Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Duratec Performance Sooooo what should I do now?

hey guys,

A while back I told myself that I was gonna do something with the stock exhaust to improve the sound. I accomplished quite the opposite yesterday . I had a high flow cat installed and removed the resonator. Here is the deal:

When I turn the key, it turns over with a sweet BAWWOOM and then, the low rumble that I love . It still brings a smile to my face. That's right about where the smiles stop , too. At 3000 rpms, like clockwork, I get this wind-up toy whine and a WAHHHHHHHHH comes out! Darn near brought tears to my eyes . I wanted that low rumble throughout the rpm's like you hear from stang GT's and camaros. How can I accomplish this?

Here is what I have:
~high-flow cat
~no resonator
~stock SVT muffs that came with the car

Any and all advice please!! I am emarassed to drive the thing, I might as well be driving a rice mobile!! :rolleyes:

Check for a leak at or near the new cat. Should be able to find it in the driveway if you have a buddy play with throttle why you look/listen/feel under the car for leaks. (Jackstands HIGHLY recommended! )

I did considerable research on exhaust mods and I have come to this conclusion.....

The resonator that sits in the middle of the car is not a true resonator. If it were, it would be a glasspack. It's a muffler, purposely placed there to dampen acoustical resonance. In reality our cars have TWO mufflers. The rear muffler is located at the end of the tail pipe to further soften the sound exiting the pipe. If you completely remove the middle muffler it sounds wierd at certain RPMs.

What I did last thursday was to remove middle muffler and replace it with a turbo muffler. Less restriction, better sound. Deep and no rasp. I have yet to cut off the rear muffler for fear that it will be too loud. I may still change my mind. My stique sounds OK as is..louder than stock but quieter than lets say...Mustang GT. Don't forget, the 2.5 liter is one of the smallest V6 engines ever produced, it will never sound like deep like a V-8.

For a low rumble sound like a mustang or camaro, get a mustang or a camaro. big v-8 with lower revs. Contour is a high reving 6 with almost 1/2 the displacement.

I'm gonna buy a turbo muffler and put it in where the old resonator used to be.That seems to be the most logical thing to do. I should have thought about this before I just went in and tore everything out. Thanks for the help and insight! ~Chuck