offroad x-pipe or h-pipe for 01 Cobra

[blown92gt]

Was wondering which of the two sound better. I'm new to these models and have always had fox bodies until now. I had a friend that has a 2000 gt and used a bassani x-pipe and it sounded like a truck at higher rpm's (real poppy) . I put a x-pipe on my fox body and it made mine more hollow and no truck sounding their. He put a h-pipe on his and now it sounds excellent. Not sure what to think about this but I do know that I want my car to sound as hollow as possible. I hate the poppy truck sounding exhaust. Any help on this would be appreciated.
Thanks

[tcrews]

On the mod motor cars it really depends on the type of mufflers you have if an H or X offroad pipe will sound well.

Offroad H pipes work well with the stock mufflers and chambered style mufflers (flowmasters, mac, etc..).

Offroad X pipes work well with straight through mufflers (Bassani, Borla, etc...).

Catted pipes (X or H) work well with just about any muffler type.

[Mr. Ed]

I have a MAC O/R H-pipe with stock mufflers. It's loud and obnoxious! I love it!:bounce: The sound I've been trying to get for over a year!:thumbsup: :D A former Bassani X-Cat owner. Too quiet! Also kept my check-engine light on for 6 months even with MIL's till I trashed the pipe for the MAC O/R H-pipe.:eek:

[FoxBodSVT4V]

I like the sound of O/R H pipes with 2chamber race Flowmasters W/dumps myself :thumbsup: :cool: :hail: :hail: :hail: :yup: :yup:

[daddyfixer]

I was running a Bassani x-pipe with Flowmaster-2 mufflers and a 5 speed trans, and it sounded good and ran good. Then i installed an aod-e trans, but the x-pipe wouldn't clear the trans, so i went to the h-pipe with dumps. Now it runs just as good, but sounds a lot better. (Personal opinion of course).:tomcat:

[daddyfixer]

I was running a Bassani x-pipe with Flowmaster-2 mufflers and a 5 speed trans, and it sounded good and ran good. Then i installed an aod-e trans, but the x-pipe wouldn't clear the trans, so i went to the h-pipe with dumps. Now it runs just as good, but sounds a lot better. (Personal opinion of course).:tomcat:

[daddyfixer]

My wife say's i repeat myself a lot LOL. sorry!

[Mr. Ed]

I considered those once, but when the guy next door put 2-chambered Flowmasters on his Dodge Durango, I quickly changed my mind. That car/SUV sounds ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE!! :eek: :retard: I was afraid that might make Wilbur sound that way.

[01silversnake]

I'll tell you what. I have a mac off road h pipe w/Mils and the Mac cats back system with the 3 1/2 tips. Boy oh boy. There's no sounds like it out there. Everyone down here where I live in Ft. Lauderdale wont even think about racing me just because of the sound of these two mods. So if you like loud and crazy stroker motor sound. Go with Mac all the way. IT even sounds cammy at an Idle too. Keep me posted on what you pick ?????

[BAD PNY]

Mac's quality is at the lower end of aftermarket parts. That's my .02.

[01silversnake]

I have nothing but good things to say about mac and its quality. But, then again who am I lol.

[BAD PNY]

Originally posted by 01silversnake
I have nothing but good things to say about mac and its quality. But, then again who am I lol.

Ever wonder why they don't use stainless?

[tcrews]

MAC has the worst reputation out there for quality, both 5.0 and 4.6 exhaust systems.

That being said, I know many people who have been very satisfied with thier MAC purchases.

I've just seen and have heard too many horror stories to take my chances...

[cobrabitn]

I have a MAC OR pipe. All I can say is it is bit---n! You can hear me a mile away and it rocks. The only problem I had with fit was with the bolt on the driver side and I truly believe if I had the right bolt then it would have mated right up without a problem.

I don't know why they don't make stainless? I guess the implication here is because they are not confident in their fit and they figure people will cut the pipe to make it fit. My advice to you is factory mufflers with an H-pipe that will kick a$$!

I really don't see what the big deal is over stainless anyway? That pipe will last longer then you own the car. In my 69 Mach 1, that pipe is not stainless and it's still on there without any holes I might add, so what's the big deal?

Just my .02 worth.

