Great sounding exhaust

[bran100]

Granted this is an Abarth, but does anyone have a Spider that sounds this good? I'd love to get some new pipes on my '82 FI Spider, but I'm wondering what type of exhaust to get and if my completely stock non-Abarth Spider would completely fail at sounding that good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2M3JRQefOM

Brandon

[bradartigue]

Granted this is an Abarth, but does anyone have a Spider that sounds this good? I'd love to get some new pipes on my '82 FI Spider, but I'm wondering what type of exhaust to get and if my completely stock non-Abarth Spider would completely fail at sounding that good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2M3JRQefOM

Brandon

Your 82 sounds pretty damn good dead stock; the thing is, you can't hear your own car. A CSA sounds better behind it than inside of it (and rides better for that matter). I had an Alfa rear section on a FIAT once, and the single Alfa straight pipe had a nicer note than the (then available) Tesh rear section, but it wasn't worth the effort. You could get a twin tip ANSA and it will look as ghetto as they all do, hanging poorly and not mating correctly, leaking, and looking goofy under the single cutout.

Take off the catalyst and run a straight pipe and it sound much more throaty.

If you want the CSA sound then get a header, eliminate the catalyst, and keep the rest stock. It won't sound just like a CSA (you need some hi compression pistons and twin IDFs for that), but it will sound pretty awesome and still look stock.

If you're a bumper remover then you probably don't care how the car looks, so just get an ANSA and spray paint "ABARTAH" on the side.

[Tobi]

If you're a bumper remover then you probably don't care how the car looks, so just get an ANSA and spray paint "ABARTAH" on the side.[/quote]

Wow... I am a bumper remover "because" I care about the looks of the car!

[bradartigue]

If you're a bumper remover then you probably don't care how the car looks, so just get an ANSA and spray paint "ABARTAH" on the side.

Wow... I am a bumper remover "because" I care about the looks of the car![/quote]


One of the many reasons why car design should be left to car designers is evidenced by the bumper less Spider on the banner of this website. It looks...like a bumper less, incomplete car.

Yes - to each his own! But it looks ridiculous in the opinion of me (which is of questionable value by the way). The Spider was designed with bumpers, originally small, then larger. With these cars becoming less and less in number it is a shame they are being hacked up with parts left by the wayside, boat trailer lamps used as blinkers, and so on.

I have a similar diatribe about ANSA twin-tip exhausts, Panasport rims, dealer applied pin striping, and chrome grilles. Oh and the "California" dashboard. That last one makes me vomit a little bit, like an old Bayless body kit from the 70's.

[Tobi]

These bumpers where designed more by the government than by car designers. Somebody send a thousand $ my way and I go ahead and install a pair of small bumpers. I agree with you on some of the things you say here but there is no need to hurt the feelings of the members that don't.

Now back to the original post. I am also looking for a nice exhaust for my 81 because I just lost my muffler this week and the replacement I got does not seem to fit. I already lost the cat and it made a big difference in the over all feel.

[maytag]

I agree with you on some of the things you say here but there is no need to hurt the feelings of the members that don't.

I agree with your premise; but at least Brad commented that this was his opinion only.
Many of us value his opinion very highly, because he is such an authority on so much of this car... particularly when it comes to making it run right.

But from one bumper-remover to another: I think Brad's wrong about the bumpers. But that's just my opinion too.

I find some stylistic value to the small bumpers, but the big ones are clearly there because of a federal mandate, and had zero to do with anyone's stylistic approach to car-design.

[surfingfreeman]

Sany is such a stud, sweet sounding Abarth.

[bradartigue]

These bumpers where designed more by the government than by car designers. Somebody send a thousand $ my way and I go ahead and install a pair of small bumpers. I agree with you on some of the things you say here but there is no need to hurt the feelings of the members that don't.

Now back to the original post. I am also looking for a nice exhaust for my 81 because I just lost my muffler this week and the replacement I got does not seem to fit. I already lost the cat and it made a big difference in the over all feel.

