How Much Does It Cost to Straight Pipe A Car?

As a car enthusiast, you need your vehicle’s engine to have quality sound and sound great. However, sometimes the engine might have problems, decreasing the horsepower and making your car less powerful.

If your car has a problem with the sound, one of the best solutions is using a straight pipe exhaust. Straight piping is very common to those looking to improve their car’s performance since it is superior to most average exhausts in vehicles and gives minimal backpressure.

Do you want to improve the sound of your vehicle? The solution is to fit a straight pipe into your car.

So, how much does it cost to straight pipe a car?

The standard cost for labor is around $75 and $200, but it depends on the location and the model of the car so it might be more in some areas. You can also get a straight exhaust kit for about $500 and $600. However, it would help if you did not go for a cheap straight pipe or no-name system.

Are you looking forward to getting a straight pipe exhaust and improving the sound of your car? This article will break down all the details you need to know about the straight pipe, its costs, and the pros and cons.

What is a Straight Pipe?

As its name suggests, it is a straight pipe that functions as an exhaust pipe. After the combustion process has happened, it simply means that the exhaust system emits gases through a straight pipe that does not have a muffler, resonator, or catalytic converter.

Driving a car with straight piping results in extra horsepower; hence, your car becomes very loud.

Resonators, catalytic converters, and mufflers are added to the cars by manufacturers to adhere to standards concerning environmental regulations. These components are essential in lowering the emissions of the vehicles; they also reduce the exhaust flow slightly hence suppressing the engine’s sound.

Most car enthusiasts who love it when their cars sound powerful are likely to modify their vehicles by adding a straight pipe to promote horsepower. It is crucial in giving their cars more power and great sound.

How Much Does It Cost to Straight Pipe a Car?

The cost of installing a straight pipe exhaust to your car depends on the labor cost and the cost of a straight pipe kit.

There are a variety of straight pipes; here are some car models and their costs for installing a straight pipe exhaust.

• BMW car– it will cost you around $1100 to replace a straight exhaust pipe for a BMW. The kit for a straight pipe kit is about $1000, and the labor will cost you about $100- $150.
• Camaro Car– will cost you approximately $1,000 for both the straight pipe kit and the labor cost for installing a straight pipe in a Camaro car.
• Chrysler 300 car– the labor cost is about $80, and the straight pipe kit is $520, so it will cost you approximately $600 to install a straight pipe to your Chrysler car.
• Mustang Car– installing a straight pipe in your mustang car will depend on the cost of labor and the part. Approximately, you will need about $1150.

How much does it cost to straight pipe a charger?

You will need to pay for labor as well as the kit. Therefore, it will cost you around $1050 to install to straight pipe charger.

DIY cost to straight pipe a car

You can install the straight pipe in the car by yourself, although it requires you to know how to do welding if you are doing it yourself.

It would also be best to have confidence and ensure you complete the welding carefully.

It will take about 2-3 hours to complete the whole process. However, if it is your first time, it would be best to hire someone to do the labor for you.

What Are the Benefits Of Straight Piping A Car?

If you are thinking about installing a straight pipe exhaust in your car, here are some benefits you are going to get;

1. Increased Overall Performance

When you get straight piping for your car, it is likely to increase the overall performance, the primary reason most drivers get it. It is also prevalent in racing cars because of its outstanding performance.

Straight pipe reduces the backpressure exerted on the car’s engine allowing for free flow of exhaust gases. The free air flow ensures that the engine’s functioning is optimum and does not have any hurdles.

It increases horsepower and torque because the engine performs freely.

2. Aesthetically Appealing

A car with a straight pipe exhaust is likely to stand out in the crowd, and people will notice it. You will mostly find many cars with a straight pipe exhaust with a chrome finish at the tip of the exhaust, making the cars appear even more appealing.

You can also use various welding techniques at the tip to give it more colored blue, red, and green batteries to make them more beautiful.

If you want your car to have a better and sporty look, you can go with twin pipe.

3. Authentic Engine Sound

When you install a straight pipe, your car will likely get louder, giving your engine a genuine and authentic sound.

 Your vehicle will sound pure and raw, which is great on the racetrack.

The good thing about having a straight pipe is that you will not have to keep changing muffler bearings on your vehicle because you will not have any.

Other drivers are also likely to hear you from a distance when coming, and it is upon them to decide if they like the sound of your car or not.

4. Reduces the Weight Profile of your Car

When you install a straight pipe, you are likely to take out a catalytic converter and mufflers and cut the metal that makes the exhaust because you will only use one straight pipe; this automatically reduces the weight of your car and makes it move faster.

