Magnaflow Exhaust Installed

[apremdas]

Well I had a local shop here in Winnipeg install a Magnaflow exhaust with custom pipe on my Matrix XR-AWD.  Wow!
I love it.  The sound is amazing and the performance is enhanced.  The car seems to be highly responsive and more energetic.
I have the K & N CAI being installed next week.  I'll update everyone with the results.

SWEETRX

[GT-Four]

Custom downpipe? I guess the kit was just a cat-back?

Sometimes you can measure a difference in 50-70mph times with just a stopwatch -- at least one tenth of a second.

[M]

It's really hard to say what kind of torque and horsepower gains you might really be getting unless you have dynomometer tests with temperature correction factors. Grassroots Motorsport has had some good articles on having dyno tests done on your car, here's one of the older ones. Inertia dynos are a lot cheaper than they used to be, so it's easier to find an affordable dyno shop.

Are you planning on any ECU tune or chip after the cold air induction?

[M]

I just ran across some Dynojet 248 dyno time costs from a shop in Tennessee:

Dyno Pricing

3 Good pulls - $80

5 Good Pulls with Wide Band Air Fuel Ratio - $100

Dyno Rental by the Hour - $150

Diesel Vehicles - 5 good pulls - $100

I've seen Dynojet time lower than that, too. You'll have to check around.

[GT-Four]

Even if they are cheaper, not everyone has access to a dyno. Benchmarking acceleration from stop or rolling acceleration on the highway with a stopwatch is a valid way to measure performance.

[apremdas]

I had the K & N CAI installed on Friday.  It went in without problems.  I drove away and it seems so far the gas consumption has gotten better.  The temps haven't changed much.
I'm not really interested in getting a dyno done.  I can feel the difference and that's what really counts in my books.  Numbers are great but the actual feel is where it really matters.
There is a distinct difference in the quick response from a dead stop.  The car literally launches nicely without any skipping or such.
I don't hear any hissing (sucking) of the air from under the hood like I did in my '03 with the AEM CAI that I had in that Matrix.
So far so good.
Next...ECU upgarde??  Don't know.  I hear they can cost quite a bit of money.  T'besides I have a sports car that I love driving in the summer.

SWEETRX

[GT-Four]

I don't hear any hissing (sucking) of the air from under the hood like I did in my '03 with the AEM CAI that I had in that Matrix.

This is your second Matrix?

Next...ECU upgarde??  Don't know.  I hear they can cost quite a bit of money.  T'besides I have a sports car that I love driving in the summer.

What's your summer car?

[apremdas]

My summer car is a 1982 limited edition Mazda RX7 (1st gen) GX highly modified inside outside up and down.  I have a Mariah Mode I wide body package, a 13B 6-street ported engine that was built by Boss Automotive in Calgary for me, along with tons of other stuff.  And...I'm still not done with her.  I purchased it brand new off the show room floor back in Oct. of 1981.  I ordered it back then and it came out half way through 1982.  Hence the limited edition part.  There's home theatre, and too much to mention here.  I absolutely love that car.  It also runs with a twin 44mm Mikuni Carb setup with 2 MSD Digital 6AL boxes on a very unique coil setup.  Nothing like it around!

[GT-Four]

Whoa, that's a sweet rotary!. I hope you have declared-value insurance on that just in case. It sucks when they'll only pay you book value for something that's worth way, way more than the book says.

[apremdas]

The RX7 definitely has additional insurance.  It was appraised at around $40K for full replacement.  But then again, how do you replace a "one of a kind", especially when I've owned it from right off the show room floor.

Thanks.

SWEETRX