When it comes to modifying exhausts, there are two choices for car owners.
You can either have a slip-on exhaust, or a full-exhaust system.
Which one should you choose? Here are their pros and cons.
Slip-on Exhaust
Getting a slip-on exhaust system is the easiest and most cost-effective way of modifying your exhaust.
“Slip-on” is actually a misnomer. The parts are actually bolted on.
A slip-on exhaust consists of just the muffler and tailpipes bolted onto your existing mid-pipes.
For more drivers this may be enough as it delivers a louder exhaust soundtrack.
However, a slip-on exhaust has very obvious limitations.
Although it produces louder noises, it may not boost your engine’s power by much.
Even if the tailpipes are of a wider diameter, the rest of the system (pipes) remain narrow.
There may still be bends in the system, which slow down the speed of the exhaust gases.
Also, a slip-on exhaust only reduces weight at the muffler and tailpipes.
The remaining components are still heavy.
Therefore, the weight savings are not maximised.
Changing the entire exhaust system
This is the most complex and expensive way of modifying your exhaust.
Modifying your exhaust means everything from the headers (exhaust manifold) to the tailpipes are replaced.
However, when done right, this method can drastically improve your car’s performance.
Especially when it is combined with modes such as a cold air-intake and reprogrammed ECU (engine control unit).
You can install wider-diameter headers, a wider exhaust pipe with fewer “kinks” and a less restrictive muffler.
These will reduce the system’s backpressure, thereby enabling your engine to breathe out easier.
Things to note
Ensure that the exhaust system you’re changing to is engineered for your car.
If not, you run the risk of using pipes that are too wide.
This will reduce the velocity of your exhaust gases, thereby slowing down your engine’s “exhalation”.
And lest we forget, make sure that your aftermarket exhaust is LTA approved.
You don’t want to spend thousands modifying your exhaust only to get fined.
