I installed the exhaust this weekend sans test pipe. The look is stellar, the sound is very understated, and I squeal like a school girl inside walking to the car. Overall, I am very pleased with the fit, finish, and quality.

Installation Note for the Ark Grip Exhaust
This is assuming the test pipe is not being installed, or has already been bolted up into place, the stock exhaust has already been removed and the hangers have already been transferred. These are the steps we took to insure perfect tip alignment.

1) On the ground, bolt the mid-pipe with the resonator and the curved piece together with the nuts simply hand tight.
2) On the ground, bolt the passenger side tip onto the driver side tip, again leaving the bolts hand tight.
3) Slide the mid-pipe assembly into place by rehanging the hanger and bolting the front flange up to the test pipe or cat leaving the bolts again hand tight.
4) Grab a buddy and slide the rear section up under the car with both of you on your backs with the assembly on your chest. One of you hold up the majority of the weight while the other slides either the passenger side or driver side hangers in place. Then slide the other hangers in place. Then place the bolts and gasket between the left tip pipe and the curved pipe, again hand tight.
5) Starting at the front most midpipe to cat/test-pipe flange, starting bolting down everything making sure you have the gaskets in place.
6) Tighten down the mid-pipe to curved-pipe flange.
7) With one person under the car and one person eye-balling the tips, line up the driver side tip FIRST. While holding the tip in the exact center, tell your buddy to tighten down the curved pipe to driver side tip flange. This means the very last flange that goes to the passenger side tip is still loose!
Note: we measured exactly 1" from the tip wall to the bumper on the left, top, and right of both tips when properly aligned.
8) Repeating step 7, have one person align the passenger side tip while the other person tightens the very last flange. Measure for 1" clearance around both tips and visually check the "poke" on each tip and insure they are equal.

Hope these help someone out there! I'm sure there are other ways to do it, but this is how we did it over the weekend in my buddy's garage.

And a picture of the final results.

...so pretty! :wub:

I have the Grip installed. Just a note to new buyers. Right after installation it will be VERY quiet. I'm talking stock-quiet and it won't sound all that impressive tone-wise. It takes a couple hundred miles to break-in. As you put miles on it, it will get louder and deeper.

I was moderately disappointed in my Ark Grip when I first put it on, but now that I've broken it in, I really like the sound. I can't wait to get the rest of my exhaust installed.

Could you elaborate on this? The way I interpret what you're saying doesn't make any sense, so I must be misunderstanding you!

I'm glad to see the support from this community and everyone that supports ARK! Thank you all! I will definitely see to it to taking care of each and everyone of you ARK owners.

As for @ft86me...thanks for the comment lollllllll you're awesome, bring your FR-S back and stop by!

Like I mentioned to a few people headers are still being considered, although actual R&D has not started yet we still have it on the board to bring you guys headers and overpipe, stay tuned!

Lerry @ ARK

He's going to chop up the exhaust and just keep the muffler/resonators/tips. He'll run his own twin exhaust to them.

Can't wait! Based on how gorgeous this exhaust is I'd buy your over pipe in a heart beat.

Pics from my DT-S (Doing a proper shoot / clean of the car once my rims come in, will post more)

http://i.imgur.com/Kg5oCgMl.jpg
Well packaged but unfortunately too big to fit in the frs. :mad0259:
http://i.imgur.com/ZRBSFvLl.jpg
Repackaged into the trunk. Problem solved :thumbsup: haha
http://i.imgur.com/CnzrFStl.jpg
Unboxed everything. Nicely wrapped so nothing scratches
http://i.imgur.com/1fZryu8l.jpg
All the grogeous bits exposed.
http://i.imgur.com/ADXODNtl.jpg
Installed and sounds amazing. Especially going into boost :burnrubber:

Great quality stuff. Always love seeing one come through the shop. :)

so whats the power gain for an otherwise stock engine with this exhaust?

I figured. But from where? And why?

If he means discrete pipes from the heads, through discrete cats (if using cats I guess), to the muffler - a la V engines - that's not a good idea; it won't work well on a flat four.

If he means splitting after the collector/cat, that'll work fine, but it seems like a lot of effort and money (and probably extra weight), and I didn't/don't understand the payoff.

I'm planning on stuffing a v8 into the car.

Ah! Makes all kinds of sense now!

Damnit. If only you had those sooner!

hi there Lerry @ARK Performance :) i am a member with residency outside US, that is Indonesia.

can i contact you about Ark DT-S ? well surely hope you can help me in pricing and custom invoice note..

thanks..