I have read through many posts and have decided that an aftermarket exhaust is good but to have a muffler shop do a custom job is better and cheaper, but how much should i be looking to spend I don't want to be ripped off. Thanks in advance for the advice.

 

Muffler shop is cheaper, yes that is true.

The first part of better, not nessesarly. If this is goober doing the bending he can make a system worse then stock.

remember that Cat back and dual kits ( sold as kits from a mfgr ) have been flow tested, where the guy at teh xhst shop might be good at guessing bends and what is right and wrong, but what he is doing has not been flow tested.

Xhst mfgrs ( Borla, Magnaflow, gibson, Bassani ) do actual flow testing on the systems they build. They knwo how much room they have to work with, and what the flow chararistics need to be when they are done, else you will loose TQ, and HP.

If you have a shop that you know for a fact does a good job of bending pipe, then it can be done there, if this is a walk off the street then you take your chance ( 50-50 ) if it will be done correctly.

Unless you are looking for a change in the dump ( converting to dual out, either in front or behind the rear tire or straight out the back ) you can save a whole bunch of cash by jsut replacing your muffler with a Stainless Steel high flow and be ahead of teh game with the stock system being stainless to begin with.

Just a quick thought on the topic, if you have a more detailed description of what you want with the custom system, that might help narrow it down.

 

I want a dual rear exiting exhaust system, that when I punch it the car next to me with it stereo up knows I am punching it. I don't need it to be abnoxiously loud, but I want a more throaty sound.

 

true duals no mufflers 2.5" pipe with 4" chrome tips out the back
WOW!!

 

More like making the person in the car next to you crap their drawers when you stand on it. I think you'd need a 2500 stall with that system just to really help punch it out

 

I agree with Sccully. Companies that sell complete systems have the money to test multiple configuratiosn to determine what works best for certan vehicles. With all the options in tubing diameter and design, muffler shape, size, and diameter of internal tubing, etc, I don't think your neighborhood shop has actually tested whether any of his wok has improved performance. If perfomance is not a primary goal, but sound and look it, then by all means have a local guy do it because it will probably be cheaper. Take a look at the pre-bent tail pipes by Magnaflow. They are one-piece per side, mandrel bent and work with the spare tire in place. Probably cheaper than the materials and labor a shop would charge to custom make them anyway.