If you are wondering if your exhaust is loud enough or not, the true test is to drive around in a packed parking lot, and see how many car alarms go off. If you don't hear any go off, you could do with some headers or an exhaust cut-out.

There a new mustang in the parking lot where I work, and every time I drive by it, his alarm goes off... it rules!

 

I'm sorry but that doesn't rule it's just plain ignorant to drive around with an exhaust cutout.

 

Well mine isn't cutout but my exaust will make alarms blip and stuff when driving through a lot. Has to be pretty loud to set the off though, wow. Cutouts would do that though.

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Eric Natzke
91 Firebird 305 TBI
"It Ain't Stock"
http://members.aol.com/j007golden/91firebird.html
For info on certain parts or mods go to the site below
http://members.aol.com/j007golden/modeval.html

 

Actually it doesn't take much to set off extra sensitive alarms. All I have is a flowmaster cat back and I set 'em off all the time, but now I noticed that the newer alarms don't go off completely but just self-test. They go "bleep, bleep" and shut off. Here in Brooklyn nobody pays any attention to alarms. Especially the cops. I think having an alarm is rude.
There was a guy on my block with an alarm that used to go off for no reason at all hours of the night.Really annoying.One night, about 3:00 am, I had enough so I casually climbed under his car and cut the battery cable.After that he fixed it so it never went off again.

 

My record is 5 right now, but i try to get more every day. And im not talking about just making them blip either, i mean setting them off And im running a full exhaust. Just wait till i get cutouts.

 

'evilho'-> give me a break, fast cars are supposed to be loud... I will agree there is a time and a place for "I can feel it rumble in my chest" exhaust, and that's why cut-outs are so great.... you can close it up when you are driving by a crowd of people, or a funeral... OR A COP!

I hate seeing a nice car with a kick-*** engine combo, only to hear the woosh of the sh*tty clutch fan when he/she revs it up.

 

guys--
I have a dynomax cat back and I set off alarms too but its because the resonance of a V8 is so much lower than other cars. as long as you can generate some low rumbling you can set off any motion alarm you want. it doesnt necessarily have to be loud just low frequency.

 

I used to do that when my IROC's stock muffler shed half of it's casing somewhere. The sound was rough, but bassy and booming as hell. I finally got a flowmaster and put an end to it after I had enough of that interior resonance.

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'88 IROC 305 TPI
Crappy 700R4 slushbox
Gutted airboxes
180 degree T-stat
Advanced base TPS voltage
Relocated IAT sensor
Momo steering wheel (gotta luv it)
Ram-air setup coming soon
Flowmaster muffler (puke)
Taylor SpiroPro wires
Accel cap and rotor
Ported plenum
Kills: '94 Z28, Olds Aurora V8, bunch of Mustangs, T-birds, ricers, and others who assumed a 12 year-old car would be too slow.

 

I once started my car in a garage and set of 4 alarms, one on each side of me.

Once in another garage I set off an alarm 3 stories beneath me.

I love 2.5" duals

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"American made baby. 100% American iron. The muscle among the masses. My hero. Yep, you can take your ergonomically designed, space age, computer controlled, 4 door, cup holding map lighted split double wishbone split fold down retractable cargo covered moon roof piece of transportation and keep it. For I have felt the thunder. And I know the difference!"
JSP Motorsports
ICON Motorsports

 

I have a 89 Camaro Comes streight out of the cat, I set car alarms off every day at school. I like it. Is it bad to run it out of my cat like this? When my friends were driving behind me one night they said they seen small flashes of fire underneath my car when I punched it. Is this safe??????????

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'89 RS camaro: 305 TBI, 700R4. Upgrades: K&N Air filter, Dynomax Superflow cat, Stage 2 Jet performance chip. New paint job.

 

If you run your car like this (I did for a week before I got my slp cat back) you are probley acually losing so ponies. It doesn't hurt anything and the "flashes of light" are hydrocarbons bursting when they exit that cat. Trust me that it is cool now and you get alot of looks from people raking their yards and from the stangs(because they never heard a cam or f-bird sound like that)but during the summer you will sweat even with your a/c on due to the heat coming in thru the trans tunnel.

