GT Guys exhaust vs Cooltech/Heffner exhaust


DakotaGT

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Dec 9, 2012
1,715
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Is there a lot of difference in sound between such cat-back offerings? Both look like quality pieces, and appear to have beautiful tips on them. Has anybody heard both offerings side by side? Decided I am going to keep my bumper on, at least for now, so I need a little project to pacify me, since I can't drive this thing for a while.
 

Dolph

GT Owner
Dec 25, 2012
123
Ruston, LA
I feel for ya, man. I REALLY feel for ya.

We bought our cars about the same time. I received mine on Christmas day and seems I remember you received yours just a few days before that. I actually sat in your car at Elite back in December while there looking for a blue/white.

I don't really know the difference in the sounds of the two different systems you are asking about. My car has the rear header exhaust from Ford Racing, and I know it sounds good. No, GREAT!!! As long as you are easing around, the sound is not too loud at all, but when you step on the "go pedal", it WILL talk to you.

I have put about 600 miles on my car since Christmas Day, and we have had quite a bit of rain. But I haven't driven it in the rain. I can't imagine what you are going through having a brand new to you Ford GT and not being able to drive it. I would be nuts by now. I guess that's an advantage of "living in the South".

As you said, "since I can't drive this thing for a while"................... I feel for ya, man. I REALLY feel for ya!

Dolph
 

GTMikey

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
May 4, 2008
519
Lake Tahoe
Cooltech's stuff is awesome. I have the Hefner pulley and tune and cooltech transaxle cooler. Cooltech did my exhaust, I love it.
 

roketman

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Oct 24, 2005
8,086
ma.
This was done some years ago..I personally have the GT guys xpipe and think its perfect. Actually the sound is orgasmic!
It is not in this video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qCvbsHAHDc&list=PL9EC33E058EDEA6FF
 

DakotaGT

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Dec 9, 2012
1,715
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Thanks for the comments, guys. Dolph- glad you are enjoying your car! At least I have my snowmobiling for now....
 

otis

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Nov 13, 2011
349
Stillwater, MN
I agree the GT guys exhaust is great. The difference in sound isn't massive between the Heffner H pipe or GT Guys X pipe. The GT Guys exhaust is ceramic coated and keeps the heat down under the hood better. The Heffner exhaust is polished stainless. It changes to a golden bluish color over time.

Either is a great option. I love the sound mine makes.

Rob
 
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otis

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Nov 13, 2011
349
Stillwater, MN
Might also check as I believe cooltech has a new exhaust which is ceramic coated and the tips are polished stainless. I can't remember if they have it both for the bumper and bumper delete. If that was around when I did mine I would have done theirs. I love the polished tips on the heffner more than ceramic on the GT Guys exhaust tips. Check and see.

Rob
 
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DakotaGT

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Dec 9, 2012
1,715
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Might also check as I believe cooltech has a new exhaust which is ceramic coated and the tips are polished stainless. I can't remember if they have it both for the bumper and bumper delete. If that was around when I did mine I would have done theirs. I love the polished tips on the heffner more than ceramic on the GT Guys exhaust tips. Chech and see.

Rob

Will do- thanks!
 

Superfly

HERITAGE GT OWNER
Mark II Lifetime
Jun 23, 2008
2,210
Edmonton, Alberta
My Heffner is ceramic coated with stainless tips. That's the way it came from Heffner, I didn't think there was any option otherwise (ie - without ceramic). Love it.

I agree the GT guys exhaust is great. The difference in sound isn't massive between the Heffner H pipe or GT Guys X pipe. The GT Guys exhaust is ceramic coated and keeps the heat down under the hood better. The Heffner exhaust is polished stainless. It changes to a golden bluish color over time.

Either is a great option. I love the sound mine makes.

Rob
 

Cobraguy

GT Owner
My Heffner is all polished ...no ceramic coating...I love the sound and the look, especially as the stainless shine is visible from behind thru the mesh!


UOTE=Superfly;326877]My Heffner is ceramic coated with stainless tips. That's the way it came from Heffner, I didn't think there was any option otherwise (ie - without ceramic). Love it.[/QUOTE]
 

M_FGT

GT Owner
Jan 12, 2013
62
who has the most horse power gains? or are they all roughly the same..?
 

BlackICE

GT Owner
Nov 2, 2005
1,416
SF Bay Area in California
who has the most horse power gains? or are they all roughly the same..?

IMO no significant HP difference. It's all about sound and looks?
 

jcthorne

GT Owner
Aug 30, 2011
792
Houston
I will say that the x-pipes (GT Guys, Accufab) vs the H-Pipe (Heffner) sound different. I prefer the X but both sound much better than stock.
 

