I'm Confused on Upgrades

[Fast Too]

Ok folks.......I have had my Viper for a few months now. I want to install a few upgrades but am very confused about all the jargin I have been reading back and forth between CORSA this and Belanger that, plus with or without Cats etc. You all make my head hurt.

I just want a little beefer sound, and retain my side exhaust ports. I do not want empty holes in the sides where they once were so a rear exhaust system is out, unless it comes with a solution to fill those holes. The responses to this thread should be interesting........Let it rip

 

[mike & juli]

Corsa Track Cat-Back Exhaust with tips that end at your side ports. Get rid of crossover pipes (they are a work of art, but are too restrictive)....headers - eh, you don't need em....flow thru cats...awesome sound...makes it a brute, but not too overpowering.
You will not have empty holes but you MUST MUST MUST tack/weld the tips as they WILL move/expand and burn your paint....this is a simple upgrade that adds approx. 40rwhp.
If you want more, VECIII (we have VECII) computer and dyno/tune somewhere in your area that tunes Vipers. Congrats on the Viper, and glad you are driving it and enjoying it...and yes, you'll get TONS of different opinions here, so it'll be hard for you to choose!
Good Luck---juli
What ViperX says: very true...we have NO drone issues with the Corsa Exhaust AND B&B Stepped Headers....just a BEASTLY sound!!! LOVE IT....

 

[Viper X]

1 - Go Corsa Track if headers are not in your future.

2 - Some folks like the Mopar Race exhaust.

3 - If headers are in your future, buy the complete system from the header maker. Some can be a bit louder than others. This is mostly personal preference. Go to a local club event and listen to some of the available exhaust systems. Make sure you ride in the car as sound can be different inside the car compared to outside of the car.

4 - Drone and volume can be a big an issue with these cars when you install headers and remove the crossovers.

Good luck,

Dan

 

[Fast Too]

Thanks for the info Juli....Sounds like something I want to consider. I am told by the dealer I bought my car from that their Viper Tech is reknowed here on the East Coast. I do not recall his name, but sent a similiar inquiry to him through the dealership asking these same questions about upgrades. That was last week and haven't heard anything but crickets, so I'm yet to be impressed. Anyway, if I buy the parts from a source and then have them installed by someone who knows what they are doing, what can I expect to pay, parts and labor.

r/Fast Too

 

[mike & juli]

Fast Too: Finding the invoices, and we bought from Sean Roe/Roe Racing and had a friend install everything...if you want an EXcellent Viper Tech, and IF you can drive/send your car up here to NY State, check with Chuck Tator at tatorsdodge.msn.com -- he IS THE BEST, known on these sites as "Viper Wizard", and that he is!!! He has helped more people all around the country with their Vipers, no matter what Gen. Okay, Corsa "Track" Cat Back System from Roe was $1350; VECII (or for you, VECIII) runs around $1,000;
3" Catalytic Converters (pair) $290....we have more mods, and if you need to know more, please let me know. Sean Roe is another GREAT person to talk to, as well as JonB here on the forums with PartsRack. Just some ideas here for ya. Mods are personal preferences as ViperX said....if you get into headers (we used B&B stepped headers w/ceramic coating to stay cooler)...they run about $3500+$240 for the coating.
MUST MUST MUST have your Viper Tech (tho they will know this already) TACK/WELD the tips of the Corsa exhaust so they will NOT move/expand/contract...we have had NO problems with that, and the tips look great, not sticking out, right in line with the port sills. Hope this helps you, any other questions, you can PM me, or ask the 'experts' I've mentioned!! GOOD LUCK to ya, most of all, ENJOY, and stay safe over this holiday week ahead! ~juli~

 

[Bill Pemberton Woodhouse]

Go with the Corsa , as the fit is the best. Belanger makes wonderful stuff , but the tip is huge and it seems to be a bit of an issue after time, hitting the side opening. We do a ton of Corsas, and we don't just use the clamps , but spot weld, so you need to find someone who can do that after you acquire, as side exhausts have a tendency to shift. Be happy to explain why, and this alone should give you your throaty sound you want --- headers will flat rip your ears off.

