Thunderbird Borla Club Members

[SixPac]

Re: Thunderbird Borla Club Members

Steve, do a Google search for "borla exhaust sound". You'll get some youtube videos and other sites. One site is a mustang web site that has a soundtrack that sounds pretty much like the T-bird sound. The corvette sounds are too loud for me.

[JAB02LHS]

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.

http://www.borla.com/

CLICK HEAR IT NOW
THEN CLICK V8 MUSCLE

[SixPac]

Re: Thunderbird Borla Club Members

Steve, that clip had a nice classy sound to it, very tasteful. Now it's time for you to put them on join the TBN Borla Club.

[Bradford]

Re: Thunderbird Borla Club Members

Bradford 2005 Cashmere

Bought my Borlas Fri. June 27, installed Wed. July 2. Every day I drive they sound better and better. Can't wait to hit the road to Savannah.

[JBird]

Re: Thunderbird Borla Club Members

I have had Borla's on my Black 03 since 2003.

[Leroy]

Re: Thunderbird Borla Club Members

I just made the switch today with Brad with the Hardtop Relay to Boston. I'm taking it to Toledo, Ohio Saturday. But it was the first time I got to hear a Bird with a set of Borla's. Brad took me for a short ride in his Bird with the top down so I could really hear them. They were OK, but I like mine better. Mine have alot deeper tone and rumble and I still have the original tips, I think the Borla's are too big. And my modification was alot less than $700.00. Leroy

[MerlotBlue]

Re: Thunderbird Borla Club Members

Steve, that clip had a nice classy sound to it, very tasteful. Now it's time for you to put them on join the TBN Borla Club.

Yeah, I guess so.
I've been pricing 'em online.......... and I'm getting a few sites that tell me there is no Borlas for the '04 but there is a set for the '03........I'm good to go with the '03 system right?

At first I liked the quiet tone for a change but the "grandma's grocery getter" sound is not doing it for me anymore.

[Leroy]

Re: Thunderbird Borla Club Members

My car has just a straight piece of pipe inplace of each resinator and then the original tips. I don't know what it cost to do it becuase I bought the car used and the original owner had it done and I have all the original parts if I want to change it back. I like it alot better than the Borla's for the sound, looks and I'm sure alot less expensive. Just my opinion! Leroy

[BirdWingsToo]

Re: Thunderbird Borla Club Members

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

I found an mp3 recording of Borlas on the web server back when I first started heling with admin. When I looked for the source, I traced it back to a recording that a member (username: Terry) made of Borlas on his T-Bird in early 2004. This is probably the one Ray meant.

They sound richer in real life in my opinion. But this recording, besides being another to add to the mix, has the virtue of being a recording of Borlas on a Retrobird. Click here.

If you don't have a browser plugin that'll play .mp3 files, then right-click the link and "Save Target as..." to download it to your computer, where you can play it in Windows Media Player or whatever you have for mp3 audio.

Hope that helps,

--BWToo

[Ray]

Re: Thunderbird Borla Club Members

But it was the first time I got to hear a Bird with a set of Borla's. Brad took me for a short ride in his Bird with the top down so I could really hear them. They were OK, but I like mine better. Mine have alot deeper tone and rumble and I still have the original tips, I think the Borla's are too big. And my modification was alot less than $700.00. Leroy

My car has just a straight piece of pipe inplace of each resinator and then the original tips. I like it alot better than the Borla's for the sound, looks and I'm sure alot less expensive. Just my opinion! Leroy

This is why modifications are such a personal thing. Different strokes for different folks. When Brad and I switched the top yesterday, we noticed that his Borla tips were sticking out about an inch more than mine, which gave the illusion that his tips were larger. From the day I bought my car, I thought the original tips were too small. To me, the Borla tips look just right(different strokes). Although I haven't heard yours, I'm sure they are louder than the Borlas just from your description of the set-up. Another example of different strokes, as I like the fact that my Borlas are quiet most of the time. I would not enjoy a cruise on the highway hearing a constant rumble. I like the louder sound of the Borlas at start-up and when I punch it, but I also like the way it quiets down when I'm cruising. It's not that one is better than the other, it's just a matter of personal taste.

[Ray]

Re: Thunderbird Borla Club Members

Speaking of exhaust systems. A friend of mine just bought a new Corvette and had a Corsa exhaust system installed. It's the sweetest sounding system I've ever heard. Made me want to go buy a Corvette! I know Corsa doesn't make a system for the Bird, and I don't know if it would sound as good on a Bird, but it looks and sounds perfect on a Corvette.

[Lonestar]

Re: Thunderbird Borla Club Members

Not that there is anything wrong with Borla, I have them myself but, in my opinion Corsa makes the absolute best after market true performance cat-back system out there. From the technology to the perfect portioned looks, top drawer. But alas, not for our cars.

At least I have Corsa tips on mine. On a 3.9 they would not sound as they do on a GM 5.3 or 6.0 but they would sound pleanty good.

If you get a chance (if you did not do so) ride with your friend. The Corsa sound at cruise is wonderful. No roar, no drone, no vibration… just sweet and mellow but, when you punch it is almost like straight pipes.

[MerlotBlue]

Re: Thunderbird Borla Club Members

Speaking of exhaust systems. A friend of mine just bought a new Corvette and had a Corsa exhaust system installed. It's the sweetest sounding system I've ever heard. Made me want to go buy a Corvette! I know Corsa doesn't make a system for the Bird, and I don't know if it would sound as good on a Bird, but it looks and sounds perfect on a Corvette.

Wouldn't sound the same anyway.

The newer, 2005 and up, Corvettes are a return to BIG BLOCK cubic inches now.

Don't let that small block under the hood fool you. The new engine is quite a few "cubes" larger than that standard 350 that resided between the fenders for so many years.

Thunderbirds rev further up the scale, thanks to a higher tech approach, but they will never "roar" like a larger V8.

GM has taken a pass on multiple cams and higher revs in favor of lower tech and the tried a true brute force of Bigger is Better.

As the saying goes.

"There's No Replacement for Displacement"

At least not if the ultimate goal is horse-power and torque.

[MerlotBlue]

Re: Thunderbird Borla Club Members

This is why modifications are such a personal thing. Different strokes for different folks. When Brad and I switched the top yesterday, we noticed that his Borla tips were sticking out about an inch more than mine, which gave the illusion that his tips were larger. From the day I bought my car, I thought the original tips were too small. To me, the Borla tips look just right(different strokes). Although I haven't heard yours, I'm sure they are louder than the Borlas just from your description of the set-up. Another example of different strokes, as I like the fact that my Borlas are quiet most of the time. I would not enjoy a cruise on the highway hearing a constant rumble. I like the louder sound of the Borlas at start-up and when I punch it, but I also like the way it quiets down when I'm cruising. It's not that one is better than the other, it's just a matter of personal taste.

I agree with the idea that it's all a matter of personal taste.

Still, the idea of simply cutting out the resonators seems questionable to me.

I have no doubt that it produces a deeper, louder exhaust note.

BUT.......

Those resonators are there for a pretty important reason beyond just quieting things down.

Borla adds resonators to their system that produce a LOUDER note than the stock system but the resonators still preform that all important function of eliminating that "Drone" that will drive you CRAZY at certain speeds.

Louder isn't always better if it literally creates head-aches while cruising.

I've never heard a T-Bird without it's resonators but it's hard to imagine there isn't a "drone" at low speeds or GOD FORBID cruising speed.........if there is I couldn't live with it and the money spent on Borlas would be well worth it for me.

[Gobird]

Re: Thunderbird Borla Club Members

Borla Club list has been updated.