ACT cherry bomb exhaust

[Dickie Dastardly]

I am considering replacing the standard exhaust on my 1999 4ltr Chimaera with an ACT cherry bomb system. Just wondering what the pro's/cons are, the car is fitted with standard manifolds & Y piece (none of which are de catted).

I don't want the car so loud it's uncomfortable on long runs (heading from Scotland to Le Mans next yr), so I'm interested in other peoples experience with these units. Also I'm sure I once read somewhere it can adversely affect performance/running!!

Any comments appreciated
Cheers
Richard

[CHIMV8]

Dickie Dastardly said:

I am considering replacing the standard exhaust on my 1999 4ltr Chimaera with an ACT cherry bomb system. Just wondering what the pro's/cons are, the car is fitted with standard manifolds & Y piece (none of which are de catted).

I don't want the car so loud it's uncomfortable on long runs (heading from Scotland to Le Mans next yr), so I'm interested in other peoples experience with these units. Also I'm sure I once read somewhere it can adversely affect performance/running!!

Any comments appreciated
Cheers
Richard

Come on Daz we will all sit back and take in your regular comments on this topic

[SILICONEKID340HP]

If your keeping the standard catted Y piece the ACT JP sports exhaust will sound nice and raspy and good when cruising,you can even get away with removing the pre cats .i had the same set up your asking about but with the pre cats out, to me it was spot on,the noise only came in when booting it and no resonance on cruise .

Its a very nice setup ..go for it.

Once you combine the decatted Y piece and sports exhaust its a different story,I hated it..!

Is that OK CHIMV8

Edited by SILICONEKID340HP on Friday 25th November 23:20

[Bassfiend]

I swapped my standard exhaust for CHIMV8's "sleeved" one last weekend and it was actually quite pleasant to drive back from Halifax to Salisbury via Doncaster ... it is occasionally a tad cringeworthingly loud around Salisbury (narrow streets with tall old buildings) but on a run I was quite suprised.

Phil

[MPoxon]

Dickie Dastardly said:

I am considering replacing the standard exhaust on my 1999 4ltr Chimaera with an ACT cherry bomb system. Just wondering what the pro's/cons are, the car is fitted with standard manifolds & Y piece (none of which are de catted).

I don't want the car so loud it's uncomfortable on long runs (heading from Scotland to Le Mans next yr), so I'm interested in other peoples experience with these units. Also I'm sure I once read somewhere it can adversely affect performance/running!!

Any comments appreciated
Cheers
Richard

Hi Richard,

I have the ACT Cherry Bomb system on my car and I have run with it in both catted and non-catted form.

Catted it was not much louder than my standard box but sounded much better.

The comments with regards to cherry bombs sapping performance were refering to the older glass fibre packed mufflers and not the newer technolgy used in the ACT version.

I actually found it was still too quiet so I decided to go full decat and this for me is the best compromise.

Exhausts are a very personal thing and one persons 'sound' is 'noise' in the opinion of someone else. The best thing you can do is have a listen in person to as many combos as you can before making a decision.

Matthew

[lestershaw]

Hi matt
Are you saying you have full Decat and the cherry bombs? Or have you taken the cherry bombs off?
Any vids of ho yours sounds?
Lester

[SILICONEKID340HP]

These two are ACT sports exhaust and fully decatted and i would say pre cats if they had pre cats before .
They sound awsome but not for me ..
Thats the type of rasp you get with the act sports..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inEGGozMiXs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEYjDOX6Mas

Thats what mine sounded like ..

Due to the blocked Y piece i had no choice other than to ditch the sports exhaust go back to standard ,keep the de cat Y piece which still sounds prity good..But i don`t get that rasp which i miss.

[lestershaw]

Hmmm they both sound good to me:-)
I have a Clive f y piece and a standard system, with a full straight through exhaust sitting outside and i am wondering whether to put that on or add some cherry bombs to the standard system and the Decat y piece

[scotty_d]

Hi Richard

I think i drove past you a long while back when i was heading to a menstrie meet i used to have a yellow chim as well. I was running last due to a little misfire.

I Would not go down the sleeved route after reading what you are after my chim had all cats still in and sleeved and i could not have a conversation in the cabin roof on or off at a steady 70mph i had to really raise my voice to speak to any one.

