So in my 3 years of owning my beloved Stratus RT, I have seen everything anyone has to offer along the lines of exhaust systems and cold air intakes. During my time on this site, and others, I have seen, or fielded these two questions more than anything else:

1. What kind of CAI should i get

2. What kind of exhaust should i get that will be loud, and not sound "ricey".

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1. Companies like AEM charge something like 350+ dollars for a cold air intake for our car, at least they did when i looked into getting one. AEM boasts a few things:
-their piping is mandrel bent (so is everyone elses)
-it comes with a K&N filter (mine didnt, but i bought mine elsewhere)
-it comes in powder coated in customized colors (i think that mine looks fine in silver)
-theirs comes with a metal MAFS adapter (this is a big deal, but if you check with the no name CAIs, some, like mine, also come with a metal adapter)

That being said, i bought mine on ebay for about 100 bucks..i dont remember the exact price, but it was 100-120. It came with a cheap0 paper filter, which i removed and bought a K&N filter for like 50 bucks. my CAI didnt come with directions, but unless youre a complete moron, it isnt very hard. So, for 150-170 bucks, i got a CAI in silver that performs just as well as AEMs for 200 dollars less. so the big question, what is more important, having your CAI powder coated red, or having an extra 200 bucks to spend on your car? Those of you who do buy the no name CAI and need any help, I will be more than happy to help. here is a picture of mine:
http://www.dodgeforum.com/upfiles/2745/asppg_Ch952256412.jpg
If you REALLY want an AEM but want to save the money, just go out and buy a yellow AEM sticker, and youre golden. My CAI connection hoses say "greddy" on them because they came from a greddy TT supra..:)


2. If youre reading this for your own use, that means that you very likely either have a 3.0, 2.7, or 2.4. ANY aftermarket exhaust, no matter who makes it, will sound "ricey", when compared to a V8. My exhaust is completely custom made, and a few of the members on this site who have heard it will tell you that it is very loud, and has a very unique sound to it. My exhaust maintains a low tone throughout the power band, but does get a bit high at high RPMs. If you run 2.5 inch pipe all the way to the back of the car into a tip, with no muffler, it will sound a bit "tinty", like the hondas with no mufflers do, but when you have a small cube engine, there is no way to make it sound like a V8, and no matter what you do, V8 people will always say that it sounds "ricey". the one tip that i can give you...removing the resonators will give you a bit more sound, but i still have my large resonator near the CAT. As your exhaust works its way to the back of the car, increasing the size will change the pitch.
the bottom line, find an exhaust system that YOU like.

Here is a picture of mine, and that isnt a tip, that is what size the rear section of my exhaust it is...
http://www.dodgeforum.com/upfiles/2745/asppg_Mh190916907.jpg

i have a question! im new here and wanted to know if theres a cold iar intake that will fit my 04 stratus sxt 4cyl.its been a pain in the butt for me! i couldnt find one at all! thanx:)

umm...pvr02 has one on his 4 cylinder...try PMing him and ask him where he got it.

So your telling me the Borla Cat-back for the stratus' will still sound ricey? I don't think I have yet to hear any sound ricey that comes from Borla.

i installed a borla system on an NA 3000gt a while back, and for the price, i REALLY was not impressed...he wasnt either.

I was actually looking into a borla muffler for my R/T.... i've been told it would sound good... is there any chance i can hear your exhaust?? since we live 10 minutes apart.... i just got my crossover/manifold replaced from the dealer becuase of the big crack... now it doesnt sound ricey, but its too quite. I want a little bit more of a growl from the engine, basically how it sounds when it starts up... just a little louder, im not looking for performance because... well, i cant afford it. haha....

local://upfiles/28429/28A52E711E60428BAA67F19C040607D0.jpg

my car is covered, and tied down, and wont be uncovered until spring..however, i do have an exhaust video...

http://truckville.dodgeforum.com/StratusRT/video/DSCN0020.MOV

would i be able to check it out when you uncover it?? im not looking to do any work until spring anyhow... that and your video isnt working

sorry..right moue click and "Save as"...

once its out for the spring, youre welcome to check it out...im having another system made, as this one has been on there for 4 years now, and it getting rusty around the brackets...and before it gets too bad, i want to have a new one made, since it is fully custom.

lol, I like the video, don't know what he was recording at the end though, ahaha. I like the exhaust, just muffler or all pipes? I was interested in seeing about getting a different muffler, something to help performance/efficiency/mpg, hahah, and yet sound good, not like ricer, but if it does, they never sound as horrible, as horrible as Fast and furious, ahahaha.

