After switching mufflers twice in the past 3 years and dealing with a very loud, raspy, “ricey” sounding exhaust that would rattle the windows in the car, I decided I just couldn’t stand it anymore. I had to go back to a stock look and sound by having it done the correct way once and for all.
AEM polished cold air intake (thanks Mr. Kleindl!) - fully welded 2.25” stainless steel mandrel bent piping (from the RK Sport dual cat back exhaust originally purchased in 2004) - Pacesetter armor coated 4:1 header - Magnaflow stainless steel 16” high flow catalytic converter (#94035) - Magnaflow stainless steel 22” resonator (#10435) - 2 Magnaflow stainless steel 4” x 9” oval bodied mufflers (#14315) - 2 Honda Pilot polished stainless steel 3” round muffler tips
Here are a few pictures to show the evolution of the rear end:
stock dual exhaust:
RK Sport dual cat back exhaust (What was I thinking? I guess everyone has to start out with “fart cans”!):
2 Magnaflow polished stainless steel oval bodied mufflers with dual 3” round tips:
new (permanent) setup, along with some current exterior shots (please excuse the dirty car; stupid rainy spring weather
):
I will get some more and better under car pictures once my dad’s home to get the ramps out of the shed.
Next on the list is taking it to the dealer so they can figure out why the damn airbag light is on. I checked all the connections and everything and it’s still on
.
I have been going back and forth on whether to sell my 17s (the ones in my sig) or not. Honestly, I really like the way the stock GT wheels look and obviously they go well with the stock look I am trying to maintain. Any opinions on this would be greatly appreciated.
The 3 rear windows will be getting re-tinted at 35% to match the 2 front windows. They are currently 15% (a little too dark for my liking).
I will be ordering a set of new headlights on eBay as the passenger side one is very yellowed and crappy looking and it just ruins the whole front end for me.
Before the Bash comes, the GT should have evil eyelids welded to the stock hood and hopefully the stock GT side skirts / door panels will be gone in favor of a much cleaner look with ’00-’02 Z24 side skirts.
I am getting pretty close to being done with this car. My goal is to have a clean, subtle daily driver with decent power and handling that will be reliable for a LONG time to come and so far I believe I am achieving that goal one modification at a time.
Comments... criticism... etc. Let me have it
!
Looks awesome. And my opinion on what you have changed/what you want to change:
New exhaust - looks awesome, and I'm sure it sounds great too. Nice.
Evil Eyes - definitely do this, it will look amazing.
Sideskirts - Keep the GT sideskirts/panels on the doors. I'm not sure the car would really flow well with Z24 skirts. Plus wouldn't you have to fill in holes on the doors if you remove them? That sounds like a lot of work to get rid of something that looks good as it is...
Wheels - I love the ones in your sig, they look so much better than the stock wheels. I'm not a big fan of any 3 spoke wheels...
Top notich man. Wouldn't change a thing. Should leave the GT sides and door skins on though.
Proud member since 99
ahfunaki wrote:Looks awesome. And my opinion on what you have changed/what you want to change:
New exhaust - looks awesome, and I'm sure it sounds great too. Nice.
Evil Eyes - definitely do this, it will look amazing.
Sideskirts - Keep the GT sideskirts/panels on the doors. I'm not sure the car would really flow well with Z24 skirts. Plus wouldn't you have to fill in holes on the doors if you remove them? That sounds like a lot of work to get rid of something that looks good as it is...
Wheels - I love the ones in your sig, they look so much better than the stock wheels. I'm not a big fan of any 3 spoke wheels...
The exhaust sounds great! It rumbles when idling, but not enough to be obnoxious and best of all... no more raspiness or rattling windows when hitting the gas!
I am getting eyelids
for sure. It's just a matter of when... come on economic stimulus check!
I know it would take a lot of $ to get rid of the GT side skirts, although they bug me, it's really not enough to justify spending a ton of $ to get rid of them, so I guess I will keep them
.
