Tsudo N1 Catback Exhaust Installed (Review/Pic/Vid)
11-06-2006, 12:57 AM
#1
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,246
Tsudo N1 Catback Exhaust Installed (Review/Pic/Vid)
Picked up my brand new Tsudo N1 from Tony over at Speed Element Motorsports
down in Whittier on Thursday.
First Impression
The exhaust is bigger in person. Photo's online and the ones I will include in this
thread do not really portray the actual size to real life. You're going to have to see
it yourself if you want to see the real deal. With the realization of the size, came in
the worries about police on my butt and attracting unwanted attention. But I guess
that's something everyone goes through once they get a new exhaust.
The welds are lovely imho; some good quality. I wasn't too sure about this since the
exhaust is what I like to refer as a bit "underground". Not a lot of people have it
and not a lot of people seem to know about it either, so I didn't know what to expect.
Installation
My friends (addictedto1sn2s and chops) came and helped BIG TIME on the install.
The whole process was fairly simple because it is pretty much a bolt-on. The
hardest part about the whole process was taking off the stock exhaust. Those nuts and
bolts are pretty tough to loosen up and take out, but some WD-40 and brute force was suffice
(take note that we only used hand-tools, so it ISN'T impossible). If you're going to do an
exhaust installation, I really suggest you grab 1 or 2 or even more buddies to help you.
It makes things so much easier when you have more than only a set of hands.
Installed
One word, LOUD.
Even with the silencer, the exhaust is pretty loud. I was already expecting it to be quite
noisy from the first impression of the size of the tip, but it was far more than what I really
expected it to be. We took it off the stands and went for a little drive on the surface streets
and also on the 91 freeway. With the silencer on, you can really hear the exhaust being held
back because there is a type of whirling and whistling sound that you can hear inside the car
to the rear. After a few runs, we all decided that the silencer HAD to go. First of all - the thing is
just damned ugly, second, we wanted to actually hear the potential note.
The Silencer
Removing the silencer sounds simple, right? WRONG.
This thing was harder than the whole installation just to get off. We attempted some of the steps
other Tsudo owners had left on the forum in order to take it off, but none of them worked. We even
lubed the crap out of it with WD-40 but it still wouldn't budge. My friend Mike and Lawrence came up with
an idea with using a hammer and it's opposite claw/wedge end. It's pretty basic. Just brute force and
prying it out very carefully. It sounds very... wreckless, but it works. It didn't even leave one mark or
scratch on my exhaust. Just make sure if you do try to remove the silence on the Tsudo with our hammer
strategy, that you lube it up well and apply a towel inside to help pad in between the hammer and actual metal.
After taking it off, it looked like the silencer was held in by some sort of adhesive. Not really sure what it was
but it sure did look like it. The overal appearance after the silencer is taken off makes it look 100x better.
Sexy to say at least.
Final Impression
The exhaust looks damn good, sounds awesome, but a bit too loud.
After polishing it up and watching my friend drive my car while I sit in a different car just to see how it looks and sounds
from a different perspective, I've concluded that the exhaust looks intimidating and sounds intimidating. A few people
told me that if they saw my car from behind, that they'd think I'm turbo'd or something of that nature. From behind it
looks HUGE. I think some people might even mistaken it for an HKS Hi-Power.
Now what worries me is the noise... in the cabin and outside the cabin.
It's louder than I really expected. I have to keep my driving under 2k RPM's just to be safe. In the cabin, it's
pretty loud as well. My girlfriend finds it irritating and so does some of the other people who have been
passengers in the backseat. And honestly, I'm finding it too noisy for my taste, but I just have to get used
to it, ha. I'm now thinking of investing into another cat (since the Tsudo eliminates one of them) and
a resonator. Don't get me wrong, the exhaust note is deep and sounds excellent, just the sheer volume
may be too much for some of you.
Finally, to what you've probably skipped ahead to and didn't even bother reading my review.
Photographs:
Videos
I had to use my crappy digital camera and somehow the audio became
a bit off, but you can still hear the exhaust alright. There is a little bit of rasp
because I believe there is a leak somewhere.
down in Whittier on Thursday.
First Impression
The exhaust is bigger in person. Photo's online and the ones I will include in this
thread do not really portray the actual size to real life. You're going to have to see
it yourself if you want to see the real deal. With the realization of the size, came in
the worries about police on my butt and attracting unwanted attention. But I guess
that's something everyone goes through once they get a new exhaust.
The welds are lovely imho; some good quality. I wasn't too sure about this since the
exhaust is what I like to refer as a bit "underground". Not a lot of people have it
and not a lot of people seem to know about it either, so I didn't know what to expect.
Installation
My friends (addictedto1sn2s and chops) came and helped BIG TIME on the install.
