cheap ebay mufflers? should i or shoudnt i?

[decksla]

in the interests of saving money and to improve the aesthetics of my car (ie stock pea shooter muffler), why should i NOT spend under $100 for a muffler from ebay as opposed to double, triple or even quadruple for a name brand muffler.

priorities in order:
1. cost
2. sound (got a kid)
3. looks

cheers
dEx

[gareth_oau]

i wouldnt buy a muffler off ebay until i'd heard it performing in the flesh (and on a car the same as yours). you run the risk of owning a very cheap fart

[rayray086]

I wouldn't. Go to a reputable exhaust place and get a generic one there instead. Better yet, just get some nice chrome tips instead, since your aim is for looks rather than sound/performance anyway.

[Mrk_Mickey]

Are you actually looking for a change in performance or sound? or just aesthetics (ie the tips)? If the latter then I'd do what Ray said as well. Or, you could get a new spiffy backbox. I don't see a reason to do any more than that if it's all you're looking to do, and that will be nice and cheap

[golf3]

Hell no!

Spend real coin and get a proper one with some nice chrome tips welded on!
After a while they rust and fall apart from the inside out, and you'll have to spend more $$$ in the long run! Seen it happen before...

[decksla]

good points guys.

time to start looking!

cheers

[sydVR6]

Alternately, you could make your own eBay muffler by soldering a couple of Milo tins together : )

Seriously though, eBay mufflers are very thin and tinny, and tend not to have double layered fabrication and perforated linings. They're also quite comparitively small and therefore louder/higher pitched.

Think of a couple of empty cans of Maxwell House fashioned into a crude drift cannon.

Even a quality generic muffler will have better sound insulation and produce a deeper sound due to being the correct size, properly lined and made with a better thickness of steel.

In Sydney HiTech, Lukey and Tuffy are all capable of providing you with better options for not much cash.

[schoona]

in the interests of saving money and to improve the aesthetics of my car (ie stock pea shooter muffler), why should i NOT spend under $100 for a muffler from ebay as opposed to double, triple or even quadruple for a name brand muffler.

priorities in order:
1. cost
2. sound (got a kid)
3. looks

cheers
dEx

is this an "Ebay muffler" or a muffler off Ebay? I ask as that tasty magnaflow a certain poster has is available off ebay. Why not just get that, with the tips you want for aesthetics and not have to worry about anything else. Plus a VR is meant to sound good. Do it justice....

[Mrk_Mickey]

is this an "Ebay muffler" or a muffler off Ebay? I ask as that tasty magnaflow a certain poster has is available off ebay.

There's two of us with magnaflows readily available off eBay

decksla, what are you actually looking to do for the car mate? Are you looking to either increase performance, get a better sound, get a better look, or something else???

[Golf Houso]

If your short on cash, just put a decent CAI that's shielded, and cut out the suitcase muffler. I'm getting the latter done today...

[Pullstarter]

You getting a straight thru or hot dog instead Branko?

[Golf Houso]

You getting a straight thru or hot dog instead Branko?

No I'm even going more ghetto Simon, just cutting out the suitcase and getting a press bent pipe to go in. I'll be be doing the full system in due course, just want a nice burble in short term. The car needs other work in the short term i.e. service, filters, a scan before I can start forking out $600+ for a nice system.

I might take a video later tonight...

[sydVR6]

I don't think a Magnaflow qualifies as a 'cheap ebay muffler'...

Good that they are available on ebay tho : )

[Pullstarter]

I'm very happy with mine, just a magnaflow twin outlet rear muffler, the suitcase replaced with a hotdog. everything else is pretty much stock, makes a nice note and no droning Unfortunately I cant record it due to my camera's crappy oldness

We must hear burble Branko

[Golf Houso]

OMFG what a difference $60 makes!!! It now has that characteristic VR6 sound, I've finally become a typical Fairfield driver

Removing the suitcase has introduced some drone, as expected but not as much as I would have anticipated, this is something that anyone considering an aftermarket system on a VR6 should do before forking out hundreds on a new exhaust, it'll never be as refined but wll give you some indication on what to expect.

I'll begin working on a video now...