In the never ending quest for lower drag times a car tuner will often times start with removing the restrictive factory exhaust system and decreasing backpressure. A complete exhaust revamp can consist of anything from a header(s) to a cat-back exhaust system. Choosing which one is right for you is a task that must be undertaken with consideration to your local street laws.

Headers: The factory exhaust manifold is usually a bulky cast-iron unit that is designed to deliver low-end torque (provided by the small primaries). While this is desirable for daily-driving, it is not the ideal for performance. Many factors can affect a headers performance but generally the features you should be concerned with are:

Primary Width – Wider the primaries the more peak torque (but later in the power band). There is a limit to how big is big enough that varies from engine to engine. 4-1 or 4-2-1 Design. A 4-1 design incorporates all 4 primaries intersecting into the collector whereas the 4-2-1 has the primaries split into twos and then into one. Different designs offer different power bands. Type of steel- No question here, what you want is SS for the highest quality and most corrosive resistant header(s).

Catalytic Converters

While usually pin pointed as the main restriction in an exhaust, nothing can be further from the truth, while true catalytic converters do restrict flow just like anything else in the pathway of the exhaust gases; they do not hinder flow anymore than the muffler. In fact most catalytic converters are less of a restriction than a muffler. I would always opt for a high flow catalytic converter in an emissions state. These have been proven to provide a negligible loss in horsepower while still keeping it road legal.

Exhaust Piping

Becuase of the budget/time that’s put into both R&D and producing a factory auto, the exaust tubing is usually a ho hum choice. Just like the stock exhaust manifold, it suffers from too small diameter piping and crushed bends. When replacing the entire exhaust system always look for a mandrel bent system (small exhaust shops cannot offer this service) that is also stainless steel. The mandrel bends are somewhat more important than the overall size of the exhaust.

Picking the diameter is a fairly easy decision and should be followed by a general outline such as this:

2″ Stock- Very Mildly Modified 2.25″ Mildly Modified-Moderate (exhaust,header,cold air intake,tune) 2.5″ Moderately Modified- Built N/A engine (exhaust, header, cold air intake, tune, pistons, rods) 3″ Forced Induction – Turbo or SuperCharged

Mufflers

Look for a straight through design from a respected name. Magnaflow, Flowmaster, Walker, and Thrush are just a few of the better performance muffler outfits. Glasspack mufflers tend to be a good compromise of performance at a lower price.

It is not news to anyone that a lot of people are obsessed with their cars.  Whether it is a new car or a classic, every car lover wants theirs to be superior to all the others even compared to one exactly the same.  This desire to have the best possible has given rise to the popularity of fixing up and modifying vehicles.  Car companies have realized the potential of this market and have started to create their own components just for this.  Nissan performance parts can be found for virtually every make and model of its cars.

From the Inside

Improving the look of a car is not that uncommon of an activity for many people.  Car washes are brimming full of all types of people everyday applying the latest and greatest wax to their paintjobs to make them even more lustrous and durable.  Sprays and wipes are applied to the dashboards to keep them supple longer and to discourage cracking.  Seat covers are applied to protect interiors and floor mats placed over the carpet to preserve the cleanliness and life.  

Lots of money is spent at carwashes and on products to clean your car.  People do it because they know that it will not only make your vehicle look better but it will help it stay in a better condition longer.  A vehicle in good condition is always more valuable. Recognizing the importance of these improvements and upkeep is easy.  

From the Outside

The acknowledgement in the value of taking care of the appearance of your car has developed into the value of taking care and improving they way your car performs as well.  Now instead of just going to the auto shop to buy things to maintain the vehicle it is now popular and common to buy things to improve the mechanics of your vehicle.  

Vendors, that were popular among the mechanic crowd, once dominated the market for these components.  The companies would make products specific for certain makes and models.  These products ranged from brakes, exhausts, lift-kits, and even nitrous oxide kits.  Really there isn’t any part that you can’t find to modify what came stock on your vehicle..  You can make it go faster, stop faster, of climb bigger rocks if you want. Any function of your vehicle that you want to improve you can

As these types of performance modifications became more and more popular the car companies started to take note of the opportunity.  Now it is possible to find items to replace the stock parts on your vehicle made by the manufacturer of your vehicle. They array of parts is staggering and they are readily available.  Nissan performance parts can be found easily either online or via your mechanic.  The modifications can really make a difference for daily use and especially if you enjoy amateur racing.  It is easy to make your car the best that it can be these days.