Picking the right combination of power accessories to add to your mini is a lot like a heavyweight bout. Do you simply dance around their prey or go right in for the attack? The options in speed accessory parts are very similar in nature. You can go in for the full-blown high-end right from the initial vehicle purchase, or you can look for simple and affordable upgrades anyone can perform.
Parts purchases generally come down to price, availability, and technical expertise from the mail-order parts houses and customer satisfaction with the hope of return business. NOPI (Number One Parts) based in Atlanta is not an unfamiliar name in the import scene. Having been in business for 34 years, NOPI offers only the highest quality aftermarket performance accessories at extremely reasonable prices. Knowing its reputation as serving the customer first, we spoke to the NOPI experts.
Our main goals were to increase overall performance from a low-end torque situation, improve peak horsepower, as well as increase fuel mileage. The technical experts at NOPI suggested a Borla Performance
Cat-Back system for use on our mule, a late-model Chevrolet S-10 Blazer equipped with a 4.3L Vortec V-6. To say the end results speak volumes of the amount of power easily attained with a Cat-Back exhaust system is an understatement. Best of all, the entire installation process took roughly three to four hours. Follow along while we highlight our added power punch from NOPI.
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 1. Upon receiving the Borla...  1. Upon receiving the Borla Performance Industries Cat-Back kit from NOPI, a quick look at it reveals that the new 2-1/2-inch system contains all of the necessary mounting hardware needed to complete the installation. Equipped with an intercooled polished stainless steel exhaust tip, the entire system is mandrel-bent stainless steel that resists foul weather and will not rust over prolonged exposure to harsh elements. |
 2. A quick comparison of the...  2. A quick comparison of the Borla Cat-Back muffler revealed it to be roughly 6 inches shorter in length, meaning it has less interior baffles than the stock muffler. |
 3. Knowing stock mufflers...  3. Knowing stock mufflers decrease performance, we cut the old one open just to take a look at where the potentials for power loss lie. After cutting open the top of the muffler, it was easy to see where the losses were. The spent gases entered in a constricted inner tube, then got lost through a series of unnecessary baffles. |
 4. There are two schools of...  4. There are two schools of thought when removing the stock after-cat exhaust system: One is that you can remove the system, taking care not to damage any of the hangers or rubber mounts. The more common approach is to simply cut as much of the stock system as necessary to gain access for complete removal. This is where a Sawzall comes in handy. |
 5. After the factory muffler...  5. After the factory muffler was removed, the remaining exhaust pipe was also pulled free from the vehicle. Some maneuvering around or over the axle was necessary to totally pull the tubing free. |
 6. The Borla Performance stainless...  6. The Borla Performance stainless muffler simply installed in the factory location using the factory hangers and rubber isolators. The isolators had to be reinstalled first because they were used to hang the new Borla system. |
 7. The new front 2-1/2-inch...  7. The new front 2-1/2-inch mandrel-bent stainless steel tubing flange slid to the factory three-holed flange surface. |
 8. The supplied gasket was...  8. The supplied gasket was fit to the side of the flange. To ensure that there would be no exhaust leaks, we applied antiseize compound. |
 9. Because the Blazer was...  9. Because the Blazer was lowered, it became necessary to jack up the body of the Blazer to allow the new Borla Performance tubing to make it up and over the factory axle. |
 10. Just like the after-cat...  10. Just like the after-cat kit, which came as a bolt-on, the rear stainless steel pipe also was bolted together with a slip-fitting. |
 11. With the connections made,...  11. With the connections made, the pipe clamp collar slid down over the slip-fit pieces of exhaust tubing. The bolt was tightened down to 50 lb-ft of torque and was rechecked after two weeks of use to ensure that the connections were loosened after the system was broken in. |
 12. The last step was to hang...  12. The last step was to hang the new stainless steel intercooled tip. The tip ran out just slightly past the back of the bumper or roll pan. |