cloud17

Hi,

I have a 2000 Civic EX, all stock, the only mod is the AEM cold air intake, I am looking what would be the best exhaust? Should I replace the whole exhaust system?

I also plan to put catback muffler if that is good and will add little HP?

I really dont know what should be in the exhaust and muffler.
I will not make engine swap or turbos. Basically my car is stock with only CAI is the mod and Im looking for a good exhaust for it and a muffler.

Im confused, theres Flowmaster, Magnaflow, and that Catback muffler...
This is my first time to tune a car. Please help.

So far, only CAI was put on my car.

cloud17

Anyone help me out?

98corbeau coupe

go on youtube.com and search

im prolly going to order a flowmaster axel back tm ...doesnt have that racey sound

Xxcivic97xX

i have a spoon n1 exhaust muffler selling for 250, it bolts up to the stock exhaust.

B16acivicsedan91

Whats your budget like?

219Em1

flowmaster and magnaflow tend to be better at making v-8 exhaust systems. a catback system is any exhaust that replaces everything from the catalytic converter and back. thus, catback. a catback is basically the only way you should go if you dont want your exhaust to sound horrible. you could go all out and buy something along the line of an apexi N1, DC Sports system, or a Skunk2 megapower, but all of those are pretty loud and will catch the attention of the police pretty easily, and it will more than likely give you a headache eventually. a lot of people seem to be floating towards the Apexi ws2 and the Greddy sp2. Both of these will give you a better sound, a little bit of HP gain (dont let idiots fool you, a full exhaust system will add 5hp MAYBE.) keep in mind if you're going to lose your stock exhaust you will lose some bottom end torque. if you decide you still want an aftermarket system, dont cheap out. most systems will run you over 500 dollars, so dont look at the 20 dollar farter mufflers and think theyre a good idea. they sound awful and dont do anything but make everyone laugh at you.

I4MCHNA

There is no "best exhaust" for the car. And if your expecting to feel a difference in power, save your money for something else. Just an exhaust on this single cam with cai will not do much at all. If you're just looking into exhaust for sound and looks, get an axle back.

Btw, catback means the exhaust/muffler system will be complete from the cat all the way back
Axle back, you only get the muffler and the short pipe that bolts up to your original piping, near your rear wheel

Gl with whatever you get

cloud17

Thanks guys! Now I understand a few things now. I dont really want that loud muffler, because I live in NYC and people here dont like cars that have sound, they hate it here, my neighbors will hate me for that. lol...

Anyway, putting in the Cold air intake already gives me a little noise, but not that loud, now I know what catback is, and axle back.

I dont want a loud sound, I also dont want it to be silent, I just want a good sound.
My priority is a good sound, second is for the bonus HP.

Catback is around $600, axle back is arounf $200+, I just want to know if the extra $$$ to get the catback is worth it in regards to power gain?

I mean, you said a Full Exhaust System will give 5HP, what about the Catback and a Axle back?

Is a Catback considered a full exhaust system?

Im really sorry guys, Im a noob and have lot of this questions...but I really appreciate your help...thanks!

baca00ex

You might look into getting some DC Sports Headers 4-2-1, either 2 piece or 1 piece. They will run you around 300ish but in the long run, give you a really nice tone plus the HP gains are more than just adding an exhaust.

Catback is everything from the catalytic converter back and axle back is only from your rear axle back (basically just a muffler).

As far as the catback goes, I've been looking into them for awhile. I have just been running the CAI/Headers and still turn heads when I get on it. Haven't really found an exhaust system that I like... they all have that weed-eater sound that I'm trying to avoid. However lately I have been leaning towards getting the Skunk2 MegaPower Cat-Back Exhaust System (R version with 70mm piping). Will run you around 550$$ but from what I've been researching I like the sound even over the Apexi exhaust systems and it's a little cheaper. Only other thing you would want to look at doing (later on) would be upgrading your catalytic converter, I live in texas so basically just took mine completely off and put a Skunk2 Test Pipe (just a straight pipe) in it's place. Then again I don't have to try and pass smog, cause I'm in a small town and they don't require it. You on the other hand, would have to have one on there living in NYC area.

I'm driving pretty much your same car only a coupe =P so don't think the sound would change much from what I have to what you have

cloud17

Ok, you said 4-2-1, but what is the stock headers on a 99-00 Civic EX?

Also I am planning to swap engine in the future.
Do you think I can use these upgrades that I am going to throw in right now in the future when I swap it to B18C?

BoostedxEk

I didn't know Civic's had more then one header, must be a hybrid.

cloud17

I also dont know either if it had one...as Ive said, this is my first time to do this and Im still learning about tuning...

Vindicator9000

He was joking. Civics don't have header(s), they have ONE header, because they're inline 4 cylinders. Or, some have exhaust manifolds, which aren't quite the same thing, but the terms are used interchangeably.

