| NOTE: If a pic doesn't show up, right click on it and choose "Show Picture". Sorry for my crappy server. I know a lot of you remember the big Hiper vs. B&B thread from way back (there have been many, but there was one HUGE one that spawned chaos). Basically MY opinion was that I loved the look of the B&B but the performance on the Hiper was quite nice. However, the performance gain wasn't enough to sway me from the look/sound of the B&B. A few months back Greg Dupree mentioned to me that he was going to have some custom mufflers made to get the pipe as straight as possible while keeping straight mufflers AND keeping the cost well below the B&B. Basically the best of both worlds between the two exhausts. As of today, I'm happy to report that he was successful! Read on for more details... First off, I have to be honest and say that my main interest in changing exhaust was that I wanted something a bit more meaty sounding. I hate to admit it, but I was thinking like a riceboy somewhat. The B&B sounds so great at lower RPMs on my TT but at higher RPMs it actually quiets down quite a bit (on NAs it's loud no matter how you slice it though). When I found out I could have a sound more to my liking with better performance, superior construction all at a better price, how could I not change? B&B purists (I was one of them) will scoff at me and call me a traitor...but hey, I can't argue with all the positives and no negatives that I can see. Sue me :) I chose the basic Aluminized Steel/Stainless Muffler option ($750 w/ LaBree X-Pipe) because that's fine for me. You can also get the Stainless/Stainless option if your heart desires for $850. You can also choose to add resonators to either set if you don't want it quite as loud (it also reduces the rasp some people don't like). Resonators are $75 on the Aluminized and $100 on the Stainless. Of course, I chose NO resonators =) First are some comparison pictures followed by some audio captures. 
I can't believe how clean this thing is. No weld seams. 
Scale shot. 
A comparison of the bends of the B&B versus the LaBree. The B&B is surely one of the better bends (some are literally 90 degree angles), but the LaBree is MUCH straighter. Still not quite as straight as the Hiper, but 95% of the way there. 
Ever look into a B&B exhaust? It wont be straight through...instead you'll see the baffles covering between 30% (on the quad circles) and up to 50% (quad ovals) of the opening. Hence why this exhaust is a bit louder. 
Greg hard at work. Talk about a perfect fit...well, that's not entirely true. EVERY car is different so this exhaust (and all of Greg's stuff) has some play in the bolt holes so even if it doesn't line right up on the first try, you can loosen it up and find the right spot so it is perfect. 
Check out the undercar shot. Also note that even though the piping enters the muffler at an edge, the chamber actually continues at an angle so even inside it's still straight as can be while keeping the look of a straight muffler. 
You can't tell in the back pics, but this exhaust is actually tucked in much like the B&B. The original Sebring mufflers on the LaBree exhausts stuck out a bit, but now the new design allows them to be tucked back so it looks sleek. This was done by changing the way the hangers are welded to the can (even makes them easier to slide into the rubber). 
And a final shot on the ground. Also note that the new tips are a bit closer together as the prior exhausts were spaced out a bit more than I liked. I love it the way it looks now, but that's just me. If the demand is there for variations (Quad Ovals or any other tip design), Greg may have it made if enough people are interested. 
For those of you with power strictly in mind, I'm planning a dyno session with multiple pulls back to back with both my old B&B and the new LaBree exhaust. We'll do multiple runs, get it on video and will have plenty of pics. Even before the dyno, I did happen to notice something today after the swap. It's not scientific, but it was obvious to me. On my 1.00 bar setting on the AVC-R, it would now consistently hit 1.10 bar. I got some race gas and tried to run 1.30 bar (normally the max I run for the track and the most my car have EVER put out on 90% duty cycle). Sure enough, I was hitting 1.43 (don't try that at home on stock turbos kids). Needless to say, the flow seems to help. We'll get it on paper before we draw any final conclusions though. Even so, I was pleased :) And did I mention how AWESOME it sounds!? All Greg Dupree fanboy stuff aside...I really do love the way this thing sounds. I decided to record both the B&B and LaBree from inside the car at ear level (where it matters the most to me). I did both sets of recordings today, with the car warm and on the same freeway to keep road noise as similar as possible. Of course, I have a crappy digital camera to record it, so it's not spectacular but you get the idea. In fact, I almost wasn't going to post them because the difference is 100 times more apparent in person. Even so, you can make it out in the audio. So here are some small ~60K WAV files of both. Again, I wish they were better, but oh well...still waiting on my Sony DV Cam :) B&B Test Idle to Acceleration B&B Cruising to Acceleration LaBree Idle to Acceleration LaBree Cruising to Acceleration Hope that covers it! Please post all questions IN THIS THREAD if you can. Seedy
My 300Zs: www.zheaven.com - Have a question about either of my 300ZXs? Answers lie within.
Admin: www.350ZForum.com - Your source for the lastest info on the new Nissan 350Z!
Writer: www.SportZMagazine.com - Nothing but Z cars from cover to cover! Subscribe today!
Moderator: www.TwinTurbo.net - Hands down, the best site for 90-96 Z car info and discussion! |
New Product: LaBree straight-pipe catback (B&B/Hiper hybrid) - 
07:43:45 07/30/03
