# Answer to single-side exhaust on 04's?



## Country Boy (Jul 22, 2005)

I am just lost why they didn't do dual exhaust out the back on the 2004 GTO's... Was there any reason they put single exhaust? It looks horrible in my opinion...


----------



## JMVorbeck (Jun 1, 2005)

Because its the European style, coming from a European car. It is truly a dual exhaust, only the pipes are routed out next to each other. The split side is an "American Dual" setup. It was probably changed to appeal to the American consumer for which it is targeted at as a GTO. And in my opinion (and yours) it really looks good, the sales numbers of the 05 reflect it as well. You can change it on your 04 and there is a guy on this forum who did it and what a bang up job he did. He used oval tips and I think it looks absolutely killer. There are pics of his torrid red with focus on the exhaust on his thread. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.


----------



## b_a_betterperson (Feb 16, 2005)

2004 sales stunk, in part, because idiot dealers were asking $10,000 over sticker (plus $7000 for the cheapest and ugliest aftermarket wheel and tire combinations you've ever seen) for GTOs when they came out. $50K for a GTO? No, thanks. This crap was going on all the way until November. 

After every single interested customer left empty handed, vowing never to set foot in a Pontiac dealer again -- voila -- a 200 day supply of unsold GTOs. Helloooooooo, discounts! 

As much as I like the 2005s (the exhausts, brakes and LS2 -- everything except the scoops), I'll take my fire sale price and 0% note any time.


----------



## diverdan (Apr 27, 2005)

JMVorbeck said:


> You can change it on your 04 and there is a guy on this forum who did it and what a bang up job he did. He used oval tips and I think it looks absolutely killer. There are pics of his torrid red with focus on the exhaust on his thread. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.


Gee, I'm blushing :lol: 
One improvement you can't see is that the car sounds better, IMO. Deeper and a little louder, especially above 3K. I am assuming this is a result of the bigger pipes behind the mufflers (2.5")


















It cost me about $500 all told for this set up using Banshee Exhaust inserts, some custom oval tips, and SS 2.5" pipe from the mufflers back; I paid a body shop to install the inserts and an exhaust shop to run the pipes.
PRYC (who sells the Banshee inserts) is now offering a package of the inserts and the oval tips (which are copies of what comes on some Escalades) for around $200.00. You could also shave money if you wanted to by getting regular aluminized exhaust pipe or even just getting the passenger side run; I really wanted SS.


----------



## Xman (Oct 31, 2004)

The 04 exhaust set-up running out one side also had another advantage - a larger trunk. The gas tank for the Monaro was originally in the other side location. Now with the fuel tank in the trunk to meet US safety regulations, there was room to run the exhaust out both sides as they did on the 05s.


----------



## ftlfirefighter (Jun 6, 2005)

That looks Sweet Dan!


----------



## westell (Oct 4, 2004)

I think they wanted to be a little different. For me, my 94Z had dual. Put the American Thunder from flow master (cat back). Had 1 big 'ol sewer pipe out the left side. My 02 SS had dual-dual (SLP) cat back, so the GTO was a change from what I had. I like it. I don't like the '05's too many other cars with the two tone plastic and oversize ovals, but a goat is a goat; there all GOOD


----------



## JMVorbeck (Jun 1, 2005)

ftlfirefighter said:


> That looks Sweet Dan!


Thats an understatement. I am debating if I like that better than the 05 chrome tips. I am leaning twords yes.


----------



## Groucho (Sep 11, 2004)

b_a_betterperson said:


> 2004 sales stunk, in part, because idiot dealers were asking $10,000 over sticker (plus $7000 for the cheapest and ugliest aftermarket wheel and tire combinations you've ever seen) for GTOs when they came out. $50K for a GTO? No, thanks. This crap was going on all the way until November.
> 
> After every single interested customer left empty handed, vowing never to set foot in a Pontiac dealer again -- voila -- a 200 day supply of unsold GTOs. Helloooooooo, discounts!
> 
> As much as I like the 2005s (the exhausts, brakes and LS2 -- everything except the scoops), I'll take my fire sale price and 0% note any time.


 :agree 

+1

Indeed.


----------



## Tom (Nov 1, 2004)

I think the announcement of 50hp scoops, and dual tips while 200days worth of GTOs were on the boat had more to do with it than the dealers doing what dealers do.