Something like that sounds good if not deeper, I'm interested.

you need to do welds? ugh, i could go on, i'm in car heaven right now!!!

:D

P.S. ok, now i realized what he was recording at the end [:@]

i changed the muffler and the pipe, but there is nothing special about the midpipe

did you have to do welding? or bolt on? I'd prefer bolt on heh, just me, I like it quick and easy, did i say that out loud, ugh

mine was bolted to the car, but the unit had to be welded together..the brackets and such

can you explain a little bit more...

and you run borla right....

what's best, flowmaster v. borla, haha

no..my exhaust is completely custom...

those one piece systems are expensive,a nd the ones that i have installed sounded like crap...

i have a factory midpipe..then the whole rear section,which goes over the rear suspension assembly, is all custom..all the way out the back.

I'm so happy....!!!!

I got my paint coating, which really didn't help the pre-off the lost scratches, but they coated it with some coating I guess...and I got the undercoating done too....

While I was waiting like 2 hours or so, I called around on some numbers that I printed prior, for some muffler shops, since I got my tax refund, I was going to get a good performance muffler....

Some places wouldn't touch unless that undercoating was done. I told the dealer or whatever department he works in, anyways, he gave me like info on the car, what it had etc, the carfax check and offered things like spoiler and tinting or an alarm, that was it....I was talking to him about thinking about upping the performance to gain efficiency etc, and he said, he knew this guy and would give me his number. well, I already had his number, but having someone know someone and referring is even cooler, heh. I called him, said what I wanted, he said come on down, I asked about the undercoating, he said no problem.

I go down there, he says, what would be good is either, going cat back pipe to muffler, or you leave resonator in and see how it sounds, want louder, and we take out 25.00 extra, and put this chrome tip on, from magnaflow, after this flowmaster muffler 40 series....heh, i was like, ok, you know what you're talking about, let's try before taking resonator off, see how it sounds and we go from there.

they get the flowmaster on, with the tip, i think expands out to 3 in or more, didn't measure yet, and man, it sounds awesome!!! i was like, that's it, it's a keeper.

reving up through the rpms, does it ever get loud at certain points, heh, i was looking at the site and it does get loud at those points.

brought home, wife wasn't expecting, but i told prior, and she said, sounded like a truck, hahaha....

that's what i like, anyways. got that, and a k&n filter, i don't want to void any warranties right now, unless i know i can fix easily, however, i think it'll be sufficient enough, it's now like the neon of mine, where it took in air from above the engine before going through the air box, heh, it's at the front of the engine.

So, sounds awesome, feels great, going to put some mobile1 in tomorrow, and a k&n oil filter, see how different that feels, some people say they notice a difference, i hope i do, haha, i'm putting out a lot right now, while i can.

i'm kind of, prepping it up before trips to iowa of about 186 miles one way and trips down to the lake, about 120 miles or so, down at the ozarks.

my wife then said in car, sounds like a ricer haha, kind of does at higher rpms, which is understandable, v6, heh, but man, it's great!!!

thought I'd share...i can't think of anything else to do to help the performance/efficiency, unless you can....heh. I'm happy right now until the oil change and the air filter re-charge :)

oh, and that video, my car sounds really close to it, except mine don't snap as much i don't think, heh, that's alright, because now i'm happy!!!

wish i could get a video, maybe a video on poor mpg off my digital camera, maybe i could get something up soon and share as well :)

i did mine with the digital camera...

oh, heh, i guess i got a chance, lmao

kind of cheap quality, but it gets the job done eh....

this is just my flowmaster muffler and tip, with the k&n air intake filter and resonator still there, I like it, not as racey sounded and cracklin as yours Bad, but it still sounds good, heh.

nothing fancy, but like i've posted, got me a ~2mpg increase.

