Thunderbird Borla Club Members

[Daktari]

Re: Thunderbird Borla Club Members

Hi there,

Ray, I agree with you. I look back at some of the early photos I took showing the rear of the car and the tail pipes almost are non-existant. It always looked to me as though they were trying to hide away.

If the appearence is the #1 priority then it is a lot easier and more economical to just add new tail pipes. I have some now made by 'Aero' and they have resonators built in to emphasise the lower frequencies of the exhaust note.

In my opinion, any extra performance gained by installing a full Borla system is usually un-usable as this slight increase in h.p. comes in at such high revs that unless the engine is thrashed we would never real feel the benefit. In fact at lower revs which most of us use all the time, the performance is actually slightly better with the stock exhaust system.

Just my humble opinion. Gordon.

[hlipps]

Re: Thunderbird Borla Club Members

Hlipps
2003 DSB
I did mine myself about a week after Ray did. I set my tips out almost exactly the same distance as Ray did, so you can just read the Borla on it.

[HKS]

Re: Thunderbird Borla Club Members

Finaly,

Borlas are on the 2002 Tbird. We started out in the shade and later on, relied on the car for shade. I was not sure how far to push the new main Borla mufler onto the forward pipes. I only have half of the Borlas labels showing on the tips. I may need to do more adjusting. None of the instructions found here on TBN and from Borla mentioned the brute force required to get the old hangers out of the rubber mounts. I sprayed soap on them before. This is not a job for old people. I paid my son to help with all the hard work.


Attached is a picture of the shadetree operation.

And, yes I do like the sound. Need to go on the highway next.

[HKS]

Re: Thunderbird Borla Club Members

I havent had a chance to test the Borla exhaust on the highway yet. Can anyone tell me if the sound is too load witth the ragtop on and going 75 MPH?

HKS

I still have the factory system in the shed.

[Gobird]

Re: Thunderbird Borla Club Members

Doesn't bother me. It's just a very low rumble, not all that loud.

[Leroy]

Re: Thunderbird Borla Club Members

My Bird doesn't have Borlas. Just a straight piece of pipe inplace of the resinators and the original tips. And it sounds great. It's the loudest when taking off from a stop as it accellerates. At 75 MPH it's not even noticeable, top up or down. I have no idea what it cost for this modification as it was done by the original owner, but I'm sure it was alot less than the Borlas. And probably any muffler shop could do it, and I have all the original parts it I want to change it back.
Leroy

[HKS]

Re: Thunderbird Borla Club Members

Gobird,

I like the Bolas in town. I almost had a wreck when merging in trafic. I steped on it and thought I had power like the Crysler 300C but I was 100HP short. Barely made it.

The Tbird's bark is worse then it's bite. The Crysler roars when youn step on it since I instaled the CAI which should make it an even 350HP and 400lb of torque.

I have K&N filter in the 02, but I don't think there is much to gain by a CAI on an 02 except more roar. The Borlas are enought for now.

HKS
P.S. As you can see from the picrure, I still don't have the tips centered. I may work on it more later. Having a lift would be nice.
Did you hace a lot of trouble aligning the Borla tips?

Doesn't bother me. It's just a very low rumble, not all that loud.

[leisha]

Re: Thunderbird Borla Club Members

Still running Borlas and K&N on the 04.
Patricia runs in the mid 14's.

Borlas and Gary 'luvbird' Kimmel's CAI with K&N filter on the 02, running high 14's.

Both have a X-cal 94 octane flash.

Happy to have been able to get the Borlas through TBN and Borla babe!!

94 octane getting pricy here in Canada, almost $5.50 a gallon!

Still love the cars.

Dailey driver still a 07 Sport trac.

[Bradford]

Re: Thunderbird Borla Club Members

O.K. It's official, I'm now a member of The Thunderbird Borla Club,the Borlas I purchased 1:14 AM Friday morning on eBay, they are on my car. The seller got them shipped the same day, they arrived Monday afternoon, dropped by a friends automotive shop, he came to my house, picked up my Borlas, had them on in about 1/2 hour, then brought my old stock exhaust back to my house. All for $62.00. I've only been from his shop back to the house so far, it started pouring rain. But in that short distance, I'm sold on them. Can't wait to get it out and run. Then get on the road to Savannah Thunder.

[Borla Babe]

Re: Thunderbird Borla Club Members

Excellent deal on the Borlas Brad and installation price was very fair.

Scott (WTXBIRD) did a very nice thing by sharing that ebay Borla transaction with us.

[islandtime]

Re: Thunderbird Borla Club Members

O.K. It's official, I'm now a member of The Thunderbird Borla Club,the Borlas I purchased 1:14 AM Friday morning on eBay, they are on my car. The seller got them shipped the same day, they arrived Monday afternoon, dropped by a friends automotive shop, he came to my house, picked up my Borlas, had them on in about 1/2 hour, then brought my old stock exhaust back to my house. All for $62.00. I've only been from his shop back to the house so far, it started pouring rain. But in that short distance, I'm sold on them. Can't wait to get it out and run. Then get on the road to Savannah Thunder.

Oooh - Moondoggie will have a true twin! See you soon!

[Gobird]

Re: Thunderbird Borla Club Members

HKS,

I didn't have much trouble aliening the tips. I left all the joints lose on the whole system until I got the tips where I wanted them. I then went back and tightened everything up. About a week later after running the car I went under it once again and snugged everything up one more time.

[HKS]

Re: Thunderbird Borla Club Members

I tried alignment without loosening the front mufler clamps. I will try again by lossening all 6 clamps.

I took the Tbird on the highway with ragtop up and at 75 the sound of the Borlas is barely noticable and that is OK. It roars when you step on it leaving a trafic light and that is OK.

HKS

HKS,
I didn't have much trouble aliening the tips. I left all the joints lose on the whole system until I got the tips where I wanted them. I then went back and tightened everything up. About a week later after running the car I went under it once again and snugged everything up one more time.

[MerlotBlue]

Re: Thunderbird Borla Club Members

Ray, describe it for me would you?

At idle, modest acceleration or even a hard acceleration.

A sound clip would really be best but I suspect that might be asking too much for such thinly sold system.

[Ray]

Re: Thunderbird Borla Club Members

Ray, describe it for me would you?
At idle, modest acceleration or even a hard acceleration.
A sound clip would really be best but I suspect that might be asking too much for such thinly sold system.

Someone posted a sound clip awhile back. Try a search for it.

To me, the sound is exactly how a two seat V8 roadster should sound......not overly loud, but it lets everyone know there's a V8 under the hood. It has a little rumble when you start the car and when you punch it, it has a nice "burble" sound when you decelerate, yet it's quiet at cruising speeds. I love the sound, and I also love the more aggressive looking exhaust tips. As I said, I'll never go back to the stock exhaust.