Can anyone comment on the differences between different year S2000 OEM catback exhausts, in terms of compatibility, fit, performance, look?

Looks like there are at least four flavors:
2000-2003: 18030-S2A-020
2004-2005: 18030-S2A-A01
2006-2009 Base: 18030-S2A-A52
2008-2009 CR: 18030-S2A-S00

 

All ap2 exhausts fit all ap2 versions. Onky difference is '06+ has an oval Helmholtz resonator, while the others are round.

Ap1 exhaust and ap2 are mostly interchangeable. Ap2 hangers are a bit more robust. More importantly, length of pipe after mufflers differs slightly. The result is tips don't stick out from bumper the same amount if you use ap1 with ap2 bumper, or vice versa.

If you stick with same gen rear bumper and exhaust, no fit issues.

Cats themselves also fully interchange, with location of o2 sensor differing slightly, however length of sensor harness easily accommodates.

 

Any reason to fit a nearly 20 year old, heavy exhaust to your car? Other than quietness (since all the aftermarkets are louder)? Just curious. I couldn't give my OEM '06 away a few years ago.

-- Chuck

 

Start with the knowledge that all aftermarket exhausts will be louder than OEM. How much louder and how much drone -- they all drone too -- has never been the subject of scientific study. A few years ago I was assured by many here that the Invidia Q300 exhaust was "not much louder" or "barely louder" than stock. Both a buddy and I each bought them. Darn exhaust was so loud my ears bled (exaggeration) and I had headaches after a few minutes (not an exaggeration) -- yet several folks are apparently happy with them. Loud is relative. What ya gotta do is hear what you're considering on a near identical car, both inside and outside the car. My wife and neighbors were very happy when the Q300 came off the car.

Sound clips are useless as (1) the microphones we all have will clip the sound intensity and (2) even if we had good mics our sound systems at home could not reproduce the sounds. Clips with decibel meters in them are most helpful. If your employer subjected you to more than 95dBA you'd be required to wear double hearing protection. The Q300 measured in excess of 105dBA on my OSHA-certified noise meter.

The exhaust on my car is the Tanabe Medalion Touring dual exhaust. Meets my noise and sound exceptions. But this exhaust seems to have been changed by a new brand in the past year and some have reported it excessively loud.

Getting the old exhaust off: start soaking all the nuts and bolts with PB Blaster. Every week for a while.

-- Chuck

 

You have to cut about 1" off the pipes after the mufflers.

Besides that, you may need to use AP1 hangers. I have temporarily mounted a MY00 exhaust on my MY07 and it works fine with the pipe after the muffler being cut ~1" or so.

I have used a plethora of hangers that I've had laying around.

I believe the metal hanger tabs on the mufflers are different for an AP2 (hence the need for AP1 hangers).

 

There is also something called the uk mod. A mod to the stock exhaust to give a bit of sound. Cheap, plus no drone.

The mod consists of a bypass pipe on each muffler. Larger bypass pipe, more noise. The bypass allows some portion of flow to bypass muffler baffling altogether, while the rest follows normal path.

A gentleman's exhaust would be about a 1", 25mm bypass. But most here do 38mm or 44mm, because they want it loud, like a loud aftermarket system.

To me this mod works best when your goal isn't cheapest way to get loudest exhaust, but rather the best way to get something that sounds like a factory option, and otherwise retains factory fit and refinement.

Bypass pipe can't be seen unless car is on a lift, and even then most would never notice. Its about 4" long.

Just another option to consider. Most any muffler shop can do the mod if shown how its done. Usually around $100 - $150.

 

I'll probably do the UK mod or try and find a CR exhaust (LOL...yeah right) in the summer, for my street driven S2000.

I love the way the stock exhaust sounds, paired to a test pipe. But...the smell...and the unnecessary pollution....

 

Yes. The tips will stick out past the bumper and people will point and laugh.