Exhuast fell off, time for a new one; brands?

[blind34_1]

Ah yes its yet another post asking peoples opinions on brands.

The other day I start my car and I get the sound of not having a peice of piping where it should be. It sounds kinda cool. When I go to my friends house I don't even have to ring the doorbell, they know when I'm there!

Anyway, money is at a minimum right now, and I obviously will not get some stupid meineke exhuast. I'm looking at buying my peices individually, then having them put together all at once. I'm not replacing the stock header because I'm more than likely doing an engine swap here in the spring (maybe sooner, depends on wehen the engine finally kicks). Questions are:

1. I'm looking to use 2.5" or 2.75" piping all the way. Will that size bolt into the stock manifold?

2. The heat shield under my car. Will it hurt anything if I just take it out? any one notice an extreme change in heat?

3. I'm wanting good rust protection. besides getting stainless steel, what are other exhuast rust protection methods? I was thinking getting a few cans of undercoat.

4. Do companies allow you to just buy their muffler, and not a full system? I;'ve been looking and they want to sell me a whole bunch of pipe along with it. I can get pipe locally.

5. How much welding is involved here?

6. What are the best brands for my car (90civicsihb)? I'm already looking seriously at tanabe, comptech, tenzo. Any others I should consider?

7. Where to buy from? I'm interested only in sites where you have dealt with them and gotten good results.

8. Anything else I should consider when doing a semi-DIY exhuast job?

Thanks

[TonitrusEN]

buy a nice catback... itll be worth it, itll sound alot better anyway...

[blind34_1]

cat back only means from the cat, to the tailpipe. See I'm also doing the downpipe as well, because I suspect thats where the hole is. So really I'm doing a full exhaust system sans the header.

[ChrisCantSkate]

dont remove the heat shield, you gas tank is under there, and you dont wana burn up the bottom of your car. its there for a reason

[TonitrusEN]

then buy a downpipe, a test pipe, and a catback...

[blind34_1]

oh yeah I didnt think about the gas tank. thanks, you saved me the trouble of dealing with a ragin fireball!

[ChrisCantSkate]

Originally posted by TonitrusEN
then buy a downpipe, a test pipe, and a catback...

downpipe on a honda?..... um..

[ebpda9]

you can have a nice exhaust system done at meineke for 350 with the piping size you want. and what you refer as downpipe is called the "a pipe" in a honda. anyway i think it's better to have that brand new installed. usually it's the flex part in the a pipe that goes away and when the yweld a new one it will put a very restrictive one in. i gotta get the a pipe too

[ChrisCantSkate]

Originally posted by hondaman-iac
and what you refer as downpipe is called the "a pipe" in a honda.

yeah i know... downpipe is the pipe comming off a turbo. i'd say buy a greddy or apex'i cat back.. you get a quality design engeneered by people who have done R&D on the product. unless you know for sure you are going turbo, then i would get a custom or thermal. but if you go with too large of piping on a n/a motor, expecialy a small one, you will loose mid and low power

[blind34_1]

"anyway i think it's better to have that brand new installed. usually it's the flex part in the a pipe that goes away and when the yweld a new one it will put a very restrictive one in..."

wait a minute, what? what do you mean here? why would I want a restrictive one in there? I don't get your wording.

yeah...i wouldnt take the heat shield off, its not like you'll save much weight.

[ShEaNy]

save up..headers....new A pipe...not cat...maybe a resonator...and 2.5 piping with whatever muffler
ya thats a lot but thats prolly the best system....i dont really know any good brands....mine was custom....Dragonfire Muffler though...