Where can I get an exhaust upgrade for my E84A model VR-4?

[kitefighter]

Hello all,

I've been reading the posts on where to start on upgrades and it seems unanimous. Exhaust and Air Filter first.

I've already got a HKS Super Power Flow Air Filter but there isn't an off the shelf upgrade exhaust for the E84A model VR-4 I own.

Anyone know of a good UK (I live in Luton) high performance exhaust specialist that would be able to make one that works as well as the HKS Super Drager?

I wouldn't mind spending the £545 asking price for a HKS system if only they made one for my car, so I'd really like to know if the alternatives, whatever they are really do work.

Any shared experience that anyone has with overcoming the same difficulties would be greatly appreciated.

Kind regards to all, Humayun aka "kitefighter"

[Sulli]

I went to GDS Exhaust in Brackley Northampton recently while looking for a handmade system - they looked a fairly good, if slightly pricey set up. But they aren't far from you.

Travel a bit further, and you can't go wrong with MIJ Performance in Walsall, just off J.9 of the M6. They did my car today, and I couldn't be happier (well I probably could, but their service didn't include a nubile young girl providing me with head :embarasse )

Give them a call, or look at their website - say Stuart recommended you, i'm sure they'll do you a good deal.

MIJ Performance (http://www.exhaustuk.co.uk/home.htm)

[kitefighter]

Hello there,

Thanks for the advice. I will contact MIJ as they're located near my brother so it will be fun to surprise him.

Can I ask what system you went for on your VR-4? Cat back or De Cat? And what sort of back box did you use?

Most importantly of all, have you noticed an improvement in your performance?

Kind regards, Humayun aka "kitefighter"

[ako]

On the 7G you'll get, well, not that much of a gain from just a cat back exhaust. To make it even worthwhile, get the dumppipes remade, same as what most of the 8G guys have done. Otherwise, you're just spending a lot of $$ for 10hp at best.

[Legnum Boy]

...get the dumppipes remade, same as what most of the 8G guys have done.....

Is this a term for de-cat? :inquisiti

[Kieran]

Is this a term for de-cat? :inquisiti

I think it's a term for the manifold downpipes? :inquisiti Not sure though!

[ako]

So far as I know, a de-cat is just a peice of pipe to be put in place of the catalytic converter.

The downpipes I'm referring to are the ones off the turbo housings - if you have a look under a 7G, they merge together at 90 degrees, and damn near negate any gains you get further down the line. There are gains to be had without them, just you're shooting yourself in the foot by not doing it.

[AllBeItMine]

check out the pictures at the top of this thread for an idea of what Mark is refering to by DownPipes.

http://www.clubvr4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6913&highlight=bulk+buy

[kitefighter]

I can't visualise precisely what down pipes are but I've seen Ako's video of his E84A VR-4 doing a quarter mile, so I believe he knows what he's talking about.

I'd like to see what Ako's modified down pipes look like, and how they were made and to what specifications.

I wonder if the reason most tuners recommend changing the exhaust and air filter to begin with as a "stage 1 tune" is because of the aesthetics as much as as performance.

The trouble with the E84A VR-4 is because it's so scarce, nearly every tuning modification has to be fabricated from scratch and there comes a point when you think about saving the money on a skyline GT-R or an Evo and buying off the shelf parts for tuning.

Well done to Ako for proving what can be done...

Regards, kitefighter

[Sulli]

PM Sent Kitefighter - did you get it?

[kitefighter]

Hello all,

I've been making a few enquiries.

Firstly, I have had downpipes explained to me, so I can see where Ako is coming from.

Trouble is, downpipes appear to come in at least double the price of a cat back exhaust and on an E84A model, that's expensive. I'm sure they are effective, but if you're just having them installed to straighten out some kinks and gas flow, well, you'll have to do the exhaust too at some point anway.

MIJ performance quoted a special offer on VR-4 of £400 including a de-cat pipe, so I'll go there. I just need to convince myself that it will make a difference, as I'll probably be lucky to get a 10 bhp gain.

Thins is, I've seen Sulli's pictures online and I want one - badly!!! (My girlfriend thinks I should go on holiday with her, but I did that last month and I've been wanting to change the exhaust for ages).

Kind regards, kitefighter

PS: No Sulli, I didn't receive your pm. Any chance of posting your comments about what difference in performance you've noticed here?

[ako]

Here's the thing - a "cat back" on these is almost an entire exhaust system anyway, the cat is only about 1/4 the way down the car. You will feel gains, and you will LOVE the noise, but you'll notice the car will still feel a bit choked up at 5500rpms plus. It will go better, no question, but if I were you I'd save the extra coin, and do the whole lot at once, or if its not really performance you're after, just change the back muffler / back box / whatever you lot call it. Stock, the piping measures in at 2.5" anyway, or at least both my E84's have.

It'll also raise your boost levels a bit, mine went from 6psi up to about 11 - 12, with just a new muffler and no cat. The new car, I'm not bothering with doing "half a bit here, another bit here", I'm just doing the whole lot, downpipes and all, in nice shiny 3" stainless :rolleyes4 Hopefully it'll help alleviate that annoying boost drop-off at high revs.

[kitefighter]

Thanks for the advice here Ako.

It is power I'm after, not show.

I'll take it an exhaust specialist and have them take it on the ramp and I'll ask them how much a complete system would cost from the downpipe to the end of the exhaust system.

Thing is, how do you know what sort of design of exhaust to fabricate? Do you just try and make it with as least amount of bends as possible with a 3 inch starting with the downpipe?

I can get away with no catalyctic converter because my E84A was built in 1992 and the UK government didn't make it a legal requirement until 1993.

Do you have pictures of what you've done with yours?

Regards, kitefighter.

[ako]

Mine had hardly anything, it was one of the main things holding my car back.

Just do exactly as you said - as little bends as possible, as free flowing as possible. The downpipes would be happy at 2.5", then when they merge go into 3" - but if you can make it fit, then why not. It will lose some low-down urge, but you'll hardly notice it, and the top end will be transformed.

[kitefighter]

I'd love to have the new sport fabricated down pipes to replace the originals.

Trouble is, I'm not an engineer and I'd rather not just have new ones made up with the vague "just make them as with as few sharp corners as possible" as a blue print. For example, what about having a twin set up with separate downpipes and exhaust for each bank of cylinders?

It's very expensive and more specialised work than a de-cat and exhaust.

I can see what you're saying about saving up and getting it done all at once. But where do you draw the line? For instance, would you have the plumbing on the engine changed like this E84A:

http://www.racer.jp/kow/e84a.html

By the way, if you go to the bottom of the above page and then to the homepage, you can see that the owner's other car appears to be a R34 GT-R.

I'd keep my E84A too when I save up enough for an R34 GT-R too!

[ako]

There's not much to it... Currently its an ugly 90 degree join, all you want to do is make it tidy. There's no fancy science or anything to worry about, at the end of the day, a turbocharged car goes best with no exhaust whatsoever.