*Video was here, but removed links to reduce the almost 1gb of traffic on our server for upcoming news channel coverage on the site. May repost when I can, files still there, but for webcrawlers sometimes access these files because of these links, and if they are crawling the forums here like do on my forums, they probably do here too, unless webmaster has set no robot crawls in text file on server, so for the sake of the unknowns, will remove the links for saving bandwidth purposes of expected increase, sorry for inconvenience*

The two last ones, sorry dark, but kind of leaves it mysterious eh? HEH, since I don't have two hands helping me really, I decided to go out and record as my wife was going to store, like 10 min ago. She thought I was up to something else so stopped, I stopped recording and told her, and she continued on, haha.

Oh yeah, sorry on first one, I was moving the strat back so I could work on the neon in front, and while doing so, thought I record that too, haha.

Edit: I have seen a lot of people try and gain access to these videos, sorry for the down time, since moving servers on the cyberdunks.net network, to the godaddy servers from yahoo, I never took the time to put these back up...they aren't fancy, like I have stated, soon maybe I can get better video up, for now these will do heh. I have noticed that people are trying to get this through usage statistics available through godaddy server, and noticed a lot, within this month alone, have had 12 hits trying to get the file. so, without hesitation, here you go again, they are uploaded now, heh, sorry!

is it a sedan?

yeah, sorry, was dark, i'll get something better here through the weekend times

hey, trying to find headers and exhaust for 2002 Stratus r/t, any help, please. Possible supercharger?

Thanks, Chris

well, if you have nice deep pockets, ripp mods has headers and a supercharger...as for the exhaust, having it custom bent is your best choice...you could go through mopar and get their borla kit for the stratus, but its like 700 bucks...[:'(]

Any news on a street legal header for a 04 Stratus 2.4 L coupe? CMF has a header for (claims 15 - 20 more whp) it but it is a race header. Who am I gonna race in this slow car? It costs $500 and doesn't come with a Cat converter. The cat converter for it costs $299 more and they don't guarantee you will pass emissions.

i have a 2005 r/t 3.0 what size inlet should i get for my exhaust??

I know the post is old but I can point people to a CAI for a v6 for 75 inc shipping. Anyone wants help let me know

on ebay?

yes. The pipe is thin metal but it does the job.

go on ebay and just type in stratus all kinds of things will pop up but look through and CAI are very cheap i got mine for 35$s and its coated blue it fit in perfectly and sounds nice they have them for the 4 cylinders and 6's

I was wondering if anybody can give me any feedback on how well the Dynomax Super Turbo exaust sounds/performs, i was looking into one for my '04 sxt 2.4l
Thanks,
John

I just got the Dynomax SS Catback installed and it definitely improved performance. Sound is lacking but it will get louder the longer it's on the car. I just replaced the tip (the one it comes with is awful) and now it's pure sex. I'm going to post pics as soon as I get my digi cam back. I got it from RockAuto for like 335 shipped. Got to my house in like 2 days. No welding, complete bolt-on.

point me to it

http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/x,carcode,1424764,parttype,5822

I was just under my car putting on an O2 sim... i am very confused with my exhaust... first time i ever saw it. I am used to normal truck setups. Is there a muffler or silencer that can be taken off and replaced with a straight pipe? i am looking for a little better sound, but not too loud. I work for a Fire Department and i dont want to wake up the neighbors in the middle of the night when i leave for a call... but i do want better sound. Any suggestions? I might have some connections to get new exhaust in the spring, any ideas? my brother in law is the editor of Super Street magazine and might be able to get something if i can figure out what i want...... help please!

A lot of people are leaving the resonators and removing the muffler, adding a straight pipe with a tip. Try it, see if you like it.

what about removing the resonator?

I am also a "newbie" if you will to this forum. I just bought an 02' R/T 5spd two weeks ago and haven't drove it yet :(. I want to do performance upgrades and I like this forum about exhaust andairfilters. I am parking the car until Spring comes and will start doing mods to the car when I finally get to drive it (it's killing me!). It seems like I really can't go wrong with almost anything but just to throw it out there, what do you guys recommend I buy and who I buy from? Also, has anyone found a place that sells turbos for this car? I'm kind of a suspension junky so I am definitely going to put a new eibach kit on.

Back to the original point...What do you guys recommend?

Thanks

I dont have much done to the car other than debadged somewhat. I also have a K&N cold air intake on it... helps alot. The car drives amazing, but hard clutch compared to alot of other cars. you should get out there and drive it!! i have black steelys on it for the winter. Lemme know what you find out about any exhaust, i want cheap.... or free... have fun with the car!

