Saw a thread on Exhausts a few days ago so I thought I'd report on my experience of Powerflow this week.
I took my Sie along to Powerflow at Big City Tyres in Nottingham last Saturday. Friendly people, said they'd done a lot of Seis - bit more power bit more torque No Problem !!!. I said I didn't want it too loud, and was looking to increase power at the top end of the rev range, "No problem - bigger bore tube 'straight through' back box, no intermediate box, £300, (which gets reduced to £260 after a bit of negotiation) - come back in an hour and a half"
I get back just after the agreed time, the fitters not quite finished, and it looks a fairly good job, I dont quite understand why there are so many slight bends in the mid section, but he explains "he's followed the exact shape of the original" - a bit a wasted work as the bends are mainly to accomodate the intermediate box, and as there isn't one there's loads of room in the tunnel. - still seems OK to me. I point out that the back box looks at a bit of a strange angle and a bit low at one end, (not exactly like the original) He says "It wont be a problem its still got pleanty of clearance and this way the tail pipe is exactly in the middle of the cut-out in the bumper" which it is, so OK.
They get it off the ramp and it sounds awesome!!!! so I pay and drive off initially a very happy bunny (a bit like one of Dave's). So I think I'll stop off at Toys R Us (well I've got my pressie, seems only fair to get some Xmas pressies for the kids) First speed bump Klunk ...rattle.... Klunk. OK so the zorst is knocking, its happened before, even with a standard OEM one. So I have a look at it and it seems to be the tailpipe knocking on the bumper.
So I go back, and the fitter has a look and welds on another support bar and fits another rubber hanger. The tailpipe is now very firmly located, it seems OK so I go. I give up on Toys R Us and hit the Motorway still sounds awesome but I seem to be lacking power.
I get back to my road which doesn't need speed bumps cause its got so may holes and deep drain covers. Klunk Klunk Klunk Klunk. Now I'm worried, I replaced the suspension last week. Has something come loose? - better get it up on the jacks. I start jacking up on the nearside rear shocker, the problem is obvious at about 3/4 travel the shocker hits the backbox, well at least its not the suspension. So I leave it think I'll have to go back and get it sorted during the week. I have my dinner and get on to the serious matter of the power test. Two runs it each direction on my normal test road for power, and another two each way 0-60. Get home and hook up the Dyno to the computer, run the routines look at the graphs, work out the averages Surely can't be right 1.5 seconds on the 0-60 and a power loss of 3-4 bhp. Check the temperature, pressure and RH settings from the BBC weather site, slight adjustment, well now could be as high a 5 BHP loss, torque is down 10% too.
No longer a happy bunny!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
I phone them on Mondayand tell them the problems they promise to sort it all out if I bring it in Tuesday morning, so I take some time off work and go back on Tuesday with the graphs and tell them how dischuffed I am. They say "no guarentee of performance gains but Powerflow gives the best performance as proved by the Max Power test" you will have to get your car re-mapped to suit the zorst. Big, and at times heated, discussion follows, it very clear they have no real understanding or knowlege of exhaust tuning. This ends with my old zorst going back on and me getting a full refund. So i'm only down a tankfull of fuel and a half day's leave.
So my advice is stay away from Powerflow (well the one at Big City in Notts) if your interested in performance, ( they score -5 in my book) although for looks and sound I'd have to give them a 7 or 8 , maybe higher.
I've since looked at getting my Cinq Magnex box fitted with a custom midsection but the box is too deep for the sie and the tailpipe would hang down half below the cut-out. So I've ordered a Peco system as they seem to be rated by a few forum members I hope it works better than the powerflow ( I'll let you all know).
Regards,
Michael
I took my Sie along to Powerflow at Big City Tyres in Nottingham last Saturday. Friendly people, said they'd done a lot of Seis - bit more power bit more torque No Problem !!!. I said I didn't want it too loud, and was looking to increase power at the top end of the rev range, "No problem - bigger bore tube 'straight through' back box, no intermediate box, £300, (which gets reduced to £260 after a bit of negotiation) - come back in an hour and a half"
I get back just after the agreed time, the fitters not quite finished, and it looks a fairly good job, I dont quite understand why there are so many slight bends in the mid section, but he explains "he's followed the exact shape of the original" - a bit a wasted work as the bends are mainly to accomodate the intermediate box, and as there isn't one there's loads of room in the tunnel. - still seems OK to me. I point out that the back box looks at a bit of a strange angle and a bit low at one end, (not exactly like the original) He says "It wont be a problem its still got pleanty of clearance and this way the tail pipe is exactly in the middle of the cut-out in the bumper" which it is, so OK.
They get it off the ramp and it sounds awesome!!!! so I pay and drive off initially a very happy bunny (a bit like one of Dave's). So I think I'll stop off at Toys R Us (well I've got my pressie, seems only fair to get some Xmas pressies for the kids) First speed bump Klunk ...rattle.... Klunk. OK so the zorst is knocking, its happened before, even with a standard OEM one. So I have a look at it and it seems to be the tailpipe knocking on the bumper.
So I go back, and the fitter has a look and welds on another support bar and fits another rubber hanger. The tailpipe is now very firmly located, it seems OK so I go. I give up on Toys R Us and hit the Motorway still sounds awesome but I seem to be lacking power.
I get back to my road which doesn't need speed bumps cause its got so may holes and deep drain covers. Klunk Klunk Klunk Klunk. Now I'm worried, I replaced the suspension last week. Has something come loose? - better get it up on the jacks. I start jacking up on the nearside rear shocker, the problem is obvious at about 3/4 travel the shocker hits the backbox, well at least its not the suspension. So I leave it think I'll have to go back and get it sorted during the week. I have my dinner and get on to the serious matter of the power test. Two runs it each direction on my normal test road for power, and another two each way 0-60. Get home and hook up the Dyno to the computer, run the routines look at the graphs, work out the averages Surely can't be right 1.5 seconds on the 0-60 and a power loss of 3-4 bhp. Check the temperature, pressure and RH settings from the BBC weather site, slight adjustment, well now could be as high a 5 BHP loss, torque is down 10% too.
No longer a happy bunny!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
I phone them on Mondayand tell them the problems they promise to sort it all out if I bring it in Tuesday morning, so I take some time off work and go back on Tuesday with the graphs and tell them how dischuffed I am. They say "no guarentee of performance gains but Powerflow gives the best performance as proved by the Max Power test" you will have to get your car re-mapped to suit the zorst. Big, and at times heated, discussion follows, it very clear they have no real understanding or knowlege of exhaust tuning. This ends with my old zorst going back on and me getting a full refund. So i'm only down a tankfull of fuel and a half day's leave.
So my advice is stay away from Powerflow (well the one at Big City in Notts) if your interested in performance, ( they score -5 in my book) although for looks and sound I'd have to give them a 7 or 8 , maybe higher.
I've since looked at getting my Cinq Magnex box fitted with a custom midsection but the box is too deep for the sie and the tailpipe would hang down half below the cut-out. So I've ordered a Peco system as they seem to be rated by a few forum members I hope it works better than the powerflow ( I'll let you all know).
Regards,
Michael