Bad News/Good News

I pulled my wagon into the garage yesterday and heard tapping... with further investigation I found that the stock muffler on the passenger side has a whole about the size of thick Sharpie marker. So I told my wife, I've got bad news and I've got good news... the bad news is the mufflers on my car need to be replaced... the GOOD news is that the mufflers on my car need to be replaced. I've never put an aftermarket exhaust on and with just a little investigation today, there's more than just Flowmasters out there. I'm only going to replace the mufflers and not the entire system. But I've got a couple of questions:

Flowmasters/Brola/Magnaflow... ???
Which sound the best?
Which are the best for the value?
Since I'll be installing them myself, what do I need to know ahead of time?
Can I just dump them right behind the muffler or is it better to exit them behind the car?

I put "Side-Pipes" on my 87 GMC Sierra when I was in High School... which was just a bunch of hodge-podge parts from the autoparts store and some coat hangers!!... lol

Mark keep the tailpipes to cut down on the resonance.Personally I would go with a set of Turbo
mufflers and enjoy the rumble when you romp it but still be quiet at road speeds.Guess your
taste in mufflers is directly influenced by your age and or wife!
Jim

Flasheroo wrote:

Mark keep the tailpipes to cut down on the resonance.Personally I would go with a set of Turbo
mufflers and enjoy the rumble when you romp it but still be quiet at road speeds.Guess your
taste in mufflers is directly influenced by your age and or wife!
Jim

Jim... I'm 31 and my wife rolled her eyes when I told her my plan. Besides, she's got her own minivan. I'd like something that's got a good rumble when idling and when you stomp on it, but like you said, quiet when it's at road speeds. I'll look into a set of Turbos.

Mark

I am sure that everyone will chime in with their favorites.There are a bunch of married guys your
age that will be able to help you thru the day.My first Vette had the factory sidepipes and at 18
I loved the sound but even that rumble gets old on the interstate after a few miles.
Jim

The guys at ISSF all hate Flowmasters.

I went with the Dynomax 17749 mufflers and then used the factory over-the-axle pipes and resonators. They have a larger diameter pipe so I needed adapters to step down to the smaller factory pipes. The result is that it sounds quiet at normal throttle.

The factory mufflers are about 3 layers of metal. They will not get loud until at least 2 full layers peel off, maybe even 3! I know you want aftermarket stuff, but just saying they are multiple layers to the factory "Cork" mufflers!

Dynomax 17749's on my 96 RMW and it was very quiet. Little growl on heavy throttle, but really very quiet.

Thats Dynomax is suppose to be a premium turbo muffler for the first 2 years and then it starts to get loud.Probably going to be my next muffler on my OCC.Still undecided about the LT-1 RMW.
Jim

Here's my 2-cents. Did this over a year ago and still love it, and I'm 37 and married....so I can relate to the rolling-wife-eyes....

https://gmlongroof.4umer.com/t1396-exhaust-suggestion

Lose the mufflers completely. Let the resonators tame it down a smidge. You'll like it and it's cheap. If you don't like it, you're only out a couple bucks trying it.

Thanks guys! Based on what you guys have said, what I've read, the videos on youtube, (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4VegbTly-E) and the price, Im probably going to go with the Dynomax Turbo's.

Thanks again for all your input... this forum is a plethora of knowledge.

http://www.dynomax.com/soundsofdynomax.php

Ultra Flow SS is my pick. Do yourself a favor and pick up a set of 2.5" Walker mid pipes. It would make the job go a lot easier and you are just tailpipes away from a cat back system. And they are not expensive at all.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Walker-Intermediate-Pipe-45687-/330668303412?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&fits=Model%3AImpala%7CSubmodel%3ASS&vxp=mtr&hash=item4cfd5de434#ht_1405wt_952

My caprice came with hooker mufflers on it and I really like the sound. It is loud at times but fits the car real well. I test drove a caprice with mufflers full of rust holes and it sounded awesome. Get the drill out and have some fun if your going to replace them

Magnaflows sounds amazing. got the glass packs on my caprice. got use to my ears popping!

There's a magnaflow on my TBI wagon, not sure what type though. It's nice. Quiet at idle but LOUD AS HELL if you get on it.

Hope you enjoy your new exhaust, and good on you for staying away from Flowmasters. Everyone does those. Bleh.

Dynomax 2.5" catback with the FABULOUS Summit Turbo mufflers for $25 each!! Problem is, they only lasted 18 months down here. In the rust belt you are looking at about 6 months

Flasheroo wrote:

I am sure that everyone will chime in with their favorites.There are a bunch of married guys your
age that will be able to help you thru the day.My first Vette had the factory sidepipes and at 18
I loved the sound but even that rumble gets old on the interstate after a few miles.
Jim

His age?...
I've been married for more than 31 years.

The secret is to find a car-guy girl from the start and always form a well thought out battle plan beforehand.
She just told me yesterday that this summer we should find a clean OCC or RMW for her after I've been hinting around that everybody else has at least two wagons and I feel inadequate.

Battle plan "Operation Wagon II" is working like a charm and right on schedule.

My Dynomax 17749's rusted off every other year. They are super thin, and are crimped on the ends. I would really go for something stainless steel, or else you will be replacing them in a couple years. mine rusted from the inside out, not the outside.

Right now, I have Longtubes, no Cats, 2 1/2 intermediates and Thrush Welded Muffs and no tails. It is very loud at all times and the drone will drive you insane on the Interstate. Even worse for those doing gunner duty.

I just moved back into the city limits, so the obnoxious exhaust needs to go. I have a pair of Magnaflow XL's on the way and will be making my own 2 1/2" tails.

Heres a tease of my current set-up.
Stock LT1, stock manifolds, Export pipes, Pypes X pipe, Dynomax VT Mufflers into factory over the axle pipes with no resonators!
SILENT at cruise, but wake the dead on heavy throttle!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqmiapiP1m4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7zSKiFb1Us

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3gjR0VTwAo

Bewber wrote:

Lose the mufflers completely. Let the resonators tame it down a smidge. You'll like it and it's cheap. If you don't like it, you're only out a couple bucks trying it.

This is the way,. john is so right,. soo many people at the wagonfests wanted to know who,s gold roady in the video,s sounded so mean,.mine!!
if you drive it soft they have a nice rumble quiet enough that cops don't look,. but stand on it and it will wake the neighbours,.but the sound is waay louder behind the car outside exactly where you want it,.
IF you put thin wall mufflers, they will resonate the floor boards and you'll get that odd droning noise that's very annoying
I don't know all the different kinds of mufflers, part numbers etc,. but i,ve bought a bunch of cars and a bunch of used/nos in the box parts to know,. if the muffler is as light as a feather,. it,s gonna be rough sounding, but if it,s a heavy wall muffler it puts the sound out back without reverberating the passenger compartment,.
jm2c,.
Nick

I have Thrush welded on my LT1. Kept the resonators. Just cut the old out and welded new mufflers in. quiet but throaty at idle and makes a nice low rumble upon acceleration. plus, they're only like $35 ea!

The dynomax superturbos are warrantied for life. Just keep your receipt.

I paint mine with BBQ paint, and it helps.

Probably was a lot cheaper than the specialty exhaust paint.Have to remember that for the
future exhaust projects.Thanks Jason!
Jim

My 17749's were hi temp painted with BBQ grill paint. They were still 100% coated with paint 2 years later and then the seams blew apart and they were internally rusted to junk. They fell apart when i took them off. They looked fine, but they rusted from the inside as they have no drain hole. I drilled a drain hole in my second set and they did last a little longer.