Michael Gibney

It's really difficult sometimes when you do your research -- as best as you can when you live out a long way from other Porsche owners -- and you "ask around" as best as you can when you live a long way from other Porsche owners -- and then you make your decision to improve your pride and joy -- your Porsche 2002 Targa -- and you organise for your new mufflers to be airfreighted from the United States by the local distributor and a week later they arrive and you drive for 2 1/2 hours to get them fitted and you pay $2300 AUS and then you turn around and drive back 2 1/2 hours on the freeway that requires you to sit on either 100 km an hour or 110 km an hour and with the car on cruise control and -- this is the very very sad part -- at either of those speeds yournew Fabspeed mufflers drone to the point where they make you feel ill

You take your wife for drive because she is excited (for you) because it's all you've talked about all week and she sits there and goes quiet and says -- have they done something wrong? and, they have to have done something wrong because it just drones like bad music -- and so on.

Then the dear wife really made me really sad by saying that "it doesn't sound sharp and crispy like your old Porsche"

OK -- I know -- I know -- I know -- I should have gone for drive in a car with a set of Fabspeed sports mufflers installed and then I would have found out that notwithstanding the fact that they are pleasing to lots of other people -- and I respect that -- to me they drone on and are unbearable -- so -- anybody in Australia want to buy a cheap set of Fabspeeds?

The indy who fitted them -- Fitzgerald Racing here in eastern Australia -- in Melbourne -- was a very nice fellow -- his mechanics were just what you want to see -- they were sensible clear thinking fellows working in a speck and span well-equipped workshop -- would highly recommend them to anybody needing work done on their Porsche.

RallyJon

I'm sorry you had to find out the expensive way, but there is no surer sign that a muffler drones than the number of new owners beset with cognitive dissonance, posting, "It doesn't drone... much. Certainly better than the OLD version. Compared to all the others, it hardly drones at all."

It's a straight through muffler. Therefore, it's guaranteed, at some rpm, you'll get annoying resonance.

chsu74

I have their mufflers for years before putting their headers on this spring. I do not hear the drone and am sorry that you are not satisified with the product. Try the PSE hack as people here have had success with it.

Jon996

Wow, sorry to hear that. As a last resort I would think you will not have too much trouble selling them. Before I bought my Fabspeeds I also read all the reports, and talked to some owners, and have been very happy with them. I did see some reports of drone, and some reports without drone.

I am trying to think of possible differences. For one, I have a wide-body (the car, not me). There is extra space for the mufflers to reside in. Also, do you by chance have a tiptronic? I have a 6-speed and typically drive at 3000-3500RPM (unless accelerating, of course). With my car, I can make them drone if I am applying load under 3K RPM, but then I downshift. In my case, I actually like the feedback.

I think chsu74 has a great idea. However, it is not easily reversable. Perhaps you can test a car with the PSE to see if you like it?

ivangene

THAT JUST SUCKS !!!

I did the By-Pass pipes and had the same type of experience. (though no where near as expensive) Really excited, did all the sound bytes, and in the end it just didnt work at all.....

I would also recommend the MKII hack mod, (or real PSE new/used) I have that and its amazing (for me) - quiet as hell on the freeway cruising - little rasp on accell/decell and tiny bark when you get on it. ZERO DRONE

loosecannon

I have a drone between 2000-3000 rpm with my custom exhaust and my solution is quite simple and effective, I just change gear or speed to get the engine above or below 2000-3000 rpm.

Michael Gibney

Thanks for the advice guys -- it really sucks but that's just the way it is.

The important thing to is what the above poster says about how his it P car sounds good at 3 1/2 thousand revs and so on -- I can agree with that -- it does soung ok up higher in the rev range -- but -- the problem is that in sixth gear on the freeway at the legal cruising speed here in Victoria it is sitting at 2500 rpm or thereabouts and that's exactly when it drones at its worst -- it's like the planets have lined up against me -- wow -- I really must be said.

Anyway I will have to try and find somebody around here -- in eastern Australia -- who has done the PSE mod so that I can listen to that and then if it's ok to my ear I will do that -- but -- no more mods without listening to someone else's system first -- once bitten twice shy.

Anyone in south-eastern Australia have the PSE mod?

ivangene

awe but how would you end up with a GT2 wing in the garage with this type of additude!

Jon996

. . . or two extra sets of wheels in the barn . . .

chsu74

How about getting 997 X51 headers and thus deepening your sound. This may change the frequency on the drone thereby getting rid of it.

ivangene

DOH !!!

(shhh sold one set)
Have room for more things I cant use - also sold the GT2 muffler - still have the hood ? anyone need a factory MKI rear deack lid (or two)

Yoops Racing

Is it possible that you need to put a 1000miles or so on the mufflers first to see if the drone dissappears or is less?
I feel your frustration.....to go through all that for the anxiety of something that should have made you happy....

All I can say is that I went with the AH Gen2 mufflers and I could not be happier as there is little to no drone period....the AH Gen1 mufflers I replaced (due to a bad weld on a bracket)had the same very loud, ear splitting obnoxious drone at 2-3k rpm's - they were so loud that it was impossible to have any conversation and forget a cellular call...stereo was deemed useless at those RPM's.

Gen 2 fixed my pain....

PasPar2

My fabspeeds drone like hell... A quick email to their customer support got a response along the lines of "you drive a Porsche not a Jag... deal with it... we dont care!". When i replied to a thread about the droning on the other board, the head of marketing PMed me and asked if he can help, I explained the issue and he promptly ignored me.

Yes they drone. Yes its a shame they dont stand behind their product. Yes its a shame they treat their customer like they are clueless idiots.

Yes, I wont buy from them anymore.

Ahmet

I don't like aftermarket exhausts and don't see the appeal. I bought my current car with a set of fabspeeds, sold them for a new factory exhaust, non PSE. I do a lot of track events, and I'm pretty young compared to many on this board, but, I suppose to each his own, I like a quiet car.

Sucks about your experience, Fabspeed doesn't seem to have the best reputation, but they ARE lighter than stock, that's for sure...

jumper5836

I have both the 997 X51 headers and fabspeed mufflers. The headers do make the engine sound deeper and it seems to me that the car is quieter then when I only had the fabspeed installed.

I don't notice a drone. Unless your is a really tall gear and you slightly press the accelerator. I rarely am ever in 6th gear and even the drone that I am talking about it not that much and it requires complete silence in the car to even hear it. Doesn't interfere with the sound system and thinking back to other vehicles I've had. All which have had a drone while in the same situation.

Without the stock exhaust there was no way to hear the exhaust note. Unless you had the windows down and didn't drive fast enough for the wind to create enough noise to over power it.