hey sorry if this is a repost but i couldnt find anything with my same situation.

i was looking into the vibrant header setup with out the vibrant exhaust. i guess first of all, will this work? i have stock exhaust with no muffler. im not sure my plans for exhaust in the future. I understand that the header has sensor relocators but do i need it with the stock exhaust? will this cause a cel? any input or opinions on other setups are very appreciated. Thanks!

 

also if i run vibrant headers+exhaust will i pass emissions? from what i understand it removes the cat and where i live i will fail. Someone tell me if im wrong haha

 

If you remove the catalytic converter(s) you are pretty much assured of failing the inspection for any jurisdiction north of the Mexican border. That said, buying the proper headers and exhaust setup should allow you to keep your converter(s) in place.

With the above said, unless you're planning on significant changes upstream of the exhaust system, then headers and a new exhaust will net you very little if anything in the power department.

 

^+1, just an fyi any aftermarket header deletes the primary cat, this being the case you will fail inspections but will only fail emissions testing if your cel is on. my obx header deleted the primary cat but it didnt set off any cel nor did i have to do the non fouler trick.

 

can you explain what you mean by "upstream" from the exhaust? i plan on doing more but right now i dont have the funds.

 

By "upstream" I mean internal engine changes (i.e. higher compression, larger valves, different cam) and/or forced induction. If you have a bone stock engine and you spend the money to do what you're proposing for your exhaust system, all you're going to do is to make lots of noise.

 

how come people say the simple bolt-ons i\h\e are the easiest way to get a little bit of power from our cars, if your telling me the opposite? im not arguing im just confused.

 

Probably the simplest explanation is, "What used to be true is no longer."

The thing is, modern cars have very dynamic induction, ignition timing and cam timing systems which do not require the same compromises as those automotive designers had to grapple with in days gone by. Will you gain one or two horsepower if you do your full header and exhaust system? Yeah probably, but even if you do, it will only be at wide-open-throttle near redline; how often do you drive around with your engine bouncing off the electronic rev limiter?

With the above said, there is one "bolt-on" which will yield significant gains in power; forced induction (turbocharging or supercharging your engine). If you have between two and five thousand dollars (depending upon whether you can turn your own wrenches and how far you want to push things), AND your car has a manual transmission (an automatic will be toast in relatively short order if you push things much beyond what the engine already produces), then you can easily bump your engine output to well over 200 hp.

Long story short, if you really want a faster car, unless you're willing to go the forced induction route, sell your car and buy a faster car. Said another way, if you spend a bunch of money to buy and install a CAI, a new computer map for your engine, and a full on exhaust system, you might get ten or even twenty hp, but by then you'll already be approaching the cost of a turbocharger kit (which will yield more like fifty or sixty hp).

 

yeah i have the tradgic auto, so am i sol on making my car faster? cuz im going to have this car for atleast 5 more years(unless i total it) and i love doing little things to it and just spending time in the garage.u

 

Probably your best bang for the buck would be to maintain your car in pristine condition and don't change a thing on it (which will keep the resale value as high as possible).

Ultimately you're going to be able to afford a nicer/faster car, and then you'll be able to get more out of your car than you would have if you'd spent a bunch of money on it and (oddly enough) lowered its resale value.

Keep us posted.