Remaining Aftermarket 3 Inch Exhaust Options

After driving the car around forever with what is a completely cobbled exhaust comprised of a stock downpipe, welded in aftermarket cat, and an aftermarket OEM style N/A exhaust on a turbo car, I've decided to finally rip the Band-Aid off and spend the cheese to replace some metal pipe. What better timing than now where e v e r y t h i n g seems to be in short supply? This brings me to my plight: there isn't much in the way of premade aftermarket turbo back exhausts, or even cat backs, now that Certified Muffler is out of the game. From the digging I've done, I've come across four options for three inch systems:

• Kakimoto R
  • Kakimoto part number NS321 for 2+0.
  • Kakimoto part number NS322 for 2+2.
  • Single tip only. ~4.5 inch tip (115mm).
  • Cat back only, though it looks like they also offer a test pipe if that's your jam.
  • No downpipe for the VG engined cars. They only make one for the 200ZR.
• Avante dual tip or single tip
  • Dual tip muffler has 70mm diameter tips and single tip muffler has a 90mm diameter tip.
  • Stainless steel.
  • Downpipe available for VG engined Z's.
  • High flow, metallic catalytic converter is also available.
  • N/A engine cat back available with 60mm main piping and 60mm dual tips from the muffler.
• MSA 3 inch
  • This has been available for what seems like forever. The only thing that has changed is the price over the years.
  • Single tip only. 4.5 inch tip.
• Custom
  • This is wholly dependent on your locale and what you want.
  • From mild steel, to stainless steel, to titanium, to even Inconel if you're a big dick baller. The sky is the limit.
  • Not every business has mandrel benders.
  • Parts and labor costs can vary widely.

I've come across the Kakimoto cat back on the various JDM import sites like Nengun or RHD Japan. I've usually seen it priced in the mid $500 range though you'll get reamed with the shipping costs. The muffler tip is unique in the way that there is an "outer" portion and an "inner" portion. They claim that it helps reduce carbon from forming on the bumper. Reading Kakimoto's site (translated, mind you) I'm not sure what material they use. I don't really care, though I'm sure some people find that important. These also pop up on Yahoo Japan auction listings, so you can probably use Jesse Streeter or other businesses to bid in the auctions for you. Apparently, Streeter's site explains that they are able to get reduced rates on parts due to their partnerships. I haven't reached out to them yet to see how that would apply to the Kakimoto or Avante exhaust, though it may be something to consider. Oh, and you also need a downpipe to make everything three inches.

The Avante dual tip looks pretty stock appearance-wise, and I prefer the dual tip look on these cars. I can't say I've come across any pictures of the single tip system installed on a car. They do have a video of how it sounds on a turbo car. I'm guessing you could also use Streeter's services to purchase this but I've come across this little gem on eBay. I'm not sure how valid this link will be years down the line, but here is the eBay store for what they offer. As of 1/29/2022, both the single tip and dual tip exhausts are $850 with an additional shipping charge of $270. The downpipe is $350 with a $150 shipping charge. As a side note, their metallic cat lists at 79,500 JPY according to their site. At current exchange rates as of 1/29/2022, that puts it at about $690. Clearly, the pricing is pretty steep, but it looks to be quality stuff from the pictures I've seen. Not exhaust related, but they have some neat stuff for Z31's on their site.

Then there is the MSA 3 inch cat back. This is a known quantity at this point. It's been around for as long as I can remember and fortunately, still appears to be available. Just like the Kakimoto, to make this a true three inch system from the turbo back, you'll need a down pipe and a cat or test pipe.

Lastly, there is always the custom route. I suppose the sky is the limit with what you want to do with the car, though it can be dependent on where you live. Not all places have options like mandrel bending or stainless steel piping, and so on. As far as pricing, that is also dependent on where you live. Fortunately, I've recently moved to the central Florida area recently, and there are a handful of big name tuning shops around here, but again, that's not always the case for everyone else.

As far as what I'm thinking, I've been leaning towards either the Kakimoto or the Avante dual tip now that I know it is a readily available option and at a lesser level, being a nerd for having some JDM parts. As far as downpipe options, I only see Avante, custom shops notwithstanding. I strongly prefer to keep a cat. For the longest time my car did not have a cat (unbeknownst to me) and I can't say I'm a fan being cat less. I know Vibrant has a high flow cat product line, and I'm sure there are others that don't cost a mint. It appears Certified Muffler used Magnaflow part number 94009 in their three inch catted turbo back exhausts. Looking at Magnaflow’s site, this is a standard, Federally compliant (non-Califorina CARB), three inch inlet and outlet catalytic converter with a total length of 16 inches. It has a ceramic core.


Wowie zowie, this was much longer than expected, but I hope at least one person on here finds this helpful. I just want to make sure I haven't left any stone unturned with our already limited aftermarket options. Are there any other three inch exhausts I've missed in my research?

Thanks for tuning in.