I have a chance to buy a stainless steel HKS muffler, from a friend of mine. The problem is that it has a 2.5" inlet size. If I were to get a custom 2.5" cat back, do you see any detriment to the performance of the car? I have a '98 2.3 5-speed. I'd like to gain some performance as well as the sound, but I don't want the ricy, rattling sound that some of the exhaust notes. The way the muffler sounds on his jetta GLI is awesome, and I'd like to have some kind of similar sound.
Here's something that I found that I like the sound of:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...+exhaust&vt=lf

Any input you have is greatly appreciated, and sorry if this is in the wrong spot. I did search and only found something about a 2nd gen CL-S...

 

HKS is a LOUD muffler, also 2.5" is a really big pipe for a 4 banger. It'll be loud, and you'll have no back pressure, personally I wouldn't go above 2.25" but it'll sound mean

 

It'll sound ricey

 

my car has a 2.5 cat back.......not ricey to me though, especially not when i take off, and i barely hear during daily driving unless i stomp on it cus there isnt alot of backpressure. if you listen carefully in the video at the beginning i slowly accelerate like i would daily driving and then i stomp on it.

 

i think BLind Shooters is pretty good, its sounds better than stock and yet not too ricy(IMO)..

 

If you want to gain performance you want to not get 2.5".

you pretty much have to choose between performance or sound.

I have 2.25" hell i'll make a video of it in a parking lot tomorrow for you. The majority of any other videos I have of it do not do it justice. Ask cocoa, he gave it to me.

 

I think you should go 2.25in piping. That muffler is loud though, and it might sound ricey like black ack said. I can't stand that ricey sound in my daily driver anymore.

 

i agree about the performance part of the 2.5 piping. its worthless for performance but sounds cool. 2.25 has plenty of backpressure to actually make power. i dont care about performance so much. my car will always be slow......

 

lol it wont be slow if u get a swap or turbo

 

im still looking for umm....a few things