So, what's the difference between the CT exhaust in price and actual sound....louder, deeper etc?
Can it really get any better than the CT unit?
Can it really get any better than the CT unit?
Do you want to see my Tubi?
- Thread starter ncdogdoc
- Start date
How can a sound be "better" I really don't know and can't imagine how anyone could. You can measure decibels and that is very easy to increase or decrease. In fact Tubi has always been willing to increase decibels if convinced and within decent limits. The "quality" of the sound is very subjective. Some people like their 4cyl hot rod to shriek like an F1 while others prefer the rumble of an american V8 or the low baritone of an italian V12. At the end of the day it's what YOU like.
On more than 3 occasions now, three friends of mine joined me with their 360 and spent half a day each time sampling exhaust sounds from our 4 360's, all different: one stock, one stock with disconnected secondaries, one Tubi and one Fuchs. We mades passes, went thru tunnels, recorded, idled and just about everything short of inhaling the stuff and at the end of the day, each one of us loved his own exhaust. it's truly subjective. The thing that stands out with the NSX Tubi in my opinion is the difference in "tone" between it and what we've been accustomed to from everything else. There is something definitely "italian" about it and it does get more discernable with time. I happen to like this. As to build quality, IMHO I think it is very easy to notice the difference...
My (biased) 2 cents
Tino S.
On more than 3 occasions now, three friends of mine joined me with their 360 and spent half a day each time sampling exhaust sounds from our 4 360's, all different: one stock, one stock with disconnected secondaries, one Tubi and one Fuchs. We mades passes, went thru tunnels, recorded, idled and just about everything short of inhaling the stuff and at the end of the day, each one of us loved his own exhaust. it's truly subjective. The thing that stands out with the NSX Tubi in my opinion is the difference in "tone" between it and what we've been accustomed to from everything else. There is something definitely "italian" about it and it does get more discernable with time. I happen to like this. As to build quality, IMHO I think it is very easy to notice the difference...
My (biased) 2 cents
Tino S.
I have a very short mpeg of my Tubi, just sitting, and reving the motor. If someone would like to host it, I'd be glad to send it to them. Please email me @
[email protected]
as I'll send it from work where I have a fast connection!
Steve
------------------
Steve
91 NSX
95 M3 (For Sale with only 31k miles!!)
01 MDX
02 M3 SMG (It's heeeerrreee)
[email protected]
as I'll send it from work where I have a fast connection!
Steve
------------------
Steve
91 NSX
95 M3 (For Sale with only 31k miles!!)
01 MDX
02 M3 SMG (It's heeeerrreee)
Last Tuesday my Tubi arrived and Saturday my 19 year old son and I installed it in my 95 NSX-T. I have overhauled English and German engines, so I have some previous mechanical experience, but not with the NSX exhaust. My unsolicted observations and review regarding installation, fitment and function are as follows:
I rented a clean professional auto repair bay at a local exotics-only car dealer, which included a nice lift. My car has only ~10,700 miles and is like new, even underneath, so removal of the OEM exhaust was expected to be easy, and it was. We used WD-40 (not Liquid Wrench) for rusted nut/bolt penetration, and the 6 nuts came right off, first try. We used spray silicone to pre-treat the 4 rubber hangers, and it worked fine to make the hangers more pliable. We lowered the OEM exhaust with no problem. The fitting between the OEM exhaust tubes & cats had no gasket.
We cleaned the rubber hangers, reapplied silicone and mounted them on the Tubi stainless steel hanger arms. We lifted the Tubi, hooked the hangers to the subframe hooks and bolted the pipes to the cats w/ ~25 lbs of torque, no problems.
However, the dual tips on both sides nearly touched the underside of the black plastic valance, which we expected from other reports in this thread. Also, the right side tips were evenly spaced within thier alotted space between the verticle portions of the valance, but the left side tips were not centered within their space. We then tried to adjust these various positions of the tips by silicone-treating and manipulating the hanging positons of the entire suspended exhaust system, including the cats, but this had no permanent effect on the verticle or horizontal tip placements.
We then tried to bend the rear hanger arms of the Tubi exhaust upward, as recommended above in this thread, but this was impossible with the exhaust installed, because the Tubi hanger rods are thick and stiff stainless steel that is very difficult to bend, especially with limited access while installed. So we completely removed the exhaust and placed it on a blanket on the concrete floor.
