Exhaust damaged in wreck...looking for options

Exodus5 · 08-15-2012, 09:30 AM

So my 370z was rear-ended last Friday and I dropped it off at the body shop yesterday to be repaired by the other guy's insurance. The muffler is being replaced, but so far they think the midpipe is good. I'm hoping they realize the mid pipe is bent. It looks like the passenger side is lower than the driver's side and, from looking at a few other Z's that are in my parking lot at work, that doesn't look normal.
I have been wanting an exhaust, but I was waiting until the car was older and maybe even out of warranty to make changes. Now I have to either have the body shop install the same OEM exhaust, or buy my own and have them mount it. Since the mid pipe is staying, I was investigating just doing an axle-back. I searched but haven't found any that were made to attach to the stock mid-pipes. Do they exist?
I don't care about HP increases. I really want my Z to just sound better. I don't really care for the stock exhaust sound. Is there an axle-back system that could do this, or should I just buy a cat-back? If I buy a cat-back, I have to keep the price under $1000. My search turned up Agency Power/Invidia/Megan Racing and that's about it. Am I overlooking one?
Any help would be appreciated.

edub370 · 08-15-2012, 09:39 AM

Under $1000 exhaust options (in order from least to most expensive)

-aam short tails - hell no ($400+ for two 1' sections of pipe... get outta here. plus they are really droney)
-megan - no (sounds raspy and metallicy/ errbody knows its cheap)
-agency power - meh (similar to megan)
-top speed - yes (sound/look nice, but can be too loud for some)
-cnt - yes (great quality/sound for the money)
-Invidia - yes (looks great, sound good in person. very smooth exhaust note)

the ones bolded are my personal opinions on what i would look into in that price range.

and from having owned 2 (aam and cnt cat back) and hearing 2 others in person (invidia & megan) im not just pulling this stuff outta my a*s

hope that helps

Romulus1 · 08-15-2012, 09:47 AM

i have my MXP Cat back up for sale for 900, it come off the car next week and ill be able to ship it if your interested in something like that.

however, if i had to pick one of the ones you listed, i like the invia, i had one on my G37 and it was great

tonybui · 08-15-2012, 09:57 AM

Topspeed is nice, very cheap but sounds deep and is a great bang for the buck exhaust

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

NV370z · 08-15-2012, 10:06 AM

I am running invidia teamed with art pipes v3 and feel it is just about perfect. Invidia alone tends to be on the quiet side, just a step above stock. If you need a stock mid pipe I have one off my '10 with 1889 miles on it, perfect condition, approx $60 shipped.

Exodus5 · 08-15-2012, 07:01 PM

Thanks to all for the replies. Lots of good information. I'm going to go with the CNT, if my body shop will answer the phone...

azndung2003 · 08-16-2012, 01:54 AM

berk for 1k

fxroar · 08-16-2012, 02:31 AM

Its funny how much hate edub370 has on the AAM. I daily drove the Z with AAM and larger y pipe. True there was drone. There were 2 small spots. One a tab bit over 2k rpm and the other right @ 4k rpm. The drone is such a small compromise for the huge weight saving over stock and the aggressive and yet addicting exhaust note at WOT. Plus now that AAM Ti-Tip is on sale.. the regular ones you can get for a lot less than $400

OP if you have the cash to go full cat back I'd highly suggest picking up Tony's FI exhaust as it sounds incredible and very exotic. Might satisfy the sporty exhaust note the Z is lacking from factory your looking for.

Whichever way you decide to go.. keep us posted and don't forget to post some videos

MyKindaGuise · 08-16-2012, 06:56 AM

Ark grip 2 exhaust. Hit up FBNissan here on the forum. His pricing is damn near 1000 shipped. It would be worth the little bit extra.

