MAC vs Flowmaster AM thunder cat-back

BZ's_03_SVT · Mar 22, 2004

Well, i have narrowed it down to these two...mainly by price (trying to keep it under 400.00 with shipping) i have read a few reviews on both and there is a big swing in who likes what.

Its going on a 03 cobra, no major other mods. I am going for sound then performance gains.

Any help with these two choices?

Tony W · Mar 22, 2004

I would most deffinitely go with Flowmasters. They have a much more agressive and loud tone. People will be snapping their necks to see whose car that's coming off of.

BZ's_03_SVT · Mar 22, 2004

I was thinking that i was lookin on ebay and MAC is the only ones that are sale on there...thats why I was considering them

97SVTsnail · Mar 22, 2004

You will be unhappy with Mac's fitment. I have used there catback and no matter how I tried to adjust, something rubbed somewhere, either the mufflers or the tailpipes which caused a vibration I couldn't live with that so I ditched that crap went with flowmaster. The flowmaster system sounded better as well. Just my 2 cents.

RedSquad7 · Mar 22, 2004

BZ's_03_SVT said:
I was thinking that i was lookin on ebay and MAC is the only ones that are sale on there...thats why I was considering them

I bought a mac prochamber midpipe...like the sound, but the quality leaves a little to be desired. While its off my car i'm going to recoat it and see if I can find a better gasket than the one it came with. You may be dissapointed with the fit and finish of a mac product. Its a little more than you want to spend, but think about a magnaflow....high quality, good reviews, pretty good sound. http://www.rpmoutlet.com/mus03flow.htm These guys have them at decent prices as well as the mac. magnaflow is a little more than you were wanting to spend...may be better than having to replace something you're not happy with later though! I've ordered from these guys without any problems yet.

dark_cobra_01 · Mar 23, 2004

http://www.completeexhaust.com/

BZ...

I picked up a Magnaflow Cat-Back last week from the link above.. The price is mad crazy low at $320.00 (part 15644) "99-04 Cobra IRS" .. I looked in my 5.0 mag and only found the lowest price @ ~450.00 for the same product.. He was selling originally at 299.00 but losing money he said..

YOU CAN"T BEAT IT "I looked for over a week" .. for what you are gonna get at that price there's no comparing it to MAC or Flowmaster.. Go read the Magnaflow reviews on Stangnet 's Review Section

I put it on my '01 Saturday and all I can say is everytime I drive.. Not so obnoxious sounding either, but it's noticable on WOT..The HP increase is silly fun as well.. People say if you mate it to an O/R Pipe it's gonna roar..

Call John (not Jack) see If he has any left .. He was running out of stock because of the orders coming from the WEB (SN and SVT Perf.)..

BZ's_03_SVT · Mar 23, 2004

Well i had orders some flowmasters from partshopper but got a call today saying they are back ordered for a few weeks SO...dont know what i am gonna do now...so the magnaflows are pretty nice?

BZ's_03_SVT · Mar 23, 2004

dark_cobra_01 said:
http://www.completeexhaust.com/

BZ...

I picked up a Magnaflow Cat-Back last week from the link above.. The price is mad crazy low at $320.00 (part 15644) "99-04 Cobra IRS" .. I looked in my 5.0 mag and only found the lowest price @ ~450.00 for the same product.. He was selling originally at 299.00 but losing money he said..

YOU CAN"T BEAT IT "I looked for over a week" .. for what you are gonna get at that price there's no comparing it to MAC or Flowmaster.. Go read the Magnaflow reviews on Stangnet 's Review Section

I put it on my '01 Saturday and all I can say is everytime I drive.. Not so obnoxious sounding either, but it's noticable on WOT..The HP increase is silly fun as well.. People say if you mate it to an O/R Pipe it's gonna roar..

Call John (not Jack) see If he has any left .. He was running out of stock because of the orders coming from the WEB (SN and SVT Perf.)..

Thanks for the info....i just got off the phone with the guy....phone ordering was easy and he said he just got a truck load of 20 in today and he is same day shipping.....got it for the 320.00 plus about 40 for shipping. So..........i got a better system i think for cheaper than the 380 i was gonna pay for the flowmasters. lucky day that they ran out of flowmasters when they did!

You just put them on last week...how was the install? jack stands on the rear and some air tools work ok?

thanks for the info too, hooked me up!

99SVTAddict · Mar 23, 2004

Install should go very easy. Yup, jack the car up and air tools help a little.

I have 1 friend that has a 98 Cobra, blower, stock manifolds, custom o/r H pipe, and magnaflows....things sounds mean.

Another friend has an 01 Cobra, BBK LT's, o/r X, and the magnaflows....sounds rather quiet at idle and cruising, but go WOT and the thing just SCREAMS.

If you don't like the sound with the stock catted H, replace your mid pipe.

dark_cobra_01 · Mar 23, 2004

Your Welcome.. BZ

I was excited Saturday morning to get under the car and put em on immediately.. But the weather was too crappy and too cold, I also remembered a few comments about the pain in the a$$ it could be in the driveway with frozen bolts and no AIR tools...

