Originally posted by NC Type R
I'm about to pick up a 2000 Phoenix Yellow Type R at the begining of the year. I have been searching this site for the best header and exhaust to get but I still have some questions.
I'm afraid that in the experience of the longer term ITR owners, there really is no
best exhaust.
It depends on what you're doing w/the car.
I had two different exhaust systems, designed for two different stages I was in w/the car, and I was happy with both.
First Stage I had a JDM OEM 4-1 header with upper and lower heat shields, a Carsound cat, and custom quiet SMSP 2.5" exhaust all the way back. This was very satisfying at that stage in the game. It was quiet but dyno'd very well.
A cheap substitute for the JDM OEM 4-1 would be the DC
JDM 4-1 copy, but you won't have the heat shields and people will be able to tell from visual inspection that you have a header.
Stage Two, still on the car, is an SMSP header, Carsound cat and full SMSP 2.5" exhaust the rest of the way. The exhaust is a little more open and noisier than the one that was on the car before. This also dynos very well.
SMSP's major premium competititor in the header game is a company called HyTech, and I have never heard anything bad about their headers, either.
Dave/SMSP is on the east coast, and John/HyTech is on the west coast, so you might want to bear that in mind if ease of physical accessibility is something you're worried about.