[01silversnake]

Well, I really think the mac is trying to stay away from stainless simply because on the cost to the customer. YOu can easily double the prices of there exhaust if they went the stainless route. Thats my .02 on it. But, once again who am I lol. You know, $389.00 or 699.00 + for stainless

[BAD PNY]

Tom as usual your remarks are spot on. Put MAC headers on a 4 valve and you will start consuming vast amounts of oil. The welds are lousy and their exhaust is at the bottom quality wise. I installed MAC headers and an off road pipe on my friends SS and could not believe how rough the welds and inside of the headers were.

If I can afford a cobra I want the best exhaust products out there. JBA, Bassani, Borla,etc. It is my personal opinion (based on being around here sometime).

01Silverstang I don't know who you are. I do know MAC products are at the bottom of the food chain. Tell me 1 experienced modular shop that uses them ?

[Mr. Ed]

Yes, it would be ok if it were stainless. Perhaps that would elevate the quality to "high-end" aftermarket.:D At whatever "end", I'm sure enjoying some "cheap thrills" laying down the noise! My MAC O/R pipe is ceramic-coated which provides a degree of durability. The price was $186.58 with shipping from Year One located in Tucker, Ga. outside of Atlanta. They are one of our vendors and sponsors as well. A great group of folks very helpful over the phone OR in person when I visited their booth at the April Food-Lion Auto-Fair this year.:thumbsup:

[smashedheadcat]

The only MAC product i've ever had is the PRO-CHAMBER that was installed on my cobra when i bought it. It was paired up with flowmaster 40 series cat back. It sounded very tough. I've since scrapped that combo for the BBK longtube/shorty O/R H-pipe and borla combo. Anyway, all i can say is that MAC's pipe looked better than the BBK H-pipe i've got now.........

[blown92gt]

I do not like Mac, I've had tried a their systems a couple times thinking I would get a good fitting set and they all fit terrible. Of course these have all been on a fox body car but from what I've seen from my experience and my friends I would never buy anything from Mac again.

[01silversnake]

Well, anyway. I guess I'm just one lucky guy with the quality that I've gotten from Mac with both my Mustangs I"ve owned. How weird lol. The mac cats back system that I put on my 2001 cobra i put on in my driveway in about 25 mins. totally time. It was a true fit system in my case. I sorry to hear of all your guys problems with these systems.

[akatherazor4]

Well I just installed a Mac O/R H-pipe on my 01 Cobra. It was an easy install and fit perfectly.:thumbsup: Combined with the 2 chamber flows it sounds great, Very loud with a deep rumble to it.
So far my check engine light hasn't popped on either.

I am considered a pretty anal person when it comes to my car. I chose the Mac due to past experience, Looking at other cars with one, And price. I have yet to see or hear of any problems with them.

I'm sure there may be better quality out there but at what cost? With a better quality H-pipe would you expect more H.P., Enough to justify the increase in cost?

Just my .02;)

Razor.

[JAYSLOSTBOYZ]

I HAVE A 99 COBRA W/FLOWMASTER AND BBK X PIPE CATLESS,ITS
LOUD BUT SOUNDS VERY RADILY CRACKY,NEED TO CHANGE,MY CATBACK SET UP,BUT I DONT WANT TO UPGRADE TO SOMETHING
THAT WILL SOUND THE SAME,OR I'LL PUT MY STOCK H PIPE BACK ON. WILL A COLD AIR INTAKE SOUND ANY DIFF OR SAME???
ANY ONE RUNNING 99 AND UP COBRA WITH 4.10'S WHAT KIND OF
QUARTER MILE TIMES ARE YOU GETTING-THZ BR3

[01silversnake]

Well, I just ran my car at the track this passed wednesday and went 12.91 at 106 on Kumo's spins some. My mods are Mac off road h pipe with MIL's, Mac cats back, Wms cold air kit, Diablo sport Delta 4 bank chip problem(secret program lol) and 4:10's. Just redynoed at 306.6 hp and 301.1 torq. to the rear. Dynoed twice that day. Once with a cool down( just showed up and with right on the dyno) and pumped out 303.4 with 298.2 torq. Not to bad. Cant wait until I redyno with the Steeda pullies( with I just put on today in the driveway) , JBA shorty headers and a pro-m87 and some more chip reburning and dyno tuning. THey were saying it should be in the range of maybe 320 to 330 hp to the rear. I can only hope........

