

[johanness]

Originally Posted by Hdoan86

The price range is pretty simliar.

How is the price range similar when one is twice as much as the other?

[HaiDef]

Originally Posted by johanness

How is the price range similar when one is twice as much as the other?

They are both under $1000

[tekmoe]

Originally Posted by Dubbedown

neither, put the money towards headers. else go custom piping & magnaflow mufflers.

+1

My Magnaflows with the custom chromed tips piss all over these $1000 and even $1500 muffler setups. And they cost half the price!

[Finnegan]

Originally Posted by 45ACP

Yes, so when are you adding your name to the list?

ACP, I have to see if the budget will allow now. Rotors (not cheap) and some other maintenance stuff on both cars have added up in the past week. Not the end of the world--normal things--but it all adds up.

OP, sorry to a bit here.

[r4gs]

^finn, i listened to the eisenmann sports in-person recently and, at least in-comparison with my rpi's, they lack a bassy tone? it sounded more raspy as well on wot. tt really is the compromise for less drone, cos the rpi's still drone

i'd voted and recommend the exhaust route first, since it has a far more dramatic aural impact across the entire rev range as opposed to an intake, which really only growls deeply with moderate to wot. both will see negligible performance impact although price is a big consideration.

[ZStig]

Originally Posted by tekmoe

+1

My Magnaflows with the custom chromed tips piss all over these $1000 and even $1500 muffler setups. And they cost half the price!

Yeah but I bet you have more drone, which many people pay extra to evade

[tekmoe]

Originally Posted by Roffle Waffle

Yeah but I bet you have more drone, which many people pay extra to evade

Not by the slightest bit. At WOT it's loud as balls. But if sitting at a constant RPM, especially when in the city, you wouldn't even know I had an aftermarket exhaust. I promise you that. And I know I gained power because I no longer feel the torque drop at 7500rpm that I have always complained about. It's a win-win.

[ZStig]

2000rpm in 5th or 6th gear, moderate throttle, and you get no drone? Whats the part number of your muffler?

[tekmoe]

Originally Posted by Roffle Waffle

2000rpm in 5th or 6th gear, moderate throttle, and you get no drone? Whats the part number of your muffler?

Moderate throttle (25%-75%) is going to give some drone. Can't get around that. But if I am using less than 15% throttle, I've got very little to no drone at all, in any gear. This seems to be the case at any RPM. However, when on the freeway, obviously you are going to have to use a little more throttle due to wind resistance so there will be some a little bit of drone. But still very tolerable. Trust me, if it weren't, the lady would have made sure to let me know...

I'll get the muffler part numbers for you later today.

[Finnegan]

Originally Posted by r4gs

^finn, i listened to the eisenmann sports in-person recently and, at least in-comparison with my rpi's, they lack a bassy tone? it sounded more raspy as well on wot. tt really is the compromise for less drone, cos the rpi's still drone

i'd voted and recommend the exhaust route first, since it has a far more dramatic aural impact across the entire rev range as opposed to an intake, which really only growls deeply with moderate to wot. both will see negligible performance impact although price is a big consideration.

RPIs have a bit more bass perhaps--they sound good from outside the car. I like the sound a lot--but drone is a show stopper for me. I also like the ES (but not at 2K+) and the rasp at WOT--this stuff is so variable person to person. If the Stromung don't drone that's a huge plus as that's more important to me than a bit of rasp or small variance in pitch/tone. Drone is a no go for me--been there, done that, hated it.

[ZStig]

Originally Posted by tekmoe

Moderate throttle (25%-75%) is going to give some drone. Can't get around that. But if I am using less than 15% throttle, I've got very little to no drone at all, in any gear. This seems to be the case at any RPM. However, when on the freeway, obviously you are going to have to use a little more throttle due to wind resistance so there will be some a little bit of drone. But still very tolerable. Trust me, if it weren't, the lady would have made sure to let me know...

I'll get the muffler part numbers for you later today.

Thanks, I don't need the part numbers, I can't stand ANY drone