I don't post on here very often, but I read quite a bit. I've heard so many false things about Nismo vs Fujitsubo exhausts that I thought I'd post to clear things up a bit. Unlike most other people, I have actually had both exhaust systems installed on my G35 coupe for many months and can give a 1st person account of how they differ.

1. Are they basically the same exhaust? The Nismo is for the 350Z and the Fujitsubo is for the G35?

NO. I don't know a lot about the actual Japanese companies that make these exhausts, but I've had both of the exhaust systems in my hand at the same time. I've had both of them on my car back to back - first the Nismo for 6 months, then the Fuji for 6 months. They don't feel the same (the metal itself), they don't look the same, and the DEFINITELY don't sound the same. So next time somebody tells you "It's pointless getting the Nismo and having to add the little extension pipe to get it to fit the Coupe - just get the Fuji. It's the same thing made specifically for the G35," they are wrong. Don't listen to them.

2. Nismo is loud and the Fuji is louder?

NO. Trust me. The Nismo is far, far, far louder than the Fuji exhaust.

3. But they sound basically the same, right?

NO. Let me do my best to describe for you the sound of these exhausts.

Nismo - Higher pitched. Tries as hard as it can to keep the stock sound, but adds a certain depth to it at all RPMs. Like a deeper, fiercer stock sound while still maintaining the harsh, raw stock gurgle. Louder than stock at all RPMs except idle (most exhausts quiet down the nice idling gurgle of the G35). Perhaps the best description I can give is that it sounds like a TRUMPET. Paired with high flow cats, it is known to drone a lot. In my case, with Crawford cats, it droned a LOT. I loved everything about this exhaust except I could not live with the drone. Don't let that deter you from trying it WITHOUT high flow cats though.

Fuji - Much, much lower pitched. Takes away nearly all of the LOW-END gurgle sound of the exhaust. When you start the car, the idle is silent. When you're shifting at low RPMs, the gurgle is gone. Completely gone. At higher RPMs, it is DEEP. It's not fierce sounding. It's deep and smooth sounding. Still droned a lot, but somehow wasn't too loud with the windows open. Very perplexing, actually, how deep and drony it was in the cabin but how subdued and smooth it sounded from the outside. NOT EVEN CLOSE TO AS LOUD AS THE NISMO. I don't know why so many people state the Fuji as being louder than Nismo. Maybe we had completely different setups? All I know is that this wasn't even close. I had to sell the Nismo because it was too loud/drony. And I sold the Fuji because it was too QUIET and changed the stock sound to something way deeper and different sounding.

4. Which one keeps the stock sound but makes it louder?

DEFINITELY not the Fuji. Let's get that out there one more time. Deeper, smoother sounding, no little gurgles. The only time I liked the Fuji was at FULL throttle at HIGH RPMs.

The NISMO comes very, very close to what I wanted. It was just too damn loud in the cabin with my HFCs. But for a loud, aggressive sounding exhaust... man... pair up your Nismo exhaust with some Crawford HFCs and let it rip. As long as you don't mind drone.

5. But if I get the Nismo, won't I have to get some extension pipe and then lengthen the tip length to prevent my bumper from immediately turning into melted, black charcoal?

Yes, you have to get the 6" (or 5" or whatever it is) extension. This bolts on very easily to the midpipe of the exhaust. No you don't have to custom extend your tips. I did not extend my tips. It looked fine. It looked like stock, except the tips are slightly angled upward. My bumper did not melt. My bumper did not turn black. Nobody commented that my car looked like crap. Nobody died because my tips were about 0.5 inches more tucked under the bumper than stock.

6. With such strong opinions, what did you end up doing with your exhaust?

Since you asked... I couldn't pass up a GREAT deal on a slightly scratched Amuse exhaust. Once I bolted that thing on, I've never looked back. Amuse Exhaust + Crawford Cats = exactly what I wanted. Stock-like high pitched growl amplified times 3 with nearly no drone at all. When I open my windows, the thing SCREAMS. When my windows are closed, there is absolutely no drone whatsoever unless I"m FULL THROTTLE in 6th gear at about 60 MPH. Not "highway cruising." Full throttle. Big difference. Don't call me a baller, either. I paid less than $1000 including shipping, which is less than what you would pay for a new HKS, FI, Nismo, Fuji, etc etc etc exhaust. No I didn't pay $3750 for a special order brand new Amuse exhaust shipped to my door from Japan.

