Showing posts with label stainless steel exhausts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label stainless steel exhausts. Show all posts

Thursday, June 19, 2014

Subaru Owners Know GrimmSpeed Downpipes Are Built to Impress


Chances are if you own a Subaru Impreza and are into mods, you are familiar with GrimmSpeed. Since 2006, GrimmSpeed has been at the forefront of Subaru exhaust pipes and accessories. The company started out modest enough, initially showcasing a limited catalog of well-made steel parts. It didn’t take long for GrimmSpeed’s reputation to grow considerably once their products started gaining traction. Within the Subaru community word of mouth spread quickly, especially online. Numerous forums and message boards became inundated with members talking about the quality of the parts they were getting from GrimmSpeed and awareness grew from there. Soon, competitive Impreza drivers were locking in GrimmSpeed downpipes, up pipes, and other hardware.

Nowadays, GrimmSpeed stands as one of the leading names in Subaru exhaust upgrades due to their commitment to standout quality. You will not hear someone say that a GS part is cheaply made or sports weak welds. Each and every pipe is made, tested, and inspected before it is ever put in a box to be shipped. Attention to detail is how GrimmSpeed maintains a loyal following. Take their flanges, for instance. To them, flanges aren’t just a necessary section of a pipe that has to be accounted for. Rather, GrimmSpeed uses extra care, thickening up their flanges to ½” for a tight, uncompromising seal.
GrimmSpeed Downpipe

When it comes to actual parts, GrimmSpeed has a lot of them but their main concentration is exhaust pipes. For Subaru WRX, STI, LGT, and XT owners, there is a wide array of downpipes, up pipes, and crosspipes to choose from. Bolting in a GS pipe means going for sturdiness, performance, and quality. All of their products are made and assembled in the USA using the finest build materials available.

GrimmSpeed Downpipes

GrimmSpeed Catted Downpipe
Anytime we’re talking about souping up a performance exhaust, downpipes are in the conversation. GrimmSpeed knows this better than anyone, which is why they offer a full line of Subaru downpipes that deliver in every way. Whether you are looking for catted or catless, supplemental performance or dynamic horsepower, GrimmSpeed has a downpipe that is perfect for your setup. Loosen up restrictive exhaust flow with authority!

Constructed of T-304 stainless steel and mandrel bent for both toughness and precision, GrimmSpeed downpipes also feature brilliant welds. Now, the company will tell you that is due to the aerospace-certified welder they have on staff. While that sounds cool, what it really means is that the welds are not only accurate, but virtually incorruptible. The importance of this cannot be overstated. One of the most common complaints about aftermarket down pipes is welding. How someone’s pipe has cracked welds or fractured after 10,000 miles. Those are both fairly common stories. GrimmSpeed wants to be known for making the most durable Subaru race exhaust parts on the planet and it all begins with their downpipes.

Downpipe Performance

It is really, really hard to pinpoint how much of a performance benefit any downpipe offers simply because there are too many variables at play. For example, what other upgrades were on the car when testing was done? What model year? How are the tires? Are the plugs old? The list goes on. So if you were to poll ten drivers who have GrimmSpeed downpipes installed, you may get ten different types of data. But – that doesn’t mean we can’t come up with estimates, does it? After all, freeing up exhaust with a 3" diameter has to count for something!

You can expect a jump of up to around 20 extra horses when using a GrimmSpeed downpipe. Most claim to get an added 15 HP or thereabouts. One thing to note is that if you are going for a GrimmSpeed Subaru downpipe, you will need to tune for it. If you fail to do so you (likely) will experience boosting issues and other problems. On top of that, tuning helps you get the absolute most out of the part.

Like what you’ve read so far? Look for more GrimmSpeed news coming up from UltraRev soon!

UltraRev is proud to offer GrimmSpeed Subaru downpipes because we know what serious drivers want: Quality, care, and results. If you’re an Impreza WRX or STi fanatic looking to up your game, our selection will help lead the way.


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Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Invidia Cat-Back Exhausts & Pipes Unlock Your Car's Hidden Potential

If you own a Subaru WRX, STI, Honda Civic, Mitsubishi Lancer EVO, or a Scion FR-S, chances are you have become acquainted with the name Invidia. Known throughout the performance car community, Invidia is manufacturer of aftermarket exhaust systems and pipe setups. As you might expect, Invidia exhaust systems and pipes are designed to replace stock exhaust parts in favor of increasing horsepower, torque, and tone. Many of Invidia’s parts are used by racers who compete in sanctioned events and those who participate in off-road demonstrations. There are two reasons for that. One is because most Invidia test pipes and down pipes bypass OEM emissions systems (they have plenty of cat-delete pipes available). The other reason is due to the fact that Invidia exhaust parts are intended to up performance to a higher level than a street car would necessitate.

Invidia Exhaust Systems

Invidia Q300 Catback Exhaust System
Invidia offers four primary styles of catback exhaust systems and each one is model-specific. The N1, Q200, Q300, and Gemini Dual Exhaust are the core Invidia exhausts you will find most often. Cat back exhausts run from the catalytic converter to the back of the car. The goal of a good cat back system is to lessen the restriction caused by the stock exhaust. In most cases, OEM exhausts utilize slim tubing for the pipes constructed of aluminum. For an everyday driver, this isn’t a bad thing. But for someone who is trying to squeeze every little drip of horsepower out of their car it is a major hindrance. You need wider diameter piping that moves exhaust flow out quicker with less restriction holding back performance.

The exhaust tone from an Invidia catback is noticeable right away. It’s not something that is subtle. It is also a unique sound. Some aftermarket exhausts are a bit more ferocious or piercing. Invidia catback exhausts rumble before building to a menacing yet smooth note that carries as the RPMs climb.

Invidia exhausts are made of stainless steel. Stainless steel is the material of choice for many aftermarket exhaust components because of its obvious durability. However, steel is especially important when it comes to parts such as exhaust pipes. Aluminum is first off, easier to dent or chip. For a fashionable exterior accessory, that isn’t as big of a deal. Exhaust pipes are a different story. If an exhaust pipe or part becomes crimped, pinched, dented or dinged, it is corrupted and will not function properly. With stainless steel, those nuisances are not something to worry about. Stainless steel also presents a nice finish for drivers who display their cars at professional car shows and the like.

Invidia Pipes

Invidia High-Flow Front Pipe
All you can really say about Invidia pipes is that they sure offer a lot of them. Test pipes, down pipes, up pipes, x pipes, over pipes…they make ‘em all. One of the company’s specialties is crafting cat-delete pipes. Any kind of exhaust pipe component that is intended to take away your car’s catalytic converter brings about a tricky situation. It’s a knife that cuts two ways. If you’re at all schooled in performance parts, you already know that your stock cat chokes down performance due to the conversion process. But you certainly also know that in most jurisdictions your car will not pass state motor vehicle inspection. In areas where the local law enforcement is especially vigilant, you also run the risk of being pulled over incessantly and fined. That is why Invidia pipes by and large are designed for competitive racers or drivers who go off-road.

However, the benefits from an Invidia test pipe or over pipe are hard to ignore. Before we start a great debate over just how much horsepower and pound-feet of torque is actually increased, the important thing everyone can agree on is that there is significant improvement over the OEM system. And if you are going to overhaul the original exhaust, parts like test pipes and down pipes are a must-have.

So, if you zip around in a sporty turbo compact head over to UltraRev to check out Invidia exhaust parts that are available for your ride. We offer catback systems and pipes for the Subaru WRX, Subaru STI, Mitsubishi EVO, Scion FR-S, Honda S2000, and more.