I will more than likely end up keeping the wheels, although they're a +35 offset so they stick out a little on the front which kind of bugs me, but they are so damn sexy!
GoldFire wrote:Top notich man. Wouldn't change a thing. Should leave the GT sides and door skins on though.
First off, I'm a girl
. Second off, yes the GT sides will be staying. Thanks for the kind words!
Keep 'em coming guys...
Wow...very sorry about the gender thing there
I've been around here for a long time and i've seen many of your posts too, guess I never ever went to your profile.
I'll remember the next time
Thanks for keeping the sides
Proud member since 99
New exhaust looks great and I agree with keeping the GT skirts and the 5 spoke wheels but I may be a little bias, they look great on the car. I'm also re-doing my exhaust and hoping to have evil eyelids soon.
GoldFire wrote:Wow...very sorry about the gender thing there
I've been around here for a long time and i've seen many of your posts too, guess I never ever went to your profile.
I'll remember the next time
Thanks for keeping the sides
No problem. I'm used to it by now. I guess that's what happens when you don't make it blatantly obvious you're a girl
. Speaking of profiles, I just checked yours out and your Sunfire is very nice looking! Keep it up
!
Gregoiro (Greg C) wrote:New exhaust looks great and I agree with keeping the GT skirts and the 5 spoke wheels but I may be a little bias, they look great on the car. I'm also re-doing my exhaust and hoping to have evil eyelids soon.
Thanks Greg! Once again, our cars are practically twins except the color of course
. Can't wait to see some progress on your GT and I will for sure be at the Bash this year. GT photo shoot for sure
!
I have to completely agree with my good friend greg. car is looking very nice. and glad to hear you'll be at the bash
its gonna be awesome.
and greg needs a GT photoshoot, me and my bro (ahfunaki) always make him feel left out with our Z's
Thanks for the kind words! Your Z is looking very clean and sexy as well
.
Car looks good, exhaust looks good, i say paint the mufflers flat black that way they dont take so much away from the chrome tips. looks good either way
Thought you switched everything over to an OHV sedan or some nonsense?
Confused!!
Your Sunfire GT > mine!!! Love the new exhaust.
McLovin wrote:Car looks good, exhaust looks good, i say paint the mufflers flat black that way they dont take so much away from the chrome tips. looks good either way
I actually ordered some flat black mufflers, unfortunately when I received them they weren't what I expected so I sent them back. I just won't clean the mufflers and then they'll get dirty and they won't be as noticeable
. Thanks for the kind words!
Joe Schulte wrote:Thought you switched everything over to an OHV sedan or some nonsense?
Confused!!
Your Sunfire GT > mine!!! Love the new exhaust.
Yes, I did purchase an '02 Ultra Silver Metallic Sunfire SE Sedan last July and yes, I had switched some stuff from the GT to the Sedan, but I have since decided I couldn't live without the
ECO and the sunroof so I decided to keep the Sedan for my mom since her '98 Sunfire Sedan is getting up there in mileage. So, I am "resurrecting" the GT
! Thanks for the kind words Joe!
Gregoiro (Greg C) wrote:So you're actually going to be at the bash this, cause I remember you saying that last year lol
Yeah yeah yeah
. If I wouldn't have bought the Sedan last summer I would have been there. I will be there come Hell or high water this year!
lookin good carrie
im doin eyelids too
you wouldnt happen to have the stock duals layin around would ya????
also hows those wheels treatin ya..still love um?
My car may run 18s, but I can do your taxes in 10 seconds flat.
JBO lube - they would never have enough in stock and we'd never see RodimusPrime again
maybe you can tag along on our ride to the bash... im sure we will be meeting in chicago somewhere.
Looks great.. You should come up to the dells in May
So when can I hear it?
I like it. Just dirty them mufflers up good and all is well :-p
Actually, I agree with a little paint. But it looks good the way it is, and im a perfectionist.
