Bolt-On Power Parts Against the Dyno

The old racing saying "When the green flag drops, the BS stops" is what inspired us. ... The staff of this fine publication agreed that bolt-on parts were an unknown entity, at least in reagrds to the actual performance gains delivered by any particular bolt-on power part. What wasn't in question was a typical bolt on power parts ease of installation.

Breathing New Life - "Ahhhh, what a breath of fresh air can do?"

Once you get through the foam injected shipping dress-up, the shiny stainless steel muffler and resonator pieces come into view. Inside the package were three-prefabricated 2.25-inch pipe assemblies, including a resonator, mid-pipe and 5x8x14 inch muffler with elliptical tip, some hardware and a simple set of instructions. Installing this bad boy is a straightforward affair and Nap Tiqui tackled it in under 30 minutes at TAG Racecraft. But before that action commenced, we put the Spec V back onto the Dyno jet 248 and discovered a new baseline of 156.9hp and 152 lbs./ft. of torque.

EXHAUSTED - Fabricating a Complete Mandrel - Bent Exhaust System

An important part of any high-performance engine is the exhaust system. Always wanting to extract every last pony of horsepower out of our project vehicles, the discussion of exhaust systems led us to the topic of mandrel bent pipe does not have the slightly restrictive crimps found in traditional exhaust pipe. For those of you who don't know, mandrel bent pipe does not have the slightly restrictive crimps found in traditional exhaust pipe that is bent on-sight at your local exhaust shop. Mandrel-bent exhaust pipe is the same diameter at all points, so it offers less restriction to the exhaust gasses.

The "X" Files - What Do C5 "X" Pipes Do? Let's Find Out

I wanted to do something different; something we haven't done previously. That meant not just the de rigueur cat-backs. Almost every company involved in the C5 exhaust aftermarket is building systems from stainless steel Continued on Page 52 couple are now going way-high-bucks with titanium, a la the Z06. Titanium is excessive for my needs and for this car. After all, it's an automatic, it's a coupe, and it's a commuter--the 12-18 pound weight savings doesn't matter on this sort of car. All I wanted was something that looks good, sounds muscular, and might produce a few more ponies.

FOCUS ON EXHAUST - MagnaFlow Helps The Ford Breathe Easier

Ever since its introduction a few years ago, the Ford Focus has become one of "the" cars to own and they have become pretty prevalent on the show scene. With that realization, we went to one of the foremost names in exhaust technology, MagnaFlow Performance Exhaust. MagnaFlow is the performance division of Car Sound Exhaust System, Inc., a world leader in the manufacture of catalytic converters and exhaust components for more than 20 years. MagnaFlow's quality and sound are some of the finest made and after seeing the exhaust up close, we can tell you that every weld and piece is top-notch quality.