I thought I'd post a final chapter to this story just in case anyone is interested. Here's how the sidepipes look after final coating:
I had the pipes coated with Cerakote Chromex by a local company that is a certified applicator of this product. They came out great and are brighter/shinier than the JetHot coating that was on them prior. I'm very happy with the finish so far.
After driving the car with the new mufflers for a couple of months now, here's my impressions. The thing I like most about the new mufflers (beyond the extra 30+ HP) is that they run much cooler than the old ones. They run cool enough that I don't feel the need to remind everyone who I take for a ride to watch the muffler on exit. The double wall SS construction is far superior to the mega-heat radiating single wall steel mufflers.
I like the new sound as well. They have more of a bass sound, that is lower pitched. More like a big block Cobra has. Unless I tell people otherwise, they assume it has a big block from the bass exhaust note.
As to loudness, they are louder than the original CRL sidepipe muffler but not by much. They are quieter than the equivalent sidepipe glass pack muffler. I don't need ear plugs when driving. I can hear the stereo fine, that is until a speed of 65 is surpassed, but this is just wind noise, not exhaust loudnesses.
For you budget minded guys out there, these mufflers aren't the cheapest option. At about $215 apiece, they are on the pricy side, but save yourself just one snakebite and the extra cost is really worth it
Also, given the SS construction throughout, I'd bet that these won't rot out like the old ones.
