Options to make my Chim louder!
Options to make my Chim louder!
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Discussion

FreeLitres

Original Poster:

6,128 posts

207 months

Wednesday 22nd February 2012
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I love my Chim500, but I want to make it louder! I would be looking to get any work done at the TVR specialists. The 500 engine and exhaust is currently standard and all my cats are in place.

Am I right in thinking that these are my options?-

(Listed from what I inderstand to be cheapest and easiest to more difficult and expensive)
1) Sleeved silencer. Cut the box open and replace the vented tube section with a solid tube section. Would this make much of a difference?

2) Buy an aftermarket silencer box such as Cherrybomb (?). (Is it the full silencer box I would be buying, or is that just the configuration of the tubes inside the box?)

3) Full stainless exhaust from the likes of ACT or a custom full stainless exhaust. I remember seeing one of these on Quinnys Griff refurb videos.

4) Remove pre-cats. Is this an easy job? Is it legal as long as the main cat is in place?

5) Full de-cat. Am I right in thinking this is illegal and it would void your insurance if you happen to be in an accident? I'm sure I read somthing about that in the TVR bible.

Does anyone know roughly how much each of these might cost and what my best noise-to-cost option?

Thanks!

lestershaw

1,591 posts

188 months

Wednesday 22nd February 2012
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JulianHJ

8,871 posts

292 months

Wednesday 22nd February 2012
quotequote all
IIRC Option 1 is the cheapest and simplest. I never got around to doing it with my old Griff, but I've heard a few and they sounded lovely.

TVR500Morgan

1,183 posts

182 months

Wednesday 22nd February 2012
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Sleeved is cheapest, easiest and loudest its an hours job if that (depends if you want to clean/paint exhaust) I sleeved my 400 back in the summer much better now would never go back it also pops and bangs on overun biggrin this has no perfomance gain or loss. If you do sleeve it I would highly recommend multi story car parks for a sound check biggrin !!

haircutmike

22,511 posts

234 months

Wednesday 22nd February 2012
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For me, precats out and a standard system, anything else is plain annoying, (for me that is!).

I also have my main cat out but that's just for a little more power for track! If I'm going any distance I stick a couple of inserts up the tailpipes.

Not what you want to hear but that's me.

peaktorque

1,807 posts

241 months

Wednesday 22nd February 2012
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Mine is a Zertec exhaust (no longer in business) which features Cherry bombs and the pre-cats have been removed. It sounds cloud9

The main cat is still in place, but it pops and bangs like a bd and it the exhaust emissions were spot on, despite no pre-cats.

TVR500Morgan

1,183 posts

182 months

Wednesday 22nd February 2012
quotequote all
Have a browse on youtube and see which is the right sound for you. Just bear in mind youtube doesnt do them any justice.

FreeLitres

Original Poster:

6,128 posts

207 months

Wednesday 22nd February 2012
quotequote all
Point 1:

lestershaw said:
That sounds frigging AWESOME!

BUT - am I right in thinking that removing the main cat is technically illegal? When buying mine, I test drove a chim that had a "bolt in" y-piece that you would have to swap for a catted Y for the mot. What happens if you are involved in an accident and they find that the cat has been taken out? I want my car to sound as good as possible while being totally legit.

Point 2:

Is it illegal to remove the pre-cats? How big/expensive is that job? Are there any other consequences of doing this? Does it knack up the main cat or make it fail emissions tests or anything?

A sound like the video above would be perfect, but can I get that while remaining 100% legit?

Dodsy

7,175 posts

257 months

Wednesday 22nd February 2012
quotequote all
Sleeved is the cheapest and the loudest. I find I now need to wear ear defenders for long journeys though. But its worth it hehe

IME removing pre-cats makes no difference to the sound but it does reduce under bonnet temps. As long as the main cat is in it will still pass an MOT


TV8

3,560 posts

205 months

Wednesday 22nd February 2012
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I would say that it depends on where you want your noise. I think haircutmikes car sounds as loud as mine but on the DB meter at 3000+ revs his was mid 90's db's mine was a 110db.

