Vibrant Performance Catback Exhaust Review

[inyong1988]

sounds deep and exhaust tip is smaller than stock...very lovely looking..

[robinsonda1]

Originally Posted by inyong1988

sounds deep and exhaust tip is smaller than stock...very lovely looking..

Nice pic btw.

[inyong1988]

thanks.

[FA5SI]

Hmm cant wait till they come out for the Fa5

[JRM_FG2]

I just installed my vibrant exhaust.... and wow!!!, i love the sound (especially in vtec) and the look. I got nothing but compliments including my girlfriend and her dad who is a cop and a mechanic ,and he has alot of experience in imports. The only bad thing is its going to have to be welded bc of a small exhaust leak were the clamp is. All well its no biggie and worth it IMO. Highly recommend this exhaust for anyone who wants a stock look and louder stockish sound.

[robinsonda1]

I just had mine intalled the other day and I like the wy it looks and sounds. It is a lot louder than I expected however, so I will have to see if I get used to it, if not I might have to go with the Tanabe.

[Anubis]

^^ tried to tell you that a while back robin.

Originally Posted by Anubis

There is some drone, but not enough to become annoying at least not to me. Honestly, my wife thinks it is to loud and drones to much so perhaps this exhaust isn't right for you. This is from a person who dislikes loud cars though, but I wouldn't want you to be disappointed. I honestly think it is only a lil' louder and deeper during normal driving, and gets loud when I open it up.

[robinsonda1]

My name is David not Robin, but any way there were about 10 people to every one that said it was quiet. Also it's starting to melt my bumper. I don't notice any difference in performance either just an annoying drone.

[Tom1222]

Originally Posted by robinsonda1

My name is David not Robin, but any way there were about 10 people to every one that said it was quiet. Also it's starting to melt my bumper. I don't notice any difference in performance either just an annoying drone.

I don't know about that bumper melting. Why didn't you just bend the two hangers a bit so the tip wouldn't be too close to the bumper?
There should be at least an inch or so clearance between the bumper and the exhaust tip. I don't have that much of a drone and no you wont feel much of a performance difference since it is a cat back and regardless of which one you go with it will not make much more than maybe 3-5 HP difference which isn't enough to "feel"
Get a raceheader if you want some noticable performance but it will be a lot louder. Or add some Nitrous. That really will make you feel the difference. I always said the Vibrant is on the louder side but I like the sound of it. If I get a raceheader I will probably go with a quieter exhaust.

If you want quiet I would go with the APEXI WS2. Nice exhaust and one of the quietest around. I didn't care how the Tanabe Sounds but that is just me.
The Apexi WS2 or the Greddy Sp2 would be my choice for quieter exhausts.

[robinsonda1]

Well I have the HFP body kit so the rear valance sits lower than the bumper and that is actually what's melting. I have to get around to trying to bend the hangers I just don't have two hours to wait for a lift right now. I hope that fixes it though. I wonder if anyone would be interested in a lightly used vibrant cat back?

[chenslee_cheese]

Drone FTW!!

I keep a fistfull of earplugs in the center console now. I'm not kidding.

[Crysis_jdm]

Mine is coming in today. Can't wait to get home and install it.

[I Vtec, do you?]

Originally Posted by chenslee_cheese

I discovered last night that:

A. The tip was sitting too high, off center, and the muffler was rotated slightly.

B. Due to the above, my bumper had melted onto the tip.

I checked all my hangers and the clamp to see if there was some way to adjust the tip height that I had missed, but everything was fixed, so I pulled the muffler section. If you look at the stock muffler hangers, they are centered over the tailpipe. The Vibrant muffler hangers are offset and crooked. They are not parallel with the muffler or even parallel with themselves.

After removing the blackened bumper from the tip using a blowtorch, a fork, and some steel wool, I attempted to adjust the Vibrant hangers with a cheater pipe. Of course, this just dented the muffler where the hangers were welded. I haven't re-installed because I still need to dremmel off the scorched portion of my bumper, but I doubt that it will be centered when I do.

I understand that this exhaust was designed to be used with an Si that still has it's catalytic converter, and that is where my volume problems are coming from, but crooked, off-center, bumper melting tips are ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE.

I think mine will have this same problem. When I got mine in (got it used from someone on here) there was black crap all over the tip that I can't scrape off I'm assuming it's his melted bumper

[Dan1981]

thats not good should have bought a SKunk2.....

[Team Midnight]

Originally Posted by I Vtec, do you?

I think mine will have this same problem. When I got mine in (got it used from someone on here) there was black crap all over the tip that I can't scrape off I'm assuming it's his melted bumper

never had that problem with mine and I love it

[I Vtec, do you?]

Welp this afternoon I took some eagle 1 metal polish and cleaned up the vibrant. I was wrong, the previous owner's bumper had not melted on the tip. It was just some very, very stuck on something or another. Needless to say, it took about 40 mins of furious scrubbing to get it off. Glad it's off! I was upset that I had a big, black splotch covering up part oft he vibrant logo on the tip. Now she's all clean and ready to go for sunday

[NitrousG35]

Originally Posted by I Vtec, do you?

Welp this afternoon I took some eagle 1 metal polish and cleaned up the vibrant. I was wrong, the previous owner's bumper had not melted on the tip. It was just some very, very stuck on something or another. Needless to say, it took about 40 mins of furious scrubbing to get it off. Glad it's off! I was upset that I had a big, black splotch covering up part oft he vibrant logo on the tip. Now she's all clean and ready to go for sunday

Sounds good Jeremy. Let us know how the install goes. I know you will be pleased with the Vibrant cat-back.

[I Vtec, do you?]

I have no doubt about loving this thing. I was messing with the clamps earlier, and from what I could tell, it looked like they sealed things up just fine.

[markiev37]

update on my vibrant exhasut....I've had it on now for about three weeks and it seems as if it has quieted down a bit. It's loud when I jump on it but at cruising speed it"s mellow...I noticed some drone at freeway speeds in 6th gear but that has also toned down to acceptable levels......So far I am very pleased with my purchase.

[splew]

Hey, have you seen that vibrant now makes the same exhaust for the R18 sedan? I have an R18 coupe and I was thinking about getting the exhaust and cutting the mid pipe to fit,thats the only difference between the sedan and coupe exhausts right? just a mid pipe that's two inches longer? Anyway I wanted to get this exhaust because I like how it sounds on the Si and i'm guessing it should sound similar on the R18. Just wondering what you guys thought or if anyone has this exhaust yet.
Thanks