----------



## GTODEALER (Jan 7, 2005)

diverdan said:


> Gee, I'm blushing :lol:
> One improvement you can't see is that the car sounds better, IMO. Deeper and a little louder, especially above 3K. I am assuming this is a result of the bigger pipes behind the mufflers (2.5")
> 
> 
> ...


Did you do the install? That is growing on me.... I think I'm gonna do it next pay day! :cheers


----------



## Mikey (Feb 16, 2005)

*Whoa---European?*



JMVorbeck said:


> Because its the European style, coming from a European car. It is truly a dual exhaust, only the pipes are routed out next to each other. The split side is an "American Dual" setup. It was probably changed to appeal to the American consumer for which it is targeted at as a GTO. And in my opinion (and yours) it really looks good, the sales numbers of the 05 reflect it as well. You can change it on your 04 and there is a guy on this forum who did it and what a bang up job he did. He used oval tips and I think it looks absolutely killer. There are pics of his torrid red with focus on the exhaust on his thread. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.


Hey it ain't a European car. Austraila ain't in Europe. When the dealer told me it was made Down Under, that sealed the deal. There's too many US cars made in Canada, those leftist traitors. Now an Aussie machine! Those blokes are our mates, man. Mad Max lives!


----------



## GTO TOO (Sep 10, 2004)

It may be Aussie built but you might want to take a look at WHERE they recieved the design FROM!!!! Oh Pal !!!!!


----------



## JMVorbeck (Jun 1, 2005)

Mikey said:


> Hey it ain't a European car. Austraila ain't in Europe. When the dealer told me it was made Down Under, that sealed the deal. There's too many US cars made in Canada, those leftist traitors. Now an Aussie machine! Those blokes are our mates, man. Mad Max lives!


Hey, it may not be made in Europe but the Aussies dont look to US (us) for design cues. While Australia may not be in Europe, who do you think runs the show down under? Just ask some of the former gun owners of that country. I do like the Aussies and I do like thier cars but they are Europeans.


----------



## GTO TOO (Sep 10, 2004)

The head of Holdens is Dennis Mooney. ( An American!!!!)


----------



## GTO JUDGE (May 14, 2005)

*04' Exhaust setup*

I asked the owner of my local dealership why the exhaust set up on the 04's were designed like that...I got a kind of a long wind bagged answer as to why the 04' was so "plain looking" overall. In a condensed version this the answer I got. 
According to him..The 04's were rushed into production because GM wanted to beat Ford Motor Company's unveiling of the retro 05' Mustang. There apparently was some kind of an exhaust problem with the U.S. emission requirements and the set up GM was using. So to appease the U.S. regulations, Pontiac hurriedly designed an exhaust system to get it on a GTO to meet the requirements to get the GTO out 1 model year before Ford unveiled the retro Mustang. 

I was told that once the GTO had their digs in the states, the exhaust system could be grand-fathered and then would be modified to meet emission requirements and then add some other modifications i.e. the hood scoops. There was more to it than that but that was a brief overview of what I was told. 

Whether or not that is the actual reason or not, I don't know, but I was told this, and I assume it to be the reason for it, or at least part of the reason for it. He seemed to have his facts in order as this was explained to me. 
So I assume most of it had to do with hurrying a GTO to the open market before GM was actually ready just to beat Ford to the punch with their retro Mustang.


----------



## ROK (Jul 28, 2005)

When I first bought my 04 Goat I was a little disappointed with the one sided duel exhaust, but it started to grow on me. It was different looking, and it made people think, single or duel? Now that I see what the 05 duel exhaust looks like, I like both of them. I was going to change mine over, but decided to keep it the way it is. I love the way my 04 Goat looks, after I have changed the looks of it, MPD Hood, Auto Cross Grills, and a few other body changes, but it looks nothing like an 05.
http://www.hyperfiles.com/users/mrrok/tmp.62920767507_0_ALB.jpg <--click

ROK


----------



## derf (Aug 3, 2004)

I'm keeping my single side dual exhaust. It may not bring in money like a 63 split window Stingray in 20 years but it will keep mine unique and identifiable as an 04.

Sure, I may have long tubes and 3" pipes all the way to the back but it'll still come out on one side...


----------



## diverdan (Apr 27, 2005)

GTODEALER said:


> Did you do the install? That is growing on me.... I think I'm gonna do it next pay day! :cheers


I farmed the insert install to a bodyshop (though I painted them black myself) for $130. I was too chicken to cut the bumper myself. Though looking at it afterward, it appeared to pretty straightforward. I also wasn't certain what type of adhesive would work best. 

