exhaust mods and notes

[Stumpalump]

The exhaust comes out of a nice fat header/down pipe. It's then fed to an intermediate pipe that has been flattened and restricted before the flex joint. This would be a nice place to just have a round pipe installed. After the flex joint is a can that looks like a standard muffler. Don't be fooled here! It's 99% straight wide open pipe with three small tiny rows of holes drilled in for some type of small resonance dampaning. It has zero restriction so don't think you can replace it with a high flow muff because it's basically straight wide open pipe. The ehaust then travels back and splits into two mufflers and out. If you look at the pinch seams on the mufflers you can see that you can easily split them open by the y pipe entrance and pull out the packing material. It can easily be pinched back together and tack welded. Very cheap better sounding ,free flowing mod. The wife even said wow when she drove it. Real chezzy but free mod.

My next choice would be to straight pipe the restriction under the cross member but go to 2.5" vs factory 2.25" into a 2.5"free flow muff then straight out one side of the back. Use all in 2.5" pipe and a 2.5" flex joint. Add a resonator after you drive it to see if it needs it. Personally I will never do anything for looks so to split a perfectly good pipe into two so you can have dual tips is somthing I can't comprehend but thats me. A muffler shop can do any of this cheaper than any cat back system.

The next best thing imho for "looks" would be to straight pipe from the head pipe back to a flex joint and then back to dual muffs in the rear and out. This would be quiet and not much more money if you have a good custom exhaust shop in your area. Search online local muscle car and hot rod clubs for recomendations and then haggle a good price. This would be way cheaper than shipping in a cat back and then having to install it.

The most important thing is to not forget a flex joint in any system you use. I don't know if a cat back system has one or not but if they don't include one then steer clear! This engine has a very expensive looking exhaust manifold catalitic converter combination that may cost a fortune. Without any type of factory style or after market flex joint this type of manifold will crack. Don't let a muffler shop rig you up a free flowing exhaust with out one. Or don't let a cat back company sell you somthing that does not include the pipe under the crossmember and a new larger flex joint. Your factory one will be 2.25 " and if you are spending the money to go to 2.5 then you will need this joint also.

In summery with a little knowlege and a decent muffler shop in town you can get a great free flowing non cracking system that will be better and cheaper than any after market cat back system available. Or do like me and just mod up what you have to help it out on the cheap.

Any thoughts, coments, additions, rants or selling points for a true catback and what they actually include are more than welcome!

[capnkirk52]

I kind of agree with you, but that was hard to read dude.

[Stumpalump]

I kind of agree with you, but that was hard to read dude.

Sorry ,just read it two or three times! I left my split mufflers open for a time to reduce back pressure. It was a little loud so I pinched the seams closed. I can tell a sizable difference now that they are all closed up and quet again. I think I will pry them back open a tad to find a good compromise between noise and performance. I hate the noise but like the power. Dangit.