The whole process was fairly simple because it is pretty much a bolt-on. The
hardest part about the whole process was taking off the stock exhaust. Those nuts and
bolts are pretty tough to loosen up and take out, but some WD-40 and brute force was suffice
(take note that we only used hand-tools, so it ISN'T impossible). If you're going to do an
exhaust installation, I really suggest you grab 1 or 2 or even more buddies to help you.
It makes things so much easier when you have more than only a set of hands.
Installed
One word, LOUD.
Even with the silencer, the exhaust is pretty loud. I was already expecting it to be quite
noisy from the first impression of the size of the tip, but it was far more than what I really
expected it to be. We took it off the stands and went for a little drive on the surface streets
and also on the 91 freeway. With the silencer on, you can really hear the exhaust being held
back because there is a type of whirling and whistling sound that you can hear inside the car
to the rear. After a few runs, we all decided that the silencer HAD to go. First of all - the thing is
just damned ugly, second, we wanted to actually hear the potential note.
The Silencer
Removing the silencer sounds simple, right? WRONG.
This thing was harder than the whole installation just to get off. We attempted some of the steps
other Tsudo owners had left on the forum in order to take it off, but none of them worked. We even
lubed the crap out of it with WD-40 but it still wouldn't budge. My friend Mike and Lawrence came up with
an idea with using a hammer and it's opposite claw/wedge end. It's pretty basic. Just brute force and
prying it out very carefully. It sounds very... wreckless, but it works. It didn't even leave one mark or
scratch on my exhaust. Just make sure if you do try to remove the silence on the Tsudo with our hammer
strategy, that you lube it up well and apply a towel inside to help pad in between the hammer and actual metal.
After taking it off, it looked like the silencer was held in by some sort of adhesive. Not really sure what it was
but it sure did look like it. The overal appearance after the silencer is taken off makes it look 100x better.
Sexy to say at least.
Final Impression
The exhaust looks damn good, sounds awesome, but a bit too loud.
After polishing it up and watching my friend drive my car while I sit in a different car just to see how it looks and sounds
from a different perspective, I've concluded that the exhaust looks intimidating and sounds intimidating. A few people
told me that if they saw my car from behind, that they'd think I'm turbo'd or something of that nature. From behind it
looks HUGE. I think some people might even mistaken it for an HKS Hi-Power.
Now what worries me is the noise... in the cabin and outside the cabin.
It's louder than I really expected. I have to keep my driving under 2k RPM's just to be safe. In the cabin, it's
pretty loud as well. My girlfriend finds it irritating and so does some of the other people who have been
passengers in the backseat. And honestly, I'm finding it too noisy for my taste, but I just have to get used
to it, ha. I'm now thinking of investing into another cat (since the Tsudo eliminates one of them) and
a resonator. Don't get me wrong, the exhaust note is deep and sounds excellent, just the sheer volume
may be too much for some of you.
Finally, to what you've probably skipped ahead to and didn't even bother reading my review.
Photographs:
Videos
I had to use my crappy digital camera and somehow the audio became
a bit off, but you can still hear the exhaust alright. There is a little bit of rasp
because I believe there is a leak somewhere.
11-06-2006, 02:21 AM
#4
Senior Member
SL Member
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 4,613
Originally Posted by m6ar2cel6oTC
how much was the exhuast regular price since yours had a ding in it? and where did you get it is there a website?
$249shipped is the most you would be paying. They are a Sponser here on SL as well.
11-06-2006, 02:59 AM
#6
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SoCal tC Club
SL Member
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 599
great write up and report. after watching the vids it does sound pretty good but the curdle/rasp of when you let off the accel. kind of makes me cringe. seems like you got a good deal though.
i recently put on a greddy sp2 and am very happy with it. its not too loud at all and is just loud enough for me. (i dont have any sound clips).
i recently put on a greddy sp2 and am very happy with it. its not too loud at all and is just loud enough for me. (i dont have any sound clips).
11-06-2006, 08:44 PM
#8
Originally Posted by beedee
great write up and report. after watching the vids it does sound pretty good but the curdle/rasp of when you let off the accel. kind of makes me cringe. seems like you got a good deal though.
i recently put on a greddy sp2 and am very happy with it. its not too loud at all and is just loud enough for me. (i dont have any sound clips).
i recently put on a greddy sp2 and am very happy with it. its not too loud at all and is just loud enough for me. (i dont have any sound clips).
im stuck between this exhaust, the dezod exhaust, and the PM Duals
11-06-2006, 11:16 PM
#9
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SL Member
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 4,613
Originally Posted by davedavetC
Originally Posted by beedee
great write up and report. after watching the vids it does sound pretty good but the curdle/rasp of when you let off the accel. kind of makes me cringe. seems like you got a good deal though.
i recently put on a greddy sp2 and am very happy with it. its not too loud at all and is just loud enough for me. (i dont have any sound clips).
