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My review of the GReddy Ti-C axleback exhaust
Hi all,
Earlier today, I installed a new GReddy Ti-C axleback exhaust on my 08 Fit. I also have the following parts in my I/H/E setup:
1. T1R carbon fiber intake
2. T1R response headers
3. T1R B-pipe
Prior to the GReddy muffler, I had a T1R 50s v2, but I was looking for something a little more aggressive since my car is currently going through a bit of a visual transformation. With that, I decided that the Ti-C was the choice for me after doing extensive research here and on other Honda forums. At least from what I was reading, the look and sound were what I was looking for.
That being said, it always worries me a bit when an exhaust system comes with a silencer (like my old Espelir JGT500 for my STI... absolutely deafening without the silencer). Although I had been told that it was a pretty mild exhaust, the fact that it came with a silencer led me to believe that without it, it had the potential to be very loud. I decided to roll the dice and give it a shot. More on how it sounds later.
First of all, a few words on build quality. This is top-notch stuff. Absolutely flawless in terms of construction, materials, welds, bends, and finish. The burnt titanium tip is gorgeous, yet remains relatively understated tucked underneath the car. No complaints. The exhaust comes incredibly well-packaged in a large box with thick protective material wrapped around the muffler and tip sections. I've owned a few GReddy/Trust exhausts in the past (SP2, EVO2), and their packaging has always been excellent.
Installation notes:
The exhaust weight is average, and you can easily install this by yourself in about 15-30 minutes. You won't be saying "Wow!" about the weight like you would with a full titanium/lightweight system. It feels lighter than stock, but not by much. Definitely a sturdy piece.
As mentioned above, I have this mated up to a T1R B-pipe, and when installed, the tip sits about 1/2" from the rear bumper. It's pretty close, which is rather similar to how an EVO2 muffler sits up next to a WRX/STI bumper (that one sits even closer). I have read elsewhere that with the stock B-pipe, it has better clearance (not sure about other brands). It is a bit worrisome, but more on that in my driving impressions section below. Otherwise, fitment is perfect, and I had it bolted up quickly and easily.
If you're having trouble with the hangers, use some silicone spray, and they'll come off easily. Everything else is very straightforward. Leave the protective covering around the tip until you're finished.
I noted earlier that this axleback comes with a silencer already installed. It's held in by three small hex screws, and the silencer is threaded with nuts welded onto it. This is a little more involved than your normal silencer, but this also serves as an extra line of security for the burnt titanium tip, since a thief would have to remove all three bolts to get the tip removed. The silencer comes out easily after the muffler is warmed up. A silencer removal tool is helpful, but I got it out by pulling on the welded nuts one at a time, and after a few small moves, it came out with no issue.
Note! Keep in mind that if you take the silencer out, the three hex screws will now need 5mm nuts (use locking washers as well) to keep the tip on the muffler, so buy some extras and keep them in your car so you have them when you need them. This is the only part about the muffler design that I think could have been a little better, but since you probably won't be going back and forth with and without the silencer, it's not that big of an issue.
Afterwards, I reset my ECU and went for a spin, which included some surface street and highway driving.
Driving/overall impressions:
After having the 50s v2 on my car for about 6 months, I wasn't expecting the exhaust to be too much louder than that, but without the silencer and with my I/H/E setup, I find it to be pretty loud. This is still only the first day, but because of the Fit's gearing and lack of a 6th gear for highway overdrive, the muffler starts to drone when you hit about 68-70mph+. Under moderate load, I was setting off car alarms in my parking garage. Under full load/WOT, it screams, but it all sounds very good and not like the "swarm of bees in a coffee can" sound so common to Hondas with eBay N1-style mufflers. At idle, normal around-town acceleration and cruising, it sounds very nice and isn't overwhelming. My guess is that the B-pipe is making it louder than it should be, since even my 50s v2 gained significantly in volume vs. the stock B-pipe.
I tried it out with the silencer in as well, and it was quieter than the 50s v2, but a little louder than stock. My thought is that with the silencer in there, it was too quiet.
To my knowledge, the tip didn't hit the bottom of my bumper (no marks or scoring), even after driving over some really bumpy roads. I have also read elsewhere here that folks have had similar experiences of this not causing any issues, even on long drives through scorching temperatures.
Today is still my first day, so it'll take a few days for the exhaust to get broken in, and for me to adjust to the sounds and changes from this modification. I'll be back to post next week with my short-term impressions and whether the system has changed at all in volume or tone. Performance changes at this point, if any, are negligible.
Conclusion:
So, what do I think of it overall? Looks-wise, it's a top-quality exhaust. When I first saw the tip, I thought it looked huge, but as you all know, the Fit has a giant hindquarters anyway, so it actually looks much smaller than it really is, and in a way, looks rather dwarfed next to the bumper. This will likely attract more attention (good and bad) than the 50s v2, but I think the way it tucks underneath the bumper keeps it pretty obscured for the most part.
At this point, I can probably see myself driving around with the silencer out most of the time. I would put it in if I had family in town, but for the most part, I prefer the sound for daily driving without the silencer. Although GReddy is commonly known for quieter exhausts, this is not one of them. It sounds fantastic, but is on the louder side of the sonic spectrum. Take this into consideration before buying.
Special thanks to Matt over at ICB Motorsports in Chandler, AZ. He, along with the folks at AJR up in Canada, have been excellent resources for Fit parts, and both companies provide excellent customer support.
Thanks for taking the time to read this. Hope it was helpful, and I'll be happy to answer any questions that come up.
-Mike
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08 GD3 5MT | VBP Sport
Mugen | Spoon | WedsSport | J's Racing | Swift | Trust | Type One Racing | PIAA | Philips | Michelin
Last edited by ghibli99; 01-06-2009 at 06:53 PM.
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Anyway, turns out that whether you have the rear seats up or down makes a *huge* difference with how loud the exhaust sounds. When I have my seats folded down, the drone is pretty loud. With the seats up (with the seat cushions either up or down), it's surprising how much sound they absorb, which is understandable since they're mostly foam and cloth. Funny that I didn't notice this w/ the T1R 50s v2, but that's a pretty mild exhaust to begin with.
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