Best Exhaust/Cats/Box Combo for MY12.5 V8 Vantage

[Bobajobbob]

Morning all, I know this has been discussed to death but as I'm still not 10% happy I was looking for a bit more feedback.

My first V8 was a 4.3 which, once the Fuse was pulled and switch fitted, had a perfect exhaust not in terms of tone and loudness. It was just the right amount of rasp and bass.

When I first got my 4.7 I was pretty disappointed because even as a roadster and with the fuse pulled it just didn't have the same tone and presence. Having done a bit of research most fingers pointed towards the secondary cats as being responsible for reducing the noise and character so I had these removed by my dealer last year.

First impressions were good as with the exhaust switch pulled the car now sounds fantastic at low revs with just the right amount of resonance without being antisocial/naff. However, having now lived with it for a year I'm really not so happy with the tone when revs increase. Once you get above 3000 revs the tone becomes much more metallic and angry which is fun every once in a while but has lost the more soulful character of the original 4.3.

I seem to remember reading somewhere, possibly it was Mike from Bamford Rose, that it is better to also change the back box if you remove the secondary cats for just this reason. Having said that I can't now find the post so I may be imagining it.

I just wondered if anyone else has the same car and setup and has reached the same conclusion and then solved it with a further upgrade.

Thanks

[Squaremeal]

These might be helpful:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0m7MYdmhKsk&t=...

This one is about V12 but it does talk about boxes from my memory

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJbjiVHih-4

[Bobajobbob]

Thanks very helpful. That seems to suggest adding an additional silencer to get the "symphony" back which is a very good way to describe my thoughts.

This is for the V12 though so not sure it is 100% fungible.

[bogie]

I felt the same after driving my old 4.3 for 9 years and upgrading to a 4.7 I was let down by the sound, even with a remote fuse switch fitted. I thought I would try the easiest most cost effective option first and fit some secondary cat replacement pipes . £500 + 90 mins labour at my local garage. It worked a treat, more volume overall even with the valves closed and valves open sounds amazing. I have not been tempted to change anything else.

[Bobajobbob]

That is exactly what I have done and initially I was very happy as the volume was back but after a year or so I am now finding the tone a bit extreme/angry/metallic at higher revs.

Mike at BR, when describing a slightly different setup in the video above, talks about transforming the exhaust sound from "a single shouty trumpet" back to a "symphony" and I think that sums up pretty well my view on my current setup.

I'm just not 100% clear on how I would achieve that with a V8.

[bignoise]

I had an AM sport silencer and secondary decat on my late V8 vantage along with a CCCharger remote and the sound was fantastic with open valves or when cruising with them opening and closing as standard it was quite restrained

[bogie]

Best consult with Mike at Bamford Rose, who has obviously heard many, probably all combos of cat pipes, back box, x-pipe or not etc

Most of us owners have only experienced the solution we have ourselves, and its hard to quantify, to one person something sounds great to others not so great. My hearing isnt what it used to be anyway so much so I dont spend thousands on expensive hifi anymore

[Bobajobbob]

Thank both for the feedback. I will speak to Mike but as I am a long way from his shop I didn't want to be too cheeky.

[bogie]

Have you searched on Bamford Rose youtube channel, maybe exhaust configuration has been a topic ?

[Bobajobbob]

I’m working my way through them at the moment thanks

[LordBretSinclair]

You need 2 of these:-


and one of these :-

[Bobajobbob]

Thanks, could you please name those parts?

[LordBretSinclair]

Bobajobbob said:

Thanks, could you please name those parts?

Custom made by a local specialist in Devon - they have all the settings etc.
Phoenix Performance Exhausts 01884 34777 or find on Facebook

[AstonV]

Larini is very nice and gives you the option to retain the valves if you like.

[EVR]

LordBretSinclair said:

Custom made by a local specialist in Devon - they have all the settings etc.
Phoenix Performance Exhausts 01884 34777 or find on Facebook

Ah, I recognise those very decat pipes! I have been very happy with them, nice to know where they originated from.

[LordBretSinclair]

EVR said:

LordBretSinclair said:

Custom made by a local specialist in Devon - they have all the settings etc.
Phoenix Performance Exhausts 01884 34777 or find on Facebook

Ah, I recognise those very decat pipes! I have been very happy with them, nice to know where they originated from.

Hope you are keeping well Edo

[Buzz Killington]

AstonV said:

Larini is very nice and gives you the option to retain the valves if you like.

I have a Larini box, sounds great.

https://youtu.be/iZRsN-idy6Y

https://youtu.be/pTsriBTSOt8

Of course sound like looks is subjective and you don't really get a feel for the sound in person through a video.

[AstonV]

Buzz Killington said:

I have a Larini box, sounds great.

https://youtu.be/iZRsN-idy6Y

https://youtu.be/pTsriBTSOt8

Of course sound like looks is subjective and you don't really get a feel for the sound in person through a video.

It sounds fantastic. Nothing better than the sound of the Aston V12.

I just installed a Larini on my V8, it’s a work of art visually. Polished to a mirror finish. The factory box looks like it was made by a blacksmith. Will be installing secondary cat delete pipes soon. I made the expensive mistake of installing an x pipe cat delete. Totally lost the Aston sound. The x pipe almost acts as a silencer. Smooth as silk but no character.

[Buzz Killington]

AstonV said:

It sounds fantastic. Nothing better than the sound of the Aston V12.

I just installed a Larini on my V8, it’s a work of art visually. Polished to a mirror finish. The factory box looks like it was made by a blacksmith. Will be installing secondary cat delete pipes soon. I made the expensive mistake of installing an x pipe cat delete. Totally lost the Aston sound. The x pipe almost acts as a silencer. Smooth as silk but no character.

No doubt about it, one thing Aston get very right is sound. Nothing compares. Really pleased with the Larini box. Keeps the character but dials it up a notch. I went for the valveless option. One volume. Loud.

[Calinours]

Hi - To get the noises I wanted once I'd done the Bamford Rose thing, and retain the flexibility to turn on and off the noise, my 2011 V8VS exhaust was upgraded as follows:

OE Exhaust manifolds and pre-cats - replaced with Bamford Rose tuned length stainless manifold
OE 2-stage Catalysts - replaced with Bamford Rose 200-cell motorsport cats with integrated acoustic baffle
OE interconnecting pipes with small-bore balance pipe - left standard
OE Back box - replaced with V12 AMR stainless unit (its about half the size)
plus - the BR 3-way switch giving 3 modes: OE exhaust valve map/valve open/valve closed

Noise is subjective, but I'm happy with where I got to. The results are uploaded elsewhere on this forum..