02 impala question

[Marsal420]

i want to get a new exhaust system on my car and i wanted to know if anyone knew what the best one would be. That both sounds good and increases the performance.

I know NAIOA has a soundboard of them but i can't find it =(

HELP!

[bigrod118]

http://www.naioa.com/v2/modules.php?...ewtopic&t=4677

that is the database for sound files of members exhausts ans what they sound like, some are catback systems, some are custom made so you can tell what the mufflers they choose sound like.

By exhaust system, I take it that you mean a catback system? Or do you want to take it futher and do the whole exhuast?

as far as catbacks are concerned, the 2.25'' catback that is stock, isnt restrictive, so changeing it, isn't going to give you much, if any, performance advantage. but if that is what you are looking for there are a few choices...

SLP, GMPP, Corsa, plus a couple of no names.

for performance, you can get an upgraded downpipe, I suggest the JimmyC downpipe, excellent quality, great price, can't beat it. www.jimmycracing.com

Then you have only 1 option for the exhaust manifolds, and that is headers. you can't get PEM's (ported exhaust manifolds) for the 3.4, because nobody makes them, because they are so restrictive from the start, and so poorly designed, that its practicly impossible to port them, and see a performance gain.

so for headers for the 3.4, I think there are a few options, but the most popular and well reveired, are the S&S headers. Otherwise you can look at fastfwdperformance.com and donkeypunchperformance.com, they are geared towards the 3.4.

But remember what I said earlier, you will find more products that are for the Grand Am GT, the GT is important, because that came with the 3.4, the rest of the grand ams had the 3.1 if I am not mistaken.

[Marsal420]

Thanks man that was alot of help,

Actually though i wanted to know exactly what was the best muffler for the performance , and if tru dual or just duals is the way to go. I want to get headers but later on i want to just give my car a better tone and possibly some peformance?

As you may be able to realize i dont know much about cars so im alittle in the dark on alot of this.

Thanks for the help though

[bigrod118]

Our motor is a transverse mounted V^, you can't get true duals.

And mufflers don't have any effect on performance, they are simply a tuning device for the exhaust sound. they tuen the air flow coming out of the exhjaust with chambers and diffusers and such, so changing mufflers will only change the sound, NOT performance is any way.

[Marsal420]

hmm we'll thats a eye opener. =-(

So what do you think i should do?

[bigrod118]

It all depends on what you want out of the car, and how much money you have to spend.

so I guess we can start there, tell me what you want to accomplish with your car, your goals, and I can try to steer you in the right direction and tell you what options you have available for the car and motor.

[Marsal420]

We'll since you have told me that the "exhaust" wont really do much, i just want to get it for the sound since it will make the car sound alot better, also i would like to get some kinda performance out of that engine possibly a upgrade in my hp/trq . Im going to be putting 20's on my car and i dont think that my performance search will be very open, so i am gonna have to settle for little things that will help the car out.
Within the next few months im going to be getting that (FWI) you told me about and gonna just put a k&N But other then that im clueless to what would work on this 3.4L ENGINE!

Hopfully this helps with your questions =)

[bigrod118]

Well, upgradeing certain parts of your exhaust will help, just not the mufflers.

Jet = CRAP, save your money on something taht will actually increase your power.

getting the Naioa Fwi is a good choice, and either of the recommended filters work just fine, they are both K&N.

For the catback tho, I thik a good selection for you would be to see what sound you like and get taht catback, or find out waht mufflers you like and have a shop make you a catback. I don't quite know what you are going for, but I suggest the GMPP catback, it'll be about $550 shipped to your door from GMpartdirect.com, or if you want to wait, you can wait to see if a group buy on it is going to happen at Naioa. A person is trying to get one for the GMPP catback, and if there are enough people that are willing to pay, it'll be cheaper than you could get anywhere else, but that is if ther are enough people interested. I think the quota is 5.

you can check out the group buy here
http://www.naioa.com/v2/modules.php?...ewtopic&t=8810

The GMPP is stainless, mandrel bent, dual mufflers that are magnaflow. It has a nice mellow tone to it, but nothing too loud paople say.

Those are good places to start, then if you are still interested in getting more power out of the car, there are still PLENTY of things that can be done.

[Marsal420]

yeah i was deff getting some kinda exhaust with Magnaflow mufflers, and i am extreamly interested to hear what else there is for me to do to boost my performance. i love this car and i enjoy actually being sum what of a "SLEEP" when it wants to be and im sure if i put alittle power to the wheels it will actually be pretty quick. So please if you could tell me all that is possible. Thank you

Could you give me the part number for the catback?

Also do you think with 20's with the performance go down?

[bigrod118]

Yeah with 20'' rims, that is a lot more weight to be pushing around, so it will affect performance, that is why in drag racing, you see the smaller sized wheels on the car, they are easier to spin faster.

As far as trying to list the performance parts you could get, that would take a long time and A LOT of research on my part.. so just sheck out this thread, it lists TONs of things that are 3.4 oriented.

http://www.naioa.com/v2/modules.php?...ewtopic&t=2904

[Marsal420]

thanks man for all your help, i apriciate that

[JJ Newel]

I just talked to Midas the other day about getting the flowmaster muffler for my 3.4L and they said it wouldn't work with my car because it's a V6 Is this right? Or does he just not have a clue on how to do this on the impala's. I'm looking just for a nice "RUMBLE" sound for the exhasut nothing else. And one more question tried to wash my engine the other day on the count of the weather warmed up here in chicago and used the engine cleaner at the car wash but the white intake manifold wouldn't get clean any special cleaner for this?

[bigrod118]

Don't go to midas, I went to them for a quote, and basically he said they only deal in replacement parts, not custom work, so he just didnt want to deal with you.

As long as the muffler is the right size (inlet/outlet) to match your exhaust pipes, ANy muffler can be put on ANY car, NO MATTER WHAT!!!

I have a custom dual catback, with 2 flowmaster 40's, some say they are loud, I say they are not loud enough.