I also farmed the exhaust to an exhaust shop for $350 (this included 2.5" SS pipes from the mufflers back on both sides and the tips).


----------



## GTO TOO (Sep 10, 2004)

GTO Judge
The dealer you talked to does not even understand the emissions standards.
You do not "grandfather" in a design change. All designs must meet the standards assigned to that model. ( Not all models meet the same standards in the same model year.)The GTO was imported on short notice, and that may have led to no time to redesign the exhaust for the first model year. BUT that hogwash about emission blah blah blah, is simply a fiction.


----------



## GTO JUDGE (May 14, 2005)

GTO TOO said:


> GTO Judge
> The dealer you talked to does not even understand the emissions standards.
> You do not "grandfather" in a design change. All designs must meet the standards assigned to that model. ( Not all models meet the same standards in the same model year.)The GTO was imported on short notice, and that may have led to no time to redesign the exhaust for the first model year. BUT that hogwash about emission blah blah blah, is simply a fiction.


I'm just stating what I was told. I told ya's I didn't know if it were true or not. Makes no matter to me what the reason is. Hey if he was blowing smoke my a** who am I to disagree with him, he's got more facts to base his opinions on it than I. 

Emissions is getting to be a pain in the a** everywhere. The Fed's are making States set mandates about emissions... Here in PA we have to get emission testing mandated by the state... It's a HUGE money maker for the state... Every garage, and dealer sets his own prices. We are getting screwed. Even if a car is exempt the owner still has to pay full fare for an exemption sticker. 1 car in a thousand will fail. So we all have to fork over anywhere from 39.99 to 65.00 for a test. 

So when the owner of the dealership tells me there was an emission problem that had to be worked out before the cars could hit U.S. soil, I have no facts not to believe him.


----------



## JMVorbeck (Jun 1, 2005)

GTO judge said:


> I'm just stating what I was told. I told ya's I didn't know if it were true or not. Makes no matter to me what the reason is. Hey if he was blowing smoke my a** who am I to disagree with him, he's got more facts to base his opinions on it than I.
> 
> Emissions is getting to be a pain in the a** everywhere. The Fed's are making States set mandates about emissions... Here in PA we have to get emission testing mandated by the state... It's a HUGE money maker for the state... Every garage, and dealer sets his own prices. We are getting screwed. Even if a car is exempt the owner still has to pay full fare for an exemption sticker. 1 car in a thousand will fail. So we all have to fork over anywhere from 39.99 to 65.00 for a test.
> 
> So when the owner of the dealership tells me there was an emission problem that had to be worked out before the cars could hit U.S. soil, I have no facts not to believe him.


I was so happy when Florida had enough of that crooked BS and did away with it. It was nothing but a scam, and someone was making out big time. You had to pay cash. Cash! I mean if that isnt the biggest clue in the world, a cash only transaction. Anyway, they nixed that crap.


----------



## fergyflyer (Apr 18, 2005)

JMVorbeck said:


> I was so happy when Florida had enough of that crooked BS and did away with it. It was nothing but a scam, and someone was making out big time. You had to pay cash. Cash! I mean if that isnt the biggest clue in the world, a cash only transaction. Anyway, they nixed that crap.


It is nice to be in Florida and away from the high taxes of other states and the stupid regulations. Just make sure you keep voting Republican.

There was a law in California that said if it moves tax it. If it still moves regulate it. When it stops subsidize it. LOL. I think Pa. and NY are following that same model to prosperity.


----------



## HTRDLNCN (Jul 1, 2005)

Yup,Florida here as well, luckily I never had to go because I had my cars registered in a small county. You only had to go if you were in one of teh big ones. Unfortunatly for me I will be moving to texas in next few years and even though I will be in a small county it has testing. Guess Ill have to buy some land in the middle of nowhere,Tx and register them there. Uncle Sam can pry the car keys from my cold dead hand before I EVER smog test any of my vehicles.

Funny story about cali,the communist state,, I studied there in the mid 80s,, $50 a year was all it took to bribe a station to get my 455 powered, no catalytic, highly illegal 77 Cutlass smogged and passed. They may have a lot of laws but they are also really corrupt.. Nice combo..


