Author Topic: Ok, the Magnaflow cat-back is on. (Read 736 times)

AWwrgwy · « **Reply #15 on:** May 28, 2007, 01:05:09 AM »

You do your own work or can you recommend someplace in town. (I'm assuming based on Antone's). I'm happy where I go now. They're just busy and expensive. They are reliable though.

Just wondering.

wrngway

DiabloTX · « **Reply #16 on:** May 28, 2007, 01:09:44 AM »

No, I use the Mercedes repair shop that I used to manage. I'm still good friends with the owner and the mechanics there. I live in Houston, Antone's is just a play on where Stevie Ray Vaughan used to play at, well, one of MANY, in Austin. As for another repair shop, I still haven't found one that I can use for major repairs that I am completely happy with around here in the Houston area. But then again I don't generally need repairs all that often.

whiteman · « **Reply #17 on:** May 28, 2007, 07:32:07 PM »

for repairs and paint in Houston/Pearland Lanes Hitech FTW. never had my car in a shop but the work i've seen on a friends ride and his own personal show truck and F-Body are incredible.

AWwrgwy · « **Reply #18 on:** May 29, 2007, 07:59:06 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by DiabloTX
No, I use the Mercedes repair shop that I used to manage. I'm still good friends with the owner and the mechanics there. I live in Houston, Antone's is just a play on where Stevie Ray Vaughan used to play at, well, one of MANY, in Austin. As for another repair shop, I still haven't found one that I can use for major repairs that I am completely happy with around here in the Houston area. But then again I don't generally need repairs all that often.

Thanks.

Yeah, I'm in Austin. I'm happy with where I go. They're just really busy. Drop off on Monday, get it back next Monday.

I was looking for someplace to install headers if I finally decide to go that route. I don't want to break a manifold bolt and I think one may already be broken and removing heads is above my skill level.

wrngway

Ripsnort · « **Reply #19 on:** May 29, 2007, 08:48:31 AM »

I drove a friends FJ Cruiser who, unlike my FJ, has the stock exhaust and air filter.

You really appreciate the catback exhaust and CAI after jumping in an identical vehicle without that pair....if for nothing more than the sound when you punch it.

whiteman · « **Reply #20 on:** May 29, 2007, 12:01:22 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by AWwrgwy
Thanks.

Yeah, I'm in Austin. I'm happy with where I go. They're just really busy. Drop off on Monday, get it back next Monday.

I was looking for someplace to install headers if I finally decide to go that route. I don't want to break a manifold bolt and I think one may already be broken and removing heads is above my skill level.

wrngway

one week for headers, thats crazy! with hand tools two of us had my entire exhuast off from the manifolds back and the new headers all the way to the new catback done in 4 hours.

Best thing to do is find someone that will do it in your garage or theirs. much cheaper or find a performance shop that will do it, they should turn it around the same day no problem.

My Tune and the Borla has been the only thing i haven't done with a friend or myself. i was to lazy to swap the Magnaflow and Borla myself.

DiabloTX · « **Reply #21 on:** May 29, 2007, 06:23:29 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by AWwrgwy
Thanks.

Yeah, I'm in Austin. I'm happy with where I go. They're just really busy. Drop off on Monday, get it back next Monday.

I was looking for someplace to install headers if I finally decide to go that route. I don't want to break a manifold bolt and I think one may already be broken and removing heads is above my skill level.

wrngway

There are many reasons why I still use that Mercedes repair shop, the main one if which is I'm not a mechanic! Since they repair cars with metric tools and the Z28 is made in Canada, it just makes sense to take it there. Plus they have lifts and pneumatic tools and all that stuff that makes a 4 hour job into a 45 min. job.

Karaya, my main object with this car is to not turn it into a money pit. The more mods you do the less reliablility you can achieve, obviously. This new cat-back has changed this engine considerably, it finally has the balls I thought it should have as a stock engine.

As for that shop wrngway, I'd say a week for typical repairs is far too long. BUT, if you're happy with them then that's all you need.

Thank god my wife is the daughter of an old school hot rodder and she understands the whole fast car things with men. He's a hell of a fabricater, amazing work. Puts a weld bead down better than a machine! Hell, watching take that 3.5 inches off the tips of the cat-back with a HACK SAW and leaving perfect edges was astounding!

