I finally got around to finishing installing the Borla exhaust on the
Spitfire. I haven't driven it since the alternator explosion, and figured
I'd install the Borla at the same time I fixed that, but it took a while
with everything else that got in the way of working on the car - I had
yesterday off so I spent all day installing the muffler system.
Anyway, It does naturally sound different, actually quieter at freeway
cruising speeds (maybe all the noise is behind me?) but it does have a
sharper rap at low rpm, high throttle openings than the stock one, even
with the small 12 inch resonator installed. It's not entirely
objectionable but I think it will take a little time to get used to (I
really liked the sound of the original exhaust). The stock muffler sounded
a little more throaty, while this one sounds a little more Ferrari like.
It does appear to be a lot less restrictive (as indicated by the lean
running at full throttle [fuel injected] which wasn't there before so it
might require a little more fuel pressure or maybe even the old chip which
ran rich at full throttle) and it would appear to be a little more
responsive at mid throttle positions. But remember, I haven't driven the
car for a couple weeks so I may have forgotten how much power I had since I
have only been driving the truck (gutless, doesn't have enough power to get
out of it's own way) and the GT6 (while it's got more power, it's still not
anywhere near what the V6 has, nor the torque, plus the added weight of the
GT).
So I'll give it a couple of weeks to get used to and see if I like it more
by then -
Barry Schwartz (San Diego) bschwart@pacbell.net
72 PI, V6 Spitfire (daily driver)
70 GT6+ (when I don't drive the Spit)
70 Spitfire (long term project)
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