On pick-up/low revs, I would say pre-cats out has the biggest effect on noise. Mine is ACT decat y-piece and cherry bomb system, with pre-cats still in place

If I had my time again, I would probably decat y piece and pre-cats out on standard system. From a noise perspective, sleeved is good noise and easiest, but I do believe that the car revs better with the different y piece.

TV8

3,560 posts

205 months

Wednesday 22nd February 2012
quotequote all
forgot I had a link to the noise of my car:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzQ2U2eN9Bg

I would also add, that on light throtle the car is good on motorways and A roads for cruising noise

OleVix

1,438 posts

178 months

Wednesday 22nd February 2012
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I did the sleeving just now on my 400 and it sounds great, not too loud inside the car. When the box was sleeved, the mechanic didnt cut away all the perforated tube, he left one inch on each tube on each side. He also put some of the fluffy dampener stuff back in.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEm6VXJEQG0&fea...

If you play it on a good stereo you get the idea...

Oh almost forgot... cost 100 quid

FreeLitres

Original Poster:

6,128 posts

207 months

Wednesday 22nd February 2012
quotequote all
Thanks guys.

When you talk about cherry-bombs, are you talking about the system from ACT? Is it full stainless steel?

SILICONEKID340HP

14,997 posts

261 months

Wednesday 22nd February 2012
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FreeLitres said:
Thanks guys.

When you talk about cherry-bombs, are you talking about the system from ACT? Is it full stainless steel?
You can do this conversion your self or any exhaust fabricator can do it ..

Its a copy of an ACT sports exhaust,not cherry bombs ,perforated pipe,wadding and stainless steel rolled sheet.The fabricators have them in stock.




TV8

3,560 posts

205 months

Thursday 23rd February 2012
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FreeLitres said:
Thanks guys.

When you talk about cherry-bombs, are you talking about the system from ACT? Is it full stainless steel?
Dont know what it is made of. Mine is the ACT system, with I think cherry bombs..

raceboy

13,927 posts

310 months

Thursday 23rd February 2012
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Well with all this talk of things being 'illegal' I'm clearly going to hell in a hand cart. paperbag

Mines got no pre-cats, no main cat, and straight through pipes.
Ticks over at 105Db and peaks about 135Db at 5k, pops and bangs at comedy levels and scares small children and following cars with the occasional flame. rotate

And the de-cat is actually declared with the insureance company. wink

I really must get round to filming/recording it.....

450Nick

4,027 posts

242 months

Thursday 23rd February 2012
quotequote all
raceboy said:
Well with all this talk of things being 'illegal' I'm clearly going to hell in a hand cart. paperbag

Mines got no pre-cats, no main cat, and straight through pipes.
Ticks over at 105Db and peaks about 135Db at 5k, pops and bangs at comedy levels and scares small children and following cars with the occasional flame. rotate

And the de-cat is actually declared with the insureance company. wink

I really must get round to filming/recording it.....
hehe

Sounds like mine... My record is setting off 9 car alarms at once in a Tescos multi-story! Full ACT sports manifolds, larger than standard bore with the full stainless cherrybomb system with custom replaceable tailpipes - silenced for track or unsilenced for road. I've not heard a better TVR yet (other than maybe the speed 12 ears)

FreeLitres

Original Poster:

6,128 posts

207 months

Thursday 23rd February 2012
quotequote all
I'm really keen to understand if I can remove all my cats and still be above board.

If the insurance are happy with is, would I actially be commiting an offence?

I REALLY like the idea of pops and bangs! biggrin

pjac67

2,040 posts

282 months

Thursday 23rd February 2012
quotequote all
raceboy said:
Well with all this talk of things being 'illegal' I'm clearly going to hell in a hand cart. paperbag

Mines got no pre-cats, no main cat, and straight through pipes.
Ticks over at 105Db and peaks about 135Db at 5k, pops and bangs at comedy levels and scares small children and following cars with the occasional flame. rotate

And the de-cat is actually declared with the insureance company. wink

I really must get round to filming/recording it.....
Ditto for mine, youtube clip (crap video but gives you an idea of noise levels:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Cxt1kpxcCQ&lis...

FreeLitres

Original Poster:

6,128 posts

207 months

Thursday 23rd February 2012
quotequote all
I just checked with my insurance and they said they could cover my car if is was de-catted.

>>Are there any legal implications of not having cats???????? Anyone?<<