Maybe this has already been done - just let me know where to look if it has.

Now, I know there are a lot of factors other than just the muffler involved here - headers, cats, cat-less systems, engine size etc, etc.

But I know there are people here that have heard many different systems on third gens and ya gotta have an opinion on this.

So what's the loudest, what's in the middle, and what's on the quiet end with regard to mufflers on third gens?

Hmmmmm.......

Kevin

 

Just my opinion....

Loud: Flowmaster 80 series (American thunder series), and SLP Loudmouth.

Middle: Hooker, SLP (System made for 3rd gens), spintech.

Quiet: Dynomax

 

Loud: Spintech and SLP Loudmouth

Medium and Quiet: Who cares

 

Loud=what's a muffler

medium=flowmaster 80s, turbo mufflers
quiet......just don't care to listen

 

All you're going to get on here is what people's opinions are on mufflers. For example, I say Spintech, but I know bullets are probably louder, and of course open headers are louder...but I think open headers is just *******. That would get irritating so fast, and no, the chicks would not "dig" that.

And then there's IROCThe5.7L- he is like the flowmaster guy around here, so he is going to say flowmaster, and Mark is Mr. Hooker...lol. Like you said, there are soooo many different combinations you could go with, one muffler on one car may be super loud, and really quiet on the next car. Btw, I have yet to hear an 80 series on a 5.7L third gen. I usually don't like the sound of flow on all the trucks running around here, but I still need to hear it on a thirdgen. Any clips?

 

Borla?

 

Whatever you want it to be.
Capped = Quiet
No plate = Loud

Add the Edelbrock system to the medium level.

 

I say borla with the open plate is probably the loudest as far as catbacks go. Flowmaster is medium and dynomax is definitely the quietest exhaust you can buy.

 

I would have to say Spintech's are the loudest. I have a 355 with SLP 1 3/4 coated headers(non-AIR) and no cat all 3 inch and dual 3 inch tail pipes. It is very loud with a slight drone inside the car.
I might get another spintech and go with 2 1/2 inch tail pipes to try and quiet it down a bit.
I was at the all F-body day earlier this year at Maple Grove and I got to hear alot of f-bodys and I think mine was one of the loudest there. I have a movie clip from that day if anyone would like to hear it. Its 4.2 MB I can email it to someone to post. Its a .MOV file that requires quicktime.

 

Part of the point of this is it has to have a muffler - anyone knows that straight through systems, dumps, etc are loudest - I do not dissagree.

And it's just my opinion - some folks don't want the loudest system or else they'll just have stock; there is that down the middle of the road route - that's why I'm asking for some input across the board - from loudest to quietest you've heard. I'm just trying to say that some poeple may want a deeper, throatier sound than a stock muffer - not everybody wants to be heard a mile away. And I'm not saying that isn't cool - just that perhaps we should actually try to rank what we've heard all the way down to the quieter systems to make this thread somewhat useful.......

It is helpful if you say cat or no cat like FastZ28*84 did - that definetly will make things louder.

Opinions are cool here - it's interesting to hear what you all think. With something like this, hopefully we can just try not to be too biased about our own stuff, but that bias plays into what readers will take away from this thread in making their own decisions - myself included!

Thanks for the input guys - keep it up!

 

Do you think you could put the movie here, so we can all hear it?

 

Well I don't know how to put the movie on here but I will put up a link to it. I hope it works.


http://home.comcast.net/~fastz28/Mov...le_FastZ28.mov

 

I like my flowmaster system alot, but I am not going to lie and give false information about it. It was my honest opinion, I didn't include flowmaster just because I like it.

 

I've had 3 different muffler setups in the last couple of months:

Flowmaster was the loudest - no contest. The Hooker was almost as loud as the Flow, just a lot less interior resonance. The Spintech was pathetic - I'd never recommend it to anyone

 

Same here, I didnt' say anything about flowmaster because I've never heard the 80 series on a thirdgen. In all honesty, I think overal sound quality is more important than how loud it is. Because loudness falls under the sound quality category. And I love the sound of spintech so there ya go.

Marc- this has got to be the first complaint I have ever heard about spintech. Which muffler was it exactly? Just curious.

 

Hey.

I had the three-chamber Flow (non-Delta) on the car until today. I run stock dual cats, and the car had resonance at idle but a pleasing (my opinion) rumble up through the revs. I just put on a 3" Dynomax welded round muffler (not the turbo-style, but not the glasspack-lookalike Bullet either). It is scarily close to stock at idle, but opens up (with more RPM/load) to more sound than the Flow. Bear in mind that this car only has two things to affect the sound from a stock vehicle:

Ported plenum
3" catback

She is dead-stock otherwise. A note on the Dynomax, and this applied to the Flwo as well: You can easily detect the effect that stock compression has on the sound. I could not tell with the stock catback, but it is loud and clear with the Flow. Look for Matt87GTA's site and listen to his .wavs after reading what his car has under the hood. I cannot wait to get this engine rebuilt with real compression. Of course this all goes double for the cam...and headers...and whether or not you have cats....you get the idea.

