My Bassani catback came today! I have a question for you guys regarding install

Got home from class today to find heaven aka a big brown box on my doorstep labelled "Bassani Xhaust, 96-98 GT/Cobra" Street Competition catback for $355 shipped off ebay....

I ripped open the package and got a brief look at the tailpipes. The welds are good, and I like the SS tips. Havent gotten a chance to check anything else out becuase I have to go back to class soon.

My question is, do I need any special tools? It appears as if i'll need a special tool to unhook the tips from those things they are latched to.

Me and my brother installed my Offroad X/MILS so hopefully this will be easy. I won't be welding anything, ill be using the hardware provided by Bassani to install it, will that be ok?

Thanks in advance for any help.

not sure about the 98 ones but for my catback on a 2004 it was real simple and all you need is the set of sockets.... didnt come with any special tools. Good Luck

-Dan

Did you weld anything up or use the brackets to clamp everything together? Thanks for the feedback dude

not sure about the 98s either but I put on my catback last weekend on a 2001. Took a couple of hours in my driveway and was simple to do with just a set of metric sockets and a recipricating saw to cut the stock ones off. I used wd40 and a small screw driver to get the old ones off the rubber hangers.

A socket set and a sawzall is all your need but be prepared to take a few things off your car if you plan on doing it at home. My X pipe install took about an hour and a half while the cat-back took almost 4 hours. Since the pipe is a twisted U shape that has to go over the axle there isn't much room to move it around unless it's on a lift. I had to pull my tires off and remove the lower control arm to get it in. The hardware it came with is sufficient, just use some RTV around the end. Your going to have to move the mufflers around as well as the pipe that goes over the axle to ensure proper fit of the tail pipes. So have a full cooler of beer and some munchies.

Good Luck

Well, im 19 and am living at home until december, so negative on the beer. ....but I am allowed to have juice.


Thank you guys for the feedback. As long as it can be done with basic tools all is good. I have my brother to help me out, a couple jacks and a hydrolic jack, as well as a full socket set and plenty of grease so I think ill be OK.

Already broke one blade on the sawzaw. The replacement blades we got are too short and cut like little girls. It's taking forever to cut this damn tailpipe off.

I hope fitting up the Bassani is easier then sawwing the stock POS off.

welp, its 8pm and it look like its back to sears for the 3rd ****ing time

I also had to undo the lower bolt on the shock and then jack the frame up a little bit so I could get the new pipes over the axle. I didnt want to take my wheel off since I was using rhino ramps.

ok...we got the right muffler on were working on the tail pipe. It is literally maybe a millimeter away from my tire. As long as its not technically touching it, will I be ok? Also, what if its SLIGHTLY touching the fuel tank, does that make a difference??

Speaking from experience you do NOT want it touching ANYTHING or even be less than an inch away from anything. Reason being is you will get an AWFULL knocking sound anytime you go over a bump. I had to pull my exhaust apart 3 times to get it right because it kept knocking everytime I went over a rouch road. As for the tire deal, you don't want it that close either because you have to consider flex in the body and that will affect the movement of the exhaust. Once you have everthing in keep it loose and play with it. You have to have all connections loose and twist the muffler around and twist, push and pull the pipe that goes over the axle to get it just right. Since you have been under there you should know what I'm talking about. It takes alot of time to get it just right but you'll thank yourself later for taking the extra time and getting it right the first time. I'll stay online for a bit and watch the thread.

Good Luck

Thanks dude,

Well, the install is complete! On the left side I have about an inch of tire clearance, and about 4/10 of an inch on the right side. There is about a millimeter or two of gas tank clearence on the right side, and about an inch on the left side. Me and my brother did exactly what you posted above, we played with everything and wriggled it around to get it to optimal fit -- It doesnt get any better fitting than this IMO. I think if I wasn't running such wide tires it might not be as much an issue.

Ok....now on to the fun stuff

First impressions: This is way too quiet, quieter than the flows/stock pipes on first start up. I thought the street competition series is supposed to be LOUD? Anyways, so me and my brother take it out for a drive, and I do several wot runs. I immediently notice that throttle response is much smoother now. I don't want to be too hasty, but I definately felt a smooth kick in power, especially around 4000rpm. The power climbs smoother, and harder. The acceleration just feels like it has more "body" to it than the flows/stick pipes. The way it sits right now I feel like I have gained at least 1mph in the quarter mile.

So, after a few runs me and my brother pull over and I check the piping. Initially I notice a STRONG burning smell. I check everything, nothing is rubbing, everything is perfectly in tact. So I stick my nose in the tail pipe and the burning smell is coming from the exhaust fumes!