So I decided to just let a Pro do the work and called one of the best speed shops in my area.. I negotiated the price with him compared to local muffler shop quotes and he said he could put it on in the afternoon.. I was cruising with the Cat-Back by 3pm

Note: BTW, I got the install for $60 making the total 430.00. My total price with a pro install still saved me 100.00 (compared to a normal purchase price of 450 and adding a normal install price of 90.00)....And if you look it up on Magnaflow's website the system was MSRP @ 615.00

BZ's_03_SVT · Mar 23, 2004

dark_cobra_01 said:
Your Welcome.. BZ

I was excited Saturday morning to get under the car and put em on immediately.. But the weather was too crappy and too cold, I also remembered a few comments about the pain in the a$$ it could be in the driveway with frozen bolts and no AIR tools...

So I decided to just let a Pro do the work and called one of the best speed shops in my area.. I negotiated the price with him compared to local muffler shop quotes and he said he could put it on in the afternoon.. I was cruising with the Cat-Back by 3pm

Note: BTW, I got the install for $60 making the total 430.00. My total price with a pro install still saved me 100.00 (compared to a normal purchase price of 450 and adding a normal install price of 90.00)....And if you look it up on Magnaflow's website the system was MSRP @ 615.00

sweet....wife and kids are going out of town for a week next sat and the weather is nice so i'm gonna lift her up and do it with out any interruptions, barring Murphys law!

PoorYuppie · Mar 24, 2004

"Well i had orders some flowmasters from partshopper but got a call today saying they are back ordered for a few weeks SO...dont know what i am gonna do now...so the magnaflows are pretty nice?"

I just put a magnaflow cat-back on my 99 cobra and I couldn't be happier! Quiet at idle, no drone, but step on it and it sounds awsome. It is SO much louder behind the car too. It's stainless mufflers AND stainless pipes, fit and finish was perfect(less than two hours install for me alone with the rear of the car on ramps, no power tools). I know that no one is allowed by magnaflow to advertise a price below like $475, but I also know that at that price I called up stangnet sales and they just happen to have an unadvertised rebate of $70, and it includes shipping so it was a great deal IMO. I called a Magnaflow rep and he told me to call the StangNet sales guy. I believe the dyno shows a few ponies more with magnaflow than flowmasters. Plus the flows aren't SS are they? I know the flows are a chambered design, but I could actually see through the Magnaflows, so I liked that better too.

dark_cobra_01 · Mar 24, 2004

The Magnaflows are sweet...

It makes me wanna drive it daily now.. even though I commute across 2 states..

I'm leaving now to rev it in my driveway tonight once I get home..

BZ's_03_SVT · Mar 24, 2004

I have been reading the reviews and the systems sounds great...alot of guys were complaining about haveing to drop the axle to get the pipes over it...I guess us IRS guys/gals dont have to worry about that? I havent even looked under my car to see the current set up...but soon i will...if the damn fedex guy would get here....!!!

markt1968 · Mar 25, 2004

BZ's_03_SVT said:
Thanks for the info....i just got off the phone with the guy....phone ordering was easy and he said he just got a truck load of 20 in today and he is same day shipping.....got it for the 320.00 plus about 40 for shipping. So..........i got a better system i think for cheaper than the 380 i was gonna pay for the flowmasters. lucky day that they ran out of flowmasters when they did!

You just put them on last week...how was the install? jack stands on the rear and some air tools work ok?

thanks for the info too, hooked me up!

$320.00?? The website lists it for $476.00, is that what it was listing for when you called and placed your order or did they raise the price? You only ordered it yesterday, correct?

dark_cobra_01 · Mar 25, 2004

Call them again. Ask for John. tell him you're from SN and you saw the 320.00 price deal.. maybe tell em Joe sent ya too ..

BZ's_03_SVT · Mar 25, 2004

markt1968 said:
$320.00?? The website lists it for $476.00, is that what it was listing for when you called and placed your order or did they raise the price? You only ordered it yesterday, correct?

they are on sale now...apparently magnaflow has a deal where dealers can not advertise sales?! got mine today from UPS gonna go put them on here in a few minutes....like I said he had just gottena truck of 20 on monday and is lettin them go for 320.00 plus shipping which for me was 39.90

missouri_guy197 · Mar 25, 2004

I have the American Thunder catback on my car...before I had longtubes and an o/r X-pipe I had a catted H-pipe...the car coudn't have sounded much better IMO...now with the x-pipe, it's not as good...very raspy now and sounds like a can full of rocks...

BZ's_03_SVT · Mar 25, 2004

Just installed them...took a few minutes for them to heat up and they do sound good...but i have a fitament problem on the passenger side....as it turns to goto the tailpipe tips no matter how i tweek it it gets to close to the gas tank, the best i coulg get was about 1/4 inch...took it for a drive and when i got back it had setteled back against a plastic cover and burnt it, not bad and there is a metal tank behind the plastic but not to happy now...the gas tank is shaped different on the drivers side and i have about 1 to 1 1/2 clearence there....kinda miffed because it seems like the hanger wont allow it to be pushed farther away...any help out there guys?
i guess i can take it to a shop and have them cut the weld on the hanger and slide the pipe over and re-weld it but come on, should i have to do that on a pre enginerred system?

dark_cobra_01 · Mar 25, 2004

That's another reason that was keeping me from doing it myself.. I didn't want to see something melt (some people have posted that same issue with the gas tank).. I show the car alot during the summer season and need to keep it perfect under there..

Hell.. I'm so obsessed with the show thing that I was out there last year with steel wool cleaning up the factory pipes after a winter driving season.. " I did get em to shine too.."

Note:

I saw the guys at the shop really lay into the pipes a few times once they were up .. Appeared to me that they succesufully "bent" or tweaked the fitment with some "brute" force.. i don't know if you can do that on the ground though..

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