Stack Intake System & Endura Lite Exhaust

Going to start doing some more modifications to NSX, and I am taking the same approach as I would with my motorcycles and usually the first mod done is the exhaust. So looking on the science of speed website and doing some research, the Endura Lite looks like the one to go with. The next upgrade will be to the air intake. Looking at the Down force Stack Intake System or just the Intake scoop. There is a huge difference in price, so I don't want to just throw money down the drain if it's not worth it! Anyone ever do this upgrade? And any feedback on the Endura Lite would be much appreciated. My mechanic told me not to even bother with the headers, that I would only feel it on a dyno or at the track! Suspension and wheels were already done. Thanks guys!

What year is your NSX? If you have the NA2 motor (3.2L) you probably won't gain much with headers. For the intake, the OEM airbox is pretty well sorted out and good from the factory. It only becomes a choking point if you go FI, in my opinion. The only reason to add the Downforce intake scoop is for the sound (and to get your air filter dirtier quicker). I have it and love the sound.

I also have the SOS Endura Lite exhaust. I had the Taitec GT-102 Inconel and liked the Taitec better. The Endura Lite is loud down in the lower RPMs and seems to stay the same volume all the way to redline. There's also a drone from 2-3k rpm in the cabin. Overall I do like the sound, but I preferred the Taitec GT-102 because it was quiet at low RPMs and got progressively louder to redline. The GT-102 also didn't have any of the drone issues.

As a side note, the Endura Lite will accept the Taitec exhaust tip silencers, you just need to drill the hole for it. I plan to do this soon to see how it affects the sound and the drone.

I have a 1996! My wife believe it or not wants a little bit more grunt coming out of the exhaust, of course her station wagon is CTS-V! So next to the NSX sounds like a beast! So priority #1 is increase the grunt and anything I pick up as far as performance is a plus! I have spent thousands on full exhaust systems on my ducatis and if it added 5HP I really couldn't tell. The sound is what I am going for!

If sound is what youre after, then simply any aftermarket header (or NA2 is fine as well), TP/ Resondated TP/ High flow Cats, plus any aftermarket exhaust.

All Taitec's exhuasts seems to be of excellent quality/value. I currently run the Taitec JGTC Parallel Exhaust (Taitec GT-008) and i love the deeper baritone exhaust sound of it. It still screams loud on the top end. As for the SOS endura lite, it is very comparible to the Taitec GT Light Weight Exhaust (GT-006) and they share similar characteristics in terms of sound [at least that is what i've heard or read from this forum]. I have had the Taitec GT Light Weight before and it makes a higher pitch exhaust note and is very linear in terms of loudness as the rev climbs. If you're looking for more grunt, then go with the JGTC Parallel one (if you can find one that is...) or any other longer tubing exhaust (of course while sacraficing performance due to weight).

Intake doesn't make much differences, the audible difference will be from induction sound and not the actually engine sound anyways, so spending a small fortune on the Downforce Intake Stack doesn't make sense unless you REALLY like it that much. If you just want more induction noise, simply go with the intake scoop. As mentioned above, your filter will get much more dirty and will require maintainence more often.

Hapa88 said:

As a side note, the Endura Lite will accept the Taitec exhaust tip silencers, you just need to drill the hole for it. I plan to do this soon to see how it affects the sound and the drone.

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Interested if you decide to test this. I have the Cantrell endura lite also, sounds great but that droning is getting annoying.

I have the DF stack and intake scoop because I like pretty things. :redface:

BTL3.0 said:

Interested if you decide to test this. I have the Cantrell endura lite also, sounds great but that droning is getting annoying.

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Planning to drill them tonight! Will report back soon.

I am about to pull the trigger on the SOS Endura Lite Exhaust, the Comptech Sport headers, and the down force air intake scoop. Having the 3.0L I should show some HP gains doing the headers as well.

posterchild2 said:

I am about to pull the trigger on the SOS Endura Lite Exhaust, the Comptech Sport headers, and the down force air intake scoop. Having the 3.0L I should show some HP gains doing the headers as well.

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Sounds good! Just FYI, the installation of the headers is a pretty time consuming project. And as a FYI, I saw a gain of 14 whp / 9 ft-lbs torque when I went from the stock 1995 manifold to the OEM NA2 header.

Hapa88 said:

Planning to drill them tonight! Will report back soon.

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Did you get a chance to do this?

BTL3.0 said:

Did you get a chance to do this?

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Yes I did! It took quite a few drill bits, had to go back to Home Depot a few times because I dulled all of mine and ended up needing to get Cobalt bits to get through the stainless steel tips.

In any case I love the sound now with the silencers installed! The overall tone is pretty much unchanged. The idle is noticably quieter as soon as you turn on the car. The drone from 2-3k RPM is practically gone for all intents and purposes. I'd say overall low RPM volume has dropped about 30%. I haven't had a chance to do too many WOT to redline runs, but the sound is diffently more linear. As the RPMs climb, so does the volume. Overall I am very happy with the mod, and it's great that I can always just remove them to bring the drone and the low RPM volume back if I really wanted to.

The only drawbacks so far that I can see is that I think the tips now look funny with the small screw at the bottom and the silencer inside the tip (even though they're painted flat black). When the silencer is out, there's now a 5/16" hole in the bottom of the tip. That's a very minor gripe though...
I'd say get a set!! I was able to find a local seller selling a brand new set (with the set screw and lock washer) for $60 on the Facebook NSXPrime group.

Thanks for the info. Will look into it. Love driving the car but at time I wish I had gotten a different exhaust. Even though I like this exhaust for its growl. Can you post up some pictures? I know what you mean by the screws and hole. With and without the silencer.

Well guys, I decided to go with the DC Sports Headers and the ARK DTS exhaust! I think it sounds pretty good, let me know what you guys think.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mz_15oWR8pk

posterchild2 said:

let me know what you guys think.

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Sounds like my car! (I have a DC Sports clone and ARK DT-S).

BTL3.0 said:

Thanks for the info. Will look into it. Love driving the car but at time I wish I had gotten a different exhaust. Even though I like this exhaust for its growl. Can you post up some pictures? I know what you mean by the screws and hole. With and without the silencer.

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Did two videos to show the difference in sound. Really doesn't do it justice since you'll have to listen while in the car.

Anyway, here's the exhaust no silencers idle to ~5000 rpm.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/w3Z-WDYBQj4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


Here it is with the silencers installed to the same RPMs.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/oFD6-nuwL_c" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I can tell a major different in the sound. A lot quieter. Thanks for taking the time to take them..
Esthetic wise, it does look odd with the screw sticking out like that. But functionality is great..