As I mentioned in the Crios Mod thread, I had an idea on how to modify the stock muffler for more sound without any visible traces on the outside. Now it's done!
The idea was to do it like this:
Make an opening on top of the muffler, right where the exhaust inlet is, drill a hole straight through the inlet pipe so the exhaust gasses can take a shortcut to the pipe that leads straight to the outlet.
I bought a second hand muffler for virtually no money at all (like $60) and paid a skilled welder and metalworker less than $100 to get the work professionally done.
On to the pictures:
The holes were marked...
...and cut.
I chose a 12mm diameter for the holes. They go straight through the inlet pipes, so there's two holes in each pipe.
If you look closely, you can see where the outlet pipe is. (top left corner)
All welded up! He could have made it better looking, but since it's on the top side of the muffler, it won't be visible. Making it prettier would have taken more time, which would increase the cost. I'm happy with it.
The next step is to clean up the muffler, perhaps paint it with some heat resistant paint and polish the exhaust tip.
During the winter I'll see if I can mount it on the car, which is currently 400 miles away, and see how much of a difference it makes.