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staying with the stock exhaust

6K views 14 replies 13 participants last post by  UncleMike 
#1 ·
I'm not generally one that wants a machine to be louder than it needs to be. That said, over the past few weeks, as shown in a few threads on the topic, I have been leaning toward a muffler delete set-up on my soon-to-arrive Classica, but I really needed to know what to expect.

I have the day off from work today, so I rang my salesman and asked if I could have 2 minutes and come listen to a Classica/Lusso, to hear how tame is tame, since it's been 2 months since my Classica/Abarth test drives. "Sure, come on over!"

I arrived to find a Classica automatic parked near the front door of the showroom. The salesman grabbed the ke... the fob (that will take getting used to) and we went to fire it up. Oops, the battery was flat (unknown why, I didn't worry about it). He grabbed a jump charger and while we waited a minute or 2 to let it do its job, he smiled and thanked me for coming to do this so he could find the dead battery before someone else happened along to test drive it. The car fired right up, and being midday and pretty quiet, he asked if I'd like to go... charge up the car for him. Sure! Now I could take the exhaust into account under driving conditions. I lapped it up and down the local freeway a couple times while listening to the stock Classica exhaust, and I've concluded that even though it is very tame and quiet at a standstill and at steady driving speeds, its muted bark is more than enough for me when jamming the gas pedal from stops, hammering straight on-ramps, and pushing hard through a full freeway cloverleaf system. A delete system would be fun for short hops of hooliganism>:), but when I consider that a lot of my driving will be multi-hour stints out on the back roads and rural highways, I've concluded that I would rather not have the extra sound volume of the delete system, that the quiet stock system is in fact enough for me:cool:.

Thanks to those that have contributed to my thoughts and inquiries on the topic, both pro and con. Now I'll be able to direct the money saved toward other car goodies, and gasoline.

Steve.
 
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#2 ·
I tip my hat to you sir for making the right choice for YOU!. If have the full GWR exhaust and love it, but I fully appreciate the fact that not everyone shares my enthusiasm for it. Glad to hear that you will have more $$$ to spend on other mods that may be more to your liking, or simply road-tripping.:)

Cheers.
 
#3 ·
For what it's worth, I'll have a 4-way comparison video aimed at us folks who prefer it somewhat quiet... just wrapping it up now.

1. Stock (Classica)
2. Good-Win muffler delete only (stock baffles in)
3. Good-Win muffler delete only (no baffles)
4. Abarth 500 for comparison.

Finally got my Good-Win installed and it's exactly what I wanted. Just a slight increase in low-end and some extra burble, but nothing loud or farty or neighbor-waking.
 
#5 ·
what about stock ABARTH
 
#7 ·
One thing I have found, compared to my old Spider, is that I keep hitting 'red line' (rev limiter) because I can't hear the exhaust note. I'll most likely go with the resonated Abarth exhaust. However, it seems to have spent more time with the wheels off the ground than on, so I'll be driving a little bit, first :)
 
#10 ·
Recently I visited a Miata guy who is a former SCCA National champion in both the NA and NB. He recently traded a 2016 Club for Launch Edition RFB. We got to talking exhaust systems and he strenuously recommended against the muffler delete on the basis of drone. Even with resonators he said it would drive me crazy over the road. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but this guy ran turbocharged engines for years and drove his cars on the street.
Something to consider. . .
Best regards
Pete
 
#11 ·
I have to agree with Stevet. I like the stock exhaust. The only reason I have the GWR roadstersport on the Lusso track toy is for the responsiveness it provides on-track. As it is, my "home track" (Laguna Seca) has a decibel limit of 90- 92 on most track days, so having anything louder than the GWR is of no use to me unless I'm in professional competitions which I no longer do.

Many exhaust systems that help produce more power are louder, but loudness does not equal more power.

I have absolutely NO plans to change the Abarth exhaust.
 
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