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Catback recommendation needed

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Old 08-17-19, 11:24 AM
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Catback recommendation needed

Hi,

I am aware that this topic has been discussed before several times but nowedays, a lot of options are simply not available anymore.

I am looking for a replacement catback for my rx7 FD, because my apexi PS Revolution exhaust system makes annoying noise and i think the internal valve is broken.
My requirements are: quiet plus good flow.

I found out, that JASMA rated exhaust would be good choice in general. What do you think about the following?

- HKS Hi Power Silent
- HKS Super Turbo

An alternative would be the RB dual tip.

Is there any other system you could recommend that meets my requirements and ist available?

Regards,
Ica
Old 08-17-19, 11:39 AM
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The quieter the exhaust is typically the more restrictive it is, period. You have to find the happy medium.

How much power are you making - twins? Single turbo?

Tanabe also makes a really nice exhaust that's a quieter oval canister style and is available new last I heard.

Dale
Old 08-17-19, 12:13 PM
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HKS stuff will be loud
RB stuff will have a nice sound but is more restrictive than the others
That Tanabe Dale mentioned sounds pretty good. I've only been on the outside of a car with it, but it didn't sound loud or raspy like an Apexi N1.

Another one that didn't sound bad was the Apexi Noir. I run RB duals, and the Noir really wasn't much louder at all. If I was in the market and didn't love the RB's so much, I'd definitely try to find someone with a Noir set up and give it a listen.

Kinda hard to tell with this guy's vid. It's a video and he's got a bridgeport. You can get an idea though.
https://www.rx7club.com/3rd-generati...haust-1094755/
Old 08-17-19, 01:10 PM
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Thanks for your input. I had a look at the Tanabe Medalion Touring catback and i like it. Is this the one you mean? Do you know If this fits a 99 rx-7? I run BNR Stage 3 twins, with a hks downpipe and the rx7.com highflow cat. Currently, the car makes 350 whp.

I dont like the black color of the Apexi noir.

Last edited by unreal-icarus; 08-17-19 at 03:11 PM.
Old 08-17-19, 04:40 PM
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I've used the following catback exhausts.
Fujitsubo Legalis R
HKS Silent Hi-Power
Kakimoto Kakimoto.R
FEED Sonic Ti-R

Fujitsubo Legalis R is what I recommend for you. HKS Silent Hi-Power isn't quiet when compared to the other options.
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Old 08-17-19, 07:06 PM
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Here is a vid of my tanabe medallion on the Dyno. Car makes good power and drones less than the RB duals. I think they’re about the same noise wise on my single turbo car. Should be quieter on a twins car.

Last edited by silverTRD; 08-17-19 at 07:09 PM.
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Old 08-18-19, 12:07 AM
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I had an Apexi Noir (have it leaning against a wall in my garage actually) and am running a RB dual at the moment. The Noir is much quieter than the RB dual. The Noir is a baffle type muffler, it is quiet with a deep sound. Actually very nice IMO, and the typical rotary backfire is almost inaudible.

The RB has a louder note but a very good tone. It is reasonably quiet IMO, except for the fact it has very little backfire sound suppression. It is about perfect when matched to the OEM catalyst as is the case with my car. But the Noir is a great choice too.

Last edited by jza80; 08-18-19 at 03:46 PM.
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Old 08-18-19, 12:36 AM
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Apexi Noir has a nice sound and clean flat-black look, but hangs/mounts low. I had a Apexi Noir on my 240sx s13 and it broke a hanger weld, cracking the pipe in half. Might've been from a pothole. The hanger needed to be rewelded on the thin piping area, kinda crappy IMO.

The Racing Beat duals mount perfectly, like OEM fitment. The stainless steel polishes nicely after years of use. The 2 piece pipe design makes installation and exhaust wrapping easy. No issues with the hangars.
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Old 08-18-19, 03:46 AM
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Originally Posted by silverTRD
Here is a vid of my tanabe medallion on the Dyno. Car makes good power and drones less than the RB duals. I think they’re about the same noise wise on my single turbo car. Should be quieter on a twins car.
Where can i find the vid?

So far, the Tanabe Medalion is my favourite according to your comments. Now the question is, would it fit on my 99 FD? The Tanabe Website Staates 93-95 rx-7.
Old 08-18-19, 08:33 AM
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All FD cat-backs are the same for all years, 92-02. They probably just show 93-95 since it's a US website.

Dale
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Old 08-18-19, 10:27 AM
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Watch "Untitled" on Vimeo:

here it is I uploaded it to Vimeo.
Old 08-18-19, 03:28 PM
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Originally Posted by DaleClark
All FD cat-backs are the same for all years, 92-02. They probably just show 93-95 since it's a US website.

