Joe731

I finally decided to put the RS on a diet. I wanted to get rid of extra weight without compromising the car.

The first step was side muffler bypass pipes. I looked at FVD, Fabspeed, TPC, BBI, and Car graphics. The basic differences are one-to-one vs one-to-two pipes and valved vs non-valved. I decided that I wanted non-valved as I was happy with the car being a little louder, and I decided that I wanted one-to-two pipes as I felt like they took better advantage of the center muffler, which as two input ports, and two points of connection felt more stable. Based on these preferences and reputation for quality and price, I chose Fabspeed. It took about a month to get them as they don't stock these on the shelf.

When they arrived, I was impressed with the fit and finish and overall build quality. The install was pretty easy for the mechanically inclined. I pulled the rear bumper cover and heat shields (there is a youtube video for this, but not from me), and the side mufflers came out without much fuss. The new pieces plug and play, though I ended up stripping one of the big clamps that connect the engine side of the bypass to the cat flange. I learned from this and recommend that if you DIY, use vise grips to align and squeeze the clamp and then use the threaded hex bolt to lock it down. Not hard, I just used the hex bolt to tighten it all and it's just not that strong.

Once installed, the car sounds a little louder at idle, especially when first started, but no louder at WOT than before with the valve button open on the center console. For me, I was less concerned about the sound and more concerned about the weight loss at the heavy end of the car. That said, it does sound very good

I have had them on the car for about 3 months now, and they are a quality product that will last as long as the OEM parts. Very happy with my decision and purchase.

CDinSing

Looks good. A bit OT, but have you found an improvement in rear grip from the R defuser?

TRAKCAR

Subscribed, do I need a diffuser?

loopsandsounds

Interested to hear feedback on this as well.