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Dec/Jan 2002
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getting' exhausted
Text & Photos by:
D.G. Leadbetter
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One of the most popular upgrades that you can do to your ride is add a performance exhaust system. It'll help you out in three ways. It will reduce back pressure for better performance and mileage, it looks cool with the new exhaust tips coming out of the back, and it gives you a lower and meaner sound when you rev it up. So it's a win-win-win proposition!
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One of the more popular exhaust system manufacturers is MagnaFlow. And more specifically, one of their more famous products is the Cat-Back exhaust system. Cat-Back? What is that, you may be asking? While it
sounds like something based on the spinal column of a feline, you're dead wrong. Cat-Back refers to the exhaust system from the catalytic converter to the rear of the car. Get it? Cat-Back? Okay, now that we have that cleared up, let's get into just how cool this system really is.
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Breathing new life into the New Beetle
with help from MagnaFlow!
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This is how the back of the New Beetle looks stock. From all outward appearances, you can't even tell if it has an exhaust system or not. The new MagnaFlow system will correct that fast.
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To get a better idea of what the addition of the MagnaFlow Cat-Back system will do, we had to get a baseline of what the stock engine will put out. Our good friends at MagnaFlow hooked us up to their dyno to get a reading. Our stock '99 Beetle puts out 98.8 ponies and 114.4 torque. Pretty standard for a stock 2.0-liter engine.
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Before the new exhaust system goes on, the old one has to come off. The first step is to remove the exhaust cross frame and union clamp. You may have to use some WD-40 to help loosen them up.
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Next, the muffler needs to be cut from the tubing. Position the saw about 1 foot behind the muffler and cut that puppy off.
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