V6 Product Development at Holley (Hooker Blackheart)

[icarumba]

Hey Nick! PM me if you want to meet up and have a listen!

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[Nick]

You need to come to our next mod day Dave, you've missed two. ;)

 

[Pintoracer]

UPS guy just dropped off my catback. Hopefully, I can install it this weekend.

 

[DANA44]

Bryan, have you gotten a chance to install those yet? I would be interested in the difference.

 

[Pintoracer]

Bryan, have you gotten a chance to install those yet? I would be interested in the difference.

Yes, I got it installed. Well, the sound is basically the same as the Axleback. It just louder with a little sharper edge to the sound. It sounds awesome. There is more interior noise of course but not bad at all to my ears. Hopefully, I can get some videos up in a couple of weeks. Either system sounds great with a little more volume in the catback.

 

[DR_]

The Hooker axleback I got from Bryan has to be the quietest aftermarket exhaust I've ever heard. Now I know why he went with the cat back for more volume. My friend with a lift that helped me install it summed it up by saying "if I didn't just install it I would think it was stock".

 

[DANA44]

I went with the cat back, from a vert it pretty loud. Deep idle and a lot lighter. will update after a few miles.

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https://flic.kr/p/H6NpFm

 

[DANA44]

Delivery: Received two days after ordering well packaged.

Fit and Finish: As a vert owner this was important as there is very little room to play with through the rear support. My copy fit with ease. Hooker goes through the process of highly polishing the mufflers but in a process after that there’s a little bit of weld slag on the muffler not a big deal but one thinks who watching the store. I wish there was branding on the muffler. H pipe is solid. There is a cross support on the H pipe another point that could have been branded “hooker” or whatever instead of the open squares. Maybe they are just stamping and don’t have a water jet. The tips fill the cut out nicely. Not being a tip aficionado and accept that they get dirty quickly they are much better than stock but maybe not up to other high end systems. But you're are getting SS 304. Without a doubt they are light the OEM is a tank. One reason I didn’t want the GT OEM.

Sound: Exhaust videos are a waste of time. The microphones and playback devices are not even in range required to give a true representation of the sound or feel . The following opinion is with the top down.
Idle deep throaty and louder than stock. Acceleration, the car on your right knows you’re there with a very deep tone. Highway cruising @ 65 fairly quite a notch up from stock.
Down shifting not any more pops than stock. What is also gone is the kitchen appliance blender sound the stock system makes as you bring it to red line. Drone, any system this deep and throaty without a resonator is subject to drone if one should be in a taller gear under a load. In other words don’t be going up a steep hill in 6th @ 35mph. With a 6 manual you’re in control of this. Highway cruising no drone.

Price: I am happy with the product but for a new name brand ‘Blackheart” they should be at a 50-100 less price point.

 

[six_shooter]

Thanks for the review and insights, informative for those of us still on the fence about exhaust. (A year and a half later lol)

 

[DANA44]

Today I drove to the shore line from central CT about a spirited 100 mile State road round trip. I feel the low end torque has increased and it is easier to break lose the tires. Real world numbers on MPG increased averaged 31 mpg up from about 28. The mpg increase contradicts my thoughts where manufacturers target fuel economy on a list of importance.

 

[Steelhorse]

Dave....any chance you might wanna meet up so I can take a real-world listen?? PM me if you're interested. I'm not too far north of you and willing to drive out.

 

[DANA44]

I maybe in Enfield Saturday. I'll PM you. I have got about a 1000 mile on them now. Still like the sound.

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