I removed the resonator on my Grand Prix and it was the biggest mistake I ever made. The exhaust was not noticeably louder, but the drone inside the cabin was annoying beyond belief. The glass would buzz at certain speeds and it felt as if the fillings were coming out of my teeth. I tried several lengths of glasspak to remedy the problem but nothing worked until I installed a Flowmaster Hushpower II in its place. This combined with a pair of chambered Summit Fully Welded Muffs out back finally yielded a decent sound, but still fairly loud. I plan to leave my present system stock and install my P-log and downpipe/hi-flow cat combo before I dream of touching a muffler.

For the GXP style tips, check Assured Automotive. They have an eBay store as well as a stand alone website, and they sell the staggered tips in pairs for $100. They are T304 stainless construction and triple chrome plated.

Here is a pic of the set I had installed on my Grand Prix,
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v217/ ... ips2-1.jpg

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2004 Bonneville SLE "Bonnie the Ghosthawk" or the 4dr Firebird...Gone but not forgotten


The Blog, http://www.tobthebat.wordpress.com

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I disagree completely. If you do it right, it can sound fantastic. I've had hundreds of compliments on my exhaust (with the cutout closed), and lots of plugged ears with it open. It's a throaty mellow grumble at idle and wakes up with deep and mid-level tones at WOT. No raspiness, no tinny noises, no popping. Just a nice performance growling rumble.

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Click here for mod list for both cars
93 SSEi, 95 SLE (supercharged) 97 Buick LeSabre Limited
PontiacDad at WCBF '04: Cruise control? That's like surrendering!
Comprehensive guide to troubleshooting, rebuilding, and modifying Eaton Superchargers

I should've said "in my opinion". More like my experience. I've never really heard a 3.8 that sounds really nice all the time. My 92 sounded great at idle and while revving with no load, but on the road outside the car it sounded like a tractor. The rasp was great while sitting, especially while revving down, but under load it sounded like parts were coming off.

I look forward to hearing mine with headers though and who knows what crazy notion might get a hold of me next.

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02 SSEi-Turning money into tire smoke, very efficiently.

Your 92 had no resonator. That's where the problem started.

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Click here for mod list for both cars
93 SSEi, 95 SLE (supercharged) 97 Buick LeSabre Limited
PontiacDad at WCBF '04: Cruise control? That's like surrendering!
Comprehensive guide to troubleshooting, rebuilding, and modifying Eaton Superchargers

That's why it sounded cool at idle, etc too. I'm not real fond of the way the 02 sounds either. My favorite thing was my home made CAI on the 92. The intake noise was fantastic. On the 02 all you hear is blower whine which is cool but most people think it sounds broken.

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02 SSEi-Turning money into tire smoke, very efficiently.

Show them how broken it is when you walk away from them at a stop light.

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2000 SSEi - SilverBullet - 78,000 kms, 4" "straight shot" custom headlight ram air inlet, TOGs, 1.9's, Lsd, 2.9-3.4"MPS 10-15 psi, Ported GenV, EGR eliminated, OR pushrods, oil volume kit, trani cooler & shift kit, Titanium retainers, 90 lb springs, 160 Stat, 42# injectors, Fuel pump voltage increase, Wideband O2, 3" to dual 2 1/2" Magnaflows, Snow Meth/water injection, after SC temp gauge, 255/50WR17, timing commander set 15-18*@WOT, 2 speed Fan over-ride, disabled DRL, Solid motor mount, Meziere Electric water pump, adjustable fuel pressure regulator, Drilled & slotted rotors/ceramics, GXP sway bars and STB, Upgraded and rebuilt transmission with ZZP 2500 rpm stall TC, Pioneer Bluetooth stereo with sub and 800 W amps, PB 13.5 quarter, (April 2014 car of the month)

Will do. Having a hard time thinking of a classy way of showing that the intake noise on warmup isnt bad. People often try telling me its a bearing or water pump.

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02 SSEi-Turning money into tire smoke, very efficiently.

I got that a lot in HS.

"Ed, there's something wrong with your car, it sounds like crap!"

"That's just all the power trying to escape!"

I usually got a head shake out of that response, LOL.

