# need muffler delete advice and pics 2011 1.4



## boneheaddoctor (Dec 10, 2014)

Flex pipe on the exhaust system is so uber ghetto its not even funny. And why its not even legal in some states to use.

Speaking as someone that's owned a highly tuned and modified Honda the last 15 years. Four cylinder and most cylinder vehicles do NOT sound cool or good without a muffler. Even my own. Only V-8's and V12's can pull that off. And even those will get annoying on long enough drives.

If you want a precious few extra HP. Get a name brand Mandrel bent cat back. Any of the flexible type you find in parts stores will restrict your exhaust and kill power. And its easy to hurt exhaust flow compared to OEM exhausts on modern cars. 

Yes those people that put fart tubes on their otherwise stock automatic jap cars only impress their high school friends.


----------



## Schnurd (Nov 2, 2013)

Best thing to do is find a shop that will cut your muffler out, leaving enough tube to reinstall if you ever want/need to, and just install a small piece of pipe to connect to the tail section. It shouldn't be more than $100 or so


----------



## Rickyt11010 (Jul 3, 2014)

dont need a shop to do it which is why im looking for pics i do all my own custom work only thing is i dont have a tube bender available to me to make correction bends to a hard pipe. im looking to see what people have done themselves i know at least one person on here has to have done it instead of paying someone else to do it.


----------



## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Ha, sure loved the sound of a Model A Ford, even back in the 60's could purchase the entire NOS exhaust system from the exhaust manifold back for 8 bucks.

Could try something like this:

Magnaflow 15495 Stainless Cat Back Performance Exhaust System Chevrolet | eBay

For only 100 times the price.

Yep, air cleaners and cat-back exhaust systems are all that is left for the aftermarket guys to play with. Anything else, would be in deep trouble with the EPA.

My key interest in the Cruze is mpg, if I wanted performance, would have looked at something else. If I wanted a lot more noise, would have purchased a Dodge Dart or even a Honda Civic.


----------



## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Sure didn't want to spend a small fortune for a cat-back installation on my daughters 04 Cavalier. Pipe was good, but using that stupid strap that traps road salt between it and the muffler.

Just cut the old muffler off, but learned the tail pipe was a weird diameter, 1/16th" too small. So used my muffler expansion tool for a good leak proof fit. Did this last Saturday, took about an hour. And I am old and broken down.


----------



## Dragonsys (May 27, 2013)

here is mine










The shop cut it off right around the axle and then welded a pipe in place.


----------



## Rickyt11010 (Jul 3, 2014)

new pipe from the res back?


----------



## Dragonsys (May 27, 2013)

Rickyt11010 said:


> new pipe from the res back?


Yep. I'm debating going and getting the res removed as well. Just not sure the work is worth the $90 the shop wants... I would do it myself, if I had all the tools needed.


----------



## Rickyt11010 (Jul 3, 2014)

yeah the res is the easy one with the tools. i wanna get the hard one out of the way though. i also plan on gutting that rear un-monitored cat


----------



## Danny5 (Dec 22, 2011)

Shops out here charge $40 to cut out a muffler. I believe at $90-$100 it is good ole fashioned highway robbery.

Btw, there are plenty of 4 cylinder (Subaru) and 6 cylinder (BMW) cars that sound amazing without a muffler. Inline 4, not so much...


----------



## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Takes me 20 seconds to cut out a muffler or any part of an exhaust system. Thought everyone owns a welder, but prefer not to use one on exhaust systems.

Not only wreck the new part you are welding, but also the part you are welding to, so prefer to use clamps. Don't see very many if any aftermarket exhaust parts for the Cruze. But looking a prices at gmpartsdirect.com want more for a complete exhaust system than what the Cruze is worth. And a real shame its exposed to road salt and debris.

That tail pipe is a stock after market part, usually around ten bucks at the most, could be clamped on.

So how does your Cruze sound with a straight pipe? That 2.2L Cavalier sounded like a locomotive with just a large hole in the muffler. Ha, another option, drill a large hole in it. 

Then why to cops let motorcycles and huge diesel trucks go free, but if your little compact car goes put put put, give you a ticket.


----------



## Two7elevens (Apr 26, 2014)

Having no muffler on the cruze actually sounds good for its displacement. It won't get all raspy and honda-like and has a nice sound in lower RPMs.

Got some pictures but not sure how much it will help


----------



## Slammed2014Eco (Feb 13, 2014)

Agreed... I've heard plenty of 4cyl and 6cyl without mufflers that sound very very good. Coming from a Honda I can see how you could think that most 4cyls sound like **** but that is not the case with all 4cyls. A few examples would be Srt4's (That come without mufflers from the factory), wrx/sti just to name a few. The Cruze actually doesn't sound to bad without mufflers either it actually resembles an srt4 sound but everyone hears different things.