Hey, i got a 2003 2door sxt stratus, the dohc I4 2.4l engine. I'm looking for a cai but the only ones i can find are injen and AEM, and those are only for the 3.0 r/t version. Any idea where i might find one for my engine,or can i buy the 3.0 one and fit it in?

Ebay.... i got my intake on ebay... for the 3.0 but i did see alot for the 4 cyl. as well... good luck!

I just extended the water/dirt shield around the air filter. Check it out:

http://www.dodgeforum.com/upfiles/31589/asppg_Bp126956307.jpg

http://www.dodgeforum.com/upfiles/31589/asppg_Fm215069073.jpg

I'm new here, and not too mechanically savvy...but I wanted to ask, do all Stratus r/t's have 2.5" exhaust running all the way back? I know mine does. (2002)....I purchased a simple Volt muffler, nothing special, and my car sounds awesome. I've had it on my car for about 3 weeks now and I love the tone through the powerband. Could be a TINY bit louder, but it's great for me. Any advice on whether or not it's a good idea to remove the smaller resonator?

has anyone thought about a cherry boomb muffler? I think it'd be louder, and possibly a deeper growl, I know I don't want a coffee can ricey sound. What do you guys think?

Here's what I did. About a year ago, I got the Dynomax Catback. It wasn't as deep as I had wanted. So, recently I bought 2 resonators, took them up to a muffler shop and had them remove the muffler and put the 2 resonators in different places. The sound is perfect. I'll take some pics to show you...

Hi everyone this is my first post thinking about purchasing AEM cold intake for my R/T if I don’t like the sound and performance can I just use the shorter pipe as a ram intake? any feedback would be helpful

I'm gonna go with one of the ones on ebay. some of them say they are made by Bomz but I don't care. I'll replace the filter w/ a K&N one. Curtiplas got a custom exhaust on his Dakota and sond really good, I'll probably go to the same place he did, think he only paid like 200 for it

zero..i bought an "ebay intake", and replaced the cheap filter with a K&N, and there is no difference between my intake and the AEM piece, except for a few hundred dollars, and maybe the AEM is some color other than silver.

my exhaust is custom, and i think that I have the best sounding NA RT coupe that ive heard....many of the aftermarket systems are small diameter, which gives you that high nasal sound.

this video is all that i have of my exhaust, and at the end, i walk up near the CAI, and you can hear that added sound...which is quite a bit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64fll7HJFmg

there is also a video of the mirada exhaust in my youtube account...its a little more radical than the stratus..:D

ohh trust me I have no itention of spending 250 on a AEM intake

ORIGINAL: zeropilot

ohh trust me I have no itention of spending 250 on a AEM intake


Too bad, I just sold mine on Ebay for $70 shipped with a new dryflow filter.

I went with a regular Ram Air instead of the Cold Air intake on my '01 R/T. Ebay $40 and the filter was of a much higher quality than I thought it would be when the package showed up. Ebay is a wonderful place to shop, isn't it?
http://a350.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/95/l_63fee8c34d03e19f7996bf6864c4f3dd.jpg

Turbo charge it,, biggest bang for the buck...

Nah, forget about turbos...that's for the import crap cars. Get a vortech and do it yourself or you can get the vortech kit from rippmods.com for $3850. For 290hp at the wheels, you can't go wrong.

Updated from the photo a few frames above, I did away with the cheaper 6" aftermarket filter that came with the kit from Ebay. I added a 6" tube and a 12" K&N Hi-Flo Filter. 'Viola... Cold air intake.

http://www.dodgeforum.com/upfiles/72583/asppg_Wp698319936.jpg

What do you guys think of the "cheap" mufflers available on eBay? Ex) this one. (http://cgi.ebay.com/N1-MUFFLER-EXHAUST-DODGE-NEON-AVENGER-STRATUS-02-01-00_W0QQitemZ150172437479QQihZ005QQcategoryZ33636QQ ssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem)

Really I'm looking for a muffler that's relatively inexpensive, and has a somewhat sedated yet noticeable tone at idle and partially-open throttle, and has a nasty bark at full throttle. Thanks for any input fellas.

Oh, BTW, I drive a 2001 Stratus sedan with the 2.7L. Check it out here. (http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2678285)

I'd go with a straight pipe mod. Cut the muffler off and have a tip welded on. Unless you like the fart can look?

