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Originally Posted by Z OH 6
Got the axle back swapped yesterday and here's what I've learned...
First of all, it was not a direct swap because I tried to retain my AWE X-Pipe which is 3" and the Corsa axle back is also 3" (actually just slightly less, it would almost slip inside of the AWE X-Pipe but not quite) so it would not slip over the AWE X-Pipe. We decided to take the risk of expanding the Corsa axle back sytem but unfortunately it split which my exhaust guy said might happen with stainless steel because its so rigid compared to aluminized steel. So this necessitated him to cut off the split ends and fabricate some short 3" connection pipes out of aluminized steel. This worked but then we hit our next snag, we tried to use a 3" stepped band clamp to connect the Corsa system to the AWE X-Pipe with the new aluminized steel connection pipes and the clamps just wouldn't tighten down enough. At this point, I was very frustrated but had to keep moving forward so we chose to weld it. Obviously this works but you have to be spot on when welding because you won't get any further adjustments of the exhaust in the rear which can be a problem when trying to get the tips lined up. We managed to get them almost perfect, I have one tip that's maybe 1/8" off compared to the others but you would have to look hard to notice. Here's the kicker though, the outside right side tip wasn't even welded to the pipes like the others were. We didn't even notice until we started trying to adjust the tips to get them perfect and one of the tips just came off in my hands. Do you know how pissed I would have been if I drove off after having the exhaust installed and had a tip just fall off? DO BETTER CORSA! That's quality control 101 right there. So we had to weld that tip in place.
On to the sound. In Stealth mode, its so darn quiet, it almost sounds like my GMC Canyon with a V6. No lie! Cold starts are no longer an issue, its very uneventful in Stealth mode. In Touring mode, cold starts are still quite loud but as soon as the valves make the adjustment for touring mode after about 2-3 seconds it gets much quieter. Its so quiet in touring mode that again, it about as quiet as my GMC Canyon which I would have never thought possible with headers and high flow cats. In Sport mode, this is where things start to get interesting, at idle and part throttle its noticeably louder than Touring mode and actually has a very nice deep growl to it. Overall in Sport its quieter than my AWE Touring exhaust but just loud enough to be quite enjoyable. I will most likely keep the exhaust in this mode for driving except for cold starts. In Track mode, its loud of course as you would expect since I assume the exhaust is probably fully open. I would say its VERY close to the AWE exhaust in this mode, but maybe 1-2db quieter, but its VERY close. I can't see myself using this mode except for those that want to hear the car fully opened up or racing. Overall I'm VERY pleased with the Corsa valved exhaust with the minor build quality issues aside. It does exactly what I wanted it do which is give me options from mild to wild. I did retain my AWE resonators too so not sure how much that affects the sound but resonators don't typically lower the volume much, just shape the sound and reduce raspiness. I do greatly miss the AWE exhaust tips, there's just no other exhaust that has 4.5" tips and they are the perfect size for that cut out in the rear fascia. The Corsa 4" tips look small in comparison but I'm sure I'll get use to it.
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I've had my issues with Corsa, and Borla on other cars.
On my 4th Gens, both my catbacks' tips were out of alignment. They replaced them, pretty much no questions asked, but BOTH had that problem.
I had an H2 with a Corsa on it, and the welds for the baffles inside broke, so it would buzz at certain speeds. They, too, replaced it, no questions asked (and didn't flinch when I upgraded to the louder SPORT muffler, which was cool), but I wasn't surprised, considering how complicated those mufflers are inside.
I'm an exhaust snob, and these things bugged me for the price of admission, but they stood behind their products, and that made it worth it in both situations. That stuff is so expensive, for the return, now, that I don't bother. And - I'm too old for a loud car all the time, lol...