Borla Pro Xs mufflers
October-23rd-2002, 05:14 PM
#1
Protege Addict
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Southwest Florida
Posts: 435
Borla Pro Xs mufflers
Ok, I see what's happening here! I was cruising thru the general forum and noticing that the muffler threads were getting moved over by the mods, so I just copy-pasted my post below. Btw, I'm a mod on the "relatively" new MPVClub.com forum - I know the feeling - I'll fix my own newbie error, sorry!
<Hey folks! I'm a newb to this board - glad to be here. I picked up a '94 Pro a couple weeks ago and like it quite a bit. At first I was looking for some cheap transportation, but I ran across this LX that thinks it's a pocket rocket! That 1.8 DOHC is a nice little engine. The car is black with super-dark tinted windows and MX3 alloys, so it looks pretty classy.
Anyway, I'm looking to upgrade the exhaust system. I checked Borla, but they don't offer a full cat-back for that year. They said I should try their Pro-XS series muffler. I did a search here on this forum for Borla and only came up with folks who had done mods to 3rd gen's. Anyone done this with a 1st gen? I'd really like to get a resonator on there too ....>
<Hey folks! I'm a newb to this board - glad to be here. I picked up a '94 Pro a couple weeks ago and like it quite a bit. At first I was looking for some cheap transportation, but I ran across this LX that thinks it's a pocket rocket! That 1.8 DOHC is a nice little engine. The car is black with super-dark tinted windows and MX3 alloys, so it looks pretty classy.
Anyway, I'm looking to upgrade the exhaust system. I checked Borla, but they don't offer a full cat-back for that year. They said I should try their Pro-XS series muffler. I did a search here on this forum for Borla and only came up with folks who had done mods to 3rd gen's. Anyone done this with a 1st gen? I'd really like to get a resonator on there too ....>
October-23rd-2002, 07:25 PM
#2
Protege Owner
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: www.clubprotege.com
Posts: 587
Welcome to the board and good to hear you picked a fine car 
They are a lot of fun and reliable...
The only catback available is one made by Pacesetter....you can get it cheap through www.nopionline.com Now...you'll hear some bad opinions on pacesetter, but it IS mandrel bent andi've had mine for almost a year with no rust, etc.
If you live somewhere with real snow - and salt on the roads - then i could see the muffler rusting out quick. The sound is OK, but gets raspy at higher rpms and 'drones' at highway speeds. You *could* buy the pacesetter and have a new muffler and resonator welded in...
Another option is to buy a muffler (don't know much about the Borla) and have an exaust shop make you a custom catback using mandrel bends.
They are a lot of fun and reliable...The only catback available is one made by Pacesetter....you can get it cheap through www.nopionline.com Now...you'll hear some bad opinions on pacesetter, but it IS mandrel bent andi've had mine for almost a year with no rust, etc.
If you live somewhere with real snow - and salt on the roads - then i could see the muffler rusting out quick. The sound is OK, but gets raspy at higher rpms and 'drones' at highway speeds. You *could* buy the pacesetter and have a new muffler and resonator welded in...
Another option is to buy a muffler (don't know much about the Borla) and have an exaust shop make you a custom catback using mandrel bends.
October-23rd-2002, 09:00 PM
#3
Protege Addict
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Southwest Florida
Posts: 435
Thanks for the replies! I'm in FL, which reminds me that I need to work on my profile and get my avatar over here. Anyway, snow? What's that?! 
I'm mainly going for performance here - looks are fine, but not an overriding concern. I'm sure some chrome tips will add just the right amount of eye-candy, yes?
I'm mainly going for performance here - looks are fine, but not an overriding concern. I'm sure some chrome tips will add just the right amount of eye-candy, yes?
October-30th-2002, 03:49 PM
#7
Protege Enthusiast
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Greensboro, NC
Posts: 62
I'm with Wil on this one...Dynomax Super Turbo....less than $50.00 for a universal mount and they have MANY configs to choose from. Check out http://www.a-1performance.com . If you order ask for Fred. He has sold me several Super Turbo mufflers and a couple Ultra Flo's.
Then once you get your muffler just take it to a local shop and have them weld it in with the size piping you want...I think most run 2.25 piping around here.
Then once you get your muffler just take it to a local shop and have them weld it in with the size piping you want...I think most run 2.25 piping around here.
November-14th-2002, 03:01 PM
#8
Protege Addict
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Southwest Florida
Posts: 435
I'm wondering if this Borla muffler will work on my Pro. I know a lot of stuff from the Escort ZX2 works on the 1st gen, but I wasn't sure which year of zx2 crosses over. This is for the '98-'02 zx2, but it looks remarkably like my oem muffler including the hanging brackets. Take a look and see here.
