http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ic7Qg_8sQuc (idle plus walk around)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRwtqKZk1Qc (3k revs at idle)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXE4KMcsHdM (driving)

This is my wife's Sunfire, you can read the story on the videos.

I am so happy that my ears no longer are bleeding yet the performance slightly got upped, that I want the shop to do the same on my Cobalt LS.

My son is 2, he hates driving in the wife's car because of the noise, I fixed that yesterday.
I also hated the droning bass I was exposed to daily.

The dual tips were actually made in shop, not a production item.

I think it is a mellow, low tone, but aggressive when at WOT exhaust that for me is perfect.
When I think about upgrading an exhaust, the louder, the more performance.
It actually likes this set-up better than the old turbo muffler it used to have.
__________________


My wife's 2003 Ecotec 2.2 liter Sunfire:
* 2 1/4 inch turbo muffler
* 2 1/4 piping to a 2 1/2 inch resonator
* 2 1/4 inch catalytic converter
* 2 1/2 inch down-pipe
* a match ported 4:2:1 RK Sports 'clone' header
* an AEM true cold air intake NOPI edition
* 8 gauge ground wire kit
* Toyz front strut brace
* Vibrant rear strut brace
* and Russell stainless steel brake lines all around.

cuz people are stupid

LOL, yeah I reacted to traffic that shouldn't have stopped. The on ramp there is usually never backed up. Everybody has chanted "stupid people" or something to that effect while driving. Not to be taken literally, was just being sarcastic at the time due to the circumstances. Sorry...


My wife's 2003 Ecotec 2.2 liter Sunfire:
* 2 1/4 inch in and dual 2 inch out muffler Trans Am muffler
* 2 1/4 piping to a very long 2 1/4 inch resonator
* 2 1/4 inch catalytic converter
* an AEM true cold air intake NOPI edition
* 8 gauge ground wire kit
* Toyz front strut brace
* Russell stainless steel brake lines all around.

^ lol dont be sorry it was funny

lol...sounds good, mild and sounds aggressive, nice.

I almost did this but was worried about the size of the muffler. So I sold it and bought a cheap ebay one Im happy with.

This was nice to see that it can be done and sound good.

bahaha, "because people are stupid.."

Every morning i say similar comments with a little more cursing lol.

Lol, I just got a 1 star rating from someone on this.

What were they expecting?
Donuts, jump ramps or a race against and Acura NSX?

Unreal...

Or... it is one of the people that blocked up the on ramp and they are not liking my comment, lol.



My wife's 2003 Ecotec 2.2 liter Sunfire:
* 2 1/4 inch in and dual 2 inch out muffler Trans Am muffler
* 2 1/4 piping to a very long 2 1/4 inch resonator
* 2 1/4 inch catalytic converter
* an AEM true cold air intake NOPI edition
* 8 gauge ground wire kit
* Toyz front strut brace
* Russell stainless steel brake lines all around.

New video of the exhaust, inside the car, but hitting 4400 RPMs so you can hear the growl.
It is even louder at WOT, but nowhere as loud as that turbo muffler set-up.
You can drive all day and not hear a loud exhaust which is great news for me.
It barks only when it gets hit quick to 2/3 throttle or more.

One day I will WOT this on video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUOkzu0vnNE

I love the fact that it sounds like a stock 3800 series II with dual exhaust.

I know because I used to have a 1997 Firebird 3800 series II with a Trans Am exhaust on it and it sounds the same from the inside- so its nostalgic for me. I miss that old car, and it was quicker than my older 5.0 Trans Am from 1986. Not as quick as my IROC-Z though which has a 305 HO with an upgraded Edelbrock carb, K&N filter and 2.5 inch exhaust. For a 305, albeit the HO model, it felt like someone rammed the trunk every time I floored it, it was nice.





My wife's 2003 Ecotec 2.2 liter Sunfire:
* 2 1/4 inch in and dual 2 inch out muffler Trans Am muffler
* 2 1/4 piping to a very long 2 1/4 inch resonator
* 2 1/4 inch catalytic converter
* an AEM true cold air intake NOPI edition
* 8 gauge ground wire kit
* Toyz front strut brace
* Russell stainless steel brake lines all around.

A modded 305... And I thought I'd never hear of such a thing outside of my friend with his '78 Malibu. And that magazine article from the Engine Builders Challenge.


Go beyond the "bolt-on".

I know... my reaction to when I purchased the car for $2200 was, well, it has really good up and go for a 305 so I won't question it.

I had the Trans Am before the IROC-Z.

My 305 Trans Am was slow. It would burn rubber, but didn't go anywhere.

The 305 HO IROC-Z was nice. It was 190hp and 240 lbs torque stock and the carb, filter and exhaust probably added at least 12hp and probably the same amount in torque. It also handled a lot better than the Trans Am.

Was it like a 300hp 5.7 liter fuel injected? No... but it was not like the 155hp 305 in the Trans Am.

The guy I bought it from worked for Sun Devil Auto, so he did all his own mods to the IROC-Z.

It was a great car until a real scum bag mechanic sabotaged the thing.

I bought the IROC-Z to become my daily driver and one mechanic ruined the transmission unpurpose and made the car overheat (I would always pull over and pop the hood open before it got up there). The guy also cut my starter wire and let it rest on the cut wire so I could drive home but the vibration would make the wire fall and then it would not let me start the car. When I saw the cut wire, the transmission fluid leak under the car when it never before leaked a drop, and now there is a pool, and the car started overheating every trip down the road, I about flipped out. That was a nice car, and that POS ruined it.

