catback system vs. muffler

[jaykim54]

is it okay to change only the muffler instead of the whole cat-back system? the main reason being $$, and i'm looking for more of a deep sound than gain of 5 hp.
does anyone know what inlet size i need to look for and what brand i should try to get and what to stay away from?

wut kind of catback pipes should i try to get if i can find used parts for cheap? highflow cat?? (sorry, i'm kinda new to this)

last question, the crappy exhaust i have right now (not too sure if it's stock or not, but it sure is ugly) seems like it's just been cliped on.. meaning it doesn't look like it's been welded.. so if i get only exhaust, should i just get a clip like dat and just snap it on?

[transient]

generally, the exhaust is bolted on. If you get an aftermarket exhaust, it will almost definately be a bolt on system. The exception would be if you went with a universal muffler and had a shop bend piping for it. Personally, I would go with a full cat back system. The Apexi N1 can be bought for a bit under 400 dollars at rollhard.com (http://www.rollhard.com).

(Edited by transient at 9:47 pm on Jan. 12, 2002)

[misnomer]

If you just want noise, you can do it with a muffler alone. If you are really interested in performance, get a full catback. The exhaust isn't welded in place, it's held in by bolts n hangers iirc. A catback replaces all of the piping from the cat back (duh <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':p'>), so you don't need a high flow cat to use a catback exhaust.

[NoTuchn]

just make a friend who is a welder... thats what i did, i got my exhaust straight piped from behind the cat back, and a new muffler (universal like) put on for $35. &nbsp;tal about a good deal.

[RoNx777]

I would definitly recommend a full cat-back system, provides better free flow w/o back pressure &amp; more HP gain. If you want a deep tone maybe you should try GREDDY but personally I'm going wif the Apexi N1.