Reducing the vehicle weight also makes your car experience significant fuel economy.

Does Straight Pipe Hurt Your Engine?

The issue of straight pipe in cars has emerged a lot of claims; while some people believe it causes damage to the engine, others claim it does not.

Let us dig into this issue;

• A straight pipe increases exhaust gas velocity– meaning gases exit from both sides of the tube at a very high speed, which can cause your car to have control issues like understeer or oversteer, especially when you drive on slippery grounds or wet weather.
• Cars with straight pipes are also louder than other cars because they don’t have a muffler, causing noise pollution, which is risky to drivers and passenger’s ears and can sometimes lead to hearing problems.
• In addition, straight pipe exhaust interferes with the vehicle’s aerodynamics since the gases escape in large volumes and very quickly and can cause turbulence behind them; this increases air resistance against your car when driving on any inclines or flat surface.

Therefore, a straight pipe may hurt your car’s engine.

Although it increases your car’s overall performance by improving the torque and horsepower, it is likely to cause more harm than good to your vehicle.

So, if you can, avoid straight pipe unless you are using a racing car and want your vehicle to sound unique and powerful.

What are the Cons of Straight Piping Your Car?

Here are the disadvantages of straight piping your vehicle;

Increased Emissions

Installing a straight pipe in your car’s exhaust system requires removing the catalytic converters so nothing will regulate emissions.

Catalytic converters reduce harmful gases to less toxic ones, so there will likely be more emissions that could be harmful to the environment if you remove them.

At the same time, your car will not be able to pass an emission test.

Excessively Loud

Not every motorist fancies the loud noise from straight piping because it is deafening and, at the same time, illegal and restricts your vehicle to racing tracks.

Even if you love the loud noise, you will have to rethink how long you will stay in the car because it produces 100 decibels or more.

Therefore, you will need earplugs to avoid damaging your ears because of noise exposure. You can also close your car windows to keep much noise outside, but it will not help reduce the noise’s impact, especially on a hot day.

Expensive to Install

If you plan to get straight piping for your car, you should be ready to incur the costs because it is very costly to install. In some cases, your vehicle will require a complete revamping of the exhaust structure to fit the new pipes.

You will need to buy the parts and pay for the labor if a mechanic is doing the work.

If you do it yourself, you will purchase an installation kit and the elements; still, you will spend a reasonable amount of dollars.

Makes the Vehicle Hard to Sell

Straight piping impacts the resale value of your car.

So, if you want to sell it, you will be required to reverse the work and remove the setup because it is illegal, and not everyone loves very loud cars.

Not Every Car will Sound Great

After straight piping, not every car will have a great sound. When you remove the catalytic converter, you will have to worry about pollution and the condition of your vehicle.

Your vehicle might start illuminating warning lights on the HDU if it is running with oxygen sensors forcing it to either run lean or rich as the car tries to keep its in-built emissions standards.

You could be surprised to discover that an open and well-tuned exhaust sounds better than straight piping.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How Much HP Does a Straight Pipe Add?

When you delete mufflers and install straight pipe, it will only add you about 5-10 horsepower, but it will depend on the type of your car.

Does Straight Pipe Waste More Gas?

Straight piping will not interfere with fuel economy; your car will waste more gas only when the foot becomes heavier.

Does straight pipe make the car slower?

When straight pipe causes an increase in gas velocity, it is likely to decrease the performance of your engine to below 2,500 RPM hence making your car slower.

How much does it cost to straight pipe?

The cost of installing a straight pipe will depend on the cost of labor in your location and the type of car.

However, approximately it will cost you about $1000 and $1500 for the exhaust kit and labor to install the straight pipe.

Is straight piping expensive?

The cost will depend on the quality of the straight pipe and the manufacturer. The labor will cost you about $75- $200 on average, but sometimes it can be more or less depending on location and car type.

On How Much Does It Cost to Straight Pipe A Car?

You can improve your car’s overall performance by increasing horsepower and torque. Installing a straight pipe exhaust is simple, but it is effective; it will give your car an aesthetic look, improves fuel economy and the overall performance of your vehicle.

So, how much does it cost to straight pipe a car?

The standard labor cost for straight piping is about $75-$200, but it might vary depending on location and car type. A straight pipe exhaust kit price ranges from $500-$600.

Nevertheless, before you get a straight pipe for your car, note that it also has its cons, as discussed in this article. It is also illegal in most states and will not pass an emission test.

If you want to use your car for racing, you can go ahead with the modifications. However, if you fancy the loud and powerful sound of a straight pipe exhaust and want to install it, understand the pros and cons of this design, then decide wisely.