Hello board !

I'm new to this forum & would love to learn more about the 500 series !
Just picked up a 1.4 500 Lounge with a manual box last week & I'm considering some exhaust modifications !

What do you guys think if I replace my car with a stock Abarth Twin tail pipe exhaust ? Is that pure a waste of money ?

Will I get "back popping noise" if I 1. delete the resonator or 2. de-cat ? Will my car sound anywhere close to an Abarth @ idle?

Please share !

Thank You !!!

I have no idea to be honest but I reckon it would sound pretty similar and you can pick up an exhaust on Ebay for £100 which isn't bad, not sure how much of the car you would have to modify to get it fitted though.

ikbs said:

Hello board !

I'm new to this forum & would love to learn more about the 500 series !
Just picked up a 1.4 500 Lounge with a manual box last week & I'm considering some exhaust modifications !

What do you guys think if I replace my car with a stock Abarth Twin tail pipe exhaust ? Is that pure a waste of money ?

Will I get "back popping noise" if I 1. delete the resonator or 2. de-cat ? Will my car sound anywhere close to an Abarth @ idle?

Please share !

Thank You !!!

Click to expand...

Welcome to the Forum ikbs and congratulations on the 'new' 1.4 Lounge.
I would like to qualify this posting as someone who only changed a backbox on an XR3i with a sports back box. A waste of money but I liked the sound and it might little or no difference to the performance.

If you can source a secondhand Abarth back box it will fit but IMHO I wouldn't bother buying a new one plus it's only mild steel. I also feel that it will reduce the bhp output of the 500 1.4 since it was designed for a different 'car'. They can be picked up cheap and can look the business (remember you have to make a little 'mod' on the RHS).

Another guy on here just fitted a twin exit Raggazon and posted a youtube on it - he's now looking from a bit of bhp to go with it.
Some have fitted a straighthrough pipe removing the second silencer in the middle. Tempting option and midget4hire on the Panda forum did that and seems happy with it but kept the original back box. I don't know if it makes any difference on bhp. If you're doing any 'long motorway' drives I would probably leave it in.

Re "Will I get "back popping noise" - you wouldn't get that on a non turbo engine. The Abart 500 gets that on the 'over run' in having a turbo.
Magneti Marelli do a nice back box with two tailpipes 'together'. Two camps on noise preference but most of them are in the Raggazon one. There's also another guy selling custom made back boxs which look pretty good but he hasn't posted a youtube yet.

De-cat - this involves changing the manifold and fitting a sports cat. If you go this route there's no point in buying a straight through center pipe because the sports cat will go there. I've posted ballpark prices on the Supersprint verus Janspeed option on jeffreli86's threads. You might get a 'little fright' on the price of the Supersprint setup. Plus fitting this setup might involve a ECU re-map if the CAT light doesn't go off.

You'll need to decide if your 'brief' is performance or sound or both. If you want both - it is going to cost you. For cheap performance the straight through center box might be worth a €100. For noise the Magneti Marelli or for a more 'civilised' sound the Raggazon - single or double exit (you pays your money). 6-8bhp will involve the manifold change and plenty of money with the sports cat.

Hello! Unfortunately, as said any increase in output is tiny on a normally aspirated engine. It's easy with turbo engines as they just crank up the boost pressure

FWIW, I would suggest saving all the money towards an Abarth for next time round and enjoy the 1.4 for what it is in the mean time!

(Also if you mod expect to pay more insurance and have a car that ends up being worth less.)

Wow ! thanks guys !!!!!!! I'll see how things go I guess... I sure want a bit of extra noise from her but will have to keep budget low as I have a lot of plans in mind !!

Thanks heaps !! I feel a lot more comfortable now knowing you guys are so so so friendly and helpful here ! I'm just too new to Fiats ! first ever

ikbs said:

Wow ! thanks guys !!!!!!! I'll see how things go I guess... I sure want a bit of extra noise from her but will have to keep budget low as I have a lot of plans in mind !!

Thanks heaps !! I feel a lot more comfortable now knowing you guys are so so so friendly and helpful here ! I'm just too new to Fiats ! first ever

Click to expand...

This is a link
https://www.fiatforum.com/members-motors/261693-midget4hires-panda-100hp-3.html?p=2738673
to midget4hire Panda 100HP. You can hear the original sound in his Members Motors thread. He opted for Magnetti Marelli center pipe which you can get from shop4Parts. Other option is a Raggazzon center pipe which of stainless steel (unsure of the quality). The sound should be the same on a 500 1.416V - same engine except their ECU is 'locked'.

midget4hire said:

Mine kind of pops with straight through pipe and standard backbox

Click to expand...

Those who have gone for the Ragazzon centre pipe ended up going the 'full monty' with a Group N Ragazzon back box but I reckon it will exceed the European db limit of 76. Some tracks have limits of 86-88db. How strict are they in Hong Kong on db limits ?

