I'm debating between the Flowmaster 80 and their American Thunder system...which has the most aggressive sound that won't give me a headache on long trips? People have said that neither system is "loud enough." Does anyone have any sound files of the American Thunder system?

 

I have the 80 series on,..it is not too resonant,.. at about 1,700 RPM it sounds pretty sweet,.. but I agree it is not too loud or anything. I amlooking at opening up my upstream exhaust more though,.. I have the 2 1/4 y pipe and main pipe,.. looking at a 3" up to my muffler. After that we'll see how loud it is.,.. email me and I'll let you know.

 

I like the Hooker cat-back, like you mentioned, when I'm cruising down the highway in OD, I can't hear it at all. Which kind of irritates me though, cause I want to be heard. Though when I'm accelerating or WOT it roars. Sound clip is in the signature.

 

which flows better? flowmaster 80, flowmaster american thunder, or hooker cat-back? does anyone know?

 

I have the 3" American Thunder (which someone told me was the same as an 80 *shrug*), and there is little to no interior resonance at all, the muffler is a lot bigger than a 40-series. I can actually hold conversations in the car now, and I hear more driveline vibration than exhaust on the highway.

And sometimes I want to be heard, like Mark. This is why I have a cutout. I can be loud or quiet depending on my mood.

 

i htink mark said on a 400 hp motor the hooker made 5 more hp or something like that. you wont be able to tell a difference on an average motor

 

Yep, 5-7hp, but like said on our motors you won't notice it.

 

synapsis........how does the american thunder system sound externally? would you recommend it?

 

I've only heard it at idle externally since *noone* drives my car but me. At idle it's got a really low rumble, you feel it more than you hear it if you stand behind the car. From the inside it sounds really quiet up to 1750 rpm, then after that it starts to sound a little more aggressive. It's still quieter at WOT than I would expect, but that's what the cutout is for.

It fits really well, with a little rubbing against the heatshield with the muffler. The 3" chrome outlets look pretty good, they stick out about an inch or two from the bumper. The big 3" intermediate pipe looks mammoth snaking underneath the car. I'd recommend it to someone who likes a low rumble exhaust that is basically quiet. (I've heard it gets louder as it "burns in". It's only 6 weeks old right now.)

If you want a louder exhaust, the 40 series I had before was plenty loud with a little "blat" noise at WOT.

 

I too understand that the American Thunder cat-back system uses an 80 series muffler.

With my stock engine, stock manifolds, stock converter, stock i-pipe, and stock tips I replaced a wornout muffler with just an 80 series muffler. It had great sound. It wasn't too loud but when you put your foot down it really started to talk to you...or more like yell.

Now I've got a built up engine with TES headers, catco cat, and the American thunder cat-back. The dual 3" tips look great, and since they're stainless instead of chrome you don't have to worry about polishing them everyday to keep rust off of them. As for volume...it's loud as all he11. She really screams when I get into the throttle but for normal driving it isn't bad...just turn the radio up a bit.

 

I have the american thunder 3" dual stainless tip kit PN 17233.
I originally had the 80 series muffler and when it rusted out I put on this kit. Both are about the same sound level. I read, at one time on the flowmaster website, that the kit came with a special 50 series muffler that is crossflow. I checked the site and again and it doesn't say anymore. Mine is loud through-out the entire RPM range. Make sure you don't get the force II kit. Summit and Jegs will have my kit but they don't advertise it in the mags for some reason, only the crappy ones.

 

Yours was the complete 3" system including outlets right?? Are you sure Jegs and Summit sell them and don't list it??

 

Yes, mine is the complete 3" system with dual stainless outlets. It is for 86-91 single cat 5.0 tpi or 5.7 tpi cars. Go to
http://www.flowmastermufflers.com and click on "Forum" and then search for "17233" like you would in this forum. One of the three posts that comes up has a diagram of this specific kit. I bought mine a year ago and Jeg and Summit had it at that time. I forget which one I bought it off of. It was a little under $400 but should last forever. Give them a call. If they don't have it, they can order it for you. If this kit isn't the right one for your car though just click on "application guide" and see which one is.

 

I got mine from Summit a month ago. The Summit# is FLO-17233. Summit carries a lot of parts that they don't list in the catalog. FYI, the technical info on Summit's site is wrong for that part, it's 3" in, dual 3" out.

 

I noticed the same thing when I was buying my exhaust.... those magazines always have the descriptions wrong.

 

Hmmmmph, didn't know that about those companies. Is it cheaper to order it from them or Flowmaster?? How do you guys like the system, sound files?? I still haven't heard that system on a 350 TPI.

 

Ok, I went out and recorded a sample with my cheap laptop microphone. The laptop was 2 feet to the rear of the car. This is on a basically stock 350 TPI with 1-3/4" SLP headers, dual high flow catco cats, and the 3" American Thunder catback.

http://www.codeink.com/syn/exhaust.wav

 

I'd guess its cheaper to buy from Summit or someone but I don't really know... I didn't realize Flowmaster would sell to us directly. As far as sound files go, I don't have any but the 40 series sound file of a 69 camaro with stock 350 is very close to mine... this is located on flowmasters web site. Obviously cam, headers, cat play a role... my cam has a little bit more of a "lumpy" idle compared to stock. There was night and day sound difference when I switched from my 305 with peanut cam to the GMPP 350.

