Ed bought me a full ERZ "ebay exhaust" for around $325 shipped and we got it installed over Labor Day weekend. I won't write about how the install went, 'cause I'd rather forget about it. Between stripped bolts and an "extra" bolt found stuck between the tranny and a frame member, it was kindof a mess. I suspect it was due to the body shop we used after our Dec '05 accident. :-P
Anyway, it's on and you can hear the wastegate open now. Funky. Sounds like a mean cat purring at idle, and just gets meaner the faster you go.
The exhaust looked really well made, especially considering the price. No fitment issues whatsoever, the gaskets all looked good... the only complaint was that we were missing 5 or 6 bolts. -A quick ride out to Lowe's fixed that, though. All-in-all I'm quite happy. It's LOUD without the silencer, and a little less loud without it, but it sounds nice, so we'll see how long I can go without a fix-it ticket for it >:-P
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Erica,
ReplyDeleteJust had to let you know that this is effen weird. I am a computer goober by day and an ametuer photog every chance I get, and am married to a guy named Eddie. I have an 07 WRX and am looking for pics on an ERZ install so we can replace the existing stuff correctly. Did you by chance take pics of your install? I have a vf39 turbo with a maddad downpipe and sti tmic waiting to be installed. How do you like your exhaust? Totally excited to get moving on this. Thanks for your help. stacy@lanl.gov
Stace
Wow, that IS weird!...
ReplyDeleteNo, I didn't take pics of the exhaust install, just a couple of the exhaust itself and next to the old one. Oh, and I also got a photo of the gasket that came with the ERZ kit after I blew it out: http://www.flickr.com/photos/erica_marshall/1439742815
...so I'd definitely suggest getting new gaskets with fire rings before you install it all so you don't have to basically do it twice ;-)
Seriously, though, the install was super easy, just remove the old and bolt up the new. It's a big pain, don't get me wrong, but like the post says, we had no fitment issues whatsoever.
Are you on NASIOC? They may have a step-by-step install there. I read a lot of posts on this exhaust on that forum before getting mine and a few people said they had issues with it hitting the firewall or needing to cut the A/C drain hose so it didn't melt to the exhaust. I had issues with neither. The exhaust clears both just fine as-is with no changes, so maybe they updated the design?
As far as how it works -it's not as loud as my post says it is. The problem then was that big hole in the gasket! ;-) After fixing that, it's a normal 3-inch exhaust as far as noise -loud, but not THAT loud, and not too much louder than stock with the silencer in.
I can't tell you much about performance 'cause while the rest of my car is stock, my clutch won't hold at the line, so I've yet to get anything better than high 13's at the drag strip. (I'm not much of a drag fan, though -I prefer autocross, and am planning on trying road racing this summer.)
This year I'm hoping to get injectors and a bigger turbo. ...but with the clutch issue the money may go into that instead :-(. Oh, and I need new tires, and if I get new tires, I want wider wheels...
...it's always something, isn't it!?! :-)