7. Finally, since I've owned both Crawford HFCs and Fast Intentions Stainless Steel HFCs, I'll put my two cents in about those as well.

Crawford HFC - Higher pitched, sound waaaayyyyy more like stock, gives no drone in the cabin. Think of this as making the stock sound a little harder, a little louder, slightly more metallic sounding. And as I mentioned before... makes the Nismo and the Amuse scream. I couldn't get the Fuji to scream.

Fast Intentions HFC - once my Crawfords died after 4 years of use, I picked up some Fast Intentions. Much better looking HFCs, looks (and sounds) like it is much freer flowing, probably slightly more power gains. Fast Intentions is a great company. They claim to produce the most power gains of any of the mainstream HFCs, and I definitely don't doubt it. But I definitely didn't like the sound. Paired with my Amuse exhaust, it sounded far inferior to the Crawfords. LOTS of drone (who would have thought ONLY changing the HFCs from one aftermarket company to another could make such a huge difference in drone), much deeper sound, much more trumpet-like. Actually, it sounds quiet ricey. I'm not calling Fast Intentions HFCs "ricey." I'm saying that the FI HFCs paired with my Amuse exhaust produces resonances that sound like a loud, bassy trumpet with a lot of drone rather than a high pitched, harsh scream that I have grown accustomed to.

So I'm selling my FI HFCs (for minimal loss, hopefully, since I only used them for a few months) and putting on some new Crawford HFCs.


Anyway - the point of this was to clear up the Nismo vs Fuji issue. If you have owned both the Nismo and Fuji exhausts for an extended period of time and feel that the Fuji is "way louder than the Nismo," feel free to post on here and we can discuss reasons why your experience may have been different than mine. One thing I am slightly weary about is that everybody seems to love the Fuji exhaust, and my high hopes were shattered when I realized how disappointed I was with it. Maybe I had some kind of a lemon exhaust? Or maybe the dozens and dozens of people who comment about how great the Fuji is haven't actually owned it? Who knows.

Enjoy your day.

 

vids of your Amuse!!!

 

Already on Youtube. Already did a review on the Amuse on here as well. I think.

 

Haha, this post would be been very useful had it stayed objective.

 

Yeahhhh I tried as hard as I could to be objective.

However, there are SO many people doing the endless "Stock-sound-but-louder" exhaust search, just like I did. So perhaps in learning from why I purchased an exhaust, what I liked/disliked about it, and why I ultimately sold it can help some of the people out there who are in the same boat I was in.

Additionally, there are some posts about people looking for a quiet exhaust setup and being told to get Headers, Fast Intentions HFCs, and the Nismo exhaust. They're really going to be shocked when they can't hear their passengers talk while driving on the highway. So maybe in this instance my slightly strong opinions can help some folks.

 

For the record, here is the 350z Nismo exhaust with the Topspeed extension without extended tips.







Here it is with extended tips (much better, IMO).





BTW, Brian, formerly of MyNismo.com, confirmed that the 350z Nismo is made by Fujitsubo. There are, however, a couple Nismo exhausts. S-tune, Weldina, blah blah blah. I think the Weldina is discontinued, though. Not sure which one Fuji makes for Nismo.

 

Nice post. Definitely looks better with the tips extended. No argument from me on that one.

However, it's definitely not necessary as far as the integrity of your bumper is concerned.

 

I'll mostly agree with that. I have see ONE Ivory Pearl coupe with a Z Nismo exhaust without extended tips and his bumper turned brown. That could be an isolated incident, though. Maybe he was running too rich?

 

Nice thread OP

FWIW, I have a fuji exhaust with Berk HFCs and love the sound. The system is very quiet with the stock cats (except at WOT), but with the HFCs its much louder. You're not gonna get the same type of sounds as the Greddy, FI, or HKS systems, but honestly, the fuji exhaust appeals to a different crowd anyway.

 

Whatchu' mean by different?

 

bwahahaha. crazy ppl such as those who change their screenname every five minutes or who supercharge an automatic

 

Nice information! Love the sound of that amuse BTW! wish i could have found a deal like you did but instead went with the very similar exoticspeed R1-T