HTH, peace

K

 

Not sure exactly which model Spintech muffler it is. It's the single 4" inlet with dual 3" outlet included in the Mufflex catback. I had the 3" Hooker system for years and loved it. Just wanted something different, I got a great deal on a 4" Mufflex system with the dual Spintech and put it on. Man was I disappointed. It was quiet, and sounded weak. I had that for about 2 months, and hated it so much, I traded the muffler and tailpipes for a 4" single in/out Flowmaster that's included with Mufflex's kit. The Flowmaster made a huge difference not only in volume, but sound quality too. I don't know which sounds better, the Hooker or the Flowmaster, it's a toss up IMO. The Flowmaster is definately louder though. The Spintech sounded weaker than my sister's 94 V6 Firebird with just a Flowmaster rear section on it. Pathetic... And I'd never recommend it. Maybe it was just my setup?

 

I don't know man, I've heard spintech's most mild street muffler on a V6 and that thing sounded like it had *****. I get compliments all the time on my spintech. As long as you are happy with what you got now, then that's all that matters. I have a spintech on my camaro as well as my tacoma and they both sound killer, so I will always go spintech I think. Lates

 

I've got the Random Technology 3" catback, and it is very loud, and very throaty. I love it, one of the best system's I've heard.

 

From what I've heard in person, obviously depending on the engine.

Open borla>gmmg/corsa>flowmaster>hooker>slp(not loudmouth)>>>dynomax

You have to consider that there are many different flowmaster mufflers though, and only two of these are from my own car.

 

I live in England & have a completely standard 305 TPI 87 Camaro, It has had the cat removed with a straight pipe in place (and chipped for same) I replaced the rotten exhuast some years ago with the 3" catback and "turbo" transverse muffler with 2 1/2" tail pipes. This sounds pretty cool now as the muffler is pretty shot!! (no holes- just internals worn out) I want to get a new system, but would like it loud. I have been recommended the Borla - but its too expensive (about $800.00) also the "street thunder" flowmaster system (about $500.00) I want my Camaro to sound as loud as the old 60's musclecars (with headers? lol) any recommendations? As you can see its expensive for parts over here!

 

the gale banks sound very loud! i know

 

Well on my 84 that i have my 355 in, i have a 80 series with a 3inch pipe, its fairly loud, nice deep rumbly sound, when you get on it, it sounds real mean i think.

 

I have dual 2 1/2" with bullet mufflers and an X pipe, and it is pretty quiet. This is on a 10:1 vortec headed, XE274 cammed 350. I think I own the quietest 12 second car at the track.

 

just because it's loud doesn't mean it sounds good.
rycers have their buzzbomb fartpipe exhausts that are plenty loud... doesn't mean they sound good.
sound quality to me is the tone and depth of the exhaust.

the nice rumble coming from my Hooker setup is to die for.

 

I thought bullet mufflers were straight through? A kid I know with a 96 z28 has true duals with bullet mufflers, it is loud as hell. He's got a 383 LT1 in it.

 

I agree, how loud an exhaust is has nothing to do with it sounding good. IMO i just like my 80 series i like the rumble it gives

 

My pro shootout spintech is fuggin loud with the new 350. Went and talked to the muffler shop yesterday about a new system. Instead of running dual 3 inch like I wanted he suggested a single 4 1/2" oval spintech system to help with ground clearence. I'll be getting that done in a couple months, maybe sooner Here's an mp3 of my current setup.

 

How much does he want to do that?

 

Doing it through a trade deal so I'm not sure. :/

 

Yes, they are straight through. They're made for classes where a muffler is required, but they actually have very little muffling qualities.

 

Mine is pretty loud....Its just like an SLP Loudmouth, I got it custom made and used a bullet muffler, Meaty @ idle, Loud while driving, And SCREAMIN at WOT! Ohh I love it!

 

I've got SLP y pipe, no cat, 3 inch hooker aerochamber... it sounds very good and from what everyone tells me, it's pretty loud on the outside too... it's alot quieter when cruising then the flowmaster was too....

 

Screw it, if you want loud get an electric exhaust cut-out installed at the end of the y-pipe before the cat. Still good for emissions, but very loud!

 

if loud is your game, 16" bullets are as loud as a muffler gets.

 

loudest--
bullets
spinetch race series
SLP loudmouth
MAC
flowmaster
hooker/edelbrock
spintech street series
Dyno max
Stock
quietest---

 

Something funny..

My Stock 305 L03 -> was faily noisy all around with:
stock manifolds
gutted cat
3" 80 series American Thunder

BUT get this!!:
Same Exhaust setup! Except I dropped in a <b>stock 350 Van motor</b> with headers this time!
And it got QUIETER! I Swear it sounds STOCK now!
---

Now My 355 TPI with Longtubes + True Dual 2 1/2" -> Flowtech "raptors" Sounds pretty quiet (yet radical) at idle, and really quiet during cruise, but get this..

It sounds like a MOPAR motor during WOT! I swear people ask me if Im running a 383 Mopar ALL THE TIME! Weirdest darn thing...

Ill be changing over to true dual 40 Series 2 Chamber Flowmasters next month, but keeping the old setup on the side in case I dont like the 40 series setup. it should sound good though with a Solid Roller 234/244 Cam!

 

i got a full brand new IMCO 2 1/2" catback with a turbo muffler and tail pipes for $90 but that's cause i got hookups

anyway it's loud even on my 6er i couldn't imagine it on a v-8 the interior resonance is enough to drive you insane if you don't enjoy the sound of exhaust.

 

I will agree with the folks who have stated the loudest cars don't always sound the best since they are not always the fastest either.