Agency Power Exhaust - My Experience
 

Hey guys, I just wanted to share my experience with installing the AP Headerback system on my personal/shop car. I've read the horror story threads and I know there's a bad reputation for them on this forum. My situation was unique so I decided to give my story.

I obtained an Agency Power Cat Back System from a customer for a crack head price because he had 2 exhausts. It was brand new in box and never installed. It was not my first choice for exhaust, but the price was right so I took it off his hands. After I bought it, I then read that long thread about terrible quality, bad customer service, etc. This didn't sit well with me, but I had already spent the money and I didn't want to sell it to a customer if it was going to suck. So I put it on my car. Fitment was a pain, the tips are very hard to get even due to the design of the exhaust. But once I got them even on both sides I was satisfied. I put an extra TBolt clamp on the joint that supposedly failed on the car in the bad thread. I honestly don't think it needed it but just to be safe, I did it anyway. The tone of the exhaust is great in my opinion. It's a little loud, but I don't mind that. The only thing I didn't like was the fact that the tips stuck out past the rear bumper more than other exhausts I had seen.
After 2 weeks of driving around with the exhaust I decided to order the Agency Power Front Pipe/Over Pipe Combo in an attempt to pull the exhaust closer to the bumper. I installed it 2 days ago and it worked! I guess the stock front pipe is longer, causing the cat back to be pushed back. As soon as I put the front pipe and over pipe in, the exhaust fell right into place. The sound obviously got a little louder, but so far it doesn't have that catless raspy sound, it still sounds throaty and deep.
In conclusion, I have put 200 hard miles on this exhaust and it hasn't given me a bit of trouble, it fits well and sounds great. It has a much different sound than most others I've heard, mainly due to the 2 small mufflers vs 1 big muffler design. I would recommend it to others, the only warning being that it is louder than Perrin/Nameless/Borla, and it has a slight in cabin drone. But the performance gains feel noticeable, I haven't dynoed or anything yet, it just feels stronger than before.

I don't work for Agency Power, I don't know anyone who does, I'm not even a direct vendor for them (I get their products through a dealer direct warehouse). I just want others to know that I have had success with it, so don't count it out completely due to the bad reputation.
Catback
http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/...psfccab366.jpg
Front/Over Pipe
http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/...psd33ff2bd.jpg

Videos

Catback Only
http://s1273.beta.photobucket.com/us...55a7e.mp4.html
Headerback
http://s1273.beta.photobucket.com/us...1ae62.mp4.html

Sorry for crappy iphone front facing camera videos.

Thanks for reading, if you're interested in this exhaust I recommend getting the headerback for proper fitment, just PM me!

Aren't you worried about rust from the non-304 Stainless Steel?(I think they use 409?) I guess that'd be my biggest worry. We'll probably find out in the next few months when we can get more long-term feedback from owners.

I have the luxury of garaging the car and not daily driving it, so if that is a problem, it probably won't effect mine. However, from a consumer standpoint, only time will tell. I've owned a lot of Hondas over the years with a lot of crappily made exhausts and even those take years to cause an issue.

I would love to see a dino with the over pipe and front pipe. my girl has had hers for a few months now through the winter and no rust so far. but we do stick it in the garage every night.
How much would you say the tips got pulled in after the over piping and front pipe? To tell the truth we both like it sticking out.

I think they do use 304.

Make sure the hangers are 304. That's where I saw the most rust on my last exhaust, even though it was 304 piping the hangers were something else and rusted.

I think it is almost an inch further in, its very drastic. Before it was sticking out quite a bit, as you know. Now its similar to how the Perrin/Greddy tips are, if you put a straight edge across the opening of the tip it nearly touches the bumper now.

If I recall correctly, at some point in one of their mega threads it was uncovered it was 409.

Thx for letting me know. I origonaly intended to buy the whole system including headers but I needed the money to fix my clutch on my Celica.

Do you think you may get a chance to dyno it at some point?

Accelerated Performance uses a 409 muffler and hangars.

Agency Power uses slip fit joints that fail, but I'm pretty sure they are 304. Someone just needs to slap a magnet on it. If it sticks its 409, if it very slightly sticks it's 304.

You are probably right it was not Agency Power but Accelerated Performance.

nope it no stick. I could not reach the hangers.

You wrote a review after only 200 miles?


http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...z/facepalm.gif

I'm glad someone posted this...
It seems to me ONE guy had a failure and wasn't taken care of so he went to the forums to vent, which is fine.

However this sheep mentality many have here (because for many, it's a first car, or first car to mod - so they don't know any better and just listen to the mob) seems to have caused issues with what might be an otherwise decent product.

AP has made stuff for the E46 M3 crowd for years, to say the people who drive those cars are "a bit more discerning" would be the understatement of the year (I know, I owned an E46 M3, and being originally a Japanese car guy, and then Corvette guy... I don't exactly fit in there) - I couldn't imagine the AP issue that was so highly publicized being anything other than an isolated issue with a less than positive outcome.

I bought an AP down pipe and doubt I'll have issues with it. As far as the 304 thing goes. I don't keep stuff long enough for that to be an issue, and if you don't live in the salt belt, it's a non-issue also as that is what mainly wears away lesser stainless steel.

*edit* looks like its 304 anyway.

Thanks to the OP for posting a review.


*Edit* See what I mean about M3 owners? :lol: Just kidding ;)