Test pipes--don't know if I like 'em
 

I installed my Invidia non-resonated test pipes yesterday. Easiest install on the planet--and I am being serious. 10 bolts and it is done.

I went ahead and wrapped them with header wrap as I have read that will help with the ticking sound. The ticking sound to me is common, as the GTP I used to have had this same sound. Anyway, here are my pros and cons:

Pros

Deeper sound at idle and general cruising

Easy install

Loss of about 20 something pounds (test pipes are light compared to the heavy cats and bracket)

Tons of power in the higher RPM's...4th and 5th noticibly pull much, much harder. When shifting to 4th while WOT, the power comes in strong and pulls to 100 much harder--where I used to feel 4th fell on its face a little.

Cons

Rasp, and lots of it. Under normal throttle, it sounds much meaner. When you get in the pedal it really sounds...well...like a fart can on a Civic. This is just from the inside that I sence the sound. I am going to have the wife do a flyby or 3 for me to see if it sounds like that on the outside. I went through my favorite tunnel to hear the exhaust and I wasn't as thrilled, but only me listening from the outside will give me the idea of what it really sounds like.

Ticking while idling. Since I wrapped them, I don't know if this sound is an improvement over non-wrapped or not. It is not too bad, and I'm used to it from my previous car, but not highly desirable.

Gas smell at idle. I only noticed it once while driving (even though I only have about 10 miles on it so far). Right now I'm still having the smokey/smelly side effects to the header wrap, so I can't tell how often I am really getting the gas smell. I only noticed it once though over the other nasty smell. The header wrap smell is usually gone after a couple days so I'll be able to better evaluate it afterwards.

All in all, I'm impressed with the power and non-WOT sound...but the WOT sound leaves something to be desired. I don't want to make my car tacky in any way and I feel that the raspiness (at least so far) makes me unhappy about it. Others may love them, so I am going to give them a couple weeks and then decide wether to keep them or sell them.

Just curious about your statement that it was an easy install. On each side there's a single bolt connecting to the exhaust manifold facing the engine bay. When I did my cats, I had to go through the engine bay with multiple extensions to reach these bolts. How did you access them?

I used a 3 foot extension on my breaker bar and got all of them facing the engine bay but 1 on the driver side. It is behind the damn o2 sensor on the manifold, so I had to get at it from under the car. It was the most difficult one since I could only get 1 clicks worth of turn on my ratchet, it took about 25 minutes of cussing and slow agony.

That 3 foot extension does wonders. I was able to get those bolts in the engine bay without even breaking a sweat.

Which exhaust do you have? Stock?

great write up.......sounds like they worked pretty well

do you get a CEL with these test pipes??

My exhaust is 100% stock otherwise

No CEL. The '03 is not supposed to be subject to them. After about 40-50 miles this is still true.