Hello friends. I picked up a Honda Del Sol this weekend. I love it. It drives and handles great, but the exhaust that is mounted on it is really bothering me because of the loudness.
When I look underneath it, it honestly look kinda stock, other than a fairly large aftermarket exhaust tip. It has a muffler and a cat, but it has a very deep and loud sound at any RPM. The whole cabin is filled with the noise which bothers me.
I can change a whole exhaust by myself, but I am not well versed when it comes to how to make an exhaust sound the way you want, and that is probably why I don't know which part(s) I should replace to make the sound more tolerable as a daily driver. I want to change this myself in my driveway on a budget.

Can changing the exhaust tip alone help make the sound quieter and less deep? Do I need narrower piping in the whole exhaust? Is the mounted muffler the perpetrator?

Thank you for any suggestions

 

Stock D-series engine? Go back to a stock exhaust. I've got a Bosal brand stock-like cat-back exhaust on my EF and have been happy with it. Not sure if they make one to fit your car, but worth a look.

 

Either buy a factory exhaust, or have an exhaust shop build you a 2" exhaust system from the catalytic converter, back, and have them put in a stock muffler.

Or, buy a magnaflow or flowmaster exhaust system, that will give you a little bigger/better sounding exhaust than factory, but still be relatively quiet.

 

Sounds like they just put on a aftermarket tip. Try using a stock exhaust tip and see if that helps

 

Thank you for your swift responses
It's a stock B16a2 engine in my car and I don't know what a stock sound system should look like on these cars. I live in Norway and Del Sols are rarer than unicorns here so I doubt even Honda dealers know what the stock muffler is on this car, and even B16A2 civics are a rarity. I probably need to go aftermarket here, and being on a budget I think a magnaflow exhaust will break the bank, even though it's tempting :D
We have Biltema (auto zone equivalent) here that sells cheap universal mufflers. Is there anything in particular I need to look out for should I purchase a muffler like that?

 

something with less bling and more quiet. more oem. more good. do more quietly. Honda.

 

Straight-pipe intakes can make a car a lot louder than stock even if you don't change the exhaust. Also check for leaks in the exhaust before the muffler. The catalytic converter has a muffling effect, make sure it is not hollowed out. After checking those points you would want to fit some stock type muffler, does not need to be the exact same as original. The end of the tailpipe should be past the bumper so that the noise remaining after the muffler doesn't resonate under the car.

 

I don't know about any other year or model but my wife's 97 SI has a resonator between the cat and muffler.
Regards, Jim