If you dont care about what I have to say, just take a look at the pictures and enjoy. Just a note, this camera is not very good, and I may update the pictures in a few days with better picture from my GF's camera.
For now I am uploading a few pictures as I just received the system today, and hopefully this weekend I will get around to installing it with my 034 HFC that I also bought not too long ago.
First the limitations that constrained my purchase:
1) The system had to be of good quality and fitment. I did not want to settle for the OBX system, even though the reviews for it are decent. I wanted to see some real worksmanship and quality of build in the material and welds. The system had to have no fitment issues. So far as I have lined up the system everything looks perfect, and hopefully the install will be the same.
2) The system had to mate up with the 034 HFC I had already purchased. On afterthought I think just about every system should mate up no problem, based on the following: The 034 HFC will fit the stock downpipe, and most catback systems will fit the stock Cat. Therefor the flanges must always line up. Nonetheless this was something I kept in mind.
3) The system had to be affordable. AWE's system looks and sounds great but for 1600+shipping, I couldnt justify the extra money. As a college student who literally just works all summer to mod his car, I wanted to save some money for other mods. APR/Billyboat systems come in right around 1000+shipping but I did not think the sound was very great. I dont think it is bad, but I wanted something with a bit more tone. Honestly for the price of this exhaust (I paid $899+shipping) I think it one of the best exhaust systems you can buy. (based on the sound clips I have seen and the quality of the pieces I received)
4) The system had to sound much better than stock, otherwise what is the point of replacing the stock system. The sound clip I found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xX63jq0Co5g proved (to me at least) that this system has a great sound.
Those were the things that I thought of when searching for the perfect exhaust system for me. Systems that came up as possibilities were as follows:
1) CTS Turbo (great price, great quality, couldnt beat it)
2) APR/Billy Boat (didnt like the sound as much)
3) AWE Exhaust (too pricey)
4) Milltek System (not a fan of the sound, price around 1200+shipping)
5) Stasis (like everything about the stasis system but there are none left in stock anywhere as they are out of business)
After considering my options and talking with a few vendors and helpful people, I decided to pull the trigger on the CTS System. Clay@CTS was pretty helpful in answering my questions, and informed me that the systems are made to order and would not ship for about 1-1.5 weeks. I ordered the system on a Sunday night, and on Thursday got an email that my system had shipped out. It shipped from BC, Canada, all the way to me in Rhode Island via Fedex Ground and got here in about 6 days.
The packaging was superb. Every piece tightly bundled in individual thick plastic bags with foam wrap around important things such as the welded on hangers, exhaust tips, resonators, mufflers, etc. Every piece was accounted for, not a scratch on them, beautiful shiny stainless steel. The website says 3" tips but they are actually 3.5" with doubled walled rounded ends, and CTS etched on the top. Everything is perfect.
Here are some pictures (none of the 034 HFC b/c there are so many pictures out there and it is of course a great product)
The full system (everything lines up nicely all pieces fit together without any issues)
Downpipe pics:
Midpipe:
Split Pipe
No pics of the muffler sections but here is one of the muffler weld on the end:
Tips:
High quality clamps provided:
That is all the pictures I have for now. I may add more later with a better camera. I would like to say that the welds look amazing. I would describe them as oatmeal. individual oats just layered on top of each other. I am so pumped about installing this system I really hope everything goes well and I will be sure to update this with install photos and possibly a sound clip.
Let this be an informative thread so that others can search for it and find advice without having to start new useless threads. Let me know what you guys think!
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AKA: vmSAi
Originally Posted by rongeur
Clay
Because speeding in a school zone!
There there... I still like your setup best
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