Is it possible to "mute" a custom exhaust?

[GR2023]

I'm considering buying a used car,and it ticks all boxes for me,only issue is the owner has fitted custom exhaust (non resonating).they state it's not "too loud".
I haven't seen the car in person yet.
I'm in late 30s and not into that kind of thing and hate those loud exhaust.and I don't know anything about them.
my question is,is it possible to mute these exhausts? (by mute I mean making them sound like standard regular exhausts.)
or they need to be replaced altogether with a standard exhaust?

[steveo3002]

id be onto the owners club for that car and see if a fellow owner would be prepared to swap exhausts

[cuprabob]

Depending upon the construction of the exhaust you could replace the centre pipe with one with a resonator box or get an exhaust place to cut out a section of the centre pipe and fit a resonator box.

[cerb4.5lee]

If you aren't into loud exhausts then I'd be just looking at buying another one with its standard exhaust in place. Usually you put a custom exhaust on a car because you want it to be loud I reckon.

[CraigyMc]

cerb4.5lee said:

If you aren't into loud exhausts then I'd be just looking at buying another one with its standard exhaust in place. Usually you put a custom exhaust on a car because you want it to be loud I reckon.

In my case (V6 exige), it's the other way round.
The factory exhaust is too loud for trackdays, so in many cases people retrofit custom stuff to get under noise limits.

[Truckosaurus]

Also. You might find you can get your hands on a standard exhaust for not much money as there isn't really a market for them and sell the 'custom' one for a few quid.

[wpa1975]

I would be asking what other mods it has.

Plus if it is modified has it been thrashed.

[shalmaneser]

Just sell the custom exhaust on Ebay and buy an OE replacement.

[CalNaughtonJnr]

Have a Google for exhaust bungs and you should get quite a few options depending on the potential application

[cerb4.5lee]

CraigyMc said:

In my case (V6 exige), it's the other way round.
The factory exhaust is too loud for trackdays, so in many cases people retrofit custom stuff to get under noise limits.

A V6 Exige needs to be my next car then!

Every single performance car that I've ever had has been really quiet on the standard exhaust for me(the Cerbera did at least have a factory sports exhaust put on it by the first owner though).

I remember saying to the salesman when I test drove a E92 M3 as to why the exhaust was so quiet, because you couldn't hear it at all when it was sat idling! It had a V8 engine under the bonnet so I just couldn't understand why it was so damn quiet!

I'm definitely not ready yet for a world of silence with an EV that is for sure.

[GR2023]

cerb4.5lee said:

If you aren't into loud exhausts then I'd be just looking at buying another one with its standard exhaust in place. Usually you put a custom exhaust on a car because you want it to be loud I reckon.

yes but as I mentioned this car ticks all boxes for me otherwise,specially price and including full history,documented essential repairs,etc.something that is very hard to come by these days.

Edited by GR2023 on Tuesday 10th January 14:53

[GR2023]

wpa1975 said:

I would be asking what other mods it has.

Plus if it is modified has it been thrashed.

no other mod other than the exhaust.

[GR2023]

Truckosaurus said:

Also. You might find you can get your hands on a standard exhaust for not much money as there isn't really a market for them and sell the 'custom' one for a few quid.

I have no idea if these exhausts are cost effective to replace back to standard on an older car,hence why I asked here hoping some members might know.

[otolith]

cerb4.5lee said:

If you aren't into loud exhausts then I'd be just looking at buying another one with its standard exhaust in place. Usually you put a custom exhaust on a car because you want it to be loud I reckon.

Hmm, I have always looked for an improved tone with a minimal increase in loudness.

[cerb4.5lee]

GR2023 said:

cerb4.5lee said:

If you aren't into loud exhausts then I'd be just looking at buying another one with its standard exhaust in place. Usually you put a custom exhaust on a car because you want it to be loud I reckon.

yes but as I mentioned this car ticks all boxes for me otherwise,specially price and including full history,documented essential repairs,etc.something that is very hard to come by these days.

Edited by GR2023 on Tuesday 10th January 14:53

It is definitely nice when you find a car that ticks all the boxes as you say. I'm with you.

[cerb4.5lee]

otolith said:

cerb4.5lee said:

If you aren't into loud exhausts then I'd be just looking at buying another one with its standard exhaust in place. Usually you put a custom exhaust on a car because you want it to be loud I reckon.

Hmm, I have always looked for an improved tone with a minimal increase in loudness.

The majority are definitely like you and you only have to listen to how quiet all performance cars are now to understand that. I've always personally liked shouty performance cars though, but I guess that you wouldn't want to be one of my neighbours though!

[tapkaJohnD]

GR,
many involved in motorsport will carry an 'exhaust mute' with them, as sound checks are routine before competition, and too loud can mean you don't get a race! The mute works as a trumpeter's mute does, it goes into the end of the instrument, so easily fitted and they aren't expensive.

See: https://www.google.co.uk/search?sxsrf=AJOqlzW5wiFl...

[otolith]

cerb4.5lee said:

otolith said:

cerb4.5lee said:

If you aren't into loud exhausts then I'd be just looking at buying another one with its standard exhaust in place. Usually you put a custom exhaust on a car because you want it to be loud I reckon.

Hmm, I have always looked for an improved tone with a minimal increase in loudness.

The majority are definitely like you and you only have to listen to how quiet all performance cars are now to understand that. I've always personally liked shouty performance cars though, but I guess that you wouldn't want to be one of my neighbours though!

I've always wanted to avoid my neighbours hating me! I really liked the Borla for the RX-8 after hearing one at a meet, but it was just too obnoxiously loud. The Racing Beat one I got instead didn't sound as good but was nowhere near as loud. Same with the Elise, the 6 inch diameter system from 2bular sounds better but is louder, I went for the 8 inch.

[cerb4.5lee]

otolith said:

cerb4.5lee said:

otolith said:

cerb4.5lee said:

If you aren't into loud exhausts then I'd be just looking at buying another one with its standard exhaust in place. Usually you put a custom exhaust on a car because you want it to be loud I reckon.

Hmm, I have always looked for an improved tone with a minimal increase in loudness.

The majority are definitely like you and you only have to listen to how quiet all performance cars are now to understand that. I've always personally liked shouty performance cars though, but I guess that you wouldn't want to be one of my neighbours though!

I've always wanted to avoid my neighbours hating me! I really liked the Borla for the RX-8 after hearing one at a meet, but it was just too obnoxiously loud. The Racing Beat one I got instead didn't sound as good but was nowhere near as loud. Same with the Elise, the 6 inch diameter system from 2bular sounds better but is louder, I went for the 8 inch.

There is definitely a fine line. In fairness I wouldn't want to daily a car that was excessively loud because it would get on your nerves I reckon. I do think that for an occasional/fun car you can get away with it being really loud though, and that has generally worked for me over the years.

However I definitely wouldn't say no to a bit more(not loads) noise from the M4 to be honest, because that is really quiet from its exhaust as standard(like most ICE performance cars seem to be nowadays).

[otolith]

cerb4.5lee said:

However I definitely wouldn't say no to a bit more(not loads) noise from the M4 to be honest, because that is really quiet from its exhaust as standard(like most ICE performance cars seem to be nowadays).

It's not the sound level that bothers me, so much as the effect that muffling it more has on the quality of the sound. So for me the sweet spot is the quiet end of aftermarket.