If you get extra money go with the FI headers. I did this and it beats any other setup I have heard.

edub370 · 08-16-2012, 08:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fxroar

Its funny how much hate edub370 has on the AAM. I daily drove the Z with AAM and larger y pipe. True there was drone. There were 2 small spots. One a tab bit over 2k rpm and the other right @ 4k rpm. The drone is such a small compromise for the huge weight saving over stock and the aggressive and yet addicting exhaust note at WOT.

remember, i was running the short tails with a larger Y-pipe AND test pipes. so im sure the aam drone was exagrated in my case. i just dont think the pipes are worth the cost. only reason i picked them up is because i got them off another member for $150. idk how people ar ok for paying $400 for $50 worth of metal piping when u could have something like this:

Nissan 370Z Stainless Steel Catback Exhaust M2 Performance 09-12 Z34 | eBay

for $100 more. being a small company or not having a great brand name stamped on the back doesnt matter to me. idk, this is all just my opinion. i see people on here that love the short tails, and if thats the system you want then go for it. but there is so much more u can get for that much money IMO.

i'll stop aam bashing now

Sales@AAMComp · 08-16-2012, 12:20 PM

edubs,

I agree our short tails are overpriced for the actual materials that is involved and you're right it doesn't seem like you are getting much for what you pay for. When people try to haggle me and ask me why it costs this much well this is my answer. I 100% fully encourage everyone to go to a local shop to do the same thing. Our short tails are sold ready to be bolted on and pipes are mandrel bent. Most exhaust shops will crush bent pipes, may or may not fit properly, then you have to pick out the proper looking tips. So in the end fine you might save more money or you can go our route, guaranteed bolt on and fitment

and that $500 catback.. umm that looks extremely weary, but to each their own,

I've actually had a few people asking us to make separate y-pipes for the short tails. We never looked into this because essentially it then becomes a straight pipe set up with little to no sound control. I wouldn't be surprise if there are drone/rasp issues. In all fairness, if you are going to give feedback on how our short tails sound, you should probably include you had an upgraded Y and test pipes

edub370 · 08-16-2012, 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Khoi@AAMComp

edubs,

I agree our short tails are overpriced for the actual materials that is involved and you're right it doesn't seem like you are getting much for what you pay for. When people try to haggle me and ask me why it costs this much well this is my answer. I 100% fully encourage everyone to go to a local shop to do the same thing. Our short tails are sold ready to be bolted on and pipes are mandrel bent. Most exhaust shops will crush bent pipes, may or may not fit properly, then you have to pick out the proper looking tips. So in the end fine you might save more money or you can go our route, guaranteed bolt on and fitment

and that $500 catback.. umm that looks extremely weary, but to each their own,

I've actually had a few people asking us to make separate y-pipes for the short tails. We never looked into this because essentially it then becomes a straight pipe set up with little to no sound control. I wouldn't be surprise if there are drone/rasp issues. In all fairness, if you are going to give feedback on how our short tails sound, you should probably include you had an upgraded Y and test pipes

I have multiple times in previous threads. since there is such a high demand for these pipes, is there anything preventing u guys from throwing together a complete system based off these short tails? maybe with a couple large resonaters before hand to take any drone out? seems like it could be a big hit

Sales@AAMComp · 08-16-2012, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by edub370

I have multiple times in previous threads. since there is such a high demand for these pipes, is there anything preventing u guys from throwing together a complete system based off these short tails? maybe with a couple large resonaters before hand to take any drone out? seems like it could be a big hit

at that point we try to push our 2.5" true dual. If it's the ti-tips people are after, we have a ti-tip option for the true duals too

edub370 · 08-16-2012, 12:49 PM

I think if u his could market the short tails at a $250 price point u would sell more than u could keep up with. It would act as an intermediate price point between every level cat backs and stock. $400 is just too steep for a short section of piping that doesn't require major r &d. Just my 2 cents. But then again, i don't make exhausts

Sales@AAMComp · 08-16-2012, 12:55 PM

OP I just posted one for $350 shipped, it has a very small blemish on one of the tips, check out my thread for detailed pics

