Choosing an Aftermarket Exhaust for Your Dodge Neon

The Dodge Neon is a popular, affordable car for aftermarket junkies, and adding a little attitude with a custom exhaust system is one of the first steps on the road to a rocking customized ride. However, there’s more to choosing a custom exhaust system than meets to eye- or the ear. The big mistake most amateurs make is in thinking that when it comes to an aftermarket exhaust, bigger is always better. They go for the biggest pipes and sound they can find. What you really want from a custom exhaust is great performance and sound, and there are two basic components you should be thinking about: Pipes You may think that switching out your factory exhaust for a Dodge Magnaflow exhaust with four inch piping is pretty sweet, but as much as you might like the look, an aftermarket exhaust with pipes that size is likely to decrease your engine power. Fitting a custom exhaust to increase your engine power is more than just a matter of slapping on the biggest pipes you can find. It’s about getting just the right amount of air flow for your engine. Air temperature plays a large part in getting your engine exhaust to flow at the right speed to improve your engine performance. Cool air is denser than hot air, so it doesn’t flow as well. To get the best flow, your exhaust gas should be as hot as possible, but if your exhaust pipes are too large, the gas will cool too quickly, making it flow more slowly through your exhaust system. On the other hand, pipes that are too narrow won’t give you the best exhaust flow either. Ideally, you need to match your exhaust pipes to your engine size. Four inch pipes are alright for 400 hp engines, but cars with 250 to 350 hp engines should be using exhaust systems with three to three and a half inch piping. Finish off your look with a set of Dodge Magnaflow exhaust tips. Mufflers There are three basic types of mufflers on the market today: restrictors, resonators, and reactive mufflers. Aptly named, restrictors reduce car engine noise by limiting the exhaust flow. When you buy a new car, the factory installed exhaust system is typically a restrictor model. The problem with restricting the exhaust flow is that it also reduces your engine power. Reactive mufflers incorporate baffles to route exhaust gas through specially turning pipes to reduce engine sound. Resonators handle the noise issue another way. Essentially, resonators insulate the exhaust pipe by placing inside a larger pipe packed with a sound absorbing material, like steel wool. Since sound passes through the exhaust pipe in vertical waves, holes are cut into the pipe to allow the sound to filter out through the insulated pipe. Resonators tend to give you the best gas flow, which in turn gives your engine the best performance. And of course, they aren’t called resonators for nothing- they give your engine that highly coveted resonant growl. Dodge Magnaflow mufflers even have acoustical fiber incorporated into their steel mesh insulation, to make sure you car gets a nice, smooth sound that will give you a huge thumbs up from onlookers.