Wow ! straight pipe does makes a difference ! THANKS !!!!!!!!!!! The video sound superb but Its hard to make justice for the level of noise it's making in the vid ! but I guess won't hurt to try @ 80 quid.

Thanks !

I m thinking get record monza exhaust for my 1.4 Lounge 6sp-auto. I really like the popping sound. I don't really care about the HP increased,as it will be very limited, at least you will never feel the difference before and after.

loveivs said:

I m thinking get record monza exhaust for my 1.4 Lounge 6sp-auto. I really like the popping sound. I don't really care about the HP increased,as it will be very limited, at least you will never feel the difference before and after.

Click to expand...

There's a thread on the FF of a guy with a standard 500 who fitted a Monza setup but IMHO I thought it was a bit crazy. On the Monza I've heard of exhaust valves sticking - it's designed to go with the A500 and despite the high price tag it's only made of mild steel. It will give an extra 5bhp but only on the A500.
Also since your model is a US model which has had quite a lot of changes at the rear for US safety regulations - it may not fit.

loveshandbags said:

There's a thread on the FF of a guy with a standard 500 who fitted a Monza setup but IMHO I thought it was a bit crazy. On the Monza I've heard of exhaust valves sticking - it's designed to go with the A500 and despite the high price tag it's only made of mild steel. It will give an extra 5bhp but only on the A500.
Also since your model is a US model which has had quite a lot of changes at the rear for US safety regulations - it may not fit.

Click to expand...

I don't expect any power increase from this expensive back box , I just like the sound. US Spec & EU Sepc has different engine and exhaust set-up, I agree with you modification must be done before fitted.
Most aftermarket exhaust is made of stainless steel, I have no idea why MM uses mild steel for Record Monza, MM makes their own product by stainless steel though.

loveshandbags said:

There's a thread on the FF of a guy with a standard 500 who fitted a Monza setup but IMHO I thought it was a bit crazy. On the Monza I've heard of exhaust valves sticking - it's designed to go with the A500 and despite the high price tag it's only made of mild steel. It will give an extra 5bhp but only on the A500.
Also since your model is a US model which has had quite a lot of changes at the rear for US safety regulations - it may not fit.

Click to expand...

From a thread on the Abarth side from Slowswede about the way the variable back pressure works in the Monza I looked into this a bit more. I was incorrect about this exhaust only being for Abarths - it was designed with the 500 'in mind' as well.
http://www.myabarth.co.uk/2009/09/abarth-record-monza-variable-back-pressure-exhaust-systems/
“Record Monza” exhausts can be mounted on the Abarth 500 , the Abarth Grande Punto, and on petrol versions of the Fiat 500, and come in a matt black finish, with chromed tail pipes sporting the Abarth logo in relief.

How the Monza works is - 2 of the pipes for the back exhaust go through the silencer and when the pressure builds up to 0.5bar it then uses the other 2 pipes which are not silenced. The net effect on the A500 is around 5bhp from 2200rpm with a 12 bhp gain at 3510rpm.
On a 1.4 it's bound to give some gain (cheapest ebay price at the moment is £730) although I doubt it would have any benefit on a 1.2.
https://www.fiatforum.com/500/251834-fiat-500-abarth-exhaust-1-2-a.html

Is there a market to develop a cheaper back box where this spring valve setup could bypass the back silencer box ?

I have a few straight-through back bozes for FIAT 500s here.



Make your FIAT Sound sporty.
£195 P&P Free for UK this week.

You need to get some sound clips up People will buy as long as they're not buying an unknown I'd buy that if I needed an exhaust and I knew it sounded good

Well the first person to get one can make a soundclip. The Prorotype went to a guy who restores lambrettors who then told me that youtubing was too much for him technically. Although he said he loved the sound of it. Not mad/oud or chavvy just enough to remind him that it is Italian.

Here's an MG fitted with my exhausts
with a cat

without a cat

How much will we learn about how it will sound on a Fiat 500 by listening to it on an MGF?

RobinPJ said:

How much will we learn about how it will sound on a Fiat 500 by listening to it on an MGF?

Click to expand...

Exactly! Get yourself a simple video camera and post some sound vids. you won't get any better free publicity than youtube clips.

100 pounds will buy you a flip or a simple kodak. Seems a fair investment to me.

Yes, but he doesn't have a Fiat 500......

306maxi said:

Yes, but he doesn't have a Fiat 500......

Click to expand...

Give one of your buyers a small refund if he makes a movie of his exhaust.

306maxi said:

Yes, but he doesn't have a Fiat 500......

Click to expand...

I was going to have one but they had Alfa Mitos in the same shop and was convinced by my sone to get one of those instead. That already has a "different" exhaust.

I keep looking at FIAT 500s though especially the Twinair in blue...

Petrolhead Tom said:

Give one of your buyers a small refund if he makes a movie of his exhaust.

Click to expand...

OK I'll do that, £25 off to the first person to do that. Oh and make a decent job of it! many Youtube's of exhausts are shocking!