BORLA ATAK - disappointing fit and finish

[Gbk]

I purchased an AWE kit and although the material was great, and the welds were perfect-- the ends of every single pipe was warped, bent, or damaged. Not sure if it came out of the factory that way and got damaged in shipping but fact remains they were fucked up.

Contacting AWE outside of this forum is virtually impossible, they make you fill out a long form just to talk to them, is easier to file your taxes than it is to contact them about an issue.

I instead contacted the retailer and they told me to simply take it to a exhaust shop and have them put the tips into a pipe expander which I did and it worked but attempting to install it in the condition it shipped was not possible since the pipes didn't fit inside each other.

Also, the exhaust tips which came in a box, one of them was damaged, had a tiny chip on the chrome finish. Something tells me AWE really needs to work on their quality control or at least find a better way to ship the parts!! All my parts came in a large box with only brown paper between the pipes. Very disappointing.

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[AZ18yote]

I purchased an AWE kit and although the material was great, and the welds were perfect-- the ends of every single pipe was warped, bent, or damaged. Not sure if it came out of the factory that way and hot damaged in shipping but fact remains that were fucked up.

Contacting AWE outside of this forum is virtually impossible, they make you fill out a long form just to talk to them, is easier to file your taxes than it is to contact them about an issue.

I instead contacted the retailer and they told me to simply take it to a exhaust shop and have them put the tips into a pipe expander which I did and it worked but attempting to install it in the condition it shipped was not possible since the pipes didn't fit inside each other.

Also, the exhaust tips which came in a box, one of them was damaged, had a tiny chip on the chrome finish. Something tells me AWE really needs to work on their quality control or at least find a better way to ship the parts!! All my parts came in a large box with only brown paper between the pipes. Very disappointing.

That's too bad about your experience. I reached out to AWE for a custom job I was wanting to do via email and was super easy. When it arrived was cherry condition, quality spot on and sounds great on my setup.

 

[Gbk]

That's too bad about your experience. I reached out to AWE for a custom job I was wanting to do via email and was super easy. When it arrived was cherry condition, quality spot on and sounds great on my setup.

It's okay, it still got installed but I wouldn't doubt if there's a tiny bit of leakage since some of the ends are not perfectly round.

It's loud but has a great tone at cold start. However I don't really like how it sounds at wide open throttle, almost sounds like I have two trumpets blowing as loud as possible. Maybe it's the h pipe, maybe it's the lack of a muffler? Idk. I'm thinking about maybe switching it out for something with an x pipe and getting some of that rasp back.

I kinda wanna hear what the touring model sounds like in person, maybe the mufflers fix the trumpet tone at WOT. That way I can just order the Axel backs instead of a whole new exhaust.

I've heard the borla atak and the Corsa extreme and honestly got a little jealous, those have so much more character, the rasp, crackling and popping really make it sound great.

It's already a v8, adding an H pipe kinda gives it an augmented sound like trying to replicate a v8 and I don't think it sounds very good honestly.

Listening to different exhaust notes over phone or TV speakers just isn't good enough, there's just too much detail lost in the process.

For anyone who reads this.... Just go with Corsa, trust me! Not to mention the clear path to fully compatible Corsa headers!

 

[AZ18yote]

It's okay, it still got installed but I wouldn't doubt if there's a tiny bit of leakage since some of the ends are not perfectly round.

It's loud but has a great tone at cold start. However I don't really like how it sounds at wide open throttle, almost sounds like I have two trumpets blowing as loud as possible. Maybe it's the h pipe, maybe it's the lack of a muffler? Idk. I'm thinking about maybe switching it out for something with an x pipe and getting some of that rasp back.

I kinda wanna hear what the touring model sounds like in person, maybe the mufflers fix the trumpet tone at WOT. That way I can just order the Axel backs instead of a whole new exhaust.

I've heard the borla atak and the Corsa extreme and honestly got a little jealous, those have so much more character, the rasp, crackling and popping really make it sound great.

It's already a v8, adding an H pipe kinda gives it an augmented sound like trying to replicate a v8 and I don't think it sounds very good honestly.

Listening to different exhaust notes over phone or TV speakers just isn't good enough, there's just too much detail lost in the process.

For anyone who reads this.... Just go with Corsa, trust me! Not to mention the clear path to fully compatible Corsa headers!

Oh you're running the AWE Track? Ya different tone and drone compared to Touring. As far as your trumpet description, I had the opposite experience. I had Corsa Xtreme on stock and it sounded great. Added long tubes and the volume increased but so did the damn trumpet tone. Added some Vibrant bullets on there and killed the trumpet tone and some volume. Opted for a different set up so cut off the resonators and Xtreme mufflers but kept the Corsa double x pipe mated to ARH LTH and added AWE Touring mufflers. Much better tone down low, still screams up top, and no trumpet tone or drone and actually louder than the original Xtreme mufflers but better sounding.

 

[Idaho2018GTPremium]

Hmmm, I ordered the Borla S-type for my '18 GT and my tracking number says it should arrive this Saturday. I'm really hoping the fit and finish are very good. I also ordered the Borla resonator that will basically make it a "touring" system, as I don't want it too loud.

