chicken or egg? exhaust vs gfx???

[Drago77]

Receiving my vert in a few days- have both waiting to install- oem GFX and Flowmaster Cat-Back exhaust... which do I do first? GFX will be painted installed at a local body shop, exhaust will be done myself with common household tools and ZERO experience...

Im thinking if I.do the exhaust first, id have to adjust the location once the GFX are installed, meaning another painful session of jacking and unbolting... plus- will the GFX specific tips fit the standard rear diffuser?

If I do the GFX first, it'll be even harder to jack up and work under, and will the stock tips fit through the exhaust openings - I know there's a tip addition in the GFX kit...

Any input?

[JKLNHYD]

GFX first....

[orange-prince]

Originally Posted by JKLNHYD

GFX first....

+1

[My 5th]

GFX first. They don't make it harder to get a jack underneath, lowering does. Drive up on a couple of 2 X 6's if you think it's too close.

[dragon22]

When they ship you the car, the exhaust is on before the GFX. When they install the GFX they cut down the tailpipe to accommodate the GFX. Personally, I would do the exhaust first.

[SSACCO]

Is there a new gfx kit for the verts? If not I would make double sure the hardtop gfx will fit. Although subtle, things change.

[electlatino]

having GFX and having been shopping for an exhaust for some time, let me tell you what i've learned from my experience:

exhaust first.

i've had several vendors tell me they can't do it with GFX kit already on (maybe they don't want to do it, but whatever). the GFX extends back further over the stock exhaust and makes it hard to get the stock exhaust out and the new exhaust in.

i've also had my stock exhaust replaced with another exhaust through my warranty, so it was the exact same thing. (baffler went loose in the right muffler.) dealership told me they had to "machine" the exhaust to get it to fit. now the tips don't stick out as much as the first exhaust

it's much easier to do exhaust first, then GFX kit.

if you're really worried about it not fitting, then you need to make sure you talk to the manufacturer and confirm their exhaust will fit on a GFX kit. some (SLP, for example), make one exhaust for GFX cars and one exhaust for non-GFX cars. some exhaust systems (JBA) are neutral and will fit both (i called and asked because that's what i'm getting!!!) some only fit one style and will not fit the other.

long story short, exhaust first, then GFX. call the manufacturer to verify it will in fact fit with a GFX kit before you buy it. if it won't, then you have a harder choice...get the exhaust you want and sacrifice the GFX kit, or get the GFX and sacrifice the exhaust you wanted for another.....

[My 5th]

Originally Posted by dragon22

When they ship you the car, the exhaust is on before the GFX. When they install the GFX they cut down the tailpipe to accommodate the GFX. Personally, I would do the exhaust first.

Don't think that's true. They didn't do it on mine. They just put the GFX on and didn't touch the stock exhaust.

When I had the GMPP axle-back put on they just cut the pipe ahead of the stock muffler at the spot indicated by GM and slipped the GMPP pipe and muffler on. There was some back and forth the get the pipe the same depth in the GFX stainless bezel. Got the GMPP with no tips cuz the 4.25" round GMPP tips won't fit in the GFX bezel. I had some generic oval tips put on, and that's where the time was spent getting the tips aligned with the GFX. Had I done the exhaust + tips first there's no telling how the tips would have lined up. I'll be doing a Magnaflow 16483 3" cat-back soon, but with MBRP rectangular tips. The GFX of course will already be on, but I don't see how anyone can get tips "right" by blind guessing with the GFX not already installed.

[Drago77]

Thanks guys for all the input! There's a lot more involved in this than I thought when i originally made my purchases!

I got the Flowmaster AT system, which I DID the the GFX specific kit, so I've got that covered. I really didn't want to have to readjust the exhaust once I got it installed, but I think that may be the route I try...

Now as for the tips; the GFX kit does have a set of tips in it, so there may be some truth to cutting it down to fit them... need to review the instructions that came with them to verify.

[Drago77]

Answered my own question today:

#1- Flowmaster AT exhausts do NOT fit on a vert... DAMN IT!

#2- Even if it did, the tips did not line up NEARLY close to the holes in the rear diffuser...

#3- I wasted A LOT of time today!!!!!

[brAnd7onX]

Originally Posted by Drago77

Answered my own question today:

#1- Flowmaster AT exhausts do NOT fit on a vert... DAMN IT!

#2- Even if it did, the tips did not line up NEARLY close to the holes in the rear diffuser...

#3- I wasted A LOT of time today!!!!!

But you got a lot of answers!!

[Drago77]

Answers, cuts, bruises, one wrench falling on my head, a brace snapping me in the finger and a muffler nearly crushing my head... all for the sweet sound of.... stock!

Good times, good times... lol

[Gavros 4 Life]

exhaustttt......there is a thread already of a guy trying his coup exhaust on the vert and it doesn't fit.....get a exhaust that you know will fit the vert and a exhaust that is made for the gfx like borla

[Drago77]

Originally Posted by Gavros 4 Life

exhaustttt......there is a thread already of a guy trying his coup exhaust on the vert and it doesn't fit.....get a exhaust that you know will fit the vert and a exhaust that is made for the gfx like borla

Yup- that would be my thread!

Had the kit for the GFX, just didn't have one for the vert... hopefully Flowmaster will come out w something specific... SOON!!!!