I started with ax-back mufflers also, Pypes Violators. They made my car quite a bit louder and brought out much more rumble. I had those for a year. Then I started researching H vs X pipe set ups. The main difference is that an H will cause more rumble and growl. An X will cause more rasp. After listening to at least a million and two sound clips I chose to go with an H pipe.

I figured while I was throwing down money and tearing parts out I might as well replace the whole system. I went with all Pypes Performance parts. Pypes has a really different sound and I just can't stand how fluid flowmaster and magnaflow sound. They are to balanced and perfect.

I bought short tube headers, down pipes, high flow cats and the h pipe. I kept the portion of pipe over the axle because I just didn't know where to find an after market version. That's all 2 1/2 inch tubing. That had my car sounding pretty much exactly the way I wanted it too. This was two summers ago.

Earlier this summer I started getting engine lights with a P0430 engine code. The driver side cat wasn't working properly. I replaced the O2 sensor first because it was cheaper. The check engine light came back fifty miles later. Then another fifty miles later it went off on its own. But the car felt heavy and slow from then on. I thought maybe the catalyst was melted so I just cut my losses there and decided to go catless.

I bought a new set of down pipes and a new h pipe and replaced the cated section with those just last Saturday. The car is alive again and sounds even better. There didn't seem to be anything wrong with the cats. There was just a small crushed piece inside the driver side one.

So my system from front to back at this point in time is Pypes short tube headers, catless downpipes, h pipe, stock over the axle and Pypes Violator mufflers. All 2.5 inch tubing. There is no drone at all and the note has a lot of character, that's the best way to put it. I can hear the sound start rumbling in the h right under my seat and as the rpms go up the sound travels back to the tips and out comes this awful (in a good way) "rattle". It sounds like metal but it's coming from pretty deep in the car. And I love it.