After a catalytic converter of course. I've never heard a SOHC 6 cylinder with a straight pipe. They sound good on V8 pushrod engines. The only reason i ask is because i don't want to pay for a full catback when i'm only going to have the max for only a few more months. I don't care if it's loud but if it sounds ratty and redneck then forget it.

 

...someone had a video clip of their max w/no exaust from the manifolds back a while ago (a jk while in the middle of a job). It was way loud and way redneck. Anyone no where to find it?

 

When I had the exhaust pulled off of my '90 gxe I tried it out with just a y-pipe. It sounded pretty cool at idle and slight revs, but once I took it out for a drive, I came right back home. It was wayyy to loud. As for a straight pipe, I can't imagine it would sound real bad, unless you are thinking about not having a muffler. If you are thinking about not having a muffler, you would be better off just leaving your max as-is.

 

damn, i was hoping it wouldn't sound redneck. Oh well i'll let the exhaust rust the rest of the way out.

 

If your exhaust is rusted really bad (holes and such), you could probably have a shop bend you some pipe and weld it to your current muffler for a decent price.

 

I've got a test pipe in mine, it makes it sound alittle deeper but not much, exhaust still sounds stock, but theres a few little viberations or what have you in it. It's really nothing, probably just the stock muffler being wierd. I also have a stock y-pipe.

 

straight pipes are a little bit noisy. try to use mufflers with perforated cores, even the design is straight but less noise.

 

Well, I've heard different Maximas with gutted cats (a VG and VQ) and they both sounded like sh*t! Don't do it.

 

i have done straight pipe without the catalytic converter and if u take out the muffler and put a glass pack it sound great

 

so what should we try after the aftermarket Y pipe to get that deep bass?

 

The opinion of the sound is subjective.
I currently have a straight pipe cat back (no muffler) and it sounds fine to me.
But the car alarms tend to get POed at it

 

I took the muffler off of my 94 SE (it was TOOO quiet) and replaced it with a straight pipe with a Pacesetter Monza resonator tip on it. Very nice sound at idle; actually quiet at highway speeds; the only time it becomes bothersome is under load at around 2500 rpm. Then it drones a bit but that I can live with. I love the sound of it. I do still have the catalytic converter on it and it's not gutted or anything. That provides enough muffling to make it sound nice. I wanted something that sounded better but I didn't want to put a "coffee can" muffler on it. With the Pacesetter tip on it looks pretty much stock until you look from down low and you don't see a muffler body. That combined with the popcharger sounds great at full throttle under an overpass or through a tunnel. Kind of a mini Lamborghini sound.

 

Yeah, well, a Maxima will never sound like this R33 GTR w/ T51r was my whole point.

 

I can't remember but isn't it that if there is no muffler you get great top end power but crappy bottom end because you don't have any back pressure?

 

I haven't really noticed much of a difference with mine. I still have the stock exhaust for the rest of it. Nothing high flow. Putting a Y pipe, high flow cat, and bigger pipes would probably make that alot more noticeable.