i just built my own "custom exhaust" and it is nothing more than a magnaflow tube muffler that works quite well, not the loud rumbling sound of a flowmaster but still a bit throaty when you get on it and i got rid of all of the 90's past the cat's. basically cut the exhaust pipe under the drivers door and undid the factory clamp holding the stock muffler on the rest of the pipe, undid the clamp hangers. then just remove the section of 2.5 pipe that goes up and over the rear axle. then clamping the new magnaflow up on the remaining pipe (which fits rather nicely against the frame up and out of the way from everything) and clamping a turndown on the other end of the muffler way before the rear axle. i also utilized the existing factory hanger just before the rear axle and welded that piece to the end of the turndown. it looks so good mopar couldn't have done it better and it all fit together very nice, neat and cleanly.
now for the air intake: i went to the local part house bought one of these nopi air intakes with the large cone filter and the cheesy little chrome tube. basically take a hacksaw and cut the tub down to fit the length that i needed and then popped out the factory air box and now have this wanna be nopi/ k&n super cone filter mounted where the air box used to be. i know that some of you are going to say that the hot air from the engine is going to screw up the air intake and that it would run better with some sort of cold air box and blah,blah, blah and that might be true in some freekin german laboratory somewhere BUT, this setup works great and i did the same thing on my rock buggy and it works awesome. i'll keep everyone updated and let them know how it's working further down the road. btw i am getting 18.8 - 19.2 mpg now and it feels like has more power. of coarse it also sounds like you would expect a peppy little 6 cylinder to sound. I LOVE IT and this is what it cost to do it. magnaflow 2.5" tube muffler = $64 and some change + wanna be k&n cone shaped air filter = $19.99 + piece of nopi crap chrome tube that all of my hoses, sensors, and filter go to = $39.95 TOTAL IS LESS THAN $140 BUCKS AND SOUNDS GREAT RUNS GREAT AND BEATS THE CRAP OUT OF BLOWING 3 TO 4 HUNDRED DOLLARS ON BASICALLY THE SAME STUFF. we are talking about a 3.8 liter v-6 and not some badass, souped up LS-7. if you want to buy into all the 349.00 matched whatevers that some over paid engineer squeezed an extra 1.5 horses out of be my guest, and good luck at the track. i just drive mine back and forth to work and playing in the woods and on the rocks with mine so i guess i just dont mind saving some money for gas and paying for something that probably work everybit as good as the high dollar whosevers. thanks for reading my two cents and good luck with you projects, whatever they may be. God bless America and terrorist can all burn in hell. thanks, your buddy the rockjunky