 

I found that running with nothing after the cat actually gave me more power.

 

I have true dual ex' on my 84 cam'
at work every day when i start my car to leave, i set off at least 3 alarms

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Drive A BowTie And Leave The Suit At Home!

 

my sterio does that to other cars. I was goign through the parking lot and this guys alarm went off, came back it did the same thing

 

I have yet to set off an alarm with my system (2X12" bandpass Blaupunkt V2100 AMP)... but it is a good future goal

 

So if i were to pull off the exsisitng muffler now i would get more horsepower and it would sound deeper and louder?

91 chevy pickup/350/3.73 gears

 

Absolutely, mufflers suck... It bothers me how many people actually think mufflers enhance performance.... the only purpose a muffler serves is to restrict noise... some flow better than others, but all mufflers restrict horsepower at least to some extent.

 

johnyIROC, mufflers have shown in dyno tests to increase horsepower between 2-10 hp. These are high performance mufflers of course. It aslo helps your car sound less like a rusted out, exhaust hanging down, POS Ford Pick-up truck. Just my opinion.

As far as setting off car alarms, my 383, SLP 1.75" headered, no cat, 4" Mufflex system with a 2-chamber Flowmaster, sets off car alarms like it is supposed to. 88305tpiT/A is right. The low frequencies set off the alarms, not necessarily loudness. My Mufflex will make your mother and your little sister cry and make Import owners hang their head when they realize my whole exhaust is 4", not just the tip. A trip through a parking garage puts a smile on my face for days. Nothing is cooler than 10-15 car alarms going off in unison.

Once I started my car next to an Integra with yellow stickers and a seatbelt protector and the alarm chirped at me, so logically I calmly backed up close to it and blipped the throttle. The import was scared and started crying.

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1992 Camaro Z28; Engine:383 w/Edelbrock RPM ported heads. Lunati Solid Roller Cam 224/232 .502/.502, Fluidampr, 1.5 Roller rockers, 30 lb injectors. Haltech E6GM DFI, SLP 1 3/4" headers, 4" Mufflex, T56, 4.10. Super Ram.

Double-Pump This! EFI Rules!

Definition:

NOPI: n. 1. import 2. Sticker worth 47 hp 3. import with 6" exhaust tip
antonym: smallblock

 

The only time a muffler can actually increase horsepower is if your system doesn't provide enough backpressure.

The dyno tests you are referring to are VS the stock system... yeah a performance muffler will have a horse power gain when you compare it to a stock system, but not when you compare it to straight pipe

 

I've got to jump in on this one...

I have no muffler and I occasionaly (rarely is more like it) set off an alarm when driving around or even in a parking lot, only sometimes when in a parking lot. Howeer, when I am in a parking garage... HAHA, that is a different story. Every car I drive past starts beeping crazily!!!

I like it, but then again, I am moving more towards toneing my car down like I said in my post about "Loudness." I like loud, but i dont want no muffler anymore becuase it is so ridiculously loud. That is why I want headers and a Hooker Aerochamber... plenty loud but nto loud enough to **** people off - not to mention great tone!

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1989 IROC-Z
350c.i. TPI
rebuilt 700R4 with shift kit
3'' Monza Pacesetter cat back exhaust (minus the muffler)[SOUNDS OF THIS ON MY WEBPAGE]
new dual cats
3.23 Posi rear
hypertech chip
under drive pulleys
adjustable fuel pressure regulator
K&N Air Filters
Excalibur alarm, keyless entry and remote start
new:
struts, shocks, bearings, distributor, cap, rotor, alternator, battery, regulator
245 ZR16 50 Tires, Rotors and brake pads all the way around

Go to my webpage to find out more about it.
You can also see pictures, and hear sounds as well.
http://go.to/iroc-z

AOL IMer: JRShotliff

 

Lighten up evilho, just cause hes got no muffler doesnt mean its all that much louder than a flowmaster or any other performance muffler. Two years ago when I first bought my camaro, i thought of getting something like a flowmaster or what not, but then one day i had to change my fuel pump, so i had to hack the muffler. Then I notice a nice sound, a tit bit louder than the flowmaster, no hallow sound, like alot of these mufflers have, and an increse in performance, so i havent bought a muffler since. So im perfectly happy with my Nomaster. Every F-body should come with straight pipes.

