Mac Exhaust -Opinions

Been happy with mine for over 3 years and I always get compliments. Keep the tail pipes shinny and clean and they will not rust. But the welds on the prochamber look a little rough.

I run MAC long tube headers and shorty H pipe. I put high temp paint on the headers so no rust for me. install was easy, quality is par with the price you spend.

Aerosi665 said:

You really think this sounds like it's underwater?

(Magnapacks + MAC offroad H)

http://www.putfile.com/media.php?n=Magnapacks-and-Offroad-H

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LOL!! Sets off a car alarm!! Too loud for me, but I like anyway.

MAC is garbage..if you want a product that will need to be replaced with in a year after you buy it then get MAC. Thier producs sound like ass and look like ass after you put some miles on them

if you awant a quality stainless steel product that looks good and sounds even better go with Magnaflow.

I have the Mac C/B and the Prochamber both are coated in the durablack coating and I have no problems with it. The sound is awesome it even sounds like it has a cam. I have had to fitment issues and the sound is just unreal. This is my second Mac C/B I have had. GET IT.

Here's the low down on my experience with MAC Headers, H-pipes and cat-backs.

My '90 GT has MAC 1 5/8" equal length headers, MAC 2 1/2" catalytic H-pipe, and MAC 2 1/2" cat-back. The headers were a beach to install (passenger side only). From what I hear, they all are. Before the cat H-pipe I had a 2 1/2" pro-chamber. Major pain in the as to install. Had to cut the hanger rod becasue it was wayyyy to long. Once I figured that out it was a fight to hook up the thermactor tube and tighten the collector bolts. When I switched to the cat-h-pipe, install went much smoother. The cat-back install was easiest of all the exhaust.

I had to pull and replace my engine and the reinstalation of the MAC headers was a friggin' nightmare. None of the individual exhust port flanges lined back up with the heads. Good thing I decided to put the headers on before I put the new engine in the car, because I think I would have had to pull the engine to put them back on. Had to use a BIG pry bar to have my brother line the ports up so I could put in the bolts.

Besides all that I have been pleased with the sound of system over all. This car only sees the road in the summer. It has the old style grey colored coating. Which ha held up very well for the last 5 years. Headers are now just starting to get the speckled rust spot look. The cat h-pipe is only 2 years old, so it's still pretty nice. The cat back is just like the headers, starting to get the speckled rust spot look. And the muffler weld beads are all rust colored.

What I'm not pleased with is all the rust starting to show up. Partiularly since the car NEVER see's salt. In the winter it's stored in a garage. Next time is the last time as it'll be getting stainless exhuast....if I decide to keep the car, as I may sell it.

I had a 2000 V6 Mustang for just about 3 years. I put a MAC 2 1/2" dual exhaust kit on it within 6 months of getting it in the summer of 2000. After 1 winter the chrome tail pipes where starting to rust. After the second winter they were junk. I sent pics to MAC and they sent me new chrome tail pipes for free. At that point I sold the car to the daughter of the bodyshop guy at my Dad's Dealership. She is still driving the car and the exhaust in basically junk. Last weekend the body shop guy was in the garage welding a new piece of pipe on the system to get her through till a new system arrives. The new chrome tails I got are just as bad as when I ditched the first pair right before I sold it and she kept the car clean almost fanaticaly. Way cleaner than I did and they still rusted bad.

Will I buy MAC again? Probably not. I am thinking of buying their stainless mufflers to put in my stainless MagnaFlow cat-back for my '98, but beyond that, no. I will only buy stainless steel exhaust from this point forward. It's too expensive to have it crap out in a few years and too much of a pain to install too, and have it crap out.

Next up will be FRPP stainless shortys with either MagnaFlow X w/ cats or maybe Pypes X with cat's (if they make it) or possible a bassani or BBK x w/ cats and a stainless cat-back. End of game.

I think that the mac is the best sounding exhaust on modular mustangs. sure there are rusting issues and whatever, but depends where you live and the conditions your car is subjected to.