Sincerely,
Bill Pemberton
1-800-889-1893

 

[dwhitt]

Thanks for the info Juli....Sounds like something I want to consider. I am told by the dealer I bought my car from that their Viper Tech is reknowed here on the East Coast. I do not recall his name, but sent a similiar inquiry to him through the dealership asking these same questions about upgrades. That was last week and haven't heard anything but crickets, so I'm yet to be impressed. Anyway, if I buy the parts from a source and then have them installed by someone who knows what they are doing, what can I expect to pay, parts and labor.

r/Fast Too

Let me know if you find a good Viper tech in Va / MD at a dealership - I have yet to find one over the years - what is your dealership and where is it located in case this guy pans out for you

 

[Fast Too]

Dwhitt,

Safford Dodge in Springfield VA supposedly has one. I met him once, don't recall his name. I have tried to contact him but nadda yet.....

 

[Snowsnake]

Hi
Just purchased a set of corsa for 04 what do you mean by welding
tip I read in the instructions to tack but it was not the tip it was at the front of the pipes .??

 

[Vipermann]

"I just want a little beefer sound"

Corsa Track with the stock, 2.5" cats, OK, you'll be happy. But Corsa Track with larger 3" metal R/T cats? Too loud for what you've said you want. So if you plan to upgrade the cats too, look at quieter options. The Mopar Street is not very loud at all, and the Mopar Race is not too loud either, if you get some 3" cats to go with it. The Mopar Race is a bit deeper sounding than the Corsa, but with a bit of drone. The Corsa Track is very loud at start-up (everyone jerks their head to look when you push the start button). Choose your poison.

 

[Racer Robbie]

All the above systems and installers are great choices. We also have other choices that you can check out at our web site.

http://www.members.aol.com/AtroRacingTeam/PRODUCTS/AtRoRacingsProductCatalog

Thanks,

Robbie

 

[mike & juli]

Hi
Just purchased a set of corsa for 04 what do you mean by welding
tip I read in the instructions to tack but it was not the tip it was at the front of the pipes .??

You want to tack the pipe so it will NOT twist, so you are correct it was the front of the pipes...make sure they are 'tacked' (so no movement happens, no twisting of the pipes/tips..)...the tips then will NOT touch the sills, as it allows for expansion with heat, but won't back them up all the way to touch the sills themselves...hope this is making sense! If not, contact one of the experts on the sites....JonB, AB, Chuck Tator is gone for another week....Sean Roe at RoeRacing....some of them are the ones we got advice on to give our mechanic to tack so the tips don't touch the sills. Good luck to ya....juli

 

[Snowsnake]

Juli
Thanks

 

[Fast Too]

Ok Julie,

Need some splainen here. I follwed Viper X's recommendation. Went to Carlisle today. Definitley CORSA has my nod over the Belanger. You said, ehh, headers are not needed but I see you have B&B. I checked them on the web and assume you have the stepped 1 5/8 to 1 /3/4. What is the difference of that over a straight 1 3/4? Price differs extreme so there must be something to it. For now, I am going for the corsa exhaust, 3" high flow cats (oh ya what did you do with o2 sensors), and a VECIII. The headers are in the mix here, but need to decide to do it or not before I place the order and do a tear down on my car.

Thanks.

 

[mike & juli]

FastToo: Depends on who you talk to--went with the stepped headers as research told us stepped were better for high displacement engines...were told by the experts that we would not gain much hp, which is true, we did not...headers are NOT necessary with Gen III's (according to Chuck Tator/Sean Roe--minimal gains 7-15rwhp avg.)...we added them to get cooler exhaust/better sound...The O2 sensors were put in by the mechanic who put in the Corsa Exhaust/dyno'ed it. Your setup sounds great--Corsa Exhaust/VECIII, high flow cats. You will find a good gain from those alone. CONFUSING is right, we researched and called all the experts over and over before decisions were made!! Good luck....hope this has helped you...if not, do as I did, and call Sean Roe (RoeRacing), or Chuck Tator (TatorsDodge--he'll be back end of this week, I believe)...juli