NB Flyin' Miata exhaust

The stock muffler on my 2001 Miata was too quiet. The FM muffler adds just the right amount of growl without being too loud or raspy. It's smaller and lighter than the stock muffler. Installation is fairly easy too and the muffler positioned perfectly. All stainless steel (verified with a magnet) means that I don't expect to ever have to replace a muffler again, so it's worth the price of admission. I replaced two of the hangars with FM's polyurethane hangars.

Installed on 2001 NB with the stock mid pipe & resonator still on. The sound is a subtle deeper tone louder than the stock muffler. For more sound i would probably install the FM mid pipe & resonator which i may do later. The muffler is great quality and installation was easy. I reused the stock hangers as they were still good. The welded rods on the new muffler fit on the hangers just right. I would suggest using a hanger removal tool, it worked great and made the removal so much easier. Especially if you reuse the old hangers. Great FM product....

The Car: 1999 10AE with 1.8 and NB2 exhaust manifold with FM exhaust components from that point all the way to the back.

The Quality: Without question this is superb! The design details, welds, the material itself and the fitment; all of it is typical FM sorted and top notch.

The Sound: Louder than stock by about 40%; deeper tone and is definitely for the more mature or subtle but not subdued and it really gives the car a more sporty feel (yes, the car is breathing a bit easier and a more snappy response is definitely present).

In Context: There have been modifications that I've made to my NB where on first blush I've thought that I went too far in a given direction (see Tanner's recent video on how to ruin your Miata). Then over time I warm to the change and things are okay. Having had this exhaust for less than 24 hours and only put about a 100 miles on it, this is where I am at.

Why?

Because although this exhaust is not loud by any stretch it drowns out the other sounds the car was making previously. For example, anyone can put an exhaust on their car but can you tune the intake sounds? I put an air box on it that looked stock but had 70% of the sound of ITBs, pretty cool. This exhaust now drowns out that sound and has changed the audible character of the car.

Is it a great exhaust? Yes.

For my car and what I was going for? Unknown (but I am considering calling my mechanic and asking him to pull my stock exhaust off the junk pile, just in case.

This brings us to the final problem I have with FM and everyone else who sells this stuff, once you install it you own it and there's nothing you can do about it. It's like buying a $600.00 pair of shoes, trying them on and owning them whether they fit or not. It's high risk, not due to the quality of the FM offering, these guys really have this stuff dialed in, but because car parts exist within a broader context and it's really hard to know if you're going to get it right or mess things up.

Therefore, I cannot mark FM down on the quality of the exhaust, the tone or anything of that sort; it's first rate and it's for the mature among us. If this is what you're going for then this is the only choice, just know that it will potentially become a Tuba in your finely tuned Coronet section.

I wanted to stay away from anything that was raspy or included drone. Happy to report there is none of that here. A subtle burble at start up and only a mild increase in sound throughout the powerband. My 17 year old noticed a difference in pull while driving as did I. Racing Beat header, 2.25 Flyin Miata midpipe with Magnaflow cat w/polished resonator along with the Flyin Miata exhaust. Everything fit perfect.

This is a beautifully built, fantastic-sounding exhaust. Not for those seeking to make their Miata sound like a F&F straight-pipe screamer. It gives the car just the right amount of added burble without being obnoxious. And I get these lovely little crackles when shifting between second and third under load. Fit and finish is top notch as always, and install was truly bolt-in. I do recommend getting FM's replacement poly hangers, including at least one of the larger ones, to get the positioning just right.