Using a flat-edged, 2.5 ft long pry bar, we repeatedly applied leverage to the stainlees hanger rods, using the attached exhaust tube as a fulcrum, and using a steel ruler to measure the distance of each hanger to the floor. We did this until both hangers were adjusted upward ~3/8" higher than their original placements. We then reinstalled the exhaust. The exhaust tips were then properly positioned about 1/2" below the valance. However, the horizontal positions of the tips were unchanged, with the right side tips centered and the left side off center, and that's the way it remains. The only way I can imagine to fix this would be to heat and bend the left side exhaust pipe, so I'll just leave it for now. Fitment issues on these first 10 exhausts (from this group buy) will hopefully be solved with Tino's feedback, by the time Tubi produces another batch.
We then started up the car for the first sound tests, and $HIT!!!!!!... what an experience it was in that mainly closed bay: Booming sound that at first seemed way louder than the RM exhaust with which I'm familiar on a local 94 NSX. We quickly realized that it may be because we were inside a bay and not outside on the road, so we delayed judgement.
While on the lift, we checked for exhaust leaks and found that the right side tube connection to the cat had two leaks, so we decided to use a black sealant compound for exhausts. We loosened all 6 nuts (both sides), liberally smeared the sticky black tar-like compound all over the ends of both the Tubi and OEM cat fitting surfaces, and we reassmbled everything again. A quick start up and tests showed the leaks to be gone! Finally, it was time for a test drive!
As I backed the car out on to the lot, and every conversation on the car lot stopped, and all heads turned my way! Everyone, customers, salesmen, kids were watching this unusual red exotic back out of the bay. As I drove across the lot and turned onto the street no one said a word - talking would interrupt what they all needed to do: listen to this amazing car get it on!
I first drove around with my son, then had him take it out so I could listen from afar, and I am very pleased with the Tubi sound. Taking it through the gears is great. It's got a moderate amount of low rumbling tone up to about 3K rpm, but then gets more refined through the mid-rpms, then screams at higher rpms. It may actually be louder than the RM, but that measurement can only come from side-by-side testing. I have not yet been able to hear from my exhaust the higher pitched secondary "schrill-type" sound that Tino's car produces at higher rpms, as captured by a posting by akira3d of a video/audio recording on a different thread http://www.nsxprime.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/002750-2.html. But this may eventually come from an exhaust aging process, as Tino describes.
I am quite certain and would put money on the feeling that my car has more horsepower now. It's definitely faster, and no, it's not just my hearing. Some people have scoffed at the notion that an exhaust alone could give such an increase, but Comptech has shown on the dynomometer that its exhaust alone, WITHOUT other mods, does give 8 more rwhp. See http://www.comptechusa.com/images/dyno/2000NSXscPlot3.pdf I'd guess the Tubi gives at least the same rwhp increase as the Comptech exhaust.
On Sunday my wife and I went out driving the local hills, and although she is not a "car buff" at all, she liked the sound too, and did not find the increased decibel level objectionable. The increased sound is so fine that I can predict with certainty that my gasoline bill will be going up, because I'm now constantly wanting to go for a drive!
Final Observation: NSXers know that the mere physical appearance the NSX is sufficient to turn heads and produce lots of gazes from onlookers, unless it's a pitch black night of fog, and no one can see. If you add the Tubi exhaust to your NSX, you will have absolutely no possibility of being inconspicuous in the light or dark, so forget it, if you're shy and don't want to be noticed! For my experience, the OEM stealth is gone! It is true that the NSX should have produced this type of sports car sound from the beginning, and this is another area where Acura engineers and/or marketing people need to get a grip for future development.
Thanks much for your help Tino. (BTW, a 308 owner at the shop asked me where to get one for his car).
------------------
NSXY
95 NSX-T, 5 sp, Red/Tan, Stock, except Dunlaptya SP9000s
[This message has been edited by NSXY (edited 04 February 2002).]
[This message has been edited by NSXY (edited 04 February 2002).]
I rented a clean professional auto repair bay at a local exotics-only car dealer, which included a nice lift. My car has only ~10,700 miles and is like new, even underneath, so removal of the OEM exhaust was expected to be easy, and it was. We used WD-40 (not Liquid Wrench) for rusted nut/bolt penetration, and the 6 nuts came right off, first try. We used spray silicone to pre-treat the 4 rubber hangers, and it worked fine to make the hangers more pliable. We lowered the OEM exhaust with no problem. The fitting between the OEM exhaust tubes & cats had no gasket.