The shop said I cut the wire to get free work done and blah blah blah... evil people.


My wife's 2003 Ecotec 2.2 liter Sunfire:
* 2 1/4 inch in and dual 2 inch out muffler Trans Am muffler
* 2 1/4 piping to a very long 2 1/4 inch resonator
* 2 1/4 inch catalytic converter
* an AEM true cold air intake NOPI edition
* 8 gauge ground wire kit
* Toyz front strut brace
* Russell stainless steel brake lines all around.

190hp? Sounds like GM just slipped the California-emissions truck 305 under the hood (It had a full point more static-compression) and called it a day. But yeah, I remember there being alotta bolt-on mods available for the 3rd-gen back in the day... Amongst which, a 3" exhaust w/headers. And you say it was an automatic IROC-Z? What year was it?

I ask because, well... The IROC treatment was little-more than an appearance-package available on all V-8 model Camaros, as evidenced to me by the close-look at a IROC w/TBI 305/auto some crackhead tried to push on me (I swear, if I didn't have anything to do with that person whom intro'd me to him, I'd probably never have met him!). That was a shock to me... It was like looking at a over-dressed Berlinetta. And a ratty one, at that. The "Z" refered to it being based on a model in Z28 trim.

But again... An auto/305 Z? Something strikes me as off here, so please clarify.


Go beyond the "bolt-on".

It was owned by a mechanic, he threw in a stock 305 motor that later I found to be completely had.
When I bought the car, it did not click that the motor he threw in was not a spare, that it was probably the engine originally in the car.

I am guessing from that, that he swapped the 305 HO in. I can only guess why as I did not ask.

I would have swapped in a 350 carbed, as there is no wiring nightmare to the swap.

He probably got an opportunity to swap his blown 305 with a 305 HO that his shop probably obtained from someone going to a 350.

This 1987 IROC-Z was red and labeled IROC-Z on the doors and in excellent condition except the hood was primer black.

Was the sticker put on later? Maybe, but they looked the same weathering as the rest of the car. So, if it was done, it was done close to when it was new.

With the mods it was around 200hp and 250lbs torque or more.

It handled a lot better than my 86 Trans Am.

It had a lot more up and go than it too.

Honestly, I would have been happy even today with that old IROC with 305 HO with 200hp and 250lbs torque.
It was a nice car until it was sabotaged.

Was it a real deal IROC, I really don't know. What sold me was the looks of the car, the test drive and the price.



My wife's 2003 Ecotec 2.2 liter Sunfire:
* 2 1/4 inch in and dual 2 inch out muffler Trans Am muffler
* 2 1/4 piping to a very long 2 1/4 inch resonator
* 2 1/4 inch catalytic converter
* an AEM true cold air intake NOPI edition
* 8 gauge ground wire kit
* Toyz front strut brace
* Russell stainless steel brake lines all around.

Like I said... The IROC package was mostly an appearance-package added to V-8 models, that from what other I've seen has it's installation finished at the dealer (Transport reasons, I'd imagine...).

Now, this was an '87 & it had a carb? This don't register right with me, as all the '87 GM passenger-car V-8s (with exception of the Olds 307 & maybe the 305 placed under the hood of the Monte Carlo) were fitted with TBI standard, to meet the EPA & CAFE mandates for that model-year. Other wise, '86 was the last year (The Chevette being the exception here) you found a carb on any pass-car engine that was carried-over into the '87 model-year. Even most of the V-8 trucks got it (454 being the exception). Did the "check engine" light ever come on when you went to start it? If not, I'd say the prior owner probably gutted it of the computer-management & threw that 305 together because he couldn't figure a way around the OBD-I system... That or it was a TPI car & the same figurative tale of it being carb'd by the time you got it applies.


Go beyond the "bolt-on".

Yeah, it definitely was changed over at some point.
I did not question it at the time because I knew the 305 HO existed, but did not know what year they stopped using them or when they were throttle body injected, or carbed.

This one was definitely carbed.

Ran great, well, until you know what happened...

I got a 97 shortly after, a Firebird with the 3800 Series II motor, and the oil pressure dropped after about 8 minutes of driving.
It did not have the up and go of other 3800 Series II Firebirds or Camaros. Whoever owned it, dogged it.

I had repaired two leaks, and then some lube shop overfilled my tranny and it caused tranny problems shortly after.

I usually always check the levels after getting my fluids exchanged. I messed up royally.
I sold it for a loss, a big loss...

I saw $1600 for a rebuild better spent towards a down payment on another car, plus the money extracted from the Firebird's sale.
I also traded my wife's 1989 Daytona ES towards my 07 Cobalt LS.

I got the Cobalt because I have been impressed with the 2.2 Ecotec for its pep, mileage, and reliability not only witnessed by me but from so many write ups, forums and word of ear. The 2.2 Ecotec is a very sturdy motor, even if everything else may crumble around it around 150k miles. Some have over 300K miles on the original non-rebuilt motor.

If I ever get another F-body, it will be a 2000 5.7 Trans Am.


My wife's 2003 Ecotec 2.2 liter Sunfire:
* 2 1/4 inch in and dual 2 inch out muffler Trans Am muffler
* 2 1/4 piping to a very long 2 1/4 inch resonator
* 2 1/4 inch catalytic converter
* an AEM true cold air intake NOPI edition
* 8 gauge ground wire kit
* Toyz front strut brace
* Russell stainless steel brake lines all around.