2013 AWD sedan 150k miles
I have wanted to update exhaust for a long time and am finally in a position when I can actually go forward with this. I currently only have FI RHFC and an aftermarket Y pipe. That has been decent for me, but I am looking for some sound now. After scouring through lots of the exhaust threads on here, I have come to the conclusion that ARK Grip is what I want. I have heard good things about FI, Invidia, and others, but Ark makes a great product as well and it has the sound I want. I thought about axleback for a while, but when lookin into it, I would be spending half the $$ on something that I feel I would outgrow/be bored with fairly quick.

This being said, has anyone installed/currently running ARK Grip on theirs? Any help/recommendations for me? Any advice/extra parts I should plan on? Better exhaust gaskets?

 

https://www.myg37.com/forums/intake-...g37-coupe.html
https://www.myg37.com/forums/engine-...ip-review.html
https://www.myg37.com/forums/engine-...est-pipes.html

 

I have checked those out. I plan on having washers ready to adjust tips if needed. What is better quality...the mesh, thicker gaskets or the thinner molded metal ones?

Besides THM, any good deals?

 

FI RHFC into the ARK Grip exhaust... man, that's going to sound fantastic.

You must be pretty excited having made that decision. Looking forward to your feedback on this project.

 

It has been a while in the works, but I also have been hesitant to buy used catback. This will give me peace of mind. I look forward to it just like I did getting the RHFC. I like to see the little changes over time (as budget allows....per the signature)

Any real tips on exhaust break in? Is that even a real thing?

 

For the exhaust gasket, I would recommend the metal ones that the stock exhaust comes with, which are multi-layer. You can find some 2.5-inch ones. I have had graphite (mesh) exhaust gaskets and they usually burn out and cause exhaust leaks. But, it being from ARK I think you should be fine, they should send you some quality ones. But if it does leak then switch to the metal gasket.

Yes, exhaust break-in is a real thing. After a few hundred miles of driving and constantly getting them hot, it will get louder and throaty.

 

Not that I will be starting a build thread anytime soon for my minor mods, but update for Ark exhaust:
Order from TBW on 2/5/22.
I was only able to select the burnt tips on their site. They emailed me the next day stating that,
"We are awaiting resupply from ARK on this exhaust. They are out of stock and have been waiting on the next shipment. It looks like 6-8 weeks is what they are telling us right now. TBW"
Now I am torn on this.
1- Sure, I would have loved to have it sooner, but I am okay with waiting until it is warmer to install anyway.
2- If they didn't have either in stock, why was I able to choose only burnt tips? I would prefer polished tips (and emailed them afterwards stating this)

This is partially a rant/being impatient. I really hope to be able to get polished tips. If not, I might just take some high heat paint and spray the tips/parts that will show a nice black (undecided)

 

On ark’s website they only have burnt tips listed. Unfortunately, I don’t think ark makes the exhaust in polished tips anymore. You should be able to remove the burnt finish with chemicals and/or polish.

 

Sorry for the late response, I was on vacation and also dont have a home computer (work computers have been undergoing a large update....much needed).

I have thought about rubbing the finish off too. My thoughts on that are, it would maybe be more time consuming than its worth for me. As above, if I can only get burnt, then I will try to scuff the burnt tips and spray them black/dark grey with engine paint and call it a day. If for some reason it doesn't stay nice, I can take them off later and remove the paint and clean all the way down to a polished finish

 

Sorry to revive this post but I thought I'd share a product I used to remove the burnt finish on my ARK. 'Busch Waxes 30016 - Busch Chrome/Stainless Wash' worked amazingly well.
I used this to clean my exhaust before applying an anti-corrosion paint. I didn't intentionally mean to remove the finish but didn't care too much for it so I wasn't disappointed by the results I got by using this.
I sprayed it on and it just washed off. No sanding or buffing, just nice shiny stainless left behind.