Alrighty gentlemen I once again come humbly before you all and ask for your advice. I have been reading this forum now for a few months and fully blame this site for giving me the "mod bug". I started with rotora rotors and did a few mods. I now am unsure what to do next. I have the aem V2, atlp j-pipe v2,UR pulley stock size,and XLR8 non-res quads. I was thinking about going with the pre-cats next and a test pipe to delete the 3rd cat. I am wondering if i will get that much difference in power to justify holding off on cosmetic upgrades. I really want to do the a-spec kit and lower it a few inches. I was just wondering what you guys would do in my situation or what you already have done. Thanks guys in advance

 

save money and get a new car

 

I have money. I could buy new car. I bought this one. I want to mod this one. If you could shed some light on your own experience and why you feel this way that would be a helpful post unlike your first one.

 

Not sure how much power the Race pipe will provide, but it will work well in conjuction with the Pre-Cats. Those alone should wield quite a bit of power.

 

Dont you actually lose torque with precat deletes? and get a fowl smell?

 

OP - save your money for the turbo kit. I believe JL's post was supposed to be taken as a joke/sarcasm - hence the red font. I haven't gotten used to that - if it's a joke, do I really need to point it out?

Only if you get a chicken stuck in your exhaust.
(see? no red font)

 

The pre-cat deletes/j-pipe/test pipe were the most significant boost I noticed. A little biased since I also did UR pulley (stock size) at same time. I don't know what all the talk about 'losing' torque with pre-cats is. It may have shifted it a little from the low end but the mid and top end were so much stronger that I never once missed that possible little low end I may have lost. I had this running to stock exhaust from test pipe back and it was nice a stock quiet when puttering around but when you got on it, it really growled and just pulled hard all through the band.

Now, you wanna talk torque loss, I recently add the ATLP Base. Very free flowing now. Really lost the bottom end but around VTEC is insane. Not sure if the XLR8 had a 3rd muffler on it, but you might be in the same boat as I am if you do this. However, this might be the answer cheap torque

 

The pre-cat deletes/j-pipe/test pipe were the most significant boost I noticed. A little biased since I also did UR pulley (stock size) at same time. I don't know what all the talk about 'losing' torque with pre-cats is. It may have shifted it a little from the low end but the mid and top end were so much stronger that I never once missed that possible little low end I may have lost. I had this running to stock exhaust from test pipe back and it was nice a stock quiet when puttering around but when you got on it, it really growled and just pulled hard all through the band.

Now, you wanna talk torque loss, I recently add the ATLP Base. Very free flowing now. Really lost the bottom end but around VTEC is insane. Not sure if the XLR8 had a 3rd muffler on it, but you might be in the same boat as I am if you do this. However, this might be the answer cheap torque

 

You might since a few have lost torque deleting the 3rd cat (as did I). Then again, a strong exhaust should regain that.

The real reward though comes during VTEC as the car really pulls.

 

Since you've already did some power adders (AEM V2, jpipe, etc.) I'd get the ASPEC kit and lower the car for curb appeal. Then go for the pre-cat deletes & test pipe.

 

If you want some unorthodox ones, how about the Progress Sway Bar (helps improve handling (body roll)), lightweight rims, new sticky tires and maybe some P2R spacers.

for the best bang for the buck, these are my suggestions:
Rear Sway Bar
Pre-Cat Deletes
High Flow 3rd cat or Test Pipe

 

If your an 6spd try a short shifter. Obviously no power gain, but there is a driving difference...

 

with precat deletes only and stock 3rd cat, you are bottle necking your exhaust badly. just do the race pipe since a few members said there wasnt much change. IF anything, do a high flow cat, but personally, id do a race pipe.

 

^agree, but even with stock piping from test pipe back plus stock mid muffler, their was no question it gained mucho.

 

NedShneebly- So in your opinion did you like having the peppiness of the low-end more or was the cat-deletes a good upgrade in your opinion. I really would love the turbo kit when it comes out but i still think that that kit is not going to see the market for some time plus the type-s is even more time to wait from the sound of the turbo thread. This is a beginner questions but can the pre-cats be used with the turbo kit even when it comes out?

 

the turbo kit will replace the precats most likely. i havent really seen the kit, im just assuming.

why do you want low end torque? so your tires can spin even more and not go anywhere? IMO low end torque is useless on a fwd car. id rather have the torque up high, when i hit vtec my tires chirp

 

The car does not lose torque from exhaust mods. It can possibly shift the powerband up a little and I stress a little in the rpm band. It will still gain torque but the big differences will be higher up in the rpm range where the engine is producing more exhaust. It tends to make the car feel less torquey down low because it feels so much faster up top.

 

^what he said. I don't really remember the TL being a torque monster before deleting cats. The deletes added a significant, 'holy shit' pick up through the entire band.

now, since installing cat back, 1 of 2 things has happened: either my powerband shifted significantly towards the top end or ATLP is having a serious back pressure issue with the deletes.