O.k. I got a header (won't say which one as not to offend anybody) and I think I'm going with a 2 inch exhaust. I found a muffler shop that will do it all pretty reasonable. I have to put the header on and drive it over because they won't touch the engine. The owner says that warping the valves is an old wives tale

I have a couple options:

Thunderbolt or catco cat?

Cherrybomb or magnaflow muffler?

Prices are the same for either cats or mufflers too or real close.

The owner says hes had less warranty claims with the thunderbolt and that the cherry bomb is comparable in sound to the magnaflow. I'm leaning towards magnaflow because it's stainless steel. The Thunderbolt cat is kind of small and the catco looks alot like the oem. I just need to decide which one and if it's safe to run just a header when the temp outside is dropping to around 25 degrees f. just to get it to the muffler shop which is about 20 miles away.

-Adam

If you can avoid the cops, don't worry about running an open header on your Zuk. I did pretty much the same thing when I installed the header and had an exhaust built for my rig, the muffler shop was 20 miles away infact.

The old wives tale about warping valves is about running an engine without an exhaust manifold, not an open header or even open exhaust manifold.

As far as a cat, I don't have one. And for a muffler I have just a cheap turbo muffler that the muffler shop installed when the first onr rotted off. The first one was a cheap one also, lasted about ten years.


So don't waste your money on a SS muffler unless you really want it, and don't worry about running your Zuk with an open header.

Thanks. I think I'll throw the cat on anyways since I'm a green kind of guy and it will cut the noise down a little more. I think I can get the whole job done, parts included for around $300.00. I'll probably go with the ss muffler because it's only around $80.00 I think for the magna flow. My first quote at another shop was over $400.00 so I'm money ahead anyways.

-Adam

Adam,
My brother built me a exhaust system from scratch for my Samurai using inexpensive chain link fence posts/rails from Home Depot. He cut off the catalytic converter along with the rest of the old pipe and  muffler. It took him all of and hour and a half to fabricate this new system using a new $49 glass pack and $15 worth of pipe and bends.... What a good brother.

Dennis 

I am running a catco and a Magnaflow on 2" exhaust with my 16V. I love the tone and it has never given me any issues.

I ended up getting a thunderbolt cat since the guy said he had fewer warranty problems with them.  Went with the Magnaflow muffler over the cherry bomb. Cherry bomb looked pretty nice though. The Magnaflow is  stainless so it should last. 2 inch exhaust. I'm thinking of pulling the Magnaflow and going with a stock muffler because the Magnaflow is kind of loud at 4000 r.p.ms.  Mated to the new header, I think I can feel a loss of low end torque but when I'm going 75 or so at 4000 r.p.m., I can feel it picking up more speed.

The exhaust from the Header back was $250.00 + tax and I let him keep the old cat for a tip. He was over $125.00 less than the two bigger shops.

One of the shops said it was a big job and they would need it for over 5 hours. My guy had it all done including removing my old dangling exhaust in less than 1/2 hour and it looks good. 2 year warranty on everything.

-Adam

There is nothing quite like a good local exhaust shop.