SOLO2.ORG Ultimate Autocross

Jeff, James, Phil, Andy, Matt, Dan, Huebbes, etc....

I'm think it's time for a TBE for my car and it's mind boggling how many choices I have.  Looking for recommendations of brand, seller, installer.  I've looked around quite a bit online and found lots of info on nasioc but a lot of it is not usable.  It seems the ebay off-brands aren't too bad but they come with a melon-shooter exhaust which I refuse to have and it seems silly to buy a separate muffler too.  Should I get a "matching set" or piece it together?

I almost had Axis make me one when I got the car and now he doesn't do that anymore.  He'll install it, so I'm tempted to have them do it unless someone knows a cheaper option that still does good work.  Or is it easy enough to do myself?

 

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04 WRX
84 RX7 IT7
99 Expedition
03 M5

This is a bit beyond my realm of knowledge (being sans snail and all), so I'll leave it to others.

 

However, if the STi ones fit, James has his for sale.  Its catted (I assume you want to keep a cat) and isn't gaudy.  He has it listed over on stlsubaru.

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Jeff Templeton
00 Impreza RS-671 PGT
Special Thanks to:
Izzy's Custom Cages
321GoVideo.com
Solo Performance Specialties

I really like my COBB TBE, but I haven't been looking to see if there is anything better come out in the past two years.

Curt, why not get some friends together for a TBE install party?  Beer, pizza & jack stands!

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STLRallyx.org / 321GoVideo.com / 100AW.org
St. Louis, MO - 2004 Subaru Impreza WRX STi - COBB ProTune Stg2
2 Samuel 3:21 "I'm ready. Let me go now to rally..."

I was very happy with the TurboXS system I had on my Subaru. I had the downpipe, high-flow cat and midpipe from TurboXS, with a Prodrive muffler. Sounded nice without being too loud. When I had my car on the dyno at Axis, Ron said that it had the highest reading of any WRX on stock boost that he had ever seen.

But that was also a few years ago, and I don't know what's hip these days.

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Reto
2005 Lotus Elise, #94 SS
2005 Nissan Xterra (LSV)

Mine has the SPT exhaust on it and I love the way it sounds.  Of course I don't have the downpipe yet but that'll come sooner or later. 

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Christopher

23 STU 2006 Black STi "Ballz"
AutoADD
I found one I like.

Does OMP make a group-N exhaust that will fit your car, Curt?

I've allways liked they way their systems sound

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-Jeff
2007 Mid-am ITA champion

'02 Honda S2000; Improved Touring R
'96 Honda Civic mini-wagon
'08 Ford F-250

I loved the way my RS sounded with the Stromung exhaust on it.  But I'm not sure what models they make stuff for. 

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Christopher

23 STU 2006 Black STi "Ballz"
AutoADD
I found one I like.

I'm running the Cobb catted downpipe with a Borla cat-back that uses their XR-1 muffler

  http://www.borla.com/applications/lookup.aspx/2004/Subaru/Impreza/WRX+STIT-304_Stainless_Steel_Cat-Back_System/140075/

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Andy Hohl

Thank You Chris for the co-drive in the Z for 2005 & 2006
'04 STi mods started
'96 Miata SM2

If you want mad power then I recommend P&L Motorsports homebrew exhaust system which is now on my car.  The APS system which was on my car is for sale but I think JD is going to pick it up soon.

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James Elterman
Nukabe / P&L Motorsports / Nitto Time Attack Impreza STi
www.ShimmySideways.com
Tune your Subaru at P&L Motorsports

hmmm, thanks for the tips.  I'd like the Cobb TBE, but it is a bit pricey.  Also considering this: https://cvrmotorsports.com/view_product.php?product=HS05SW1DPC with a Borla cat back, but is only about $100 cheaper and I don't anything about Invicta.

 Also found this catted Turbo XS Stealthback https://cvrmotorsports.com/view_product.php?product=TXS-SBxx&id=402 that bolts (supposedly) to any muffler.  Could get a muffler for cheap and be way under a grand total.

Are there any sensors associated with install that could thow cel codes?  If not then pizza party it is.  Could rent a TPR lift bay for an hour or two too.

 

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04 WRX
84 RX7 IT7
99 Expedition
03 M5

The last O2 sensor is the only one that might cause issues, but as long as you get a catted downpipe you should be okay. IIRC, if you do Cobb Accessport stage 2 it does suppress the rear O2 code. Though that may be because they offer an uncatted downpipe also

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Andy Hohl

Thank You Chris for the co-drive in the Z for 2005 & 2006
'04 STi mods started
'96 Miata SM2

RX 555:

Also found this catted Turbo XS Stealthback https://cvrmotorsports.com/view_product.php?product=TXS-SBxx&id=402 that bolts (supposedly) to any muffler.

That's what I had. Mine actually didn't fit right, they had to do some cutting/welding to make it fit. Seemed like a freak incident, the system is quite popular, and I never heard about the same problem from anybody else.

Unless you do something about it, expect to get the cat inefficiency CEL. I didn't have it for the first few months, but then it became fairly persistent. The cleanest solution is an AccessPort. Aside from giving you more power, it disables the code. There are ways to hack the O2 sensor signal (some resistor, I believe?), but I never used them. Of course you can also learn to ignore the CEL...

Did you already replace the uppipe, or are you planning to do that?

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Reto
2005 Lotus Elise, #94 SS
2005 Nissan Xterra (LSV)

hmmm, your fitment issues are not very reassuring :)

I do have the Accessport already, the older one, that is one reason I've been wanting the TBE.

Have not done uppipe and was under the impression it was not necessary to replace, but I'm usually wrong about anything mechanical.

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04 WRX
84 RX7 IT7
99 Expedition
03 M5

Curt,

I have the Cobb downpipe and Borla cat-back - essentially the same system that Andy has, I think, except that I have the twin tip muffler.  Very mellow sound, not a "race me to the next stoplight" kind of sound at all.  Power gain (with the AccessPort and the STX legal map) is modest but noticable.  I kept the stock uppipe (which has a cat, in the 02 WRX at least) because I didn't want to mess with having the exhaust manifold off.  Everybody seemed to know somebody who knew somebody who knew somebody whose stock uppipe had spit cat bits into the turbo, but I could never pin down any of those stories.

My brother-in-law helped me with the install and we did it in a day.  Exhaust fitment took a little muscle, but no cutting or welding.  I had to use a combination of long and short Kartboy hangers to get it to fit properly.  If you re-use the stock turbo heat shield it will have to be cut down with a dremel and a cutoff wheel, but this is easy and makes cool sparks.  The hardest part of the install was, I thought, reinstallation of the intercooler.  If you have large hands, find someone with small hands.

If you decide to do the install at home, I'd be happy to offer what help I can, and my brother-in-law might want to come too (we both live in your area).

Danno

 

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2008 STi - bone stock (so far)