Borla LS1 Camaro & Firebird Cat-Back Exhaust Review

A Borla cat-back exhaust is the single best-sounding upgrade you can bolt onto a 1998-2002 LS1 Camaro or Firebird, and the quad-tip S-Type system (Borla PN 14780) is the one we put on our own 4th-gen F-bodies here at NLP Performance in Tampa, FL. The factory LS1 makes a great noise strangled by a restrictive stock muffler and Y-pipe; free that back half up with mandrel-bent T-304 stainless and the 5.7L finally breathes and barks the way GM should have let it from the factory. In this review we cover what the Borla S-Type is really made of, how much power a cat-back actually adds, what it sounds like on the highway, and how it stacks up against the budget Gibson system and BBK shorty headers.

Why the 1998-2002 LS1 F-Body Needs a Cat-Back

The 4th-gen F-body left the factory with a genuinely good engine choked by a mediocre exhaust. The 1998-2000 Camaro Z28, Firebird Formula, and Trans Am made 305 hp at 5,200 rpm and 335 lb-ft at 4,400 rpm from the aluminum LS1; the SS and WS6 added Ram Air to reach 320 hp and roughly 345 lb-ft. In 2001 the LS6 intake manifold, a revised cam, and an EGR delete bumped the base cars to 310 hp / 340 lb-ft and the SS/WS6 to 325 hp / 350 lb-ft. The bottleneck was never the short-block — it was the cast manifolds, the restrictive Y-pipe, and a heavy, packed factory muffler.

A cat-back replaces everything behind the catalytic converters with larger-diameter, mandrel-bent stainless tubing and a straight-through muffler. It is the cleanest way to unlock the LS1's voice and shed some of the OE assembly's weight without touching emissions equipment. It will not transform your dyno sheet on its own — but paired with headers and a tune, it becomes part of a package worth up to about 30 rear-wheel horsepower.

Borla S-Type Cat-Back Review: Build and Specs

The Borla S-Type is our top pick because it hits the sweet spot of the Borla lineup. Borla builds three tones — Touring (mildest), S-Type (aggressive but street-livable), and ATAK (loudest) — and this F-body kit is the S-Type. It is built from T-304 austenitic stainless steel, Borla's premium grade, with a patented straight-through, multi-core muffler that has no internal packing to blow out over time. The system exits as dual rear tailpipes; PN 14780 wears polished quad tips for the more aggressive look, while the sister PN 140028 uses dual round tips. Both are backed by Borla's Million-Mile Warranty, which is a big part of why owners feel the price is justified.

How Much Horsepower Does a Cat-Back Add to an LS1 Camaro?

A cat-back alone typically adds about 6 to 10 rear-wheel horsepower on an LS1 Camaro or Firebird — a real but modest gain. Be honest with yourself about why you are buying it: the Borla is a sound-and-quality upgrade first, a power upgrade second. The cat-back only addresses the rear restriction (muffler and tailpipes). The bigger flow gains live up front in the cast manifolds, which is why the serious power comes from adding headers, high-flow cats, and a tune. Anyone quoting 30 horsepower from a cat-back by itself is stacking numbers that really belong to a full exhaust package.

What Does a Borla Cat-Back Sound Like on an LS1?

It sounds like the deep, muscular V8 growl the 4th-gen F-body always should have had. The S-Type tone sits between Borla's mild Touring and screaming ATAK — aggressive under throttle, but calm enough to live with daily. The one honest caveat is highway drone: it varies from car to car. Some LS1 owners report a little rasp or drone around 2,200-2,500 rpm at cruise, while others in the identical chassis barely notice it. If your car is a drone-sensitive one, the common fix is adding a resonator to the mid-pipe, which knocks most of the rasp out.

Quad Tips vs Dual Round: Borla 14780 vs 140028

Borla sells the same S-Type system in two tip styles, and the choice is purely cosmetic — there is no measurable sound or performance difference between them. PN 14780 (our top pick, around $1,950) wears polished quad tips for the meaner look. PN 140028 (around $1,250) uses a cleaner dual round chrome tip on each tailpipe and is Borla's OE-plus styling for the same car. Both are T-304 S-Type, both fit the Z28, SS, Firebird Formula, and Trans Am, and both carry the Million-Mile Warranty — so pick the tip that matches your rear bumper and your budget.

Budget Alternative: Gibson Aluminized Cat-Back

If the Borla's price is out of reach, the Gibson 3in dual cat-back (around $580) is the value play. It is aluminized steel rather than T-304 stainless, so it will not resist corrosion or hold its shine like the Borla long-term, but it uses a mandrel-bent 3in design with Gibson's SuperFlow chambered muffler (again, no packing to blow out), polished stainless slash-cut tips, and a Lifetime Limited Warranty. It fits the same 1998-2002 Camaro Z28/SS and Firebird lineup and delivers a deep rumble with minimal interior drone. For a driver who wants the LS1 sound at the lowest cost, it is a lot of exhaust for the money.

Add Headers for Real Power: BBK Shorties

A cat-back frees the back half; headers free the front, replacing the restrictive cast exhaust manifolds. That is where the meaningful horsepower hides. BBK's 1-3/4in tuned-length shorty headers (around $500) add roughly 10 to 15 hp, use CNC mandrel-bent tubing with a titanium-ceramic coating, and — crucially — are 50-state legal (CARB EO D-245-18) for 2001-2002 LS1 cars. They bolt to the factory or any aftermarket cat-back, including the Borla. If you want the biggest number, long-tube headers add closer to 15-30 rwhp with a tune, but they are not emissions-legal. For most street F-bodies, the shorty-plus-cat-back combo is the smart, legal path.

LS1 F-Body Exhaust Options Compared

Here is how the three cat-backs and the BBK header package line up for the 1998-2002 F-body. All four bolt in with hand tools and complement each other — run the Borla or Gibson cat-back for sound, add the BBK shorties for flow.

Installation: Is the Borla Cat-Back a Bolt-On?

Yes — the Borla installs entirely rearward of the factory catalytic converters, using the OE hanger locations, with no welding required. Plan on roughly 1.5 to 3 hours in the driveway with basic hand tools, penetrating oil, and either a lift or a jack plus four jackstands (or ramps). There is one well-known DIY wrinkle on the 98-02 F-body: the factory one-piece inlet/mid-pipe is awkward to pull without a lift, so many owners simply cut it out with a reciprocating saw — the sectioned Borla then bolts right in. The same cat-back fits the Z28 and the SS/Trans Am identically, so the only decision left is which tip style you want peeking out of the rear valance.