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Old 12-15-2018, 07:39 PM   #109
mistople
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ACE A350 4-2-1 Header Installed

I installed my A350!

Installation

Swapping out the JDL headers for the A350 was generally straightforward. I didn’t run into any major problems spare scratching the Ace overpipe up a bit while attempting to snake it between the engine and frame.

I had to jack the engine up an inch or so to fit the overripe through. It’s as simple as taking off a few bolts and placing a toll block of wood between the jack and engine. No major challenges here. I really appreciate Ace including all the necessary hardware and gaskets. Saves me one more trip to the hardware store.

Video + Sound

I recorded a quick jaunt through one of my favorite roads to help give you guys an idea of what the A350 -> Stock FP -> Perrin 2.5” sounds like. These are public roads, so I can’t really stomp on it as much as I’d like, but hopefully it gives you an idea of the sound under various conditions.

That Macan driving ahead of me was clearing having a laugh. They were really driving that thing!

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_s511vDIZvo[/ame]

Driving Impressions

This thing rips. I admit that I didn’t expect such a large difference in bottom/midrange power. Even before I had refreshed to the A350-specific tune, the A350 made gobs more power from 2k-5k. The car literally just jumps towards redline now. It feels so much happier with this header overall. This is no honeymoon period review—I’ve put 500 miles on the A350 now. It absolutely blows the JDL away.

The sound is absolutely addicting! There’s a real sizzle to the sound of this header. I was initially hesitant to go equal length given how nice the JDL -> Stock OP/FP -> Perrin 2.5” setup sounded. Idle and lower rpms still have a nice smooth rumble. I initially actually didn’t find it that much different than the JDL down low. Simply a smoother tone. The Perrin obviously is contributing to the sound quite a lot at lower rpms.

The car now sounds so much throatier and SO much more intense from 4000 to 7800 rpm. It really sings like a real race car in higher rpms. I admit that it really feels like this is how the car should sound. I could never go back to UEL after hearing the A350 at redline. It’s an incredible sound for what isn’t usually considered a very good sounding engine. Crossing VVT makes the sound come alive. I’m hooked.

My perception the car is about 5-10% louder compared to the JDL setup even if it technically isn’t. Cold starts and idle are a tiny bit louder as well.

I’m still on the first version of a 92 A350 tune from Delicious, but I’m super happy already. I’m looking forward to feeling the minor improvements going forward. I do recall the JDL tune getting significantly better after 3 revisions, so hopefully the same is true with the Ace.

Last edited by mistople; 12-18-2018 at 05:48 PM.
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