08-15-2012, 09:30 AM	#1 (permalink)
Exodus5 Base Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Harrisburg, NC Posts: 23 Drives: 09 370Z MB auto Rep Power: 14	Exhaust damaged in wreck...looking for options So my 370z was rear-ended last Friday and I dropped it off at the body shop yesterday to be repaired by the other guy's insurance. The muffler is being replaced, but so far they think the midpipe is good. I'm hoping they realize the mid pipe is bent. It looks like the passenger side is lower than the driver's side and, from looking at a few other Z's that are in my parking lot at work, that doesn't look normal. I have been wanting an exhaust, but I was waiting until the car was older and maybe even out of warranty to make changes. Now I have to either have the body shop install the same OEM exhaust, or buy my own and have them mount it. Since the mid pipe is staying, I was investigating just doing an axle-back. I searched but haven't found any that were made to attach to the stock mid-pipes. Do they exist? I don't care about HP increases. I really want my Z to just sound better. I don't really care for the stock exhaust sound. Is there an axle-back system that could do this, or should I just buy a cat-back? If I buy a cat-back, I have to keep the price under $1000. My search turned up Agency Power/Invidia/Megan Racing and that's about it. Am I overlooking one? Any help would be appreciated.

08-15-2012, 09:39 AM	#2 (permalink)
edub370 A True Z Fanatic Join Date: May 2011 Location: KCMO Posts: 3,458 Drives: 09 370z S/T 6MT Rep Power: 20	Under $1000 exhaust options (in order from least to most expensive) -aam short tails - hell no ($400+ for two 1' sections of pipe... get outta here. plus they are really droney) -megan - no (sounds raspy and metallicy/ errbody knows its cheap) -agency power - meh (similar to megan) -top speed - yes (sound/look nice, but can be too loud for some) -cnt - yes (great quality/sound for the money) -Invidia - yes (looks great, sound good in person. very smooth exhaust note) the ones bolded are my personal opinions on what i would look into in that price range. and from having owned 2 (aam and cnt cat back) and hearing 2 others in person (invidia & megan) im not just pulling this stuff outta my as hope that helps __________________ 09 370Z ST 6MT//Injen CAI//Greddy CBE//TP//TSW's//Swifts//Stillen lip//Whiteline sways 326whp/268tq Last edited by edub370; 08-15-2012 at 10:02 AM.*

08-15-2012, 09:47 AM	#3 (permalink)
Romulus1 Track Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 691 Drives: '11 370Z Sport 6MT Rep Power: 15	i have my MXP Cat back up for sale for 900, it come off the car next week and ill be able to ship it if your interested in something like that. however, if i had to pick one of the ones you listed, i like the invia, i had one on my G37 and it was great __________________ 11 SR 370Z Sport 6MT - Sold 03 Escalade AWD - Sold 13 Silverado LTZ Z71 Crew Cab

08-15-2012, 09:57 AM	#4 (permalink)
tonybui A True Z Fanatic Join Date: May 2009 Location: Maryland Posts: 1,397 Drives: 09 Sports 6 Speed Rep Power: 427	Topspeed is nice, very cheap but sounds deep and is a great bang for the buck exhaust Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk __________________ Evo-R CF fang \| CF Mirror covers \| 20/25 H&R spacers \| RE-11 \| TopSpeed exhaust + y-pipe \| Stillen HFC \| Carbon Fiber Amuse rear bumper + Amuse Spoiler \| PWJDM

08-16-2012, 02:31 AM	#8 (permalink)
fxroar Track Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 525 Drives: '10 40th Anniversary Rep Power: 17	Its funny how much hate edub370 has on the AAM. I daily drove the Z with AAM and larger y pipe. True there was drone. There were 2 small spots. One a tab bit over 2k rpm and the other right @ 4k rpm. The drone is such a small compromise for the huge weight saving over stock and the aggressive and yet addicting exhaust note at WOT. Plus now that AAM Ti-Tip is on sale.. the regular ones you can get for a lot less than $400 OP if you have the cash to go full cat back I'd highly suggest picking up Tony's FI exhaust as it sounds incredible and very exotic. Might satisfy the sporty exhaust note the Z is lacking from factory your looking for. Whichever way you decide to go.. keep us posted and don't forget to post some videos __________________ Fast Intentions / K&N / Blox / Evo-R / Uprev / Forgestar 19" F14 / R40 / NST / Z1 / SDCE / H&R / Kenwood / ISS Forged 20" FM10R

08-15-2012, 10:06 AM	#5 (permalink)
NV370z Base Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: LV Posts: 57 Drives: '10 370z MT Spt Pkg Rep Power: 14	I am running invidia teamed with art pipes v3 and feel it is just about perfect. Invidia alone tends to be on the quiet side, just a step above stock. If you need a stock mid pipe I have one off my '10 with 1889 miles on it, perfect condition, approx $60 shipped.

