cduluk

Hey guys. I have an 03 rx300 awd and have been interested in changing the exhaust tone to something more "sporty" than the stock 'silent' sound.

I've always loved the sound of the infiniti g35, fx3/45 and the nissan 350z exhust notes. Many explained that getting that exact sound on the lexus would be near impossible for the fact that the engines are different.

One of my local custom exhaust shops found a used g35 muffler, he said he would put it on my rx300 and 'see' how it sounded just for the heck of it... Just like everyone said, it didn't make any difference- sounded just like the rx stock muffler!

So we tried a few more things to get a similar whirring/whining sound out of my rx300. I didn't want that deep throaty sound you'd hear on some kids civics, I want just a light whirring/whining sound during acceleration, just 'enough' to turn heads. Nothing too deep or annoying.

After a few hours working with the exhaust guy, we couldn't find any mufflers in his shop that produced anything i liked, all of them producing a to deep and loud sound.

We ended up just eliminating the rear muffler and adding piping to the rear bumper, same diameter as the rest of the piping.

Since the rx300 already has a larger mid-muffler (resonator) the sound w/o the rear muffler wasn't too-too loud as i expected it would. It sounded 'sort of' like what i was after, but to me it's still too loud =/

On the ride home, it was mostly highway, and i'll tell you- the sound drove me nuts. Even cruising at 65mph i could hear the darn noise! Even with the windows up and radio on, i could hear it. It's quite annoying. And even when traveling at low speeds during acceleration it's too loud. I wanted 'some' sound, but it just seems too much to me.

One thing i do notice however- more power. Whenever i hit on the gas at already cruising speed, i just fly. Not like a bentley, but it's at least better than before.

Although i like the extra horsepower, the sound is still too loud for my liking. As my girlfriend described it, "it sounds like there's someone in like a 1980's honda following us"... So i need more ideas!

Can anyone share any experiences/ give me some suggestions as to how i can get a softer 'whirring/whining' tone from the exhaust? We tried some 'magnaflow' and 'flowmaster' mufflers but they're all too deep/loud. There's gotta be a generic muffler out there i could try that would give me a lighter tone. Any comments/suggestions are appreciated!

If you're wondering the 'ideal' sound i'm after, youtube the infiniti stock exhaust. I know i can't duplicate it exactly, but any lighter tone would do the trick.

thanks!

Lexmex

The closest you are going to get is a large oval direct flow air filter. Smaller direct flow filters get throaty sound (like a small roar). The resonator itself is already direct flow, but the stock exhaust is of course not. Mine has a rougher sound, but it's smooth, no harsh pops/farting sounds. APC used to make a lot of those oval mufflers and I used one as my resonator now along with a large oval BMW muffler (it's indirect technically) but it's quite large so the exhaust flows just as freely as one with direct flow. We used that to cut down on some bad tones.

The other point is that unless you are getting the kind of horsepower/air intake power, you really can't get that true FX sound. Now that I've had almost a year back in the U.S., I have heard the FX a few times (we didn't have it in Mexico) and it really is a unique sound to try to grab.

cduluk

So you think by getting this different air filter it will produce a lighter sound?

What about getting a muffler, can you suggest any names that would give me the sound i'm looking for?

Lexmex

Air filter won't be enough by itself. You'd basically have to do the kind of work that I did on my RX300, lower air intake or something similar to put in more air quicker, but even if you do that and the exhaust, still won't get it to sound like an FX. There's not really something out there that's gonna get you the kind of sound. The best that could be done on the muffler end is something large, oval and straight thru (unlike the OEM muffler), because you'd need to soak up the rough sounds, but still allow for enough flow to get a softer whirring/whining, but by no means will it ever sound the way you want it to. The BMW muffler I have on the back of mine right now is about such a size though.

Lexmex

Here's the one on mine.

cduluk

do you have a vid on youtube? I think i heard it.

So do i have to add an air filter (like in the engine compartment) or just add a muffler? I'm a noob i'm still confused

Lexmex

There's no way to really do what exactly what you want to do, I am only suggesting a way to get as close as possible, but to get that whine on the muffler would take a V8 or some kind of force induction. The air filter would have to be rigged up in a way it could suck in a lot of air. The more air would pass through the system and harsh sounds would be diminished by a larger oval design, but having it straight-thru on the muffler rather than the indirect stock muffler on there now.

There's two videos involving different resonators,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zf7_RkgqdW4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j17199RgBk4&

If you want to see the original OEM and resonator up close, see this thread and start at the bottom of the page on post 60 and then go on to page 5,
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/rx3...ood-one-4.html

cduluk

I think the sound you've got on that setup is at about the same loudness as mine =/ Not the same tone but the same loudness.

For now i'm going to try to get the stock muffler back on, because the sound of what i've got now is driving me and everyone around me NUTS... It's not a pretty sound (like the FX) it's just annoying. I sound like a civic, it makes it embarrassing to drive lol.

I need to find some really REALLY good muffler shop to custom make a muffler that can produce a higher pitched tone while keeping it softer. Theoretically just using smaller diameter piping should work... but i have no idea...

miniround

Lexmex said it like it is. He told me those same words many months ago. You're never going to get that g35 sound out of our car. what i can recommend is to buy an aftermarket muffler for sure, and also take off the huuuuuuuuge resonator underneath the middle of the car and replace it with a pipe. that will give you the throaty-ness and rumble inside the car as well as better flow and sound outside the car. That is my next step, but i've been saying i'd do it for months...haha.

p.s. you should also try to find a used muffler by Injen or Greddy. weld that sucker on.

lexus114

Why not just leave the factory muffler on,and take off the resonator/replace with pipe?^^ I have thought about doing this myself.

cduluk

I don't think i want a "rumble" or "throaty-ness" at all. If anything i'm after the opposite- just a small whine. I'm thinking this will make too loud of a sound for my liking.

lexus144, i'll have to give that a try. Seems like the only thing i can do =/