Hidden Performance!!! (crawl around a little...)

[crisp]

YO!!!!! Have we been under our cars to study this....this....this....relatively direct yet convoluted exhaust arrangement on the 2004 (assuming other years) Solara?

I am waiting on my TRD unit, and figured I'd study the current muffler, (and leading routing while I was at it), to see if any additional improvements appeared apparent.... (i.e.: If the TRD inlet was "fractionally larger" diameter than the leading segment... would an increase in the leading portion match the TRD and remain constant so as not to disrupt the "delicate balance" of todays N/A engines and performance prerequisite "back pressure"..... and could the bends/peripherals found in-line be improved (through replacement or modification to routing, etc...) in a way that improved flow and maintained balance to prevent degradation of performance at certain points on the power curve....) hmmmmmmm.......

Now for the ZINGER!!!!! I make my way up the plumbing (recumbant on my sheet of cardboard in my driveway....) and find this "cherry-bomb" looking glass-pack-esque bulge, preceeded by a "cement-mixer-truck-belly-shaped-suspiciously-cat-converter" looking device, and then, wait.... I can't make it out from the side of the car.... move the cardboard, slip under the front..... and..... WHAT THE @#&!??????? JUST LOOK!!!!! What the HEY is going on with the manifold down-tube routing!!!!???? A transverse V6 with the rear bank of cylinders exhausting down...... and to the FRONT of the car????!!!!!! ONLY TO MAKE A NICE U-TURN and SPLICE into the conjoining front collector by way of SMASHING each tube down to HALF its THICKNESS?????!!!!!

Anybody out there thinking what I'm thinking?

- crisp

[PXLpainter]

Hehe - yeah, that's all been examined before by some exhaust guys on the SolaraGuy.com forums... until somebody makes a set of headers and a decent Y pipe (obviously going to be custom at this point) then we're kinda stuck with what we got I'm afraid.

Here's a couple past threads on the Gen 2:

SolaraGuy :: View topic - Is there Header System for V6 ?

SolaraGuy :: View topic - Exhaust pipe thing

...and here's the killer...

SolaraGuy :: View topic - (Research) Dual Exhaust / Larger Front Pipe for Solara V-6

Not to discourage ANYONE from more research & Dev mind you! If you find a solution to any of this (that doesn't cost an arm & a leg) - then please share the info!

Thanks - Jeff