[JC]

I'm with Tom Crews on this one.

Mac = Low end poorly engineered products.

I tried more than my share of exhust combinations in a few vehicles I've owned and so far, and MAC is dead last as far as quality and engineering. Heck, MAC would be last competing against themselves.

Thanks in part to MAC, I'm the proud owner of a new SHM motor on my 97 Cobra... Take it for what is worth, but if MAC was the only company around then I would choose to keep my cars stock...

JMHO,
JC
97 Vobra

[smashedheadcat]

Thanks to vortech, i have a SHM shortblock....... :D Should i be upset, or happy??? I'm happy with it. Actually, my car failed the "leak down" check before any mods. MAC can't be thaaaat bad.. Can they???

[smashedheadcat]

Originally posted by tcrews
On the mod motor cars it really depends on the type of mufflers you have if an H or X offroad pipe will sound well.

Offroad H pipes work well with the stock mufflers and chambered style mufflers (flowmasters, mac, etc..).

Offroad X pipes work well with straight through mufflers (Bassani, Borla, etc...).

Catted pipes (X or H) work well with just about any muffler type.

I guess this goes against anything i've read, but i'll just toss this out there. I've got BBK longtubes, BBk shorty O/R-H w/mils, and Borla Side exit exhaust. This is the most incredible exhaust note i've ever heard come out of a mustang. I've had soooo many compliments about the sound of it. I've changed a few people's opinion about side pipes. There is zero "cackle" with this set-up. No popping, very tame sound. Hit the gas, and this girl screams. Impossible to explain, but it's a wonderful sound. I'd recommend it to anyone. What i'm getting at is.... The H-pipe for me is working magnificently with the straight through design of borla's....

[JC]

Smashedheadcat

You can believe what you will about MAC products. Please continue to give them your money if you'd like, and while you're at it you should install some MAC LT's on your car too..... Trust me, shortly after that you may be the owner of a second SHM engine... Don't take my word for it please... ;)

Have fun !!!

[smashedheadcat]

Originally posted by JC
Smashedheadcat

You can believe what you will about MAC products. Please continue to give them your money if you'd like, and while you're at it you should install some MAC LT's on your car too..... Trust me, shortly after that you may be the owner of a second SHM engine... Don't take my word for it please... ;)

Have fun !!!

That was mean.

Anywho.... I don't have anything from MAC on my car. I honestly don't plan to have anything MAC on my car. I'm not avoiding MAC in any way, it's just there is better stuff out there. I'm not going to put their long-tubes on my car. Sure won't. I don't need them. I will say this though. NOTHING is wrong with their catback exhaust. Not a thing. They don't offer stainless steel........ Honestly, stainless steel wasn't the reason i bought my exhaust. If someone wants the sound of chambered mufflers..... then i'd recommend MAC to anyone. It's a different sound than the flowmasters, and probably will last a little longer than them too. I'm not a fan of MAC, but i don't despise anyone that uses their stuff.

[smashedheadcat]

Hmm.... as i scratch my head, it may have just come to me that you (JC) are one of the guys i've read about. **I'm not mud-slinging btw** Me putting two and two together, came up with the possibility of your 4V cobra falling victim to the MAC long tubes. If that's the case, then i send you my gratitude. That right there gives you a reason to hate MAC and their products i'm sure. Obviously, they've got a problem with their longtubes on the 4V's....but honestly, i haven't seen anything but satisfaction from their h and x pipes as well as the cat-backs....... My only personal expirience with MAC was the Pro-chamber that was on my car when i bought it. It seemed to be alright in my eyes, welds looked good, and it put out a decent sound. What else can i say...???

[tcrews]

Yep, JC lost his engine due to Mac longtubes. His car was running perfectly and the day he put the Mac LT's on he started having oil-starvation problems. He kept the Mac LT's on for a month or so and finally replaced them with BBK LT's. Unfortunately it was too late by then. One SHM engine coming up!!

The problem is this has happend to 99% of Mac LT (4V DOHC) guys, supercharged or not.

