Are there noticeable gains in horsepower and performance if I were to get a nice exhaust setup like an ARK grip exhaust system?

 

ARK exhaust? Spending your $$ on a exhaust system isn't the answer you're looking for! If you live in a state (not Ca.) that allows high flow cats that's a good place to start since most of the restriction is in those OE cats. Intakes offer no increase in hp whoever a drop in filter like K&N will allow more cleaner air into your intake. Getting an OSIRIS tune should net you 25 WHP + torque gains which is enough to put a smile on your face for a very long time...they aren't cheap! ($500/$600)
Gary

 

First I wouldn't call the ARK GRiP exhaust "cheap", the one of my Q50S was $1700 shipped. It is a full cat back with "X" pipe mid resonators and mufflers. It's all Stainless steel and the it increased the pipe diameter from 15/8" to a full 2 1/2" on each side going into 3" on the mufflers with a set of nice "burnt blue" 4" tips. It sounds great. Does it add HP? Maybe a little. Was it worth the money? Hells yeah!

The only mod on my G35 rev-up that made a "NOTICEABLE" difference in horsepower was the MREV2 plenum mod with a 5/16" spacer. I know this thing gained at least 15-20 hp in the upper range.

 

You only gained about 2 up with the MREV2 and spacer on your revup, but you did gain about 15 lbs of torque at about 2000rpm, which is technically the lower range.

 

That's not where you feel it.

 

<br/>Idk why people say simple bolt ons and a tune on a vq won't make a difference?! Spacer, mrev2, test pipes and exhaust with tune all at once. I see an increase of over 50 tq at 4.7 but go on tell me more about an mrev giving only 2 lbs of tq lol

 

Bingo bango!
Love my ARK system, sounds amazing and well worth the price.

 

Thanks, proves exactly what I was saying.

 

It would be interesting to get a tune before adding all our boltons and then get a tune with each addition. That way everyone could see where the most gains are without listening to manufactures b.s.! Motordyne gave us a good idea of what his gains were by adding spacers then the MREV manifold, I don't doubt his word! Having seen up close what OE cats look like I don't doubt replacing them with ART pipes or HFCs doesn't offer major gains in WHP and torque there too! I've been thru 5 different exhaust systems (two sponsored) starting with OE and my final choice HKS, due to quality (except the crossover issue) and sound! You can't believe what manufactures tell you so you end up stacking WHP gains they claim! A tune is the only true way to see gains, it only costs 1/3rd of what a ARK exhaust costs.
Gary

 

But then you don't get "The Sound"...

 

does any HFC cause raspiness?

 

Cheap ones

 

It's not the HFCs that cause rasp! There's major restriction in those OE cats and the factory exhaust is designed to handle it. Once that restriction is released the OE exhaust can't handle the increased volume, resulting in rasp! HFCs or ART pipes using the factory exhaust won't sound good unless you're deaf!
Gary

 

Art pipes are like a god send from heaven! Cheap thin metal test pipes are what make your car sound like shyt

 

Well, I AM Deaf. Hence, the question But thank you for clarifying. Hard to find the right info with the amount of threads/conflicting opinions on this forum.