Sports exhaust

[srebbe64]

I'm gonna buy a Griff in the next week or two, I think I've found the right car. Anyway, one car I looked at had a sports exhaust, which sounded fantastic and I'm thinking of getting one fitted to my new Griff! My question is: Is are any downsides to having a sports exhaust on a Griff? I'd be interested in people's feedback.

[seasider]

srebbe64 said:

I'm gonna buy a Griff in the next week or two, I think I've found the right car. Anyway, one car I looked at had a sports exhaust, which sounded fantastic and I'm thinking of getting one fitted to my new Griff! My question is: Is are any downsides to having a sports exhaust on a Griff? I'd be interested in people's feedback.

Can you speak up a bit please i'm a bit deaf...

No downsides just more smiles....

I will say they all sound a bit different but all sound marvellous i'm very pleased with mine...

>> Edited by seasider on Monday 6th September 19:59

[Ballistic Banana]

The only downside I can think of is you will probably need an on silencers for trackdays.
Some people have said they are a bit much on very long trips but these are far and few.
otherwise they sound great
What car are you looking to buy if you dont mind me nosie, i will understand if you dont want to say.


BB

[srebbe64]

Thanks Banana. I'm currently looking at two, in fact. I'll let you know which one when I've bought it!

Appreciate the advice.

[andy43]

Legend has it the Rover V8 performs better with a bit of back pressure in the exhaust - allegedly some sports systems can actually reduce engine power
Only other 'downside' I can think of is my ears go PPeeeeeee after more than an hour at motorway speeds...
but the ability to make children and old people ps their pants more than makes up for it
and don't even get me started about multistoreys and car alarms

[Painey]

andy43 said:

Legend has it the Rover V8 performs better with a bit of back pressure in the exhaust

From my own experience with my Griff, where I owned it for 3 months before having Fernies convert the exhaust, I haven't noticed any lack of power whatsoever. Since had the needle almost off the speedo so it certainly goes ok! However, the well used saying that no two TVRs are the same is very appropriate so that's purely what I've found.

As for the noise, mine also sets car alarms off and generally sounds absolutely bloody fantastic!

All the best - Chris

[catretriever]

andy43 said:

the ability to make children and old people ps their pants more than makes up for it

Surely old people and children are prone to this sort of thing anyway without your assistance. Maybe you should aim for some harder targets

[andy43]

Fair point, but it's the trail of wet patches and flashing indicators that make TVR ownership so worthwhile

[jeh2os]

sports exhaust no per cats = bliss

[starmist]

It all depends on the spec of your car to start with. The rear silenser is the only proper silencer on the car. If you have a pre-cat Griff, it's got a lot of work to do, but they seem to have a percentage effect. In other words, the more noise they is before the silencer, the more noise they take out.

On a catted Griff, the two pre-cats and the main cat take out a lot of noise. As such, even with no silencer (as I was running for nearly a year) the car is not excessively loud and passes its MOTs. The adition of a couple of ACT track day silencers keeps it under 100db. It sounds great, but a harder note.

On such cars, a sports exhaust makes very little difference to standard. Yes it is louder, but not much, and in my opinion, not worth paying £500 for (plus fitting and VAT). That is why I have the baffles removed on mine instead (around £150 - £180).

If you have a pre-cat, or the ACT manifolds with racing cats, which have a less dense honeycomb structure to the cats, you need the silencer, as mine was just noise without it. Guillotine runs no cats and no silencer and he likes his noise, probably more than his neighbours!

I have now fitted another standard silencer to mine and the noise is just about right - louder than with standard cats and a sports silencer, but probably quieter and less harse than std cats and an empty silencer.

I would suggest buying a second hand silencer that's been emptied or having yours emptied instead.

[Northern_Paul]

Took my exhaust off tonight and it sounds awsome! with just the down pipes(I'm looking for my speedo transducer & found it).

I'm interested in Starmists comments about removing the baffles - I've a pre-cat - is this a specialist job or can it be done by regular griff owner?

Does it need to split to remove the baffles and then re-welded, I agree a spare/used silencer would be good for this and swap around for MOT's

[ghouly boy]

I've just gone down the two different silencers route - I actually bought Starmist's empty silencer pipe off him! Took me 4 hours to fit it last night as even two standard exhausts don't seem to be exactly the same.
Thanks for the advice about loosening the Y piece, Starmist - it made life easier until I tried to reconnect it and it didn't fit onto the manifolds anymore!
But it's on now and sounds great, with a 60's muscle car idle and a slightly meatier sounding roar with revs.

[siwes]

changed my exhaust out last year new manifolds and Y piece, I left the rear box in , there is no difference to the performance at least none I can detect.
noise , well its a bloody sight noiser thats with the back box in.
I have to say that on a long journey ( world tour of Scotland) it tends to be a bit too loud at times, its fun when posing about thats for sure , but I have to say Im seriously thinking of putting the orignal system back, total cost
manifolds, y piece, gaskets and clamps 480 pounds
labour 250 pounds
total 730 total then of course you have to have a tame MOT tester or go through refitting the cats so you can pass the mot

so in conclusion is it worth it ??

you know it is go on do it
simon

[simpo two]

You have to define 'sports exhaust'. If the car sounds loud, it could be a normal precat Griff, or a 500 with precats out, or with all cats out, or with baffles removed, or with everything out, or does it haave a whole new exhausts system with diferent manifold and/or four tail pipes?
Take yer pick!

[srebbe64]

Hi Simp.

It's definitely not a pre-cat (registered 1999). The dealer said it's a sports exhaust, which costs 500 quid including labour.

[starmist]

Northern_Paul said:

Took my exhaust off tonight and it sounds awsome! with just the down pipes(I'm looking for my speedo transducer & found it). I'm interested in Starmists comments about removing the baffles - I've a pre-cat - is this a specialist job or can it be done by regular griff owner? Does it need to split to remove the baffles and then re-welded, I agree a spare/used silencer would be good for this and swap around for MOT's

I expect you could do it yourself. Mine had a large rectangle cut out of the top face of the box (angle grinder?), the waddinf removed, the absorbtion baffles hacked out and the lid rewelded (roughly) back in place. I wasn't particularly impressed with the 'professionalism' of the job when I removed it, but you don't see that when it's on the car.

Be warned, if you've got a precat and you empty the silencer it will be really loud. You will probably tire of it pretty soon.

[starmist]

ghouly boy said:

I've just gone down the two different silencers route - I actually bought Starmist's empty silencer pipe off him! Took me 4 hours to fit it last night as even two standard exhausts don't seem to be exactly the same. Thanks for the advice about loosening the Y piece, Starmist - it made life easier until I tried to reconnect it and it didn't fit onto the manifolds anymore! But it's on now and sounds great, with a 60's muscle car idle and a slightly meatier sounding roar with revs.

Glad you've got it all together. I think the trick would be to slide the silencer onty the Y piece, and refit the Y piece before bolting up the silencer, but either way, you managed it.

I'm glad you like the sound. I thought you would. For me, it's about right. Mine is now a little quieter than I would like - perhaps a 'sports' silencer might work about right.

If anyone knows if David Redden has a Pistonheads handle, could they let me know, as I believe he's in the opposite position.