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Bye Bye:

RIP sandrock

I put a used Flowmaster 80-series from a Camaro (with dual 3 inch dumps) on my 94 Bonne SE, added a high-flow Magnaflow cat, and removed the resonator. WOW, that sounded great in and out of the car to me, but my co-workers and friends said it sounded like an old Evinrude outboard motor! I liked it, but ALMOST everyone else thought it sounded rediculous! (I may be a bit deaf from too many years working on my 67 Chevelle 350/350HP with open headers. Plus 80's Metal concerts and shooting excursions.)

Long story short, I put a new resonator in the stock location, and she sounds SWEET to my ears, and others as well.

I did not "feel" any performance gains or losses throughout the "experiment". But she sure FELT faster when she was louder!

Only the cat helped you in terms of power in a stock or mostly-stock setup. It takes a few more mods before anything like a muffler or pipe diameter will help you. Going to a larger pipe too soon will also hurt you, not help.

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Click here for mod list for both cars
93 SSEi, 95 SLE (supercharged) 97 Buick LeSabre Limited
PontiacDad at WCBF '04: Cruise control? That's like surrendering!
Comprehensive guide to troubleshooting, rebuilding, and modifying Eaton Superchargers

Haha beast. I usually just tell the truth but most people who ask have no sense of humor.

Speaking of experiments, a lot of the lead slead/lowrider folks have been doing duals with different mufflers. Or added length of tubing on one side. Exhaust systems designed exclusively for sound wouldn't necissarily hurt performance, especially on a car like ours.

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02 SSEi-Turning money into tire smoke, very efficiently.

Since I'll be staying with a mostly stock set-up on my L36 (intake, HV3, hi-flo TB, and maybe rockers at most) should I go with the 2.5 downpipe/cat vs the 3"? I've heard this debate many times, and I think the 3" is no-brainer on a L67 but good low-end torque is what gives the L36 its excellent gas mileage IMO. Over all it doesnt seem like a half inch diameter would matter that much, but I've heard it both ways.

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2004 Bonneville SLE "Bonnie the Ghosthawk" or the 4dr Firebird...Gone but not forgotten


The Blog, http://www.tobthebat.wordpress.com

Luna LeMans on Smashwords
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A 2.5" inside diameter gives you a flow area of 4.9087 square inches.
A 3.0" inside diameter gives you a flow area of 7.0686 square inches.

That's a 44% increase in flow. Math is funny sometimes, isn't it?


In my OPINION, I think you're borderline on the 3" DP. You MAY lose too much exhaust gas velocity, and might feel a decrease in low-end torque.

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Click here for mod list for both cars
93 SSEi, 95 SLE (supercharged) 97 Buick LeSabre Limited
PontiacDad at WCBF '04: Cruise control? That's like surrendering!
Comprehensive guide to troubleshooting, rebuilding, and modifying Eaton Superchargers

Has established in the car a sound very soft and pleasant. It is established to the place of the resonator-catalyst
On a photo the right
http://fabrika-vyhlopa.uaprom.net/p8560 ... nator.html

http://www.ukrlitservice.com/site/?page=170

The muffler we do not change a drain

foto example

http://foto.rambler.ru/original/4aea426 ... 4b35270680

Low-end torque is what makes this car fun to drive, and what moves a car this size with verve. I know the 2.7 V6 in my Sebring convertible is rated at 200hp, but only 185 lbs/ft, and I can tell you that engine doesnt really start pulling the car until it tops 4k rpm. Both the Sebring and Bonne are comparable weight, so I'll stick with keeping the low end grunt.

The hi-flow cat along with the P-log should help without killing the bottom end.

_________________
2004 Bonneville SLE "Bonnie the Ghosthawk" or the 4dr Firebird...Gone but not forgotten


The Blog, http://www.tobthebat.wordpress.com

Luna LeMans on Smashwords
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/870754

Luna LeMans in Amazon paperback
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1983273589

Sound advice.

_________________

Click here for mod list for both cars
93 SSEi, 95 SLE (supercharged) 97 Buick LeSabre Limited
PontiacDad at WCBF '04: Cruise control? That's like surrendering!
Comprehensive guide to troubleshooting, rebuilding, and modifying Eaton Superchargers