 

[Idaho2018GTPremium]

Oh you're running the AWE Track? Ya different tone and drone compared to Touring. As far as your trumpet description, I had the opposite experience. I had Corsa Xtreme on stock and it sounded great. Added long tubes and the volume increased but so did the damn trumpet tone. Added some Vibrant bullets on there and killed the trumpet tone and some volume. Opted for a different set up so cut off the resonators and Xtreme mufflers but kept the Corsa double x pipe mated to ARH LTH and added AWE Touring mufflers. Much better tone down low, still screams up top, and no trumpet tone or drone and actually louder than the original Xtreme mufflers but better sounding.

What is this "trumpet" sound that is being referred to?

 

[Gbk]

What is this "trumpet" sound that is being referred to?

Have you never heard a trumpet? Like the musical instrument? That's literally what it sounds like except louder, maybe deeper. More of a trombone than trumpet. It's just an annoying loud tone without any good characteristics.

That's what happens when you remove the mufflers, you get a bad untuned sound.

 

[Idaho2018GTPremium]

Have you never heard a trumpet? Like the musical instrument? That's literally what it sounds like except louder, maybe deeper. More of a trombone than trumpet. It's just an annoying loud tone without any good characteristics.

That's what happens when you remove the mufflers, you get a bad untuned sound.

Yes I've heard one, not sure if that question was rhetorical. I just can't imagine it coming from my Mustang since even the stock exhaust sounds good IMO.

 

[Gbk]

Yes I've heard one, not sure if that question was rhetorical. I just can't imagine it coming from my Mustang since even the stock exhaust sounds good IMO.

Well yeah of course, millions of dollars go into engineering and shaping the sound of the stock exhaust, compared to essentially a straight pipe which is basically what the AWE track exhaust is. You're basically trading more volume for a worse tone and pitch.i think adding the mufflers from the touring pack will fix it if you don't mind slightly less volume or just add headers and hope that it makes the tone a little better, at that point it will be so loud you won't even notice the tone anymore lol.

 

[AZ18yote]

Well yeah of course, millions of dollars go into engineering and shaping the sound of the stock exhaust, compared to essentially a straight pipe which is basically what the AWE track exhaust is. You're basically trading more volume for a worse tone and pitch.i think adding the mufflers from the touring pack will fix it if you don't mind slightly less volume or just add headers and hope that it makes the tone a little better, at that point it will be so loud you won't even notice the tone anymore lol.

With long tubes you definitely want AWE Touring or Corsa Sport. The AWE Track will drone way too much and the Corsa Xtreme is too trumpety with the LTH. The s type is probably a nice in between on the headers, though too subtle if still stock.

 

[Idaho2018GTPremium]

Just received the Borla S type for my 2018 GT. Fit and finish look really good. I did an off car trial run for fitment and slid all the pieces together on the ground in my garage (on a rug) and they are all a nice, snug fit, nothing out of round. Packed really well w/ expanding foam in the box. No way I can get it back in the box like Borla did! The Borla 60661 resonator (which basically makes the S type a touring system) also looks great, with one very minor exception: Inside at the H pipe weld, there's a slight drip of weld fragment. It will easily break off as it's very skinny and 1/2" long. Otherwise, everything looks good.

For those curious, Borla lists the weight of the S-type (with X-pipe) as 52.6 lbs. I weighed it and came to 51 lbs on my scale. With the H-pipe resonator in lieu of the X-pipe it is 55 lbs.

X-pipe w/ adapters weighs 8 lbs, the H pipe resonator weighs 12 lbs. The adapters are built into the H pipe.

 

[Mustang5ohMan]

Ordered an MBRP race exhaust and it fit decently. Not 100% like it wanted it too... but I got the aluminized version and it around $500/600 so it is what it is and it’s already installed on the car. I also got a $50 credit due to me complaining about it so that was a bonus there.
If I’d brought a Corsa I wouldn’t expect nor stand for anything of the sort.

 

[Mickey15]

Just received the Borla S type for my 2018 GT. Fit and finish look really good. I did an off car trial run for fitment and slid all the pieces together on the ground in my garage (on a rug) and they are all a nice, snug fit, nothing out of round. Packed really well w/ expanding foam in the box. No way I can get it back in the box like Borla did! The Borla 60661 resonator (which basically makes the S type a touring system) also looks great, with one very minor exception: Inside at the H pipe weld, there's a slight drip of weld fragment. It will easily break off as it's very skinny and 1/2" long. Otherwise, everything looks good.

For those curious, Borla lists the weight of the S-type (with X-pipe) as 52.6 lbs. I weighed it and came to 51 lbs on my scale. With the H-pipe resonator in lieu of the X-pipe it is 55 lbs.

X-pipe w/ adapters weighs 8 lbs, the H pipe resonator weighs 12 lbs. The adapters are built into the H pipe.

Hey I was wondering if you have any sound clips or at least your opinion on how this combo sounds. I have the S type catback for my 2018 and im looking at cutting out some volume but not too much either with the borla resonator or two Vibrant 1794 right after the X. For me the catbacks low RPM driving is too loud for a DD so want to hear your experience with the resonator!

 

[bdm219]

I purchased the Borla ATAK active three months ago and rec'd it a month ago. Your pictures OP are like looking at my exhaust system. I had the same bent tab, I had weld splatter on the actuator mount stud. My welds were marginally slightly cleaner than yours, but still not impressive by any means. Their QC lacks quite a bit of attention to detail. I don't have a problem spending premium for premium. I do have a problem paying premium for sub-par workmanship.

That said, I was a bit disappointed on the loudness of it, I expected it to be louder. Now that I've put some miles on it, I absolutely love the sound. It's like it needed to break in, as it has gotten louder. I actually find myself using the different modes now depending on circumstances.

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