I'm more concerned with sound than look. I just want something agressive, but not just loud an annoying.

so u basically used a strait pipe all the way back after the cat?

ORIGINAL: jmoney4997

so u basically used a strait pipe all the way back after the cat?


The stock exhaust has 2 resonators after the cat. What they are referring to is having the muffler cut off of the stock exhaust and having a long tip welded in place of the muffler. Instead, I bought the Dynomax catback which only has one resonator, mandrel bent 2 1/2" piping and a nice straight thru muffler. You just need to replace the sissy tip it comes with.

what is the exhaust diameter of the stock exhaust of a 2002 strat se with the 3.0?? is it 2.25 inch or 2.5 inch?

2.25"

I need some help finding headers, CAI, and what would be the best exaust upgrade with out sounding like crap aka(ricey)for a '03 SXT 2.4L with spending a arm and a leg,any help will be great

i kno they make headers very cheap for the 2.4 on ebay but idk how high quality they are

Anything from the 3g eclipse (2000-2005) will fit on our cars. An intake from either a 3.0 or 2.4 will fit, . it's all depending on your budget. The only thing with the exhaust is if you buy it from a eclipse you'll have to get an 12" extension put in.

Check out www.club3g.com (http://www.dodgeforum.com/www.club3g.com)

Any advantage running a dual exhaust?? I'm about to make my own cat back at my buddy's muffler shop... i'm gonna run single for now but may do a dual when i get my body kit this summer. Just got in my eBay cold air kit, and about to order my eBay COFFEE can.

I would think you'll maybe lose some power from all the bends that you would have to run on the passengers side.


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ORIGINAL: nate_0022
The only thing with the exhaust is if you buy it from a eclipse you'll have to get an 12" extension put in.


I think you meant 15" Nate :D. Straight pipe it!

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ORIGINAL: pearl01stratcpe

ORIGINAL: nate_0022
The only thing with the exhaust is if you buy it from a eclipse you'll have to get an 12" extension put in.


I think you meant 15" Nate :D. Straight pipe it!



15'? is just keeps getting bigger and bigger lol. I first heard 3" than 12" now 15", before I hear the end of it it'll be up to 24" lol.

ORIGINAL: nate_0022







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ORIGINAL: pearl01stratcpe

ORIGINAL: nate_0022
The only thing with the exhaust is if you buy it from a eclipse you'll have to get an 12" extension put in.


I think you meant 15" Nate :D. Straight pipe it!



15'? is just keeps getting bigger and bigger lol. I first heard 3" than 12" now 15", before I hear the end of it it'll be up to 24" lol.



So really how long will the extention be bacuse i just ordered mine today and it will be here monday...

Just bring it to the exhaust shop they should no where, and how much piping to add to the exhaust.

ORIGINAL: nate_0022

Just bring it to the exhaust shop they should no where, and how much piping to add to the exhaust.


i think that youre giving the exhaust shops too much credit...

the problem is that enough people dont know what dual exhaust is anymore...two exhaust tips doesnt mean that you have dual exhaust. im sure that if someone took the time and energy to run real dual exhaust off of a set of headers, the car would gain some power, but i imagine that it would need to be tuned to make the most of the added flow...not to mention that unless youre making more power on the top end of the motor, adding a bunch more exhaust flow doesnt help unless the engine NEEDS extra exhaust flow.

ORIGINAL: nate_0022







[/align]


ORIGINAL: pearl01stratcpe

ORIGINAL: nate_0022
The only thing with the exhaust is if you buy it from a eclipse you'll have to get an 12" extension put in.


I think you meant 15" Nate :D. Straight pipe it!



15'? is just keeps getting bigger and bigger lol. I first heard 3" than 12" now 15", before I hear the end of it it'll be up to 24" lol.




WOW sorry it took my so long to respond i been on 2GS (raceman71) but my cat back the had to add 3"after the car and 12" at the tip... Also i think they sent me a GXT exhust because it went around my suspension not over it like the stock

Wheres a guy get a cheap ass CAI for the 2000 2.4 automatic?

Make your own? I see people using the stock tubing and putting a filter on the end of that. Also if you can find one on ebay for a 3g eclipse may be cheaper that way also.