Is the exhaust system the same on all LS430 models, regardless of spec level or country which is was sold new in? Mine is a Singapore new model and I'd like to make it sound like a V8 should. I was thinking of removing all 3 resonators circled in red in the below pic and getting them replaced with straight pipes. Is this a good idea? I want it fairly loud but don't want a horrible drone or a tinny sound.

 

Suggest you do a topic search. At least one member here recently did this (or something similar) and was not pleased with the result.

 

Here you go bud, this one is piece of cake if you've got a few bits of 2 inch pipe and a welder laying around. This is just a muffler delete with pipe in its place


I had it on the local skid pad and it wasn't particularly noisy when I was limiter bashing the hell out of it

 

That sounds really nice! Is it just the 2 big mufflers at the very back of the exhaust by the rear bumper that you had removed and replaced with straight pipe?

 

That sounds heavenly! How does it sound with the engine under load while accelerating at full throttle? What about cruising at highway speed, do you have any drone? I'd be very interested to hear what it sounds like inside the cabin with the windows up during both of these... could you record a video with your phone or other camera just sitting on your lap? In the same video, could you also record what it sounds like from inside just accelerating normally around town? My dream is to have a *little* more of a tasteful grunt and rumble without having it sound obnoxious or ruin the relative tranquility of the interior.


I've never seen an LS thrashed like that before That exhaust was glowing like crazy! lol Were you watching your engine temp gauge while giving it hell? How high did it get if you were?

 

+1 to this!

 

Well I wouldn't recommend anyone to do it on an unmodified LS430, they overheat pretty bloody quick when you send it like that, I've had a play with mine to make it last a bit longer. I've had the gauge pointing sky high before, but the radiator popped before I got to that point that time round. I also hurt it that night and still having issues as a result of it. I get no drone at all while cruising around, but it barks nicely when you put your foot up it. I must also add my centre catalytic converter is also non-existent. With the windows up and you pull away from a stop at 2000RPM, you definitely notice it. Does it ruin the tranquility of the interior? It depends on the purpose of the vehicle I guess. If you were using it as an Uber, then yes, you might as well sell it and buy an LS600hl, but because I live in a country where V8s (read Chev LS and Ford mod motor) are the bogan weapon of choice, its only fitting that I open it up and let 'er eat.

In this segment of video, the windows are down and the car is in the workshop when it gets a bit of a limiter bash. I have minimal mechanical sympathy, especially when I get smokelust, so just fair warning

 

So today I had the 2 rear mufflers removed and replaced with 2.5" pipe each side. Sounds bloody good, except for the drone at 1800-2000RPM. I've barely driven it since the job has been done so I'll report back once I've had it a bit longer with some videos.

 

It seems happier at 110kph, just a shade over 2100 RPM. My old Mondeo was the same, but that had a full system fitted