Im not a big fan of mac. I like flows or bassani

i had a set of mac un-equal shortys that went on flawlessly and a mac off road h pipe that also went on flawlessly, mated perfectly to the headers and the existing flowmaster cat-back. also had a mac off road H and mac cat back on a different car and it held up very well. i have another friend who has had no problems with mac and swears by them...

and before you bash them TOO much, look at the price...you save some decent dollars choosing mac over the competition...if you want something that is going to be perfect forever, spend a little more. you get what you pay for...although what about flowmaster? they do the SAME rusting thing as MAC, only worse. check out this pic of my old F150 with a 7 month old flowmaster system, after one winter.
(the rusty spring perch is to be expected on a 13 year old truck with a previous owner whos idea of car care was to wash it and change the oil...it looked and ran great...but got all rusty)

i've got stock headers, bassani 2 cat x pipe, and the rolled tip mac catback and i love the sound. great catback so far.. i've had it on the car a little over a month now and had 0 problems with it.

AirWolf87 said:

I think that the mac is the best sounding exhaust on modular mustangs. sure there are rusting issues and whatever, but depends where you live and the conditions your car is subjected to.

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I agree over here in Arizona I really dont worry to much about my pipes rusting. I also agree that MAC is the best sounding exhaust on a modular mustangs. I give the above post

not impressed with mac quality at all. not one bit

From what Ive heard on here, the MAC is by far the best sounding. Clear,clean, and no glass pack style popping. Do the Mac catbacks have any drone like the Flowmaster. I have flows now and they sound great, I dont mind the drone, but the wife does a little. I want to make it enjoyable for her too, because she will be trading in her car and this will be the only vert and I know she will want to drive it.

UhadMEatGT said:

From what Ive heard on here, the MAC is by far the best sounding. Clear,clean, and no glass pack style popping. Do the Mac catbacks have any drone like the Flowmaster. I have flows now and they sound great, I dont mind the drone, but the wife does a little. I want to make it enjoyable for her too, because she will be trading in her car and this will be the only vert and I know she will want to drive it.

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I know a kid who has a mac catback on stock hpipe and i love how his car sounds, almost makes it sound like an exotic sports car. my flowmaster 40s on the other hand give it that ground shaking rumble thats typical of flowmaster. depends on what you are looking for. I personaly am getting sick of my flowmasters, without the cats they drone pretty bad too. at 3000-4000 rpm you cant have a conversation in the car with the windows open. although i dissagree with you on the popping sound....i like it when i downshift and my flows gurggle and pop, i think it sounds mean.

Well the flows gurgle, which I also like, but some of the magnapacks, and other glass pack style mufflers seem to pop alot and are just loud. I guess I just like mufflers more than packs and whatnot. Do the MAC catbacks drone like the flows?? I will end up going with Magnaflows,dynomax or stock mufflers with an X if the MAC drones too. I really only want to avoid the drone, a little loud with the X isnt bad, just not obnoxious while cruising.

AirWolf87 said:

I know a kid who has a mac catback on stock hpipe and i love how his car sounds, almost makes it sound like an exotic sports car.

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You haven't heard an exotic car sound until you hear a Ferrrari V12 with the factory hi-po exhaust upgrade racing around the road course. It's like sex for the ears. It changes you.

Now mac to the question at hand. The MAC muffler burble and drone on my '90, so I'm sure they do the same on the 4.6 too.

Does anyone have the Delta Flow 50 Flowmasters? They claim less resonance (drone) and I've never heard if that's BS or true.

Bummer. I did listen to exhaust clips over and over for several days now and finally figured out what it is that I dont like. Its not necessarily some of the catbacks I didnt care for, it was those mixed with O/R pipes. I really like the sound of a pro chamber or catted X. It makes the exhaust sound so much cleaner and not as loud and pingy. Where is the best place to get a pro chamber and what do they cost??

UhadMEatGT said:

Bummer. I did listen to exhaust clips over and over for several days now and finally figured out what it is that I dont like. Its not necessarily some of the catbacks I didnt care for, it was those mixed with O/R pipes. I really like the sound of a pro chamber or catted X. It makes the exhaust sound so much cleaner and not as loud and pingy. Where is the best place to get a pro chamber and what do they cost??

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Stangnet Parts Shopper is pretty good. They have both MAC and MagnaFlow catalytic X-pipes with and without cats.

I got a compliment again on my Mac Prochamber/Catback yesterday at the Ford dealer.

I have had mac o/r h pipes on all 3 of my stangs. but on my 00 gt I had flowmasters and thought they were great until I bought my 99 cobra and it already had mac on it, man did it sound great. and I had no problems with it what so ever. I currently have a mac h pipe on my 03 cobra and I am wanting to finish it with the mac the rest of the way back. never had any problems, they sound great and dont cost an arm and a leg.