Now when do you plan on bodywork? and... Shoot before or after?
Machzel08 (Teh Jew) wrote:lookin good carrie
im doin eyelids too
you wouldnt happen to have the stock duals layin around would ya????
also hows those wheels treatin ya..still love um?
Thanks Bryan! Eyelids FTW! As a matter of fact I do still have the stock dual exhaust. Maybe I should cut it into a couple sections and haul it with me to the Bash for ya
. I love the wheels, except for the fact that they're a +35 offset so they stick out a little in the front. I was going to sell them but they're so damn sexy I decided there's no way I could sell them.
Vincent Morris wrote:maybe you can tag along on our ride to the bash... im sure we will be meeting in chicago somewhere.
A caravan would be so much fun, however when are you guys gonna be leaving? I will be leaving Thursday afternoon when I get off work. I guess there's always the way back though
. Thanks for the offer.
Mr. Kleindl wrote:Looks great.. You should come up to the dells in May
Thanks Ken! I will most definitely be making the trip up to the Dells in May
.
Matt Linke wrote:So when can I hear it?
I like it. Just dirty them mufflers up good and all is well :-p
Actually, I agree with a little paint. But it looks good the way it is, and im a perfectionist.
Now when do you plan on bodywork? and... Shoot before or after?
Whenever. I can stop by CPA sometime or something, just let me know
. If the weather stays like it's been the past couple days I won't have any problem getting them dirty
. As soon as I get a few small things taken care of I will be getting the evil eyelids done over in Yorkville. I am guessing that probably won't happen until May when I get my "economic stimulus" check though. We can do a shoot before then. Just let me know when you're up for doing one.
I think you should keep the 17's. IMO they just plain look better. Also it makes your car stand out just enough it does not look like every other sliver gt of that year. Yet it is still a subtle difference.
The engine bay looks good. Glad to see you went with the armour coated header. It will stay looking good for many years as opposed to the painted which will rust quickly.
The exhaust setup looks almost stock in the rear. I like that. It looks like it is meant to be there instead of like it was just thrown on. Please post a video so we can here what it sounds like.
I say you leave the sides alone. I am not sure the bumpers would go so well without the sides the way they are now.
FORGET GIRLS GONE WILD WE HAVE GOVERNMENT SPENDING GONE WILD!
Looks good Carrie! Evil eyes, paint the mirrors to match, and put the 17s back on and it'll be pretty close to perfect.
I actually dont run CPA anymore. I run the rosatis in Schaumburg. Its kinda far from here actually.
Ill let you know when I gets some free time.
I wonder what my car wants when I get my check haha.
J TO ENVY wrote: Machzel08 (Teh Jew) wrote:lookin good carrie
im doin eyelids too
you wouldnt happen to have the stock duals layin around would ya????
also hows those wheels treatin ya..still love um?
Thanks Bryan! Eyelids FTW! As a matter of fact I do still have the stock dual exhaust. Maybe I should cut it into a couple sections and haul it with me to the Bash for ya . I love the wheels, except for the fact that they're a +35 offset so they stick out a little in the front. I was going to sell them but they're so damn sexy I decided there's no way I could sell them.
Vincent Morris wrote:maybe you can tag along on our ride to the bash... im sure we will be meeting in chicago somewhere.
A caravan would be so much fun, however when are you guys gonna be leaving? I will be leaving Thursday afternoon when I get off work. I guess there's always the way back though . Thanks for the offer.
OMFG please do do that. how much do you want for it?
at least the rear section from the y back...seriously..how much for that to happen?
we'll have to have an eyelids contest, of course ill win
the 35mm offset isnt too bad, how much does it stick out? mine were pretty well inline with the fenders
My car may run 18s, but I can do your taxes in 10 seconds flat.
JBO lube - they would never have enough in stock and we'd never see RodimusPrime again
im loking for the rk sport exhaust set up...
