Oem does have great quality but it is still not the best my friend, their are alot of good aftermarket companies who spend $$$ on R&D thats why some of their parts cost more. for instance you can get a megan racing y-pipe for about 175-200 bucks while on the other hand you can get a tanabe, JiC, MD, or even fujitsubu from 350-500 dollars. The HR y pipe is better but it is not the best for optimal performance, still restrictive.

 

Restrictive is an overused "problem." NA motors need a certain amount for exhaust scavenging. Flow dynamics are more significant.

I'd have to see side-by-side dyno sheets before I'd buy an aftermarket y-pipe, when Nissan/Infiniti have already made significant changes that improve performance.

 

suggestion. skip the hr y-pipe and get the MD spacer, either big one or little one, doesnt matter.

Wait on exhaust upgrades until you're ready to do a complete exhaust system, meaning hfcs or test pipes and a cat-back.

Could look into suspension upgrades too. sways, coilovers, camber adjustment, strut bars, etc.

 

Sways are definitely on the horizon... but the y-pipe is a consideration because I think I can get one for under $100 and it takes all of 30 minutes to do. The spacer will definitely be installed as well... just a matter of timing. Just had to pay a speeding ticket, so the wife has me on a short financial leash.

 

Hey I know how it is. You want to mod the crap out the car. But at the end of the day its more important to keep the wife happy.

 

MD 5/16 spacer is a definate yes. The HR Y-Pipe seems like a waste of money to me.

 

Resonated test pipes is a great mod for the money. I doubt emmisions is anywhere near as tough as it is in California

Just keep your old cats in case...

 

I don't plan to swap pipes every year to pass emissions. They do a visual inspection to verify the presence of cats, and the OBDII reading isn't going to look good with no cats.

 

4 kids and a $2100/month house payment limit what I can spend on the car

 

get the spacer first and at the same time post wtb theads here and at z forum.

 

They test you every year in Georgia?

 

im looking to get a spacer next myself and am going to get the copper one since i am in a coolder climate.....but what is better the md iso or just the regular spacer

 

Yup. When they first raised the fee to $25, they went to bi-yearly... a few years later we were back to yearly.

 

You can go with either the Basic or Copper for cold climates.

The difference is that the Basic spacer lets your upper and lower plenum assembly run hot just like stock.

The Copper lets the upper and lower plenum run a lot cooler and all the air flowing through it.

Tony

 

How is the copper one constructed (sorry, I haven't seen one)? Copper is one of the best heat conductors, so I'm curious what's special about it to keep the heat from getting to the upper plenum.