Redback Performance cat-backs for Commodore and Falcon — still worth it?
Redback's street performance range keeps the V8 and six-cylinder Aussie classics breathing on a budget — aluminised steel, dual-skin mufflers and a deep tone without the drone.
Topics
With the Aussie large-car fleet getting older, the question we hear weekly is whether to spend big on stainless or keep a Commodore or Falcon breathing on a sensible budget. Redback's street performance cat-backs are our usual answer for the second camp, and they deserve an honest look.
What they are
These systems are mandrel-bent aluminised coated mild steel (ACMS) rather than stainless, with 1.2mm dual-skinned straight-through mufflers on perforated cores and the same 10mm laser-cut flanges as the 4x4 range. The dual-skin construction is the trick: it kills the tinny resonance cheap mufflers suffer from, so you get a deep note without paying stainless money. Warranty on this tier is 2 years.
Range and pricing
- Falcon EA–AU six-cylinder 2.5in cat-back — roughly $340–$480 depending on configuration.
- Falcon FG 2.5in cat-back with centre hotdog and rear-muffler-delete dual outlets — around $300.
- Commodore VE/VF dual 2.5in cat-back — about $1,115; the 3in dual version about $1,080.
- VT–VZ replacement tailpipes from $60, plus a wide universal muffler and tip catalogue.
New: Mustang H-pipe
The newest addition to the performance side is a bolt-in H-pipe for the 2015–2024 Mustang at around $215, aimed at evening out the exhaust pulses for a deeper, older-school V8 tone. Full Mustang systems are in development. It is a cheap, reversible mod and a tidy taste of what the brand does.
Verdict
Be realistic about what ACMS is: on a daily-driven car that lives outside near the coast, stainless will outlast it. But for a weekend VE/VF or a Falcon that needs a proper tone without a four-figure custom build, the Redback cat-backs are well-made, bolt up cleanly, and sound much dearer than they are. We fit them with new gaskets and hangers as a matter of course — ask us for a fitted price on your car.
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