08-15-2012, 07:01 PM	#6 (permalink)
Exodus5 Base Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Harrisburg, NC Posts: 23 Drives: 09 370Z MB auto Rep Power: 14	Thanks to all for the replies. Lots of good information. I'm going to go with the CNT, if my body shop will answer the phone...

08-16-2012, 01:54 AM	#7 (permalink)
azndung2003 Base Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: USA Posts: 17 Drives: SCION TC 08, Z SOON Rep Power: 16	berk for 1k

08-16-2012, 06:56 AM	#9 (permalink)
MyKindaGuise A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 2,029 Drives: 11' 370z Sprt M6 Rep Power: 19	Ark grip 2 exhaust. Hit up FBNissan here on the forum. His pricing is damn near 1000 shipped. It would be worth the little bit extra. If you get extra money go with the FI headers. I did this and it beats any other setup I have heard. __________________ \|445whp398tq\| \|BW S259 Turbo\|3" Downpipe\Exhaust\|ID1000\|AeroMotive\|Tial\|EcuTek\|BC BR\|S0-4\|MaffFab\| MKGs-Single-Turbo

08-16-2012, 12:20 PM	#11 (permalink)
Sales@AAMComp A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Annapolis Junction, MD Posts: 4,079 Drives: GT-R Rep Power: 21	edubs, I agree our short tails are overpriced for the actual materials that is involved and you're right it doesn't seem like you are getting much for what you pay for. When people try to haggle me and ask me why it costs this much well this is my answer. I 100% fully encourage everyone to go to a local shop to do the same thing. Our short tails are sold ready to be bolted on and pipes are mandrel bent. Most exhaust shops will crush bent pipes, may or may not fit properly, then you have to pick out the proper looking tips. So in the end fine you might save more money or you can go our route, guaranteed bolt on and fitment and that $500 catback.. umm that looks extremely weary, but to each their own, I've actually had a few people asking us to make separate y-pipes for the short tails. We never looked into this because essentially it then becomes a straight pipe set up with little to no sound control. I wouldn't be surprise if there are drone/rasp issues. In all fairness, if you are going to give feedback on how our short tails sound, you should probably include you had an upgraded Y and test pipes __________________ Tyler Day, Technical Sales TylerD@aamcompetition.com 301-497-9214 Direct AAM Competition \| YouTube channel \| LIKE us on Facebook! Last edited by Sales@AAMComp; 08-16-2012 at 12:23 PM.

08-16-2012, 12:49 PM	#14 (permalink)
edub370 A True Z Fanatic Join Date: May 2011 Location: KCMO Posts: 3,458 Drives: 09 370z S/T 6MT Rep Power: 20	I think if u his could market the short tails at a $250 price point u would sell more than u could keep up with. It would act as an intermediate price point between every level cat backs and stock. $400 is just too steep for a short section of piping that doesn't require major r &d. Just my 2 cents. But then again, i don't make exhausts __________________ 09 370Z ST 6MT//Injen CAI//Greddy CBE//TP//TSW's//Swifts//Stillen lip//Whiteline sways 326whp/268tq

08-16-2012, 12:55 PM	#15 (permalink)
Sales@AAMComp A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Annapolis Junction, MD Posts: 4,079 Drives: GT-R Rep Power: 21	OP I just posted one for $350 shipped, it has a very small blemish on one of the tips, check out my thread for detailed pics __________________ Tyler Day, Technical Sales TylerD@aamcompetition.com 301-497-9214 Direct AAM Competition \| YouTube channel \| LIKE us on Facebook!

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