So in my 3 years of owning my beloved Stratus RT, I have seen everything anyone has to offer along the lines of exhaust systems and cold air intakes. During my time on this site, and others, I have seen, or fielded these two questions more than anything else:
1. What kind of CAI should i get
2. What kind of exhaust should i get that will be loud, and not sound "ricey".
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1. Companies like AEM charge something like 350+ dollars for a cold air intake for our car, at least they did when i looked into getting one. AEM boasts a few things:
-their piping is mandrel bent (so is everyone elses)
-it comes with a K&N filter (mine didnt, but i bought mine elsewhere)
-it comes in powder coated in customized colors (i think that mine looks fine in silver)
-theirs comes with a metal MAFS adapter (this is a big deal, but if you check with the no name CAIs, some, like mine, also come with a metal adapter)
That being said, i bought mine on ebay for about 100 bucks..i dont remember the exact price, but it was 100-120. It came with a cheap0 paper filter, which i removed and bought a K&N filter for like 50 bucks. my CAI didnt come with directions, but unless youre a complete moron, it isnt very hard. So, for 150-170 bucks, i got a CAI in silver that performs just as well as AEMs for 200 dollars less. so the big question, what is more important, having your CAI powder coated red, or having an extra 200 bucks to spend on your car? Those of you who do buy the no name CAI and need any help, I will be more than happy to help. here is a picture of mine:
If you REALLY want an AEM but want to save the money, just go out and buy a yellow AEM sticker, and youre golden. My CAI connection hoses say "greddy" on them because they came from a greddy TT supra..
2. If youre reading this for your own use, that means that you very likely either have a 3.0, 2.7, or 2.4. ANY aftermarket exhaust, no matter who makes it, will sound "ricey", when compared to a V8. My exhaust is completely custom made, and a few of the members on this site who have heard it will tell you that it is very loud, and has a very unique sound to it. My exhaust maintains a low tone throughout the power band, but does get a bit high at high RPMs. If you run 2.5 inch pipe all the way to the back of the car into a tip, with no muffler, it will sound a bit "tinty", like the hondas with no mufflers do, but when you have a small cube engine, there is no way to make it sound like a V8, and no matter what you do, V8 people will always say that it sounds "ricey". the one tip that i can give you...removing the resonators will give you a bit more sound, but i still have my large resonator near the CAT. As your exhaust works its way to the back of the car, increasing the size will change the pitch.
the bottom line, find an exhaust system that YOU like.
Here is a picture of mine, and that isnt a tip, that is what size the rear section of my exhaust it is...