 

I have the Flow 80 also. Sounds very good IMHO. I aslo thought thats what you got with the American Thunder kit. I dunno. Also, I have no cat, 3" Pipe, and stock exhaust manifolds. Like everyone else said, its relatively quiet until you romp on it. Theres a little taste of it in my Sig.

 

They are both nice clips. I'd like to hear more of both especially Synaps. I bet there was a difference CS.

Flowmaster.

 

Flowmaster suggests a $502 retail for the full 3" system, what did you guys pay again?? The 2 1/2 is actually $508.

 

I paid around 320.

 

I paid $300 for the setup at a local shop. Muffler, all 3" piping, tips, labor. I thought it was a good deal.

 

That sounds realllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllly Nice

 

Summit currently has the 3" system with the dual 3" stianless pipes for $319.95.

FLO-17233

 

Yes it does. I keep listening to it.

 

 

It sounds loud. You must get attention and stuff where ever you go. Should make more files. That could be the best 350 TPI I've heard on here, (only heard a few in person, really isn't many in my area) some1 elses was real nice too, a Flowmaster also.

 

I also have the Flowmaster American Thunder Cat-Back system which came with the 80 series muffler. Made my RS sound really healthy, but I also have SLP headers and a hi-flo cat. People think I'm lying when I tell them that the engine is a 305.

 

Flowmaster American Thunder system on mine :

Sound clip of my GTA with Flowmaster

And yes, the American Thunder muffler is an 80 series. 80 series just means it is a crossflow design.

 

I guess I pretty much have the American Thunder system, just got it cheaper, and I didnt have to install it.

 

I have also heard some that have almost no sound. I think they changed it recently. I think the change was the modified 50 Series to the 80 Series, not sure. But that was nice.

 

How was the fit with that system on your cars?? Any places where it hits the body or other stuff??

 

I bought an american thunder system for my 2000ss its a nice system but to quiet for my taste..now thats my opinion...i just picked up a 92 z-28 with a borla and lets just say that the borla puts the american thunder to shame...yeah the borla is quite a bit more...but variety is the spice of life..go in debt and get the borla...lol..joking joking...

 

The catback contacted part of the rear suspension (panhard bar) and the muffler contacted the heat shield. I bent the heat shield up, and after I welded the system up, the other problem fixed itself. I actually got my whole system to fit from headers to tailpipes with only dimpling 1 pipe (S pipe on headers), grinding the steering shaft a little, and bend some brake lines. I thought putting in a whole new system was going to be a lot harder.

 

Do you have any sound clips of it? Or any 3rd gens with Borla's?

 

Holy Mother of G0D! That is, BY FAR, the sweetest sounding car i've ever heard in my life.

Man, for a second there i thought im was gonna **** myself. That sounds AWESOME.

:hail: :hail: :hail: :hail: :hail: :hail: :hail:

 

So that's what an LT4 Hot Cam sounds like... sweet.

 

Yeah thats what that cam sounds like. Its crazy. I actually like Synaps ever rumbling sound more though. I really like that file, gotta make more dude.

 

Same here. Can't beat the sound of the cut-out. Now that is loud I can hear my car all the time with it open. Freeway, street, idle, it doesn't matter. Plus if I don't feel like being loud (still haven't come to this yet ) I can just cap it and have it go out my 80s which sounds awesome as well, just quieter. Can't beat those flow ratings of the cut-out though

 

Yeah, but if you get caught with a c/o open......

 

Personally, I think the cut out being open sounds like Hammered Horse$hit. I had mine wide open for about a day, then I sprung for a new muffler. Plus I dont think you gain that much from it, but to each man his own I guess.

Cant beat the no cat. Flow 80 sound.

 

I have cats before the cut-out, so it doesn't have the full-on ******* sound. I do pick up a tenth off it, though.

I keep it closed anywhere but the track. I drive a pull-me-over red Iroc-Z, I don't need *another* reason for cops to pull me over.

 

Only way I would use a c/o (and I intend too) is right after the headers once I got them in for open headers at the track only pretty much. Or just for some fun once in a while.

 

I would've done that, but there's really no room to do it with shorties. I didn't want to do an ultra-custom job just to have cutouts there.

 

Or you can just put it in before the converter. Almost the same.

 

Not on a dual converter car ya can't.

There's like, 4 inches of straight pipe, on only one side before the converter.

 

The first flowmaster clip sounds o k. I don't care for the flowmaster sound though. The second one just sounds sick. I'd never want my car to sound like that. Well, maybe if it was an old SS Chevelle with a huge rat motor

 

Ah, I never intend to own a dual converter car. Unless it was real dual exhaust.

 

What! That sounds awesome! F-Bodys are bad *** cars, that exhaust fits the car perfect!


If he pulled up next to me and I heard that, id **** myself!