Issue link: http://undercardigest.epubxp.com/i/532830
14 Undercar Digest produce the original sound they were designed to have, Boychuk said. Although applications con- tinue to grow, Solo's OE-replace- ment mufflers and exhaust systems, as well as its performance mufflers and cat-back systems, are designed for popular vehicles that are known to have exhaust-tuning problems as new vehicles or after the OE systems fail. "If you order the same body size muffler of a competitor, it will be a lot lighter than ours," Boychuk said. "Our mufflers use stainless-steel and ceramic body packing. The body is thick and the louvering system is unique and harder to make. Half the louvers go one way and half go the other, so it can be installed in either di- rection. The dynamics of the de- sign does a lot to absorb the sound, deepen the exhaust note, and when it's deeper it doesn't hurt your ears. It sounds about 25% to 30% quieter than any free- flow muffler." Notar added that the steel pack- ing is wrapped completely with ceramic fiber so the steel packing doesn't blow out through the lou- vers. In addition there are barriers between the packing. Internal sup- port plates down the middle make four quadrants so the packing can't shift. Performance design also is im- portant, Boychuk said. He noted that a recent Ford Mustang had six OE bends sandwiched in from the front of the axle to the muffler. Ron Urquhart, head of mandrel bending, designed a system with only two bends and "a little kick." Solo Performance offers original-equipment replacement systems for specific minivans and passenger cars where typical alu- minized mufflers and pipes didn't do the job Boychuk thought they should. They include applications for late-model Chrysler minivans; Ford Explorer, Focus and Windstar models; Chevy Impalas and Malibus; Saturns; Honda Accords and Civics; and a variety of Nissan and Toyota crossovers and passenger cars. The Whisper riety of direct-fit mufflers. He said a Solo direct-fit muffler and pipe for a Ford Focus actually sounds better than OE, has a long replacement life and costs only slightly more than an aluminized system commonly offered in the aftermarket, he said. In its performance line, cat-back kits are available for a wide vari- ety of muscle cars and pickups, in- cluding fifth-generation Camaros, Mustangs, Challengers, Chargers, and even Smart Cars. In addition, Chevy/GMC, Ram and Ford pick- up systems are available. Solo performance mufflers are available in five series – Mach, Solo's line of exhaust clamps and other hardware are made of stainless to prevent unnecessary corrosion between different types of steel. Mach straight-through performance mufflers can be installed in either direction because the louvers change their pattern at midway through the muffler. Original-equipment replacement Engineer Phung Nguyen and fabricator Hung Ly work on a system design. Solo offers a wide selection of direct-fit original-equipment replacement exhaust for problem passenger cars.