Dale
I dunno what could be different but HKS lists a seperate part for the silent hi-power for the S7 and S8 FD's
Old 08-18-19, 03:41 PM
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My car has a single RB catback since 1998. I have put about fifty thousand miles on it and it is as good as new. It was quieter when I had the twin turbo setup. I run a single turbo now and it louder than the twin setup.
Old 08-18-19, 03:42 PM
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Originally Posted by Nakd n Fearless
Apexi Noir has a nice sound and clean flat-black look, but hangs/mounts low. I had a Apexi Noir on my 240sx s13 and it broke a hanger weld, cracking the pipe in half. Might've been from a pothole. The hanger needed to be rewelded on the thin piping area, kinda crappy IMO.

The Racing Beat duals mount perfectly, like OEM fitment. The stainless steel polishes nicely after years of use. The 2 piece pipe design makes installation and exhaust wrapping easy. No issues with the hangars.
True, the Noir has a large muffler can and the back edge can scrape on driveway approach...luckily VHT header black is a perfect match...what scrape? :-)

For sure the RB fit and finish can’t be beat, looks like OEM+

I think the Noir is a perfect candidate for a dolphin style exhaust outlet turn down, I’ve been thinking about modding mine that way and trying it out again on my 95.
Old 08-18-19, 04:18 PM
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Here are some details on the HKS exhausts from Banzai Racing's web site:
HKS Exhaust (93+ RX-7)

They also have the Tanabe. I think they used to have more info about decibel levels but doesn't seem to be present there at the moment.:
Tanabe Exhaust (93+ RX-7)

I'd be very tempted by the Tanabe Medallion if I were on the market for a new exhaust. I like the RB but I feel like it drones a bit / is a bit louder than I'd like at highway speeds of ~80 mph when paired with the Bonez high flow cat.
Old 08-18-19, 04:28 PM
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I do like the sound out of the Tanabe better but I’m in California and we have that ridiculous exhaust law now, and the racing beat appears much more stock so I’m running the RB instead.

I’m running the rx7store resonated mp so that’s helping quiet the car down as well.
Old 08-19-19, 03:33 AM
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I have a Fujitsubo Legalis R and it sounds good and is certainly one of the quietest RX7 mufflers I've heard.
Old 08-19-19, 11:22 AM
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Originally Posted by PeloNZ
I have a Fujitsubo Legalis R and it sounds good and is certainly one of the quietest RX7 mufflers I've heard.
That is a nice looking exhaust! Fujitsubo Legalis R are known to be quiet, according to RHD Japan's info it is actually quieter than the OEM muffler at some measurement points.
Old 08-19-19, 11:26 AM
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Originally Posted by silverTRD
I do like the sound out of the Tanabe better but I’m in California and we have that ridiculous exhaust law now, and the racing beat appears much more stock so I’m running the RB instead.

I’m running the rx7store resonated mp so that’s helping quiet the car down as well.
On that point, you may have heard that the CA sound law mandatory fine was repealed: https://www.sema.org/sema-enews/2019...transportation

Stringent sound enforcement is still in place, though.
Old 08-19-19, 04:24 PM
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That’s good news
Old 08-19-19, 07:20 PM
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If you can find a good condition PFS, it's a nice exhaust, light and a good balance of sound, flow, and looks.
Old 08-19-19, 07:40 PM
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I’ve had three different catback DS and settled on a new Tanabe Medalion

Newest style RB dual tip- I bought it used and blew a lot of packing out. It was loud for my taste and droned- The Construction is of the highest quality. On a car with twins it would be my pick.

Apexi N1 Dual- I love the way this exhaust looks but I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone. It was on my car for 3 or 4 days before I put it up for sale and vowed not to drive the car until I had a different catback on it.

Tanabe Medalion- construction is good but the flange and tubing is no comparison for the RB. The muffler construction is nice and so love the tip design. When it was brand new it was nice and quiet, I have since blown out some packing on my single turbo car. It’s louder now but still no drone and you can still have a conversation around the car at idle. At WOT it gets down and sounds mean.
Old 08-19-19, 09:44 PM
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Greddy SP! Wait....
Old 08-20-19, 11:54 PM
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Originally Posted by Molotovman
I’ve had three different catback DS and settled on a new Tanabe Medalion

Newest style RB dual tip- I bought it used and blew a lot of packing out. It was loud for my taste and droned- The Construction is of the highest quality. On a car with twins it would be my pick.

Apexi N1 Dual- I love the way this exhaust looks but I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone. It was on my car for 3 or 4 days before I put it up for sale and vowed not to drive the car until I had a different catback on it.

Tanabe Medalion- construction is good but the flange and tubing is no comparison for the RB. The muffler construction is nice and so love the tip design. When it was brand new it was nice and quiet, I have since blown out some packing on my single turbo car. It’s louder now but still no drone and you can still have a conversation around the car at idle. At WOT it gets down and sounds mean.
Thanks for all your answers.
Did you have any trouble with mounting the Tanabe exhaust because of the flange quality?
Old 08-21-19, 06:23 AM
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Originally Posted by unreal-icarus
Thanks for all your answers.
Did you have any trouble with mounting the Tanabe exhaust because of the flange quality?
I had no trouble with it at all, the construction is just not as robust as Racing Beat.
See this post:
https://www.rx7club.com/build-thread.../#post12286287


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