----------



## Rickyt11010 (Jul 3, 2014)

Awesome those are pretty much exactly what I'm looking for I'm trying to get a reference on the cut out area for pipe placement


----------



## Dragonsys (May 27, 2013)

Danny5 said:


> Shops out here charge $40 to cut out a muffler. I believe at $90-$100 it is good ole fashioned highway robbery.
> 
> Btw, there are plenty of 4 cylinder (Subaru) and 6 cylinder (BMW) cars that sound amazing without a muffler. Inline 4, not so much...


$40-50 is what I would expect. I agree that $90 is way too high, but every shop I have called around here quotes me the same, they also tell me it is a 30 minute job, when I know it takes only about 10 with a good torch


----------



## boneheaddoctor (Dec 10, 2014)

Points to consider as to why I made the comment I did. Wait until you get beyond your 20's. Perceptions change, They mature. They become more discerning. I've owned cars with 2 (sounds like a lawn mower), 3, 4, 5 (have three right now), 6 (both straight and Vee), and 8 cylinder engines, I have driven and worked on a V-12 but didn't own it. (though none were Boxer type which is the LEAST cheesy sounding 4 out there). And yes cops DO hassle motorcycles for loud exhausts....I can vouch for that owning an antique Harley thats camshafts alone make more noise then the total noise allowed on new motorcycles.

At some point you are going to want to sell the car. A hacked up exhaust is going to lower its value, or you might move to where state inspections get crazy strict, or they might become that way where you live now. And buying a new exhaust system won't be cheap, and aftermarket quality can vary from horrible to excellent. At least the OEM systems today aren't all that horrific as they once were....and they are made to last now.

And this is coming from someone that's had cars so heavily modified for performance they barely made it through a state inspection (and one that technically wouldn't). And having been there in my youth....and known many cops personally. It draws the attention and scrutiny of the cops. Many of whom will see you as a new way to help meet their monthly ticket quotas.

Its the difference between being a target vs. flying under the radar. My driving habilts haven't mellowed much from my youth....but I have learned how to avoid getting pulled over as frequently as I did when I was younger.

But its your car, and your money....hacked up cars (different from properly modified or upgraded) bring significantly less on resale, and few of us drive ours until they are hauled off to the scrapyard. At least give some thought as to the long term effects of your choices before you make them. Some of which you will probibly regret down the road. Speaking as someone who has made his fair share of those.


----------



## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Ha, use to be young once myself, least I think I was. Had to install headers on my cars with dual exhausts. But after awhile, finally occurred to me that I had two exhaust systems to replace instead of one, at twice the price and work. Didn't really make that much difference in performance either, but was brainwashed by advertisers. 

Then every week at the drag stripes, spend the rest of the week repairing my car. Had to pay a five buck entry fee to only win a two buck plastic trophy. And usually came in 2nd place, always some guy with more money than me. And really the only way to please the crowd was to either blow the engine, or better yet, get killed.

But was young, nobody could tell me any different, after awhile, it finally sunk in. But even dumber was marrying the wrong woman, that really cost me a huge fortune. So knew I had to raise my marriage IQ least up to a two. 

Also couldn't tell my oldest son nothing about rodding a car. One day purely by accident he came to a wrecking yard with me and found a smashed up car exactly like his with blood all over the seats and broken windshield.

Didn't have to say a word, after he saw this, he really slowed down.


----------



## Jascnscott322 (Jan 25, 2016)

I wanna get this done as well. Shop says they want a certain amount due to bending the pipes. Is it possible to just weld a straight pipe? They don't see, to think so. Also i, I'm alexandria va if anyone knows any enter shops or people. Thanks guys


----------



## Merc6 (Jun 8, 2013)

Danny5 said:


> Shops out here charge $40 to cut out a muffler. I believe at $90-$100 it is good ole fashioned highway robbery.
> 
> Btw, there are plenty of 4 cylinder (Subaru) and 6 cylinder (BMW) cars that sound amazing without a muffler. Inline 4, not so much...


Owning a subaru, you can still screw that up. I literally went though about 5 combinations to get the sound I want w/o rasp and drone. I have a few resonators here and there between mid and the rear bumper. Only drawback is the last resonator added attacked the high frequency the turbo howl resides in the exhaust note. Besides that, still traditional boxer rumble. 

The 1.4 sounds great w/o but at certain RPMs. Most I plan on doing is the rear section and even then I may have a straight through muffler there. I like the sound of the car on the freeway with exhaust but same time I also like the ability of turning the car on, dropping the hand brake and coasting w/o attention my Subaru got. Cold starts on that shook picture frames on walls.


----------



## Christopher_2 (Jul 31, 2012)

They are going to have to bend the pipe up and over the axle area.


----------