----------



## fergyflyer (Apr 18, 2005)

HTRDLNCN said:


> Yup,Florida here as well, luckily I never had to go because I had my cars registered in a small county. You only had to go if you were in one of teh big ones. Unfortunatly for me I will be moving to texas in next few years and even though I will be in a small county it has testing. Guess Ill have to buy some land in the middle of nowhere,Tx and register them there. Uncle Sam can pry the car keys from my cold dead hand before I EVER smog test any of my vehicles.
> 
> Funny story about cali,the communist state,, I studied there in the mid 80s,, $50 a eyar was all it took to bribe a station to get my 455 powered, no catalytic, highly illegal 77 Cutlass smogged and passed.


In Pa. if your car doesn't pass you don't have to fix it. If you spend $400 on repairs and it still doesn't pass they let you go with an exemption. What did that accomplish?????

They gave me a hard time in California because I had an intake and exhaust on my Z28. They didn't want to test it because it was modified and they didn't know the effects the mods had on the emissions. When they did test it, it was so clean it wouldn't register on the test level it was built as. I had to go to a referee station and get it tested as a U-LEV instead of a LEV.


----------



## diverdan (Apr 27, 2005)

Not to highjack (Ok, maybe just a little) but what does it cost to register/tag/emissions the goat in CA?

I might be moving to CA in the near future (job forced move) I would much rather move back to FL, even if it means Miami.


----------



## JMVorbeck (Jun 1, 2005)

fergyflyer said:


> It is nice to be in Florida and away from the high taxes of other states and the stupid regulations. Just make sure you keep voting Republican.
> 
> There was a law in California that said if it moves tax it. If it still moves regulate it. When it stops subsidize it. LOL. I think Pa. and NY are following that same model to prosperity.


I wasnt aware there was any other way to vote.

No State income tax, halfway decent gas prices, smooth roads and no smog nazi's.

arty:


----------



## GTO JUDGE (May 14, 2005)

fergyflyer said:


> In Pa. if your car doesn't pass you don't have to fix it. If you spend $400 on repairs and it still doesn't pass they let you go with an exemption. What did that accomplish?????


It accomplished : *Revenue for the state.* Makes no difference if it passes or fails. You are charged. Show that you spent (it's only) 150.00 in trying to correct the problem, and they slap a sticker on the windshield. $65.00 Please!!!!! In some cases, places are charging that. 

The state mandates it but lets the costs up to individual service centers. There should be a flat statewide fee, but they won't do that because it will inhibit service centers from charging what they want.

Once upon a time dealers charged more for services. I took my wife's GT to the dealer for inspection and emissions because it was the same price as my local garage. The inspection at the dealer was higher, but the emissions was cheaper. It offsets the total cost. Before now I'd never take my car to the dealer for an inspection. The cost was grossly higher. 

Just to get my wife's GT inspected, and emissions inspected.. cost me 69.00. And nothing was wrong with it. I have 4 vehicles.... that's 280.00 year just to inspect before corrections is any is needed. Before emissions, a routine inspection ran me 23.00. Do the math. But I suppose we all must share in paying the 100,000+ *base salary * of our legislatures.

This emission fiasco has everyone in the state irate but no one is challenging it. There are some smaller counties that are exempt from it but pass, fail, or an exemption because you drive 5,000 a year or less doesn't matter, you have to anti up the full fare. 

And with our lawmakers here giving themselves obscene raises, and allowing themselves in many cases 200.00 a week in gas allowances, there are no advocates battling for the consumer to break through the shell of the fat cats. If they try, they are ganged up on by the senate. It is sickening. You guys that don't live in PA..... be thankful.


----------



## BigNick (Jan 7, 2005)

GTO judge said:


> And with our lawmakers here giving themselves obscene raises, and allowing themselves in many cases 200.00 a week in gas allowances, there are no advocates battling for the consumer to break through the shell of the fat cats. If they try, they are ganged up on by the senate. It is sickening. You guys that don't live in PA..... be thankful.


Sorry about the political link, but: PA Cleansweep


----------



## GTO JUDGE (May 14, 2005)

BigNick said:


> Sorry about the political link, but: PA Cleansweep


Thanks Nick..... I saw that on the news. I am signing up. Wife already did. It's not going to do any good though. Man I hope I'm wrong. 

All that's gonna do is get people fired up to oust the incumbents... By the time that comes around next election year.... this whole fiasco will be blown over.

You have to eradicate the melanoma.. The cancerous liaison that is ...Rendell.


----------