We cleaned the rubber hangers, reapplied silicone and mounted them on the Tubi stainless steel hanger arms. We lifted the Tubi, hooked the hangers to the subframe hooks and bolted the pipes to the cats w/ ~25 lbs of torque, no problems.
However, the dual tips on both sides nearly touched the underside of the black plastic valance, which we expected from other reports in this thread. Also, the right side tips were evenly spaced within thier alotted space between the verticle portions of the valance, but the left side tips were not centered within their space. We then tried to adjust these various positions of the tips by silicone-treating and manipulating the hanging positons of the entire suspended exhaust system, including the cats, but this had no permanent effect on the verticle or horizontal tip placements.
We then tried to bend the rear hanger arms of the Tubi exhaust upward, as recommended above in this thread, but this was impossible with the exhaust installed, because the Tubi hanger rods are thick and stiff stainless steel that is very difficult to bend, especially with limited access while installed. So we completely removed the exhaust and placed it on a blanket on the concrete floor.
Using a flat-edged, 2.5 ft long pry bar, we repeatedly applied leverage to the stainlees hanger rods, using the attached exhaust tube as a fulcrum, and using a steel ruler to measure the distance of each hanger to the floor. We did this until both hangers were adjusted upward ~3/8" higher than their original placements. We then reinstalled the exhaust. The exhaust tips were then properly positioned about 1/2" below the valance. However, the horizontal positions of the tips were unchanged, with the right side tips centered and the left side off center, and that's the way it remains. The only way I can imagine to fix this would be to heat and bend the left side exhaust pipe, so I'll just leave it for now. Fitment issues on these first 10 exhausts (from this group buy) will hopefully be solved with Tino's feedback, by the time Tubi produces another batch.
We then started up the car for the first sound tests, and $HIT!!!!!!... what an experience it was in that mainly closed bay: Booming sound that at first seemed way louder than the RM exhaust with which I'm familiar on a local 94 NSX. We quickly realized that it may be because we were inside a bay and not outside on the road, so we delayed judgement.
While on the lift, we checked for exhaust leaks and found that the right side tube connection to the cat had two leaks, so we decided to use a black sealant compound for exhausts. We loosened all 6 nuts (both sides), liberally smeared the sticky black tar-like compound all over the ends of both the Tubi and OEM cat fitting surfaces, and we reassmbled everything again. A quick start up and tests showed the leaks to be gone! Finally, it was time for a test drive!
As I backed the car out on to the lot, and every conversation on the car lot stopped, and all heads turned my way! Everyone, customers, salesmen, kids were watching this unusual red exotic back out of the bay. As I drove across the lot and turned onto the street no one said a word - talking would interrupt what they all needed to do: listen to this amazing car get it on!
I first drove around with my son, then had him take it out so I could listen from afar, and I am very pleased with the Tubi sound. Taking it through the gears is great. It's got a moderate amount of low rumbling tone up to about 3K rpm, but then gets more refined through the mid-rpms, then screams at higher rpms. It may actually be louder than the RM, but that measurement can only come from side-by-side testing. I have not yet been able to hear from my exhaust the higher pitched secondary "schrill-type" sound that Tino's car produces at higher rpms, as captured by a posting by akira3d of a video/audio recording on a different thread http://www.nsxprime.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/002750-2.html. But this may eventually come from an exhaust aging process, as Tino describes.
I am quite certain and would put money on the feeling that my car has more horsepower now. It's definitely faster, and no, it's not just my hearing. Some people have scoffed at the notion that an exhaust alone could give such an increase, but Comptech has shown on the dynomometer that its exhaust alone, WITHOUT other mods, does give 8 more rwhp. See http://www.comptechusa.com/images/dyno/2000NSXscPlot3.pdf I'd guess the Tubi gives at least the same rwhp increase as the Comptech exhaust.
On Sunday my wife and I went out driving the local hills, and although she is not a "car buff" at all, she liked the sound too, and did not find the increased decibel level objectionable. The increased sound is so fine that I can predict with certainty that my gasoline bill will be going up, because I'm now constantly wanting to go for a drive!
Final Observation: NSXers know that the mere physical appearance the NSX is sufficient to turn heads and produce lots of gazes from onlookers, unless it's a pitch black night of fog, and no one can see. If you add the Tubi exhaust to your NSX, you will have absolutely no possibility of being inconspicuous in the light or dark, so forget it, if you're shy and don't want to be noticed! For my experience, the OEM stealth is gone! It is true that the NSX should have produced this type of sports car sound from the beginning, and this is another area where Acura engineers and/or marketing people need to get a grip for future development.
