Pros and cons discussion still goes on for B&B vs RS Barn? Good Heavens, from what I've seen, both systems have their strong points and sound good. That said, my stainless B&B is so beautifully polished and with such beautiful welds that it could be displayed in an art exhibit...and probably win an award! Perhaps the RS Barn system can also?
But I do know that the B&B (WITH the resonator) has one of the most beautiful sonorous sounds you could ask for....and when you "step on it" you clearly hear what's going on with the great 968 engine. Plus, when you're on cruise control on the highway, you can still hear the radio. I paid a little bit more for my exhaust and I don't regret it a bit. In over a year and half, it still looks close to new. And the B&B is well known throughout the entire Porsche community.
Would I have a problem with the RS Barn exhaust? None at all. I trust many of you people here to share unbiased experiences with your add-on parts and trust your experience has been good.
Either aftermarket exhaust system is heads above the stock system. I doubt you'd go wrong with either. You can also have a custom exhaust crafted at your local muffler shop that would be half the price (or less), but the conventional pipe steel isn't known for lasting a long time and you never know what kind of sound you're going to get until you pay your money and drive away.
I had a custom exhaust fabricated locally for my 928 but it's way louder than I'd anticipated (but I still like it even if I can't hear the radio and my wife complains about the sound). I decided to live with it until I got my first "noise" ticket then order up a quality set made by someone who understands the Pcars.
Using just jackstands, I removed my old 968 exhaust and the B&B bolted right on quickly and lined up perfectly. I used new bolts and made sure the hangers were still solid.
It sounds like people who have RS Barn exhausts have a similar experience and accolades to share. That's great. We all win.
Like anything, I guess that muffler builders have good days and bad days and a certain percentage may have issues. I think I got a good one. However, if I'd gotton a weld crack, I'd really be pissed and would vote with my checkbook and not buy another product from B&B. I kept my stock exhaust and, if I were to ever sell the car, I could reinstall the stock exhaust in minutes and pretty easily sell the aftermarket piece. Same with aftermarket wheels, radios, etc.
Performance-wise I doubt the differences are very much. What can make a measureable and difficult-to-debate difference is adding better headers, improving the intake breathing, adding a performance chip, improving the suspension for your particular (subjective) application, etc.
However, when it comes to resale time, some aftermarket additions don't really add to your sales price...except for perhaps to the serious enthusiast...of which there are many on this forum. But the average Pcar buyer probably would rather buy a 968 at a lower upfront cost and add their own aftermarket parts as they choose to.
Frankly, the 968 is a great car and sharing our candid experiences on how to make it better for each of our needs is the value of a forum. However if one feels ridiculed or attacked for adding a part or making a change that's not what someone else (or the forum sponsors) like, that would hurt the free and honest expression of the forum.
What about road noise...? It's not as bad with my improved exhaust but it's still too loud. I hate tire noise and have tried many of the popular performance tires. I'm finding that the softer rubber composition seems to be quieter...but high performance is not as good. Like other things, there are compromises.
H2
