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Helping out at a friend's shop this week we pulled Scarlet in after work today and did my very first mod that involved more than just removing something: muffler delete - with duals! Took about 4 hours of experimenting, fitting, etc. for the T and second tailpipe, but the results are just what I was looking for. Moderate increase in volume (at idle the exhaust note is actually more noticeable than the injectors' little song now) but not to the point of altering occupants conversation volume even when under load, and no crackle or chambered tone but it's much more obvious what the engine sounds like. No turbo noise, but with two cats and the resonator still in the way I didn't expect any. It's 2" up to the T, then 2 1/4" (to match the factory tailpipe we kept) after that, all welded - the matching bumper cutout was my handiwork.
I'm really leaning toward some tasteful tips to give it that SS Malibu/Impala look. Anybody interested in taking their Cruze to South central MO for the same treatment, PM me and I'll give you my friend's info.
FYI, for the benefit of the discussion last week about how much a muffler delete should cost, a non-dual-conversion delete is honestly as simple as cutting the muffler and two 6"? pieces of pipe off, fabbing a foot or so of nearly straight pipe to bridge the gap, modifying one hanger and adding another - we'd have been done in a half hour if not for the dual setup. Not sure if a jack, sawzall, and some generic pipe pieces and clamps are adequate in this instance, but not a $200 at any shop in my eyes.

I'm really leaning toward some tasteful tips to give it that SS Malibu/Impala look. Anybody interested in taking their Cruze to South central MO for the same treatment, PM me and I'll give you my friend's info.