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1991 teal camaro RS rebuilt 96 350 marine motor, comp cam, accel ignition,8mm accel plugs and wires, flowtech headers, stock exhaust, and rear end. (2.73)

 

When I was running no cat back, my car made a wicked popping sound, and shoot a blue flame when I downshifted... it sounded like a damned stock car!

 

Yeah my car did that too, when i had nothing after the cat. Then it sounds really mean and really tough, its amazing the looks you get from the 5.0s and even the vettes. Had it like that all last summer until it got cold out here, and found out how anoying it was with your windows rolled up right underneath your feet ends your exhaust, but im thinking about returning it that way for the summer

 

I have seen dyno test after dyno test. open exhaust will cost you power. you car is loader so you think you have more power but with a good exhuast on your car you will run better et's. I saw a borla test where they took a low 10' sec 68 camaro and ran 3 tenths better in the quarter with full exhaust compared to open headers. you want to set off alarm put a big block in it. my pickup has a 502 and I just idle by **** and alrams go off. this post remids me of high school louder = better. I don't think so. give me a big came and some flowmastes and I think is sounds better than open exhaust anyday.

 

No, you lose on torque and maybe gain about 2-3 hp, the only reason I plan to run w/o cats is because I don't have the cash to pay for cats after I spend $600 on the exhaust. You lose about 7 lbs/ft of torque and MAYBE gain 2-3hp.

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90 Iroc LB9 5spd G92
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Dual Cats, 3.42 Borg Warner w/Posi, TPIS Airfoil, K&N, 160 Thermo, Mobil 1 Extreme Formula 0W-30 Synthetic Motor Oil, Home Made Ram Air, ACDelco Plugs, 8.8mm 300+ Accel "Race" Wires, Accel Cap And Rotor, Ported and Gasket Matched Plenum, TB Coolant Bypass, Advanced Timing To 10 BTC
Best ET(Not Corrected): 14.4 @ 94mph with 2.022 60ft
My 3rd Gen Web Page

 

johnyIROC, the dyno test I was refering to was mufflers vs. straight pipe. All of the good mufflers produced more torque and horsepower than an open pipe.

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1992 Camaro Z28; Engine:383 w/Edelbrock RPM ported heads. Lunati Solid Roller Cam 224/232 .502/.502, Fluidampr, 1.5 Roller rockers, 30 lb injectors. Haltech E6GM DFI, SLP 1 3/4" headers, 4" Mufflex, T56, 4.10. Super Ram.

Double-Pump This! EFI Rules!

Definition:

NOPI: n. 1. import 2. Sticker worth 47 hp 3. import with 6" exhaust tip
antonym: smallblock

 

If your system is lacking backpressure, there are better ways to fix it than with a muffler. Can you explain to me how anything can flow better than a straight pipe? It's impossible. As long as your system has the correct amount of back pressure, there is no such thing as a muffler that will actually give you more HP.

 

i run a straight pipe with a resonated tip.......does that neccesarily hurt hp? or does the tip help keep some backpressure?

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1991 RS LO3
mods: 14" chrome air cleaner, straight-piped after cat exhaust with one chrome dual tip on the left side.
future mods: headers, removing smog equipment, and as many cheap mods as i can find
aol s/n: budman8503

SUCKING GAS AND HAULING *** -The American Dream

 

damn running no cat straight pipe with 80 series flowmaster is so damn loud everyone like looks at me when i drive by and the sound like echos off the parked cars on the side of the road sounds crazy hehe