My factory exhaust was welded with no joints. In order to pull the engine I had to cut the cross over pipe. So I had a split in the exhaust I had to patch. No problem, this complimented the split in the exhaust just before the right side exhaust pipe created by rust. So I crudely patched both splits as best I could. It helped but not that much. The exhaust was still pretty loud. Not terrible though. It was still drivable but I didn't care for the exhaust note.
I purchased an MSS exhaust with the optional second glass pack muffler. The exhaust pipe is a much larger diameter. It is aluminized steel. It is heavy duty. I think it is heavier than the OEM exhaust but I didn't weight it. Point being this is not flimsy steel. I think this will last for a long time. The exhaust is a 2-1 that exists on the drivers side.
Before putting the exhaust I on painted with VHT high heat satin clear. This clear coat is good up to 2000 degrees F. I figured this will help the exhaust go the distance, especially because I am painting it on all the joints before joining any pipes and before the exhaust has ever seen a heat cycle.
Once I had the exhaust all hooked up I can say the exhaust note is great at idle. While driving however, the exhaust note is okay but the vibration is pretty rough. With the exhaust hooked up as specified in the instructions, it is locked in with no play and all the vibration from the engine through the pipes is run up into the frame. You can easily feel it in your seat.
To address this, I disconnected the rubber bolt thingy half way back on the exhaust that held the exhaust to the body. This allowed the exhaust to be supported by the rubber mounting donuts and the rubber hanging strap at the end. This lessened the intensity of the vibration felt in the car. It is still greater than it was with the OEM exhaust, but it is no longer annoying.
I installed a decibel meter application on my phone and took some readings with the old and the new exhaust. I doubt the readings are that accurate, but they are probably accurate relative to each other. I took the reading holding the fold by my face while sitting in the drivers seat while the car was on jacks in my garage with the garage doors open. Here are the results.
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