No, they weren't (I've met the designers, from the original one to the last two, and bumpers were a topic then and now).

Funny the last stock exhaust I put on fit funny as well, I had to replace the rear and center to get it right. I linked the problem is the catalytic converter flange isn't on right (and it is welded) and causes the whole thing to hang poorly.

And back to my original response, though I was being a curmudgeon - the stock exhaust actually sounds great, better without a cat if you can swing it. The CSA note was influenced heavily by the cams, pistons, carburetors, and header put on that car, so you're chasing something you may not be able to achieve.

A consideration is the single straight pipe rear end used on Alfa Spiders; it looks right on the back on a FIAT, and sounds deeper. You'll have to have new mounts welded on and the pipe from the FIAT to make the over-axle curve, but that's no big deal. I don't recommend that ANSA setup to anyone, it is cheaply made, hangs poorly, and sounds like a cow giving birth.

[bradartigue]

I agree with you on some of the things you say here but there is no need to hurt the feelings of the members that don't.

Who is the world would have their feelings hurts by such obviously sarcastic comments? Folks if I offended anyone by making fun of your bumper deprived Spider, and if you got your feelings hurt, then you may want to consider a Miata. They don't have bumpers either. Honestly people, please...

[narfire]

cheaply made, hangs poorly, and sounds like a cow giving birth

Yeup, yeup, and I have a whole bunch of baby cattle...($$$$$) you are right in that the quality can be suspect, mine had a crack at the inlet after 5 years or 5000kms and it does hang not quite right even though I had the rear cut out thinking I could get it closer to the body work...nope. As for the sound... I took the cat and the resonator out and it has a nice tone in my opinion. Last year I drove a couple hours straight with the top down at 100-120 kph and my hearing was still intact such as it is. I have a 2" pipe to the rear ansa.
Next time or for the 72, I'll be getting something different.

[Tobi]

bradartigue wrote:
Who is the world would have their feelings hurts by such obviously sarcastic comments? Folks if I offended anyone by making fun of your bumper deprived Spider, and if you got your feelings hurt, then you may want to consider a Miata. They don't have bumpers either. Honestly people, please...[/quote]

I guess I have been living in Minnesota for to long. I have not always been like that They don't know sarcasm here, they are always nice.

OK, I removed my pin striping with a racer blade and I don't like the Ansa double pipe but almost anything (or nothing) looks better than the big bumpers covering half the upper grille like a cow catcher on a pick up truck. Also my blinker are from an older Fiat sedan and I prefer them over the original ones that look like they would come straight from a Golf I (Rabit). Just my opinion.

My muffler replacement came from ebay and seems to be from a totally different car, its an Ansa by the way.
My old, original system sounded great (without the cat) because it was completely blown free with the years.

[bradartigue]

My muffler replacement came from ebay and seems to be from a totally different car, its an Ansa by the way.

Funny thing is the "standard" or "OEM" ANSA replacement (also called TESH brand) fits, holds up, and sounds great. The "performance" one seems to be junker. Never had a good time with that exhaust and it rusts horribly from the inside out.

[bran100]

Thanks for the replies guys. Mine is 100% stock and rust free, bumpers and all. I believe in Utah I can now remove the cat, but I'll have to confirm that.

Stick with resonator or rip it out? Seems like that may take it a little too far to rip it out.

Brandon

[4uall]

I agree with you on some of the things you say here but there is no need to hurt the feelings of the members that don't.

Who is the world would have their feelings hurts by such obviously sarcastic comments? Folks if I offended anyone by making fun of your bumper deprived Spider, and if you got your feelings hurt, then you may want to consider a Miata. They don't have bumpers either. Honestly people, please...

MIATA GUYS ROCK!


Guys who drive Mitas rock! by itzebtze, on Flickr

[124Germ]

That's just wrong at SO many levels..