Cat-Back system or just Mufflers?

So if DynoMax's cat-back system is 2.5" piping, do you guys recommend me putting a $450 cat-back on a '97 GT (read that - 9-year-old car), or just slapping on two ST mufflers, & u-bend delete seperately (I have friends who can weld ;) )?

I plan on having the car until it dies - 118k mi on it right now.

Any time you can free up the exaust(to a point) it will increase throttle response. The original piping is 2" I believe. Opening it up to 2.5" should be good, I would not go any bigger but with both banks running the majority of the run in one pipe till it splits 2.5" should be perfect. If you plan any serious mods to the engine or heads you may want to go 2.75". There is a fine line between needed back pressure and too much. Some is needed to pull the gases out, too much begins to restrict. I love dynomax myself others here have differing opinions on mufflers I will suggest seeing your local muffler shop, 450.00 is steep you should be able to get it done locally for less.

The stock exhaust system is 2.25" OD. The canned Dynomax CAT Back system is not 2.5" but 2.25". Only the chrome oval exhaust tips are 2.5".

IMO a CATBack exhaust system is a waste of money for the limited hp gain. The sound is nice.

You gotta go to a Ma and Pa muffler shop... I went to a custom exhaust shop got a cat back with dual flowmasters for 200 even... They bent the pipes customly and did whatever i wanted... Buying a snap on system makes your car copy-able... I got them to get me a 2.5 piping under my car from the cat.

Next week I'm going back for heads, u-bend delete, and a high flow cat and all of it being done for like 450...

Don't be like most and buy a snap on and weld it on, try a ma and pa shop and get a cutsom job the way you want it and for a hell of a lot less.

Could I get the piping necessary from a local place, buy the mufflers I want online, and do it myself? I'd rather not anyone else do this project but me.

Thanks for all your input so far, though guys.

Could I get the piping necessary from a local place, buy the mufflers I want online, and do it myself? I'd rather not anyone else do this project but me.

Thanks for all your input so far, though guys.

Pipe stock is normally available locally. But the problem you are going to run into is getting it formed and bended properly. A Mandrel bending machine is required. You could just have a mon n pop local muffler shop do the work you want in segments and based on the pipe size. Then install it yourself.

Going with a custom exhaust with 2.5" plumbing is a great idea. Just get the mufflers you want separately like Borla, DynoMax, Magnaflow, ST, etc. Each will give a different exhaust sound.