I'm going to be ordering the RB exhaust and found a place that'll install it for $120 + tax. I'm wondering if that's a good deal or not. As far as I can tell, it's a bolt on so I could do it myself but my dad doesnt want me to use jack stands so unless there's some other way I could do it, then really my only option is to have some place install it.

 

Umm why no jack stands? I wouldn't work under a car without them (unless I had a lift!).

Get some jackstands and do it yourself, its really easy. Just rememeber to use WD-40 to get the stock exhaust off the rubber hangers.

 

umm, not sure about the Texas area, but i got my exhaust install for 50 bucks.

I would recommend you do it yourself though. good experience. I was doing it myself but one of the bolts just wouldn't come out. and i didnt have any air tools to help.

Jackstands are the safest way to do this in your own garage unless you have ramps.

 

Back the car up on some ramps. Then you crawl under from the back. That is how I did it when I did the exhaust on my WRX when I had one. I intend to do it the same way when i change the exhaust on the RX8.

 

$120 to install a catback?!

I decided to be super lazy and I only paid like $50 for mine. Most people here have installed it themselves and said it's not a very difficult proces. (just those damn rubber mounts can be tricky)

 

Don't be afraid to install it yourself. If you do choose to install it yourself just remember saftey first, use jackstands, wait for your car to cool down and if you are bothered with crap falling in your eyes, wear safety goggles.

The hangers arent that bad!

 

My dad is worried about the jack stands and doesnt think they're safe enough... and since he's helping pay for part of this I cant really go against that decision. If anyone in the houston area happens to know a good place for this kind of install, any help would be appreciated

 

Jack stands are plenty safe, just exercise caution. What I mean is make sure it is stable before you get under the car. But it is plenty doable on jackstands.

 

dish soap works better i hear. i made the mistake.

beers

 

and 120 bucks is to much. on a rack it is a 15 minute job for a pro.

beers

 

Thanks for the help everyone I just had a last minute thought and now I'm wondering if the race exhaust is louder or quieter than the normal RB exhaust and does anyone know where a video of it is?

 

race... versus... street.

race exhaust is much louder.

 

From the main man himself:

but from my experience, this rev8 exhaust is very quiet as it is.

 

hmmm... that being said, do you still like the sound?

 

yes, i still like the sound, it sounds stock until you gun it. I recommend it if you don't want the exhaust loud all the time.

 

i was lucky i got my installed for free

 

I could do in on the floor with jack stand in 20 min tops. go to other shops and check for the price. alway said:"the other shop down the road say they could do it for 30 bucks".
and see if they drop their price to 40 or 50 bucks.

 

I've been looing at the RP super-cat too... but I cant afford both atm. how does the stock exhaust sound with the RP super-cat? which would you recommend to go with for sound?

(I'm looking for something that's not too obnoxiously loud but not necessarily WOT to notice a difference. I have looked at videos of the exhausts but cant rely on accurate sound in the videos. I havnt seen a video of just the RP super-cat though.)

 

I posted up an audio clip of the RP supercat and greddy exhaust. It sounds fine... its not raspy a t all.

If you're staying N/A - The RP Supercat is the good way to get more airflow without throwing a CEL.

-hS

 

I had the RP Supercat and stock exhaust, not loud at all. Its a little raspy when cold but once it heats up it sounds fine.

I have the RB Race exhaust now and combined with the RP supercat its pretty loud. Its mellowed a bit over the last couple hundred miles (or its causing me to go deaf ) but at WOT its pretty loud.

 

Thanks for the help everyone I've called 4 places around me now and the estimates for a cat-back have been $120, $136, $125 and the last they said $75-130 depending on how many crossbars they have to remove. So they all seem to be about the same. The one that quoted me $120 was recommended to me by someone so I'm thinking I might just go to that one since they all have similar prices.

 

You only need to remove a crossbar if you switch out your cat.

 

one last question: I've always wondered if it's fine to take my car to a shop to have it worked on because of the fact that it tends to flood if it isnt warmed. If I tell them before I leave my car, should I worry about that?

 

Mazda dealership installed mine for 60 ... when I had fitment issues later on they fixed it for free !

 

Yea, tell them not to shut it off cold. there have been occurrances of it happening. but you only need to tell them if your not guna be there. in the case of an exhaust install, you'll be there.