Headers and exhaust on 2000 boxster s?

[Need_for_speed]

Welcome aboard and congrats on your first P-car. Please upload some pics when time permits! We're big fans of Porsche-Porn and like to look at other member's new rides.

Recommend doing a thread search on exhaust systems. You'll find a wealth of info. With the help of the folks here, I did some extensive research on this myself. Here are the alternatives I explored:

1. Complete Fabspeed system. Sounds great. Leaves big hole in checkbook.
2. Top Speed 1 muffler. Sounds great. Much smaller hole in checkbook.
3. Dansk muffler. About $1K. Receives mixed reviews. Looks like a sausage.
4. Cat bypass pipes. You can eliminate the secondary cats on your 2000 S with no emissions issues, as long as there's no visual inspection. Feedback from those who have done so indicate a little better sound. Fabspeed cat deletes run around $600. Top Speed sells them for much less. There is some concern that the cat deletes get hot and may cook the drive boots.
5. Crios modification. Developed on this forum. If you have a little patience and a really long drill bit, you can punch a couple of holes in your muffler and improve the sound.
6. Desnorkle your intakes. More delightful intake sound. Cheap. Do a thread search.
7. Porsche Sport Exhaust (PSE). You'll need to take out a second mortgage, or you may get lucky and find a used one on eBay. One of our members did. Lucky dog...
8. Fister/Pedro modification. If you have welding skills or know someone who does, this is essentially a poor man's PSE. You can also send your muffler to FD Motorsports and they'll do the mod for you.

I'm sure folks will step in to add alternatives to the list.

Most of the folks here will tell you that none of these will do much to improve your pony count. Less restrictive headers and cat bypass pipes will improve the flow and give you a few horses, but the cost is high for such a modest improvement. Most of us engage in exhaust mods to give the car a little more personality, or to reduce the weight of the system (that muffler is a real boat anchor). Keep in mind though, that Porsche designed the stock exhaust system as a whole to serve as a vibration damper to prevent annoying exhaust drone at certain speeds.

I'm currently in the middle of a do-it-yourself Fister/Pedro mod, as I have access to a welder and mandrel bender. We're going to ceramic powder coat the whole system when finished to cut down on heat transfer. I'll post pics when complete.

Long post, sorry. Hope it helps. Good luck and welcome!

[CrisZenithBlue]

that is an excellent compilation of info on exhaust systems, nicely done!

unless you go for a full sports exhaust which would be less restrictive and tune the ECU to go with it you wont really get significant power. it's really not worth the money as is the case with a lot of other power gain increases in the Boxster. but heck man.. you have the S and you still want more power? i'm running around with the 2.7L and i feel the car has adequate power and the BEST part is i can actually plant my foot down and keep it there while i go through the gears and not kill myself or go to jail every time i do so.

a lot of people here will tell you the same thing: go for power increase upgrades when you've become such a good driver that you've outgrown the car in it's stock form. people have been working on that for years and it's not an easy thing to achieve.


i really do recommend a new exhaust system for some glorious sound though!
it will completely change the cars personality and you'll love it. i went through a few options before i found the sweet spot for myself personally.

i currently have the top speed cat delete pipes (normally 199$ but you can get them for 150$ like i did, i think because i mentioned the 986 forum but cant remember) and the Fister exhaust which will run you around 480$ + shipping. you get a few extra ponies with this setup but not really noticeable. and the best part.. ZERO drone!

here's the end result on a 2000 base:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1Efeluufu8


the first thing i did when getting my boxster was asking "how can i get more power" but then i quickly realized it doesnt need it.

do it justice and drive the crap out of it! the way it was meant to be driven!