<edit> Sorry - I thought the link would take you right to the pic - just work thru the choices.
<another edit> I hope it's the right one! I just found it on www.oemfordparts.com for $180. Search for part #M-5230-z2
<edit> Sorry - I thought the link would take you right to the pic - just work thru the choices.
<another edit> I hope it's the right one! I just found it on www.oemfordparts.com for $180. Search for part #M-5230-z2
Last edited by beachnut; November-14th-2002 at 03:41 PM.
November-17th-2002, 07:30 PM
#10
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Northern VA
Posts: 1,016
Looks simmilar to the Ms Exhaust. It should most likly work. Umm.. you could go to junkyard and find a zx2 and jack the muffler and test it. Or you could measure urs and a zx2 u see. Dimmensions shoudl be the same. IMO practically same car almost.....
December-27th-2002, 02:43 PM
#11
Protege Addict
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Southwest Florida
Posts: 435
Well, I just put on my Borla ZX2 muffler and man does it sound great! None of that farty, racer-boy bomb sound - just a real aggressive, deep tone all the way through the power band. The 4" chrome tip looks awesome. It was incredibly easy to install too. The hangars mate up perfectly with the oem rubber mountings and the 2" inlet slipped right onto my stock pipe. The only thing I had to do was bend the brackets just a tad after I installed it so I could get the tip to line up centered in the bumper cutout.
Excellent mod ... I highly suggest it, even if it's a little pricey. I picked it up from http://www.oemfordparts.com/ for $195. Part number M-5230-Z2.
Excellent mod ... I highly suggest it, even if it's a little pricey. I picked it up from http://www.oemfordparts.com/ for $195. Part number M-5230-Z2.
Last edited by beachnut; December-27th-2002 at 02:46 PM.
December-27th-2002, 09:53 PM
#12
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Huntington Beach, CA Uhhh Surfs up Dude
Posts: 2,367
well, guess i chimed in a little late, but here's what my system consists of:
RMM header
Pacesetter (piping only)
Random Tech cat
generic resonator
Apexi N1 muffler (recently removed my Magnaflow)
sounds great, very deep and throaty. main reason i switched the Magnaflow was it was just too loud for daily driving (already got 2 tickets) with DTM tips, it wasn't worth my time to have a silencer made. The new N1 muffler has a silencer, and much too my suprise, it works! cuts the sound down a ton, i'd say maybe even 50-60%. Plus my bumper was constantly sooted
The N1's 3.5" tip is OK, i would have preffered smaller.
The header will make a BIG difference in sound. I HAD to have a resonator put on because it was just too much....now when the car is a dedicated racer, it can be as loud as all hell for all i care, but for freeway driving, it sucked big time.
BTW, good find! glad to know the ZX2 mufflers will for sure fit, not that i had any doubts really, just looking at the stock ones, they look identical.
RMM header
Pacesetter (piping only)
Random Tech cat
generic resonator
Apexi N1 muffler (recently removed my Magnaflow)
sounds great, very deep and throaty. main reason i switched the Magnaflow was it was just too loud for daily driving (already got 2 tickets) with DTM tips, it wasn't worth my time to have a silencer made. The new N1 muffler has a silencer, and much too my suprise, it works! cuts the sound down a ton, i'd say maybe even 50-60%. Plus my bumper was constantly sooted
The N1's 3.5" tip is OK, i would have preffered smaller.The header will make a BIG difference in sound. I HAD to have a resonator put on because it was just too much....now when the car is a dedicated racer, it can be as loud as all hell for all i care, but for freeway driving, it sucked big time.
BTW, good find! glad to know the ZX2 mufflers will for sure fit, not that i had any doubts really, just looking at the stock ones, they look identical.
December-28th-2002, 10:54 AM
#13
Protege Addict
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Southwest Florida
Posts: 435
Thanks Wil ... yep I polish my cars with Klasse All-In-One. I need to take some new pics where the Pro's all by itself (not in a parking lot ). Then I can show off my new '03 LX alloys and that fat Borla 3" chrome tip .
). Then I can show off my new '03 LX alloys and that fat Borla 3" chrome tip .Last edited by beachnut; January-28th-2003 at 08:47 AM.
and thx for the info on the exhaust.
February-27th-2003, 09:07 PM
#15
can i get a liter cola?
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: lakeville, mn
Posts: 233
how easy or difficult would it be to take off the stock resonator in my own garage? would i be better off taking it some where and having it removed? if i did do it by myself, is this the right way to do it...cut pipe before and after resonator, slip on a new pipe, and clamp it on?