Getting exhaust this weekend.

Alright so I live 2 hours away from Miami and this weekend I am going over there to get Flowmasters installed.

The guy is charging me $150 for the muffler, $25 for labor and $25 for each tip (he said he has lots to choose from) so it will all come to $225 which seems a very reasonable price. He recommended for me to get 3in pipes, he said that some cars come with them and if mine has them, then it will all be $225 as said. But if he has to put 3in pipes then it will be like $450.

I measured my pipes circumference and they ranged from 7in to 7.25in and doing the math thats around 2.3in diameter. Is there anyway to get the exhaust with my current pipes or is it really recommend to get the 3in.

Thanks.

Car: 2001 Pontiac Firebird V6 3.8L

i dont think it will be necessary to put 3 inch pipes on a 6cyl. i have a 400 sbc and im running single 3 inch pipe and dual out and its fine. i would use that money for 3 inch pipes and toss some headders on there or something else

Yeah, unless you're going with forced induction, 3"pipes on a V6 are useless. Usually people upgrade to 2.5" pipes.

I see. I knew there was 2" and 2.5" but how come they are 2.3? Are they considered to be 2" or 2.5"?

Is there any way to like, use my existing pipes up to the Flowmaster and then have 3in going out? Does it even make a difference?

Also, which series of the Flowmaster is the best for a V6? I want it to sound loud but not riced up. I heard the 40 series was the loudest?

i think the one that comes in the v6 kit is a 80 series

damn i wish i remembered what i had on my old rs....cause i would tell u dont get it! my flowmasters blowed!! they sounded ok for a week, then went to hell after that....it only sounded decent when i would first start the car

I had flowmaster of my car and went with magnaflow and love them. You get better flow and better sound out of a magnaflow...

Considering the fact that my car is completely stock and I am not planning on doing anything else to it other than an intake because of financial reasons, I really dont care about flowing more. What could it give, 2-3 HP+ at best? I just want it to sound loud and good but not the sound of an import.

I was in Miami last weekend and I my cousin showed me his truck. Its a 2002 Ford F-150 with the V6 4.2L and he has the Flowmaster exhaust with an intake done by the same guy that is doing mine. I tell you, that truck sounded so mean and I LOVED the sound. His is a V6 just as mine and if I get that sound, Im good to go. His engine is just 0.4L bigger than mine so I would guess the sound would be similar?

I am planning on doing to my car just like my cousin, an exhaust and intake, thats it. F-bodies look awesome as they are, so just adding extra power and sound will be good enough for me.

I would really like *ANY* kind of advice you guys can give me. Thanks!

It's all personal preference, I from personal experience do not like the sound of flowmaster. They sound to tinny for me. One of the members here turned me on to magnaflow and I like the sound of it much better. Its not as loud at idle but when you get on it, sounds awesome. A flowmaster sounds to ricey IMO...

Here's a link to a sound clip
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=833868599269598768&q=camaro+v6

Flowmaster doesn't sound good on the V6. Probably not worth 2-3 RWHP over stock either.

Magnaflow. Trust me.

expect it to rattle a bit around 3500 or so if you get a 40 series and cut the catalyctic on a 3.4V6, mine sounds great at lower RPMs, but quite shaky at high, seems to be getting a nice flow though, i notice a small difference from the stock and the flowmaster at around 70-80.

I had flowmaster of my car and went with magnaflow and love them. You get better flow and better sound out of a magnaflow...
Flowmaster = Directed Flow, Loudest (Sound ricey w/o headers)
http://www.carreview.com/Channels/CarReview/images/products/product_1087.gif
Magnaflow = Straight through muffler, filled with steel and cotton fiber for "not as loud" sound, Great sound
http://www.northernautoparts.com/Images/Uploaded/MagnaFlow%20cut%20away%20muffler.jpg

Yeah, unless you're going with forced induction, 3"pipes on a V6 are useless. Usually people upgrade to 2.5" pipes.

And for the people that can't decied between 2.5" or 3", most people go for 2.75" tubing.