Thanks much for your help Tino. (BTW, a 308 owner at the shop asked me where to get one for his car).
------------------
NSXY
95 NSX-T, 5 sp, Red/Tan, Stock, except Dunlaptya SP9000s
[This message has been edited by NSXY (edited 04 February 2002).]
[This message has been edited by NSXY (edited 04 February 2002).]
NSXY,
I work in the Del Mar Highlands area. If you're ever around, I'd love to hear it. Sounds like you're having a good time.
------------------
1995 NSX-T
1999 3.2TL
2001 Odyssey
1992 SC400
I work in the Del Mar Highlands area. If you're ever around, I'd love to hear it. Sounds like you're having a good time.
------------------
1995 NSX-T
1999 3.2TL
2001 Odyssey
1992 SC400
Yo FuryNSX:
No problem, but I'm mostly living in Santa Barbara now, but I'll keep you in mind next time I'm in Del Mar. You know, I may have met you before. Do you have a black NSX w/ NOS and work in one of the brick buildings on the east side of I-5, which are accessed from High Bluff Drive?
------------------
NSXY
95 NSX-T, 5 sp, Red/Tan, Stock, except Dunlaptya SP9000s
No problem, but I'm mostly living in Santa Barbara now, but I'll keep you in mind next time I'm in Del Mar. You know, I may have met you before. Do you have a black NSX w/ NOS and work in one of the brick buildings on the east side of I-5, which are accessed from High Bluff Drive?
------------------
NSXY
95 NSX-T, 5 sp, Red/Tan, Stock, except Dunlaptya SP9000s
Nick was kind enough to host this short rev of my NSX with the newly instaled TUBI!
Thanks Nick! http://www.moomoo.biz/nsx_tubi.mpg
is the url!
Steve
------------------
Steve
91 NSX
95 M3 (For Sale with only 31k miles!!)
01 MDX
02 M3 SMG (It's heeeerrreee)
Thanks Nick! http://www.moomoo.biz/nsx_tubi.mpg
is the url!
Steve
------------------
Steve
91 NSX
95 M3 (For Sale with only 31k miles!!)
01 MDX
02 M3 SMG (It's heeeerrreee)
NSXY,
No, I'm sure that's not me. I don't have NOS in my car, and I don't work in a brick building. However, I am on High Bluff, but in the Spanish Mission building. There is another black NSX that occasionally does park in the same lot as me, but I haven't met him/her yet.
That would be cool if you're ever down in the area.
------------------
1995 NSX-T
1999 3.2TL
2001 Odyssey
1992 SC400
No, I'm sure that's not me. I don't have NOS in my car, and I don't work in a brick building. However, I am on High Bluff, but in the Spanish Mission building. There is another black NSX that occasionally does park in the same lot as me, but I haven't met him/her yet.
That would be cool if you're ever down in the area.
------------------
1995 NSX-T
1999 3.2TL
2001 Odyssey
1992 SC400
NSXFury,
Yes, I've been in your building visiting a telecommunications friend on the second floor, and it's really the nicest architecture in the area. I used to work across the street in one of those Siberian winter, stark archetecture-looking buildings on the freeway. That's where I remember the other black NSX from. The guy said he really loved his car, but he would leave it in the parking lot for days at a time collecting dirt while gone on trips. It was all stock except the NOS, which he said he got from Mark Basch. This was my introduction to the car about 4 years ago. Maybe catch you later...
------------------
NSXY
95 NSX-T, 5 sp, Red/Tan, Stock, except Dunlaptya SP9000s
Yes, I've been in your building visiting a telecommunications friend on the second floor, and it's really the nicest architecture in the area. I used to work across the street in one of those Siberian winter, stark archetecture-looking buildings on the freeway. That's where I remember the other black NSX from. The guy said he really loved his car, but he would leave it in the parking lot for days at a time collecting dirt while gone on trips. It was all stock except the NOS, which he said he got from Mark Basch. This was my introduction to the car about 4 years ago. Maybe catch you later...
------------------
NSXY
95 NSX-T, 5 sp, Red/Tan, Stock, except Dunlaptya SP9000s
Cool, looking forward to hearing your exhaust. Take it easy!!!
------------------
1995 NSX-T
1999 3.2TL
2001 Odyssey
1992 SC400
------------------
1995 NSX-T
1999 3.2TL
2001 Odyssey
1992 SC400
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