FabSpeed Exhaust
 

I had a FabSpeed cat back exhaust system installed last Thursday. Today was the first time I had a chance to take the car out and play with it.....too many other things scheduled over the 3 day holiday. Here are some observations:

1. Yes it was expensive, but build quality is first class. Plus FabSpeed's system was the only one I found that used larger pipes over the stock system. It is also a true cat back system running from the primary cats to the muffler outlet tips

2. The car sounds great...like a proper sports car.

3. There is no droning with the top down. The car is only driven in good weather.

4. Seat of the pants says the car is faster...might just be that the exhaust note makes it sound faster.

If any of you are going to order the FabSpeed system. Ask for the following to be included with it. One, a packing list so you will know you have all of the pieces. Two, installation instructions. Three ask to have the inlet and outlet pipes on the muffler taped over so the packing peanuts do not get inside.

Thanks for the report Mellowyellow. I do plan on buying the whole Fabspeed system in the next month or two. It is very expensive so I'm glad to hear it is as good quality as they say it is.

Not sure if this bothers you or not, but the fabspeed muffler can hangs below the bottom of the bumper, and can look rather untidy. Some folks have complained to Fabspeed about this, and so they know about this issue.

http://karl.wilen.us/images/BoxsterFabspeed4.JPG

The other thing to be aware of is that although there is no drone with the top down, the real test is if there is drone with the top up. Maybe MellowYellow can clarify that point.

Boxtaboy, thanks for the heads up. This car does look bad. But if you watch the Fabspeed video it's doesn't look that bad. Could this just be a bad install? On the Fabspeed video they even state that it tucks up under the rear nicely.

I thought fabspeed has a new system that is different and tucks more closely under the bumper, it's the one on the cayman video at their website. Is that only for the 987? The tips are also different b/c it separates the exhaust all the way through the tips.

The one they make for the newer 987 models are now made without the can sticking out low. They probably noted the complaints of folks who bought the earlier unit. The one for the 986 model (which is what 2000SoCalBoxsterS has), still has the single can unit that stick out from under the bumper.

Also, the issue is not the way the muffler is installed, it's just that with the 986 unit, they made it such that the muffler can is oriented vertically (which makes it stick out lower than the bumper), as opposed to horizontally, which is how they designed it for the newer 987. Look closely at the pictures of both their 986 version and the 987 version, and you'll see what I'm talking about.

Boxtaboy the answers to your two questions are:

Does the muffler hang below the rear bumper? Depends on where you are viewing the rear of the car from. If I get down on my hands and knees, I can see the bottom couple inches of the muffler. Standing behind the car, all I see are the exhaust tips. The picture you posted shows the car on a lift. The picture was taken at an angle looking up at the muffler. I was on the freeway a couple of days ago and was passed by two 986 Boxsters. Both appeared to have stock mufflers or aftermarket ones like Dansk. On both cars, I could see the bottom half of the mufflers. I made it a point to look at back of both cars because of all of the posts about the FabSpeed muffler hanging too low.

Do I notice the drone with the top up. Don't know. The car is only driven in good weather with the top down. If the drone is noticable with the top up, for the few times it is driven that way I can live with it. If your Boxster is your daily driver, I would suggest trying to find a car in your area that has the FabSpeed system installed and asking the owner to take you for a ride with the top up.

FabSpeed makes two different systems. One is a single can muffler for the 986. For 2000 - 2004 cars the 986 system also has two resonators. The other system is for the 987. It has two muffler cans that tuck up into the same location as the factory mufflers and no resonators. Both systems eliminate the secondary cats.

The real plus for me is that the car is now easier for me to drive. The previous owner had installed a Dansk sport muffler. Even it was way too quiet. With the FabSpeed system I can now hear the exhaust note and can judge when to shift much better. These cars have little or no engine vibration, no intake noise and no exhaust noise. For an old guy like me that learned when to shift by engine vibration and exhaust note, I was having problems learning the tricks to driving this car.

Very good point Mellowyellow. I was thinking the exact same thing. That the picture was taken looking up at an angle so it exaggerates how much the muffler shows.

although you do have it only on nice days, its takes a few seconds to put it up, so can you just so it and see if theres drone?
i dont see a big deal

- Thanks for the update. I do recall seeing a picture of the fabspeed unit installed from a rear shot in plain view without the car on a lift, but can't find it right now. I'll post when I do, or you can post a pic of it on your car. What I found was that the can stood out because of the left and right extreme sides of the muffler that hung low so that made it look awkward. The Dansk and factory unit does show from below too, but it is not as obvious and protruding like the Fabspeed unit because the can is tapered in shape so that it fits the curvature of the underside of the bumper and blends to the overall look.

I don't disagree with you regarding the sound. The Dansk unit is milder in tone than other aftermarket exhausts, and is only throatier and louder over 4K rpms, but has absolutely no resonance top up or down. I'm sure your Fabspeed is louder/more aggressive sounding.

- As for the drone of the Fabspeed, would it be difficult to just put your top up one day for 5 minutes, run the car, and see if there's any resonance to report?

Thx.

I considered the FabSpeed products when looking for a sport exhaust for my 987. One of the main reasons I did not select their product was because the mufflers hang below the rear bumper.

I looked at FabSpeed's web site last night, and as far as I can tell, they have not updated this design issue.

I am very happy with the Porsche Sport Exhaust. Looks exactly like stock, no drone, no resonance, no CEL, covered by the new car warranty (since this is a Porsche Tequipment part and was installed by Porsche) and sounds GREAT!

Agreed. Porsche's factory sports exhaust sounds very nice, has no resonance, and would be my number 1 choice if it were not the fact that it costs so much. The only downside is that it is about 41 lbs in weight vs. the standard OEM unit being 28 lbs.

I was too cheap to pay the $1600-1700 for the PSE, so I bought the Dansk unit instead for $750 new at the time. The Dansk is 26 lbs.

The 987 PSE and the 987 OEM S Mufflers weight about the same...within a pound.

Maybe the 986 had a larger weight difference.

Yes, the 986 stock and PSE mufflers did have a big weight difference.

Here's a shot of one of their mufflers...not the one I remember seeing before that showed what I was referring to really well, but nonetheless....

Note that it looks like the shot was taken standing up, so if you're sitting in a car behind it, it would be even more noticeable....

Doesn't look as bad with the girl next to it to help soften the look. :D
http://i10.tinypic.com/4k9hil0.jpg

Ok, lets compare apples to apples. The black car is a 987/Cayman. The red car on the lift is a 986. The exhaust systems are not the same. I have a 986. On my car the exhaust looks just fine.

If you have a 987 and are concerned about the mufflers hanging too low. you might want to go the the Caymen club web page. In the How To Articles folder, there is an excellent write up on the FabSpeed exhaust system installation. There are also write ups on two other systems.

Wow, doesn't look good at all! It totally messes up the rear lines. Makes you wonder if they even thought about the design before they manufactured it. The girl on the other hand... :eek:

I've seen them fitted to a 986, and it's the same thing...hangs below the bumper. I just can't find the darned picture right now. Always happens that way...when you're looking for something, you can't find it. It was a picture of a speed yellow 986 with the fabspeed maxflow muffler that hung below the bumper. It was quite noticeable. You could also post a picture from the rear of your car if you like, and put your top up to test if there's any in cabin resonance drone. I'm sure it would be helpful to those here who are contemplating such a purchase.

At the end of the day, if you're fine with the rear underhang, then that's all that matters.

Attached are a couple of pictures I took this weekend on a PCA club tour. The FabSpeed muffler does not hang any lower than the stock muffler.