AWwrgwy · « **Reply #22 on:** May 30, 2007, 10:56:54 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by whiteman
one week for headers, thats crazy! with hand tools two of us had my entire exhuast off from the manifolds back and the new headers all the way to the new catback done in 4 hours.

Best thing to do is find someone that will do it in your garage or theirs. much cheaper or find a performance shop that will do it, they should turn it around the same day no problem.

My Tune and the Borla has been the only thing i haven't done with a friend or myself. i was to lazy to swap the Magnaflow and Borla myself.

Not a week to do the work, more like a week to get to it. Real busy. I'm more than willing to drop off and pick up in a couple of days. They do do really good work.

I'd like to do my own stuff but I'm not a mechanic either. I don't even have a driveway.

The project I've been putting off the most is replacing the engine in a '70 C15. I don't want to start it and never finish. So, so far, I'm never starting.

wrngway

Grayeagle · « **Reply #23 on:** May 31, 2007, 01:26:19 AM »

(Homer Simpson voice)
mmmmm .. V-8 sound

That looks verra nass Diablo ..prolly sounds great too

I'm thinkin next toy is gonna have to be V-8 sound for the Vette, too

Did someone say 'Con?'

-GE aka Frank

DiabloTX · « **Reply #24 on:** May 31, 2007, 01:46:32 AM »

Thanks. It will look better once we get the angles corrected.

Gray, have you heard of the Ron Fellows C6? OMG droooool....

http://www.2007chevycorvette.com/ronfellows/

Grayeagle · « **Reply #25 on:** May 31, 2007, 05:06:41 AM »

the Ron Fellow's vette is nice .. instant collector car.

I heard you can get a Callaway brand new coupe for about 2k less than a Z06 .. and it makes more power

I like my vette .. its everything I wanted in a 'starter' vette, I can mod the crap out of it failry easily.

But ..them new ones .. oh my .. they do look *good* ..and they run great

I'm thinkin hard about what direction to go.. wouldnt take much from what I have read to get mid-10's out of this black bullet, and would still be daily driver, cruiser, fun car.

I dunno .. mayhap will wait till I finish my RN to start a Z06 project car .. that new 427 is just such a sweet motor

-GE

DiabloTX · « **Reply #26 on:** May 31, 2007, 05:22:09 AM »

I agree. The new rides are amazing performance values. And I thank eagl to turning me on to the LS1 engined f-body's. I had a '65 GTO in high school that was a runner but I couldn't get it better than 14.2 in the quarter mile after all the mods. Now you can get a car that goes well into the 12's straight from the factory. And we still have power steering, A/C, CD player, airbags, ABS, power windows and seats, etc, etc...

My wife has been instructed, years ago, that when she gets her inheritance that getting me a new C6 should be her first priority!

eagl · « **Reply #27 on:** May 31, 2007, 07:46:45 PM »

I'm convinced that the LS1 f-bodys are the best bargain in the used car market right now. You can get a primo condition Z28 or Firebird/TransAm for well under $9k, and it'll suck the doors off of 99% of the mustangs on the road and hold up better on the track than pretty much all of them. It's easy to maintain, easy/cheap/fun to mod, and if you get serious about it you can add another 200 hp and make it truly track-ready for just a few thousand bucks worth of parts you can bolt on in your driveway. The biggest danger racing a stock f-body is cracking the brake discs after a hard day on the track, and those can be swapped out in about 10 minutes in the parking lot with 2 wrenches and a jack. Take a stock mustang to the track and you're gonna break something trying to keep up with the 10 year old camaros and firebirds.

The only other car I've seen that has this sort of fun value is the miata... Visit http://www.flyinmiata.com if you're interested in seeing how easy it is to turn a miata into a porsche killer

DiabloTX · « **Reply #28 on:** June 01, 2007, 12:10:51 AM »

And that just may be it's achilles heel as well. Since they're so affordable the kids get them and start modding them all to hell. I can't tell you how many f-body's I looked at that had been modded/butchered/run hard here. But then again Houston more or less is LS1 central.

Also, eagl, what I am amazed at is the build quality between my '96 and my '02. Talk about night and day. Four and a half years, 53k miles and not one squeak, rattle, bump or any other misc. noise.

whiteman · « **Reply #29 on:** June 01, 2007, 02:35:16 AM »

The achilles heel of the Ls1 f-body is the rear end. they put a great engine in this car and back it up with a rearend made of glass. i have friends that have been through 3 in a year, it's worth the 5k to buy the Mosler 12 bolt.