im having a couple issues with my cat and instead of replacing it im just going to save money while making my car louder and go with test pipes. though I already have a muffler delete and I want to eliminate the rasp, so I want to go with resonated test pipes, and my budget is $150-300. And yes I've looked at resonated x pipes, but i would rather not. My main issue is that all the good ones from gent5, berk, and other affordable RTPs are all out of stock and on back order. Am i stuck either waiting forever or going with non-resonated, or am i not digging deep enough

 

Check CL/offerup/FBmarketplace or maybe ebay - might get lucky on a used set.

 

Just go down to a local muffler shop and have them make you a set. They cannot legally INSTALL THEM, but they can make them and put them in your trunk for you

Then you just install them at home.

Just do them a favor and loosen up all the bolts on the exhaust, put a little high temp anti-seize on all the bolts, then put it back together. That way they aren't wasting labor hours fighting stuck bolts.

Also have them put a resonator in your midpipe to help with the rasp, resonated test pipes and another good resonator in the mid pipe should make the rasp tolerable.

Most of your resonated test pipes nowadays have a long lead time because they aren't manufactured until you order them except for the Motordyne ART pipes and a couple others.

If you can spring for the ART pipes they will be the least obnoxious.

 

I aggree with MooseLucifer that trying Facebook marketplace and Offerup is a good place to check first. And as Cleric670 said, Motordyne ART pipes help the most with rasp control. I've has Z1 non-resonated test pipes, Circuit Werks resonated test pipes, and now ART pipes, and the ART give a much deeper tone. Don't get any test pipes with the flex sections in them, they eventually leak because of the weight on the section since there's no support bracket/brace.