I'm sure their H-pipes are decent and their cat-backs are fine, it's just their overall quality is below pretty much ever other exhaust manufacturer out there. I've only heard bad stuff about their headers......for every year car (5.0, 4.6, etc..), have heard of premature rusting/rotting of thier exhaust pipes and for me that was enough.

To each his own......but if someone is going to recommend a product there will be others to recommend against that product (and to state the reasons why).

[JC]

Josh:

Tom gave you the rundown of my little odyssey with MAC... Thanks for saving me the time to write it up Tom !!! :thumbsup:

I have nothing against you, and my reply was not meant to be mean towards anybody. The goal of my original post was only to inform possible MAC customers of the fundamental problems with MAC as a company that makes products for our cars.

I wanted to share my lack of trust with MAC as a company and for their lack of support to customers who purchased their LT headers who had to replace engines soon thereafter. If I can save a fellow cobra owner for making the same mistake I made (to the tune of $7,000 +) by not choosing to use MAC products then I think I've been of a little help. I have more dislike for that company than you know !!! :mad:

Anyhow, there are better companies out there that for very little more will give you a product that will be 100% better engineered and manufactured than MAC (Bassani, Borla, Magnaflow, JBA, BBK,)

[smashedheadcat]

Right on. I can see the logic behind you hating MAC and it's products. Obviously, they have strong issues that need to be addressed on their headers. I personally haven't lost an engine due to MAC, so I honestly can't relate. I'm sure i'd be angry too. I know what it's like to lose and engine, and believe me, it felt like someone kicked me in the ...uh, down there. A rebuild for me costed me more than 1/3 of my year's salary..... If the problem came from a specific part made by a specific company....... then..... anyway, i understand your anger, and if a lesson can be learned by this, then this thread has did itself justice.

[blown92gt]

I don't like mac's either but I have a question, how can you have oil problems or any other problems by just installing headers unless you had a major leak. I've been in the car scene awhile and although I've not used mac headers I do have many friends who have tried them and did not have any trouble with them other than it fitting like crap, but no motor problems.

[tcrews]

Originally posted by blown92gt
I don't like mac's either but I have a question, how can you have oil problems or any other problems by just installing headers unless you had a major leak.

It's a known problem on the 4.6 DOHC engines only, no one has ever come up with the definite answer as to why but the situation is true. 99.9% of all 4.6 DOHC owners who have installed MAC longtube headers have had to have engine rebuilds. The .1% that hasn't usually had spent a lot of time cleaning up the ports on the headers to remove a lot of rough sides and left over slag from the manufacturing process.

5.0's don't have this problem nor do the 4.6 SOHC engines.

JC may have investigated the problem a little more since it happened to him and he may be able to provide more information on what causes the problem.

[smashedheadcat]

Hmm... Just cuz i was bored *(waiting for my car to get put together) i took a dremel tool, and cleaned up the "bird sh*t" off the inside of the header's primaries. I don't know if that did anything, but it didn't look like it'd hurt any. I've got BBK's btw.

[1-QIK-SNK]

Dose anyone have a ORH or a ORX that they have laying around that they would like to get rid of? I have a bassani x-pipw w/ cat and dynomax(12") race bullets and it is loud as it sits now. Would like to get it a little louder. If you have one laying around email me here millerk@bright.net and let me know what ya got and what you want out of it.
I have the bullets 18" on my 89 with a ORH and let me tell you that is very very loud.

[1-QIK-SNK]

I forgot to say this would be for a 96 cobra.

[JAYSLOSTBOYZ]

I need some help? I have bbk o/r xpipe ,I want deep loud sound,no tin sound like flowmaster when deceleration,can some one please help me decide on a new cat-back.I'm really not sure need help!

[28 Fangs]

I agree with cobrabitten and 01 silver snake.your paying way to much for the stainless.Especially if you take to consideration that you get a very small (if any)performance gain for about an extra 250 to 300 large ones.It's insane:bounce: .the macs are definitely the better bang for your buck.96 black on black snake

[BlackStallion Racing]

Magnaflows... 'nuff said...

All Stainless and excellent fit, finish, performance for under $400 delivered (Low $300 if you have a solid axle) :thumbsup:

Their X-pipe witrhout cats and the CB will rock your world Ferrari style...