Around here, people get ribbed a bit for saying headers in reference to a Civic.

To answer your question, a 99-00 EX does have a 4-2-1 header from the factory that's actually pretty good in relation to the crap manifold that most cars (even other Civics) come with.

And, to answer your question as to the best exhaust for a Civic: There are tons of different factors involved, including how modded your car is, how much you want to spend, and how loud and annoying you want it to be.

Pretty much any aftermarket exhaust isn't going to do a thing on an otherwise stock Civic. That said, in my opinion, the best all around aftermarket exhaust that anyone sells is the Apexi World Sport 2.

It's very quiet (almost as quiet as stock), but sounds nice in the powerband. It's well made, and fairly cheap for a quality piece (around $450-500 shipped for the catback). And, it doesn't look or sound like a ricey fart cannon.

Here's what it looks like on my 2000 EX coupe:

cloud17

Thanks! What size would fit in a 99-00 civic EX?

Will any size fit in there? like 2.25", 2.5" or 3"?

219Em1

^^ piping size doesnt matter for fitment, you only need to worry about it if youre either building a really high power NA build or if you turbo your motor. 3" piping is specifically turbocharger exhaust piping. 2.25 would be fine for anything short of a fully built NA motor. 2.5 is kind of a middle ground and is usually recommended for use by the people running fully built NA motors or smaller turbo setups.

cloud17

Ok, so for me, 2.25" is the way to go! Thanks!

baca00ex

I'm from the country son and we call them there things headers with an S. Of course on a 2000 ex there is only 1 unit coming off the engine....

Anyways, back to reality.. doesn't the Apexi WS II have a huge muffler? Then again by the looks of the picture, my car is about 2in's lower. I'd rip it off going over the first bump heh.

Your probably looking at something like 60, 70 or 76mm and I know the 70mm will fit an 2000 ex coupe (it's what I have). So it should work on the sedan as well, not sure if the header would work going from the D16 to a B18c.

4-2-1 just mean it goes from 4 pipes, coming out of the engine.. to 2 pipes and then into 1 pipe stopping and bolting on at the cat. Unless you go with racing headers which completely bypass the cat (don't make them atm for d16 engines). Two-piece or 1 piece just means it comes in 2 seperate pieces that bolt together and 1 piece, well it's all 1 piece obviously.

Apexi is a good brand of cat-back systems... I was torn between Apexi and Skunk2 for the longest time. Ended up going with the Skunk2 MegaPower Cat-Back Exhaust System (R Version, 70mm Piping). I think it sits a little more flush up againist the car and that is what I was looking for, being the car is lowered.

219Em1

the wsII is actually pretty compact. it just looks big because its closer to the rear of the car, but its actually about the same size as the stock one, and it has a bigger tip

torqen2k1

Save your money for a turbo kit or a little b16 swap or something like that. When I first got my civic i spent like 3grand in bs bolts which in the long run I only got like a wooping 10 or 15 horse gain but thats my 10cents.

baca00ex

Heh, yea like I said though my car is lowered quite a bit and living in texas, we have horrible roads here. I actually dented the factory resonator (in the middle of the car) from going over speed bumps, which forced me to upgrade the exhaust and had a few scuffs on the factory muffler.

When you get to a certain point is all personal pref, just don't go with some cheap cat-back. I used to like Borla and GReddy, years ago (back in 00-01) but I've recently turned towards Apexi/Skunk2. I would say always "shoot" for a little bit bigger (like the 2.5 over the 2.25) just for the simple fact, you don't know what mods you are going to do in the future and don't want your exhaust to hold back what you have done.

I always tend to get a little bit bigger parts for the "what-if" factor, being as this is a build car and you never know what your going to do.

219Em1

he said earlier that he plans to get a GSR motor down the line. and that he isnt looking for hp gains either.

219Em1

haha dude i have relatives in texas that i visit every once in a while and the only problem i had with the roads was in the more desert areas. houston and dallas roads are like heaven compared to the pot-hole infested roads we have in indiana

cloud17

Guys, what do you think about the HKS hi power Catback?
I like how it sounds, but is it loud on the streets like Skunk2 Mega Power?

I mean with Skunk2 Mega power, I could hear the sound 3blocks away. And I dont like that, too much loud.

So is HKS hi power Catback high, medium or low in terms of loudness?

219Em1

they're kinda loud. basically most n1 style mufflers (the ones that just look like a huge canister) are pretty loud.

cloud17

So its basically as loud as a Skunk2 Mega Power?
I cant seem to find what I want, lol...

I dont want it too loud(like you can hear it 5 blocks away), and I dont want it silent(like you can only hear it when it pass-by, and after a block the sound is gone)..

I want it like, you can hear it a block or 2. But not 5 freakin blocks...
What could be it?