Stock catback w/header sound OK?
 

So I installed my new JDL EL header, overpipe and catted frontpipe today. I bolted it all up to my Tomei 60s, drove just 300 feet and decided this thing sounds insanely stupid ridiculous loud.
To say I hated it would be an enormous understatement.

So it's looking like the Tomei will be going up for sale soon. The only problem is I don't really care for any of the other catback options out there.
So... How might that all sound with the factory catback? Is there going to be a large restriction in power?

I have to do something because there's no way I'll pass for noise at autox with this exhaust... Much less nationals.

Stock should really mellow it out. I have heard a few videos and they a nice balance. Stock CBE does a good job killing rasp and noise.

I figure if it ends up sounding decent I'll throw some nice tips on it, paint the muffler black and just run with it.

Go back to stock catback. Or get an Invidia Q300, Perrin resonated, or something of that sort.

Greddy SP Elite axleback? One of the quietest aftermarket exhausts our there, and uses the factory midpipe.

The stock CBE sounds very good with a header or header/OP/FP. Nice sound level, not too loud, very little rasp and no drone. I ran both setups for a while but ultimately had a custom axle-back made to deepen and enhance the tone and overall sound quality. Now it sounds much better in every way except a very small increase in highway drone. I strongly suspect that a SP Elite or Q300 would sound quite similar with the Q300 being not as deep.


The one bad thing about a header/OP/FP with oem CBE is that it sounds pretty bad on cold starts until the rpm drop. My neighbor asked me what was wrong with my car when they heard it. It's hard to explain the cold-start sound other than to say that it was unpleasant. The new Magnaflow ABE mutes the noisy cold start much better.

The JDM tips for the 86 look nice and should bolt up fine.

Cold start with the full exhaust + Tomei was louder than anything I've ever heard before... And I use to work for IMSA at Miller Motorsports Park...
So I doubt cold start with the factory catback will scare me ;-)

I just stumbled on the offerings from Miltek and it looks pretty good!
Anyone have any experience??

I know their exhaust for my old ST was very nice from what I saw.

I have both the N1 and Q300. Q300 is a lot quieter, doesn't have the deep rumble like the N1 does due to more muffle. It's still deep, but that tone is really muffled a lot because of the muffler.

I personally kept the N1 on because it is the closest sound to an STi there is. Deep, bass sounding, loud too. 0 rasp, does have a little drone, but that does not bother me. Q300 is great for someone looking for good performance but keep the exhaust sound down.

I have JDL UEL headers, with an OP+catted frontpipe with the Perrin catback and it is perfect!! I daily drive the car(for the most part) and on the highway there is zero drone and you can have a conversation no problem. The Perrin Catback has a big resonator and a muffler. It is actually pretty tame. At WOT I do wish it was louder though. Which is why for autocrossing and track days I am getting a muffler delete made to attach to the rear of it ;)

Tomei are loud as heck. Stock catback should be ok, but if you want something loud but not too loud go with Invidia Q300, Invidia N1, or Greddy SP Elite.

I loved the Tomei 60s on the otherwise stock exhaust. Sound was perfect!

I have the milltek non resonated catback, and im happy with it so far