It did sound really nice and loud but too much some times. It was a nice break getting the Cerb that i can hold conversations inside but i want to make it a little quieter again lol. Must be getting old

[MPoxon]

lestershaw said:

Hi matt
Are you saying you have full Decat and the cherry bombs? Or have you taken the cherry bombs off?
Any vids of ho yours sounds?
Lester

Hi Lester

I had the cherry bombs on before and after I went full decat.

Here is a video of ACT Cherry Bomb with precats and main cats in place:
http://youtu.be/1lySBR-FAI4

Here is a video of ACT Cherry Bomb with precats out and Clive Fords decat y piece:
http://youtu.be/fN39ZcTeLas?hd=1

IMO the best combination for everyday use while still having a nice soundtrack. Of course all in my personal opinion.

Matthew

[lestershaw]

Hi matt
I prefer the sound with the precast out as in second video, I don't intend to take mine out yet, until I get some new manifolds, I was wondering what it sounds like sme as your second vid but with precast still in?
I know we both have 5.0 but is there any chance the chim and the griff will sound different?
Lester

[TV8]

Depends on how loud your version of loud is. I would also say that precats have a big influence on loudness.

I have act y piece and act cherry bomb system and had 110 db at the recent track day but i don't find it noisy on a run.

[MPoxon]

lestershaw said:

Hi matt
I prefer the sound with the precast out as in second video, I don't intend to take mine out yet, until I get some new manifolds, I was wondering what it sounds like sme as your second vid but with precast still in?
I know we both have 5.0 but is there any chance the chim and the griff will sound different?
Lester

IMO precats would be the first thing to go as they serve no purpose. I gained 5bhp and 10 torques when I took mine out.

I think the sound of the griff and Chim is pretty much identical.

[loud430]

i run mine with one of clives y pieces, pre cats out & the Act cherry bomb exhaust & have to say i love it. is it loud..my mates 450 fully decatted but with a standard system cant be heard if the are ticking over side by side!

[Dickie Dastardly]

Thanks for the feed back folks, clearly it's a subject which splits opinion but is ultimately a personal choice.

I do have a spare set of de catted manifolds which have been welded internally where they branch into four - but I've not used them as yet.

I may just take the plunge with the ACT system - worst case scenario I can always remove it and sell it if it doesn't give the sound i'm after.

Cheers
Richard

[SILICONEKID340HP]

Dickie Dastardly said:

Thanks for the feed back folks, clearly it's a subject which splits opinion but is ultimately a personal choice.

I do have a spare set of de catted manifolds which have been welded internally where they branch into four - but I've not used them as yet.

I may just take the plunge with the ACT system - worst case scenario I can always remove it and sell it if it doesn't give the sound i'm after.

Cheers
Richard

Why not just fit the Y piece and see what it sounds like .The only down side is mot time.. Thats the setup i have ACT decat Y piece and standard exhaust..

[CHIMV8]

SILICONEKID340HP said:

If your keeping the standard catted Y piece the ACT JP sports exhaust will sound nice and raspy and good when cruising,you can even get away with removing the pre cats .i had the same set up your asking about but with the pre cats out, to me it was spot on,the noise only came in when booting it and no resonance on cruise .

Its a very nice setup ..go for it.

Once you combine the decatted Y piece and sports exhaust its a different story,I hated it..!

Is that OK CHIMV8



Get in!!

Edited by SILICONEKID340HP on Friday 25th November 23:20

[CHIMV8]

Dickie Dastardly said:

Thanks for the feed back folks, clearly it's a subject which splits opinion but is ultimately a personal choice.

I do have a spare set of de catted manifolds which have been welded internally where they branch into four - but I've not used them as yet.

I may just take the plunge with the ACT system - worst case scenario I can always remove it and sell it if it doesn't give the sound i'm after.

Cheers
Richard

If you have to sell i'm your man

[3dr Mark]

Thinking of trying to make mine a slight bit louder with out over doing it so all info is greatly appreciated, just cant get enough of that V8 noise ummmm :-)

[GasDoc]

Richard, in my opinion, you either keep the catalysts in and go for the ACT cherry bomb OR you fully-decat the car and keep the standard exhaust. Both sound good without being too loud. The first option will keep the MOT man happy. Decat plus cherry bomb sounds great but is very, very loud and will risk upsetting the neighbours. The other option is to tamper with the exhaust silencer. Personally, I don't like the "sleeved" exhaust sound because it reminds me of tractors.
Hope this is helpful.