Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Zetec Performance Resonator mods ?

I finally got the stainless steel, dual outlet muffler on the Tour. It looks good, and sounds OK. But many people have said they pulled out their resonator. But I believe that will be much too much for my wife and for me. Has anyone used something else in place of the resonator ? Like a glass pack, or something else to give the car a little more sound without becoming boomy and too obnoxious. The mufler shop that installed it said he'd cut it off, and weld in a straight pipe. But guaranteed me I'd be back within days to have something put back in. My question is; what else have any of you used ? I like the sound now, deep and throaty, but could use just a few more decibels since at any RPM above around 1500-2000 the exhaust note pretty much goes away. Any suggestions would be appreciated, Ken

i haven't gone back to get something in place of my straight pipe where res was,, many people have used glass packs and straight through mufflers in its place.

Originally posted by Kremithefrog:

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i haven't gone back to get something in place of my straight pipe where res was,, many people have used glass packs and straight through mufflers in its place.

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Yea that's what I was thinkin. The muffler shop told me that every car he's pulled the res off has come back with either a ticket, or an owner who was unhappy with the sound. Granted he had not done a resonator-ectomy on a 2.0 Contour, but said lots of Honda owners tried the same thing (of course who would trust the opinion of ANYONE who drives a Honda anyway right ?) and couldn't live with the noise or had a court appointed fix-it order. I was just wondering if anyone went with a straight through muff or a glass pack type thing and how they liked or didn't like it. Ken

I removed the resonator from a Mazda 626, 4cyl, and I had to listen very hard to even tell the difference.

My res was replace with a glasspack, with the stock muffler still in place. No difference in sound at all

just cut it off, i have no resonator and a 40 series flowmaster, plus i have a lot of mods done to my car and it actually isnt that loud. outside or in

I ran around without a res for about 2 years and could never really tell a difference.

i did tell i difference, most people probably wouldn't like the sound it makes sometimes, though it's really sweet sounding in higher rmps and gears, sometimes it can get really loud, it's not terribly noticeable and u won't get a ticket (it's not illegal here, may be illegal in some places, but doesn't attract cops) i say try it and see what u think.

Originally posted by ohsigmachi:

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I ran around without a res for about 2 years and could never really tell a difference.

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You notice a hell of a difference when you install a header and have no resonator.

Originally posted by Hector:

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You notice a hell of a difference when you install a header and have no resonator.

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There's a lot of mass in the stock exhaust manifold. I wonder if it's the shape or the mass of the manifold that makes the difference in sound. Many years ago, I made a straight-thru 'muffler' out of a 6 inch steel pipe, about 3 feet long, probably 1/4 inch thick. It was so heavy I had to bolt it to the frame, but it sounded really good.