ARK design exhausts http://arkdesign-us.com/

[Andypants]

Hey all,

Did a quick search but can't find any specific info in relation to these guys Welcome :: ARK Design Co Ltd USA and their exhausts. Has anyone purchased / fitted one?

If so whats your thoughts? Loud? Quality and fitment? They look a heck of a lot like the Piper or Eurojet design with no rear muffler but just the mid muffler/res. All stainless steel and very well priced.

Cheers
Andy

[Andypants]

Lol I guess that means nobody. Or at least nobody that wants to own up to having one...

[rshuwy]

is it just me or is the gti motor not that good sounding?

[Stump]

Actually, this is probably the only other exhaust I'd consider.... I really like the sound of the Nuspeed, but they're too pricey.
This one, I quite like.

[Snail Style]

Can't comment on their exhausts, however I was using their MFD unit in my old RX7. Worked perfectly and didn't leave me with 150 gauges all over the dash.

[AGC]

I bought an ARK Design cat-back from their eBay store. The dude was very friendly and easy to deal with and the shipping was rapid.

It arrived beautifully packaged - I doubt many of these get damaged in transit. The exhaust itself is a work of art - true stainless steel pr0n. The welds are amazing and the whole thing has a quality feel. Obviously came with the flange gasket and bolts etc.

The stock setup...





Close-up of the muffler - check out the welds!





The install was relatively easy for me on my own, the only thing that was a bit awkward trying to remove the last hanger, while supporting the exhaust. It's a lot lighter weight than the stock exhaust. I was relieved to find that it fit perfectly first try. I left all the flange bolts and clamp (to the stock pipe) loose as I trial-fitted it and everything lined up spot on. I tightened as I watched and it was pleased that there was no need to bend, shove or wrench it around. It is a quality product.

Starting it up, it's has a little deeper rumble than stock, but when you get on the throttle when it's cold, it can drone a fair bit. That goes away quickly, as the exhaust warms up. During this warm up phase, the DSG fahrts are BIBLICAL! They're deafeningly loud at higher revs and crackle like gunfire. I was driving around like a stooge, trying to get the most impressive ones I could.

I still do...

You can hear it echo off buildings, shopfronts and other cars as you drive. It's fun to scare kids at bustops. The other day, some VE SS decided to play and as I shifted to 2nd (with tailpipes at his open passenger window), it went BRAPPLE! and his female passenger screamed. The best description is that it sounds like a WRC rally car - all crackly. I did a huge one in traffic, taking off from the lights then glanced in my mirror to see a police car, but they didn't care enough to pull me over. I honestly think it'd pass EPA tests all day long, because it's not shifting or under load while tested - there's a video on YouTube of it with a dB meter, but the sound is terrible and it's hard to hear.

Early days, when it was brand new, it was very brassy and obnoxious, to the point where I thought about taking it off and selling it. It sounded a little bit trumpety, which I don't like. But once it began to carbon-up and get a fine coating of soot thru it, the note changed considerably. It has a glorious exhaust note now, it's grown-up and has a cultured hard edge to the note as the revs rise. It's real good fun to wind it out, because it sounds so good.

My friends tell me it's not that loud from the outside, but that it sounds incredible. However, it feels loud from the inside. I got used to it very quickly.

In normal driving (ie, with the DSG in D), it's reasonably quiet and easy to live with, provided you're reasonable on the throttle. At highway cruising speeds, it's about the same as stock. But get on it and it howls.

All in all, I love it - I wish it didn't drone as much when stone cold, but that's the price you pay, I guess. My neighbours aren't throwing house bricks at me yet, so it can't be that bad.

Hope this info helps prospective buyers! Happy to demo it at a meet if people are keen.

[RolfGolf]

Awesome pics and great description - especially the stuff about scaring kids and WRC

Really brought back that feel of the fun of driving.

[wombat1978]

Wish they did one for the jetta (enquired but no-go)