Re: 164 Exhaust Sounds

[Chris Robyn <chris.robyn@domain.elided>]

>I need some Alfisti advice re: my 91 164S. After 2 years with a nice Stebro
>exhaust (center and rear) I have decided I want to change the sound of my
>exhaust. I am bored with the Stebro!  It is so polite.
>
>I want "burbles" on downshifts, a gutsy deeper sound around town, a sound
>that "grabs you" on full acceleration, and a "wail" on high revs.  I want
>to turn heads without having the police called.  I want to be loud without
>being (overly) annoying! I never drive this car on the freeway for long
>distances so the "drone" doesn't scare me.
>
>My plan is to buy an ANSA rear - but what (else) should (could) I do?? Will
>this be a big enough change?  Should I customize something?  Have something
>built? I've scoured the net for reports on the ANSA sound and seen mixed
>results - some say its similar to OEM, and then gets louder when warm.
>That doesn't sound too dramatic for $200+!
>
>Who's done something interesting here on this issue?  Any good or bad
>experiences?  Any thoughts?

*****

Taylor,

Alfa Bill's 164 exhaust is guaranteed to turn heads!  You may also want to
consider a B&B Tri-Flo exhaust.  It's not Italian, but it's a very nice
system.  I have a B&B cat-back system on my Porsche, which consists of a SS
pipe, a carbon fiber (!) muffler, and a huge 4.5" SS oval tip.  Problem is
it's not really bolt on--you may have to have some custom welding done.
The stuff is not cheap (I think it was about $900 for this set up alone--
an exciting alternative to the OEM Por$che part$, however), but the sound
is awesome without being annoying like the "coffee can" rear pipes you see
nowadays.  On the 944 turbo at least, the B&B tip fills out the cutout in
the rear undertray perfectly.  On the 164S, it may not even fit through the
cutout, now that I think about it, but they are very nice systems and come
in various configurations--it may be worthwhile to check them out.  Most
specialty Porsche repair shops carry the info and, contrary to popular
perception, most will not feel you are "cramping their style" if you bring
in an Alfa.

Chris Robyn
Berkeley, CA
'84 GTV-6 (w/ Anza)
'91 168 (w/ Stebro)
'86 944 turbo (w/ B&B)

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