i am looking to put a new exhaust system on my 89 gta, but don't know what to get... everyone pushes flowmaster, but i would rather get the best! who makes the best flowing mufflers? best headers?

 

Here's a thread that I'm sure you'll find helpful and quite interesting.

https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...hreadid=140973

It should answer you questions about mufflers.

As far as the headers go, you're gonna get enough mixed answers to make a margarita with. (Edit: I guess you'll get as many opinions about mufflers to. )

Want my suggestion? Go buy "How to Build Max Performance Chevy Small Blocks On A Budget". You can find it at Barnes&Noble. If you don't buy it, just go there and read it. It will give you the REAL low down on exhaust systems and how they should be set up. And I'm sure you'll find a few other books there to.

AJ

 

Most aftermarket mufflers are pretty much equal, unless we're talking about a 500hp motor then, you might notice a few more HP.

I like the Hooker aero chamber mufflers, they flow a little better than flowmasters, cept perhaps their race ones. Though I believe there are a few above Hooker, i don't recall though.

Hooker makes very nice headers as well. Just depends, I assume you want shorty headers?

 

my flowmaster on my 1988 formula 350 sounded great and "it got me laid"

 

why do i find that hard to believe

 

Either FlowMaster or Hooker...And yes I have got laid but it wasnt from the Flows....

 

damn right, it's b/c i'm good like that.

 

Hooker, lol, you said hooker, hahaha, then you said got you laid, BAH hahahahaha
Anyways, back to serious, aftermarket mufflers flow the same. I would go with a straight through design for power, chambers are for sound. Chamgers seem to make less power where it matters but sound best. Straight through usually are quieter at idle and high load low speed overdriver conditions. For performance only go straight through, for sound, go blowmaster, else straight through. I like Borla but it's only good if the rest of your exhaust is stainless, don't waste money on a stainless muffler if your exhaust is going to fall off around it.
Do a search, flowmasters are better than stock but are not as good as the rest of the aftermarket.

 

Best sound=Flowmaster.

 

Magnaflow.
Straight-through design for max power. Not as obnoxiously loud as Flows. Lifetime warranty.

 

If your looking for flow without the "obnoxious noise" then go with Magnaflo or dare I say it Dynomax "cough". But with flow comes tone. Its all a matter of preference and cost.

 

I should clarify that the Magnaflows are quieter than Flowmasters for "normal" driving (low engine loads), and are significantly quieter inside the car.

HOWEVER, if you romp on it, at higher RPM (above about 3000) and under high engine loads, the Magnaflows are loudernhell. It's still primaraly loud outside the car, interior noise (windows up) still isn't too bad even at full throttle.

The nice thing with the Magnaflows is you keep yourself on good terms with the neighbors and don't attract cop attention just driving around. They're only loud when they need to be loud.

So, like pointed out elsewhere in this thread, it comes down to a choice of what is important to you. Both types flow well. Do you want to be loud all the time or just some of the time? Do you want to be able to hear the car's stereo and carry on a conversation with your passenger?

I gotta admit though, it would be fun to be able to set off car alarms in parking garages for a little mischief, and you can't do that with Magnaflows.

 

Are Borla's the same as Magnaflows when it come to the "be load sometimes" thing??????

 

i dont like borlas because they are too high pitched. i like low rumbles.

 

Hey, I'm going with Spintech for my muffler pretty soon- nobody probably has ever heard about them because I've noticed the only companies people talk about here is flowmaster and hooker. Does anyone have anything good to say about Spintech? (Sound/Performance???) -89IRO

 

I've heard of them, but never heard them on a car.

 

Anyone else????