Biginch Blake

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Nov 4, 2008
992
Rockville, Indiana
Have had my GT Guys X pipe for two years and love the sound and noticeable power added over the Ford Racing one I had. Always get compliments on the sound under acceleration from other car guys, what more could you ask for.
 

roketman

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Oct 24, 2005
8,086
ma.
GT GUYS ,GT GUYS, GT GUYS!!!
I am a bit partial!
 

nota4re

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Feb 15, 2006
4,281
IMHO, there are significant design differences between the pipes and these differences should be compared. I encourage others to add to these observations.

1) Accufab - A "true" X-pipe design. Design does not include tips - simply straight pipes with an angled cut-off. Perhaps closest to OEM appearance. AFAIK these exhausts come polished although ceramic coating may be an option.
2) Heffner - A H-Pipe design which includes recent updates that improve longevity. Comes with high-polished, dual wall tips. Ceramic coating is standard.
3) Cool Tech - another "true" X-pipe design. In contrast to the Accufab, incorporates dual-wall, polished stainless tips and ceramic coating is standard.
4) GTG - More accurately, I would call it a "plus pipe" design with dual wall stainless tips and ceramic coating.

Conceptually, I would guess that the Cool Tech and the Accufab have virtually identical HP gains (tips and finishing being the main difference between the two). The Heffner may have a minutely different power curve insofar that X-Pipe and H-pipe designs typically have slightly different HP/TQ curve shape but the area under the curve is likely very similar to the Accufab and Cool Tech. I couldn't predict the performance characteristic of the GTG as it is kind of unique in the way that the exhaust streams would combine at right angles - perhaps producing a unique sound and unique performance characteristics.
 
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KennethClay

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Oct 15, 2012
883
New York
I have the Cool Tech, installed by Shelby (or his guys, I suppose) over at Elite. Sounds great. When I first got the car, I was wondering, "Is this a little too loud?" But then people were pulling up next to me and ssaying, "I LOVE the sound of that exhaust!" Lots of great burbling, crackling, etc. I'm happy.
 

DakotaGT

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Dec 9, 2012
1,715
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Excellent breakdown of the options discussed here... thank you! I was suprised to learn that the CoolTech offering is different than the Heffner, because when I go to your CoolTech website, the only exhaust shown is under "bumper delete" exhaust, and shows what I thought was the Heffner unit. It also describes working with Heffner to produce these units. So, I am glad to hear that there is another option... do you have photos of your CoolTech x-pipe somewhere? Price? I was really leaning towards the GT Guys unit, but that was because I liked the design, there were strong testimonials, and the price was attractive. Now, I'm not so sure.
 

nota4re

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Feb 15, 2006
4,281
Sorry for being slow to update the website. We ONLY currently have the Heffner on our website and please keep in mind that we still like this exhaust and we have sold and installed a lot of them!! For a "bumpered" exhaust, I am very high on our own design as it is an X-pipe, it is ceramic coated, and it is has very nice, dual-wall tips and it looks GREAT on the car. I have the same high regard for the newest Heffner design and the only appreciable difference is that the Heffner is an H-pipe and ours is an X-pipe. Both are great, IMO.

Regarding a bumper-delete exhaust, this is what we originally set out to make. There are obvious aesthetic differences between our design and the Heffner. Jason did a great job to shorten the tips and to make them virtually flush with the back of the car. Jason retained his H-pipe design in this RBD configuration. Our RBD exhaust, in contrast, is a little "bolder" where we elected to keep the tips at their original length. As such, our RBD exhaust sticks out a little more and makes a pronounced statement. Frankly speaking, when I first saw it, I told the fabricator, "no way". But, in a matter of several minutes, it kind of grew on me. Also, I like the fact that I don't want to copy the Heffner for the sake of copying him because I respect his design and what he did. So, we kept this "in your face" RBD style as "our" Cool Tech RBD exhaust. Shelby purchased a couple of our RBD exhausts sight unseen and his first reaction was, "what are you thinking, Kendall?" However, I recently received som pics of our exhaust on one of his latest projects and I think it looks good!! - and hopefully Shelby and the owner agree!!

That said, our exhaust is not for everyone in the past month, we have ordered two more of Jason's RBD exhausts for owners who prefer that look! Choices are good!! LOL

I'll try to get some pics here and onto the web soon to show the differences.
 

nota4re

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Feb 15, 2006
4,281
This first pic is a Heffner RBD exhaust.

Heffner_RBD.jpg

And here is a pic of the Cool Tech RBD exhaust.

CT_RBD1.jpg