i recently put on a greddy sp2 and am very happy with it. its not too loud at all and is just loud enough for me. (i dont have any sound clips).
im stuck between this exhaust, the dezod exhaust, and the PM Duals
11-07-2006, 01:08 AM
#10
Originally Posted by zer0
Originally Posted by davedavetC
Originally Posted by beedee
great write up and report. after watching the vids it does sound pretty good but the curdle/rasp of when you let off the accel. kind of makes me cringe. seems like you got a good deal though.
i recently put on a greddy sp2 and am very happy with it. its not too loud at all and is just loud enough for me. (i dont have any sound clips).
i recently put on a greddy sp2 and am very happy with it. its not too loud at all and is just loud enough for me. (i dont have any sound clips).
im stuck between this exhaust, the dezod exhaust, and the PM Duals
11-07-2006, 06:15 AM
#11
Originally Posted by davedavetC
i bet that sounds because of the fact it wasnt in gear and driving. i bet while driving it doesnt make that sound im stuck between this exhaust, the dezod exhaust, and the PM Duals
im stuck between this exhaust, the dezod exhaust, and the PM Duals
11-07-2006, 05:21 PM
#13
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SL Member
Scion Evolution
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,246
Sorry guys!
I've been busy and haven't been able to answer some of your guy's questions on this thread
and some questions through PM's.
Q: "What kind of transmission are you on?"
A: If you didn't noticed in the video of the in-car view, my car is an automatic.
Q: "What about that rasp/curdle? Did you fix it?"
A: The rasp/curdle some of you are talking about does only occur when I'm sitting in neutral or park
and when I'm driving, it's pretty much eliminated. If I revv the car hard, sometimes I induce a small
backfire. You can even hear it in the outside of the car video
Q: "Notice any gains?"
A: With installing the Tsudo, I have also noticed that my throttle response is a little better.
It's not drastic, but I know it has increased by just a little.
Q: "Where and how did you purchase?"
A: I purchased my Tsudo exhaust from Tony who runs Speed Element Motorsports.
Tony also is the one who developed this exhaust as well and gave me a little FAQ session when
I picked it up. I also happen to live in Southern California, so I arranged for a local pick up. I got my exhaust
for a discounted and disclosed price because the carrier that shipped his exhaust to his store had handled
the product very poorly, resulting in a banged up - tore up box which also lead to a ding and a scuff on
the resonator.
If you don't live in California, there is still a way to purchase.
You can easily go onto eBay and search and you'll find it there. But if you don't trust eBay, SEM has an
official website that sells it. You could find it here...
http://www.speed-element.com
I've been busy and haven't been able to answer some of your guy's questions on this thread
and some questions through PM's.
Q: "What kind of transmission are you on?"
A: If you didn't noticed in the video of the in-car view, my car is an automatic.
Q: "What about that rasp/curdle? Did you fix it?"
A: The rasp/curdle some of you are talking about does only occur when I'm sitting in neutral or park
and when I'm driving, it's pretty much eliminated. If I revv the car hard, sometimes I induce a small
backfire. You can even hear it in the outside of the car video
Q: "Notice any gains?"
A: With installing the Tsudo, I have also noticed that my throttle response is a little better.
It's not drastic, but I know it has increased by just a little.
Q: "Where and how did you purchase?"
A: I purchased my Tsudo exhaust from Tony who runs Speed Element Motorsports.
Tony also is the one who developed this exhaust as well and gave me a little FAQ session when
I picked it up. I also happen to live in Southern California, so I arranged for a local pick up. I got my exhaust
for a discounted and disclosed price because the carrier that shipped his exhaust to his store had handled
the product very poorly, resulting in a banged up - tore up box which also lead to a ding and a scuff on
the resonator.
If you don't live in California, there is still a way to purchase.
You can easily go onto eBay and search and you'll find it there. But if you don't trust eBay, SEM has an
official website that sells it. You could find it here...
http://www.speed-element.com
11-08-2006, 01:57 AM
#18
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SL Member
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 4,613
Originally Posted by Louie
hrmm sorry if u answered it, but is this a true catback?
if so dman i shoulda saved up my money and gotten this instead of my injen axleback.
if so dman i shoulda saved up my money and gotten this instead of my injen axleback.
The Tsudo midpipe will however fit any axleback, including stock muffler. FYI
11-17-2006, 07:33 AM
#19
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SL Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: queens, nyc
Posts: 191
Originally Posted by zer0
Originally Posted by Louie
hrmm sorry if u answered it, but is this a true catback?
if so dman i shoulda saved up my money and gotten this instead of my injen axleback.
if so dman i shoulda saved up my money and gotten this instead of my injen axleback.
The Tsudo midpipe will however fit any axleback, including stock muffler. FYI