More mods for the beast :)

[Samus]

Custom 2.25 inch flowmaster exhaust coming... second cat delete. Will be putting a "fake cat shell" to simulate the deleted one so I don't get trouble from the cops. I want it to be built in three sections for easy removal. The complete oem line will be untouched and ready to be swapped if ever... I'm also on the hunt for an 08 Sti hatchback oem muffler and would be curious to try and eventually swap it with my single tip flowmaster... (don't want to cut up my bumer just yet... )



This has been laying around for too long and needs to be installed and tuned with SX4Enthusiast's tune and tweaked for my intake/transmission and exhaust setup :



Finally, I got a second pair of headlights for 100$ all bulbs/plugs and wires are there. I will be black housing those and will try doing a projector retrofit LED or HID if I have time... I will be able to cut them up and install bigger projectors than the mini H1's we will see... :



My younger brother just got a 2012 Civic Si and already started modding it...! I think we motivated each other hahaha

[SX4enthusiast]

I'll be following. It is about time!

[SeanBonham]

[Sx4sport2008]

Do you guys think that there would be a significant hp gain by just replacing the exhaust with a really small one??

[Samus]

Do you guys think that there would be a significant hp gain by just replacing the exhaust with a really small one??

I'm not sure about that. Deleting the second cat will get you some gains without any headaches. Keep the oem pipe, its only 2 inches but it has all these weird twists and angles to it... I want mine to be as free flowing as possible, so Mandrell bending and stainless steel with a bigger diameter.

[Sx4sport2008]

Keep in mind Samus that theres only so much you can gain with exhaust pipes. Its not going to wake a sleeping beast. Think about it before you spend too much money on it. I know its tempting but others have been there before, just take a look at automat here...After countless efforts he sold the car to get something bigger.

The Sx4 is a super reliable, nice affordable awd little car but it has its limits. Its a great daily drive, i use it as a all season car for work since I work on the road, I need awd and reliable.

[Wagoneer]

Like Sx4sport2008 has said, there isn't a bunch to be gained with going with a larger exhaust. I have the stock exhaust all the way to the muffler, and clearly the OEM muffler is the largest restriction in the system. After that it would be the cats. Going with a simple high-flow spun cat in place of the 2nd OEM one would probably net you a bit more flow and still be able to let you pass emissions down the road (if you heat it up enough before the test). You'll be amazed at how much a 2" diameter exhaust can flow before it becomes a bottle neck for performance. Keep in mind all those +300whp rally cars are running little dinky 2" exhausts as per the class regulations.

I'm actually extremely happy with how my J20B performs with nothing but my intake, flowmaster muffler and dynotronics ECU tune. Before the muffler and intake I know now it was clearly running rich, but just opening up the intake and exhaust has gotten it into a really nice sweet spot with excellent mid-range and throttle response. I also have less than $1k invested in performance parts. If you're just going for value, that's probably your best bet. And don't forget, you will absolutely have to run high octane gas and synthetic oil to reap the benefits with the J20B. It has a really sensitive knock sensor and the VVT is very sensitive to oil that's too thin when heated up.

But if you're doing it for the experience and the fun of it and looking to squeeze every bit of performance out of the engine without opening it up, go nuts! Also with living in Quebec the benefits of stainless is obvious. Who knows how long my OEM exhaust will last living in the salt belt. I'm sure down the road I'll be doing the same thing as you. Looking forward to seeing this progress!

I wish Suzuki stayed in the game long enough for more aftermarket companies to take interest in developing turbo kits for the J20B. I think it's a massively underrated engine and clearly has a much better flowing head than the J20A. I think that's why it responds so much better to high octane gas. It's just a unique ECU in what it all controls, it would take a lot for someone to develop a proper standalone system, I don't think it would be worth it to someone without the resources and knowledge.

[Sx4sport2008]

The stupidest thing right now is that honda, Mazda etc are doing Sx4s lookalikes.....and they sell like hot cake..

[Sx4sport2008]

If I remove the muffler and simply add a pipe starting from the connector to the back, would it be more ''quiet'' than simply remove the muffler without adding a pipe?

[Wagoneer]

The stupidest thing right now is that honda, Mazda etc are doing Sx4s lookalikes.....and they sell like hot cake..

Buick's SX4 copy (that strangely enough came out right after Suzuki left) has sold like crazy, and it's literally the exact same car, just with a crappier chassis and quality... and more expensive. Just more proof that people will buy the car they see at the closest lot and will put zero effort into researching and travelling to dealerships.

If I remove the muffler and simply add a pipe starting from the connector to the back, would it be more ''quiet'' than simply remove the muffler without adding a pipe?

Yes, it'll technically be quieter than a turn down somewhere underneath the vehicle, but it will sound horrible. Naturally aspirated engines need mufflers, especially 4 bangers. Preferably baffled mufflers.