• Choose cat back wisely.
• Great number of manufacturers to choose from.
• Not a system that is to loud, or too quiet for your tastes.

Connect your Corvette's headers or manifold to the cat backs using a connector type pipe, designed in either an X or H shape. This part of the exhaust system serves two purposes. First is to balance the exhaust pulses, since your Vette doesn't fire all cylinders at the same time the exhaust flows out the back in waves from each side of your V8. The crossover creates a balance of this flow by having a connected segment of these two near parallel pipes sending your exhaust out the back of your Corvette. The second function of the crossover pipe is to convert harmful pollutants into less harmful emissions before exiting the back of the exhaust system. This is done by the catalytic converters that are part of your stock Corvettes exhaust system. Some aftermarket H and X pipes are offered without catalytic converters and are not approved by most State Emission Regulations because they are intended for track use only.

The most commonly replaced part of the exhaust system is the cat back because most stock mufflers tend to rust and are very restrictive. Changing out this part of your exhaust will create the most drastic change in exhaust tone for your Corvette. The cat back part of your exhaust system gets its name because of its placement after the crossover pipe with the catalytic converters. The main piece to the system is the mufflers, which are designed to muffle the sound of the exhaust, there are multiple ways that muffler designers do this and each method gives each different brand their distinct tone from the back of your Vette. Those methods are: absorption, restriction and reflection.

Muffling sound by having a perforated pipe running through the muffler with an insulator, usually fiberglass or steel wool, packed around the pipe. This design is great for allowing for exhaust gases to flow freely through the muffler and out the back, but is not the greatest at muting the sound created by a high powered sports car like a Corvette. So if the sound coming from the back of your Vette is a concern to you, then do your research, and pick an exhaust that will give you the volume of sound that you're looking for, and not a system that is to loud, or too quiet for your tastes. There is a great number of manufacturers for you to choose from, so choose wisely before you buy.