Does this exhaust get louder with time? I REALLY hope it does. My brother gave it a revv and I L O V E the way it sounds...it sounds deeper and throatier than the flows. Not as hollow, but it has a unique race car like tone, I am in freaking love. BUT, I greatly hope that these mufflers will break in and get much louder. Is this true?

Overall I am very pleased, the new tone is amazing and I can DEFINATELY notice a much smoother, stronger pull to redline, I can feel it more than I did with my x pipe. Very cool. The only minus is that its too quiet, again will this system break in? Thats what I assumed the burning smell was.

Thanks again for all the help guys, looking forward to your responses.

The burning smell will go away in a week or so and yes, that is it "breaking in". As long as you ran your hands over every inch of the pipe to make sure there was no contact, you'll be ok. The cat back WILL get louder, TRUST ME. After about 2 weeks I was like WTF, did something come loose? It get's louder, deeper and throatier. Don't expect a night and day differance, but if you pay attention to your car, you'll notice. It is a bit quieter than flows (I don't like flows) but as you said, it's not as hollow and it's deeper and throatier. Totally has a more exotic sound to it IMO. I'm running 275's in the back and I have about an inch and a half clearance. Bottom line is although it may cost more than most cat back systems, you get what you pay for and It's worth every penny IMO. Glad you liked it......

Oh yeah, how is the clearance at the tail pipe?

Ya, i'm running 295/35's out back so things can get a little hairy.

I liked the flows, they were great temporarily fillers until I got a real catback. But what I like about Bassani is, like FLowmaster, they have their OWN unique sound. IMO Magnaflow and Borla sound WAY too boring. Bassani has a zippy, throaty, exotic, deep edge to it that is really addicting. I got it for $315 + $40 shipping on ebay, practically a STEAL of a deal. Not bad for a top of the line exhaust kit.

The reason i'm soo anal about it being louder is becuase, first of all this soundclip: http://www.mustangexhaust.com/sound...anicatalyticX-pipe,factoryheaders,96Cobra.mp3
Its a 96 Cobra with a catted xpipe and my same catback. It sounds really loud in the clip and with an offroad pipe mine should be louder. Also, i'm sure you are familier with Killabyte (the 03 sonic blue cobra in the "cobra vs. AMG e55 mercedes" video from fuelslut...hes running an offroad x and bassani quiet thunder, (not even a street comp) and his setup is loud. Sorry, im kinda talking myself in circles here, but you get the point

What I can't believe is how much my throttle response has smoothed out. Pulling out of my driveway and onto my neighborhood street I immediently noticed that the slightly jerkyness/turbulence was gone. I cannot wait to throw this thing on the dyno!!

The both the tailpipes clear the bumper. The left pipe is ALMOST touching it, about a millimeter of a millimeter of clearence, but its clearence nonetheless.

Oh, another thing...there is a little hole at the very end/bottom of each of my tailpipes. Looks like someone took a hole puncher and went to town. Any reason why they are there?

Also, I think I am maxed out, tire wise. I don't think i'll be able to run anything wider than a 295/35 now, I'm almost positive 315's; or even 305/35's would rub the left tailpipe. This kinda screws up my future plans.

That hole is for baffles. Did you get the stainless or the aluminized? The install on the cat back is a pain. But it was worth the effort. I love mine. I love the sound.

Ohh.

I got the aluminized. I notice tons of people saying they have Bassani cat-backs, but which kind? Bassani lists three types on their website, in order of quietness to the loudest: Quiet Thunder, Street Competition, Racing Series. I didn't find any racing series so I went with the Street Comp. In fact, I don't even think they make QT in aluminized for 96-98 cobras.

The strange thing is, I can't find anywhere in or on the box where it specifies what type of catback it is.

Not sure how I missed you saying it was Street Comp. I'm not sure if the street comp is for our car. I have the QT and asked about the other set ups and was told they are for differant cars

Who knows, maybe all three will fit on our cars but shops only cary the QT. Don't know, but either way I'm happy. Wouldn't mind it a bit louder though. Plus side is that everyone says it will get louder and deeper once I do the headswap. CAN'T WAIT!!

An '01 Cobra buddy of mine says he has the street comp, and I showed him a soundclip of that 96 cobra off mustang exhaust and he says it has the street comp too, so It is really loud. I drove around today and have already noticed its getting louder.

On a big downside, I have developed a LOUD rattle coming from the right tailpipe . I am betting its the pipe vibrating against the fuel tank. It sounds like chattering teeth. On the highway its silent but at idle with the a/c on, and while driving around town it vibrates like mad. We tried our best to clear it. Any ideas of what I could do?