Nissan 370Z Forum - View Single Post

Red__Zed · 03-14-2011, 05:38 PM

I know there's a couple of these out here, but I wanted to add another review for anyone considering this exhaust.

I've not dyno'd the car before or after, and I unfortunately have not taken very many pictures along the way, mostly because the ones I did take turned out awful...so I gave up. I will, however, attempt to get a reasonable number of videos together so you can develop a good understanding of how the car sounds in a wide range of situations.

Starting off, initial impressions:

this is partially unpacked-- it wasn't packed like this

I pulled the exhaust out of the box, and was generally impressed with the quality. The welds were fairly tight, and although the system certainly won't be confused for a top dollar unit, it seemed more than adequate for the intended purpose.

I went with the significantly more tasteful rolled SS tips

I'm a big fan of having a system that looks like a beefy stock exhaust, and these do a pretty decent job there.

Install

Install was easy and took less than two hours working alone. Only issue I ran into was having lost my deep 17mm socket... but that's my own fault.

The fitment was pretty good overall, although the tips seem to stick out a bit more than I would like, even pushed all the way in. You can kind of see it in this picture.

Sound

I'm a big fan of the sound with this system. It's basically the sound I think the Z should have had from the factory: deep and full, without stepping into the realm of obnoxious. Check the vids at the bottom-- I will hopefully be updating with more soon as the weather permits.

I've noticed some members claiming that they have no drone on this system-- I will not entirely agree with that. Especially at highway speeds, there is a bit of drone with the system. Nothing bad-- less than most other exhaust options, but it is present, and anyone expecting it to sound like the stock exhaust at 70mph might be a bit surprised. Again, it's nothing a normal aftermarket exhaust wouldn't have, just want to give that heads-up.

Power

I haven't dyno'd my car, but average power gains from the Invidia usually hover around 8-12whp. Obviously, not as big of gains as some of the systems, but with the price these go for, as well as the sounds gains that are realized, I'm pretty happy with it.

As far as I'm concerned, the 10ish whp bump that this gives you is just a bonus on top of the sound. I listened to most of the alternatives for the Z, and this one came in first place by a long shot in my mind, at least for the balance of DD-ability coupled with enough throatiness to keep me happy. When you think about it, another 5-10 hp is not terribly substantial in the big picture, though to some it may be worth it.

The FI system is honestly the only other exhaust I would consider, and the low-hanging pipes kill that option for me.

Couple vids for ya:

Cold start

Quick shot of acceleration. You don't hear that much exhaust noise from where the camera is mounted, unfortunately.

Holler if you've got any questions!

03-14-2011, 05:38 PM	#1 (permalink)
Red__Zed A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: window seat Posts: 28,940 Drives: Mostly on two wheels Rep Power: 120	Invidia Gemini Review I know there's a couple of these out here, but I wanted to add another review for anyone considering this exhaust. I've not dyno'd the car before or after, and I unfortunately have not taken very many pictures along the way, mostly because the ones I did take turned out awful...so I gave up. I will, however, attempt to get a reasonable number of videos together so you can develop a good understanding of how the car sounds in a wide range of situations. Starting off, initial impressions: this is partially unpacked-- it wasn't packed like this I pulled the exhaust out of the box, and was generally impressed with the quality. The welds were fairly tight, and although the system certainly won't be confused for a top dollar unit, it seemed more than adequate for the intended purpose. I went with the significantly more tasteful rolled SS tips I'm a big fan of having a system that looks like a beefy stock exhaust, and these do a pretty decent job there. Install Install was easy and took less than two hours working alone. Only issue I ran into was having lost my deep 17mm socket... but that's my own fault. The fitment was pretty good overall, although the tips seem to stick out a bit more than I would like, even pushed all the way in. You can kind of see it in this picture. Sound I'm a big fan of the sound with this system. It's basically the sound I think the Z should have had from the factory: deep and full, without stepping into the realm of obnoxious. Check the vids at the bottom-- I will hopefully be updating with more soon as the weather permits. I've noticed some members claiming that they have no drone on this system-- I will not entirely agree with that. Especially at highway speeds, there is a bit of drone with the system. Nothing bad-- less than most other exhaust options, but it is present, and anyone expecting it to sound like the stock exhaust at 70mph might be a bit surprised. Again, it's nothing a normal aftermarket exhaust wouldn't have, just want to give that heads-up. Power I haven't dyno'd my car, but average power gains from the Invidia usually hover around 8-12whp. Obviously, not as big of gains as some of the systems, but with the price these go for, as well as the sounds gains that are realized, I'm pretty happy with it. As far as I'm concerned, the 10ish whp bump that this gives you is just a bonus on top of the sound. I listened to most of the alternatives for the Z, and this one came in first place by a long shot in my mind, at least for the balance of DD-ability coupled with enough throatiness to keep me happy. When you think about it, another 5-10 hp is not terribly substantial in the big picture, though to some it may be worth it. The FI system is honestly the only other exhaust I would consider, and the low-hanging pipes kill that option for me. Couple vids for ya: Cold start Quick shot of acceleration. You don't hear that much exhaust noise from where the camera is mounted, unfortunately. Holler if you've got any questions!