I am thinking of for my next upgrade to do some exhaust work. I see that Magnaflow makes a cat-back and if I shop around a bit I can find one for about 500-550 new. Then there are headers, now alot of the AM ones seam o have a disclaimer that they are for off road use only and not street legal, why? Then there is the catylist converter I think its call, what is that and is it something to replace? Lets say I have about a max of $1,250 for now.
I am not a car expert and don't know what alot of stuff is yet and what they do, so any information that will shead light on anything at all is fantastic.

 

Where to start, where to start....
1) The catalytic converter in the exhaust system is part of the emissions system required by law and helps eliminate the bad stuff coming out of people"s tailpipes. I would not consider eliminating it if I wuz U, but AM high-flow cats are available for better flow/less restrictionthrough it.

 

2) Headers replace the stock(usually) cast-iron manifold with mild or stainless steel tubing.They are designed to work best at certain engine speeds but all "should" use equal length tubing for the best extraction and sound. Rule of thumb here is that a 4-2-1 offers better mid-range power and therefore is better for normal street driving, while a simple and less expensive 4-1 will be best at higher RPMs such as track use.
Most will eliminate the cat, hence the "for racing use only" label. The other reason for that is that DOT and CARB approval costs money and time, and most companies don"t bother w/the red tape. I don"t care who's you buy, these will make the car noisier and the ones w/the worst designs will have a loud, distinctive metallicping-ping

 

3) Cat-backs?Sure. A nice place to start.For the 6, your choices are more limited than ours w/a 3 series, and the V6 cars even more so. Don"t expect the world from a cat-back though. The best ones have a nice rumbling sound and don't drone the interior @ speed. The worst ones sound like a Honda on steriods... often called "ricing," or a "fart-can" muffler.

 

Alright, one thing is cat in cat-back short for catalytic? Basically what I am looking for is a system weather its a cat-back or header w/e. I want one that it louder/meaner than the stock but I deffinatly don't want that ricer sound, a low rumble like you said would be ideal. I have the 4cyl model just fyi. Now other than a cat-back exhaust are there othe type of exhaust systems? And idealy I don't want my fuel economy to go down, so if that means a smaller boost in hp and tq so be it. Thanks theres alot of stuff out there and its hard to weed out whats good and bad, what to avoid and what to jump on.

 

Prices, I have noticed that alot of similar and sometimes the same part (and brand) have very different prices? Is it really a true representation of the product or is it common to pay 25-25% more for name brand?

Examples: (All for the 2003 Mazda 6i 2.3L 4cyl)
http://www.magnaflow.com/02product/s...ll&id=3966
Magnaflow cat-back exhaust:$733.55
http://www.horsepowerfreaks.com/perf...xhaust_Systems
Magnaflow cat-back exhaust:$533.36
http://www.therpmstore.com/product_i...0350f7db67884c
Magnaflow cat-back exhaust: (I called and asked) $464.95

Whats up? is it really that good of a deal or is there something fishy.

Another thing, when reaserching AM catalytic converters:
http://www.srmotorsports.com/Mazda6_...tem_Parts.html
High Flow Catalytic Converter: $449.00
is this really worth that amount? will it icrease HP, or decreace fuel econ? It says 50 state legal.

What about this header? Is it ok to mix and match brands? Ex. Magnaflow exhaust with a vibrant catalytic converter and a WeaponR headers? or will that dwindle the performance or will they even fit together?
http://siteground207.com/~protegeg/p...oducts_id=1405
$495.00

 

Exhaust system prices, again does double the price mean twice as good? probobly not but is it worht it?

ex:
A Magnaflow exhaust is around $500
A Greddy Evo-2 Exhaust is around $900
A Racing Beat exhaust is $430
A SRM exhasust is $700
A Apexi is about $720
A Tanabe is $500

any recomendations? as wellas ones not mentioned?

 

So sorry about the legnth of all of this but cars are complex and I am still figuring them out.

Other Am parts:

Competition Radiator: $550
http://siteground207.com/~protegeg/p...roducts_id=446

Oil Cooler: $145
http://siteground207.com/~protegeg/p...oducts_id=1440

AM Overflow Canister: $100
http://siteground207.com/~protegeg/p...oducts_id=1349

 

Are any of those things worth the money? Now I am not only looking for a car w/ more hp etc, but want to be proud of what she looks like too. So items like strut bars and radiator shrouds are cool extras that are nice to know about. Replacing tubes wired etc, for looksand over all just a better running motor is very much sought after. Any ideas are welcomed with open arms.

 

W/exhaust systems I would say that you usually get what you pay for. I suggest doing as much research as possible before committing to purchase. Also, there is mild steel vs. SS. That can make a big difference in cost. Is the muffler a universal stuck between some bend tubing? This couldreduce power and mileage, andcause drone in the cabinmaking the system unbearable to live with. Avoid the cheap, eBay systems and universal "Fireball" mufflers. Don't just hang a coupla' universals out back and expect the world.
Or has the manufacturer created (or chosen)a muffler to work specifically for your vehicle?