Exhaust help

[99VX4x4]

Well in order to solve my exhaust leak i am using it as an excuse to get a whole new exhuast system...this is where you guys come in. Im new to the VX and was wondering what muffler to get. I want something that has a nice rumble at idle and as loud as possible when driving..more a growl then ricer sound....i also have an air intake in the car as well.....i was looking at the powervaults but it may not be as loud as i want.

[Joe_Black]

As a PV2 owner I can attest you can't get much louder without going to straight pipes. The sound is really good and I always got great feedback from the spectators when running it wide-open in rallycross. The street sound reminds me a lot of a throatier version of my Kawasaki, which is a '73 Z-1 900 with the Kerker 4-1 and 2.5 race baffle. Sounds like something hungry and lethal is coming down the road. ;)

[ZEUS]

I was wanting to use the same excuse to upgrade my exhaust system! I have been really curious about the Supertrapp mufflers for a long time. I personally like the options in the look of the tip and the diffuser discs that allow you to tune the sound and back pressure to what you want. If all you want is loud though - take a look at a glasspack - it's cheap enough that if you don't like how it sounds it's not that big a deal. And I would recommend a high flow cat. no matter what you choose for a muffler. Not that I have any experience with a high flow cat. but it seems like a good idea. Let us know what you come up with!

[Cyrk]

I have my Powervault generation One catback system with a Magnaflow 3inch tip for sale... I can post pics tonight/tomorrow of the system off. I would like to get 300 for it. It sounded great I thought... Since then I upgraded to Custom 2.5 Stainless Steel, Magnaflow cats into a Single 3” in Dual out DynoMax Turbo muffler with dual 4" resonated tips. I LOVE the way this systems sounds now!

I can email you a clip of it strap on the Dyno (so you can here the exhaust, kinda hard to hear over the whine of the supercharger though :)) , if the file is not too big...

You can see the tip in this photo of the PowerVault. Anyone intersted in this catback?

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/515/thumbs/39VX_Dyno1.jpg (http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/515/39VX_Dyno1.jpg)

[99VX4x4]

Well i already had a guy in mine to do all the work so i was gonna do a cat back system however we were trying to decide what muffler to use...my buddy has a glasspack on his explorer (4.6 v6) and the VX is louder stock so i kinda figured it wouldnt make the VX much louder. If anyone has tried a glasspack let me know if not i may just bolt one up just to hear the sound and let you guys know. I would rather have a decent muffler and substitute sound so i kinda think glasspack would be out, but i do want to go as loud as possible without sacrificing reliability. If anybody has a clip of a vx idling with a PV that would be helpful....Cyrk if you could get that clip up it would be nice maybe then i may not have to do the full system myself. Thanks!!

[Joe_Black]

There's a pretty good difference between the PV1 and PV2 with the PV2 being much louder and also more compact. I don't have any audio clips but you can kinda hear my PV2 during a rallycross in the middle of this video clip from Jo Balsamo's site: http://www.imprezagirl.com/page7/page7.html

It's on the Fort Meade video, but may also be some footage of Heraclid's PV2 on the ERS video too.

[AnalogVX]

'nuff said

http://www.vehicross.info/forums/showthread.php?t=7675&highlight=magnaflow

[psychos2]

i have a flowmaster muffler . sounds pretty good. i get a lot of looks when i start it up. shawn

[VCrossfan]

I have a Morgan-Tec Stainless Steel with Monza Big Bore (2 1/4) Resonator Exhaust tips and the combo sounds Great. Before I installed the tips it was alittle loud under a load(up hills. etc) and a certain RPM's, but once I installed the Resonator tips it sounds great, A nice Throaty sound.
And the workmanship is Great on the Muffler.......

Check it out at www.morgan-tec.com

[spitfire5454]

right before i left to back to school, i put a dual exhaust on mine. i was set on a flowmaster, but he convinced me to try this other one. it didnt have a brand on it and i never asked what brand it was, but he put it on and i was blown away. its almost too loud inside, but ive never heard a V6 sound more like V8. i didnt know a V6 could sound that deep. it had the same tone as my friends 5.9l durango with flowmasters. Ill try to find out what it is. i wanted to get a sound clip before i left but ran out of time. i think it was called the bandit but im not sure. i was really little though.

[E-ZooZoo One]

I’ve just finished reading through a number of muffler threads, with the hope of finding ‘the one’ – but the more I’ve read, the more I’m left wondering.

I’d really like to have something with a low authoritative growl, without a droning resonance (or a raspy/buzzy quality) if there’s any way to avoid it… In other words, without it sounding at all ricey. --- Basically, the closer I can get to a V8 rumble, the better.


After all of that reading, I may have it narrowed down to a choice between a MagnaFlow or a FlowMaster - but I just don't know…


...I broke down and splurged on a magnaflow catback. Muffler part number 14325.
Rich, your description of the MagnaFlow sounds pretty good to me, but I’m wondering…

The 14325 has a body length of 14 inches… the 14355 is exactly the same, but with an additional 4 inches of body length. --- From what I’ve read, a longer body length would translate into a quieter / less resonant sound (right?)




I just installed the FlowMaster and I love it. It gives my VX a nice, beefy, mellow, throaty sound.
I would recommend it.

Tom, I really like your use of the word ‘mellow’ sandwiched in there between ‘beefy’ & ‘throaty’ --- You don’t happen to recall which series and model it was, do you?

(FlowMaster’s website wasn’t much help – not even their sound clip page)


TIA!

[psychos2]

E-ZooZoo One,
looks like there are now 2 choices for flowmaster.
Standard 40 Series - Two Chamber Mufflers
This is the most “aggressive” sounding street/strip muffler that Flowmaster offers. If you're looking for attention, this one will get you noticed. The standard 40 series has an “aggressive rumble" and will generally resonate inside the vehicle around 1800-2000 rpm’s, and again at 2400-2600 rpm’s. Constructed of 16 gauge aluminized steel and fully mig-welded for maximum durability.
and
40 Series Delta Flow -Two Chamber Mufflers
This two chamber design incorporates Flowmasters patented "Delta Flow" technology. The "Delta" deflectors result in increased scavenging for better performance and reduced interior resonance over the standard 40 series with a nice growl outside the vehicle. Sounds great on late model performance cars with catalytic converters. Constructed of 16 gauge aluminized steel and fully mig-welded for maximum durability.

but shows the same part #942544 for both .do not know why. there are no other choices with 2.50" in/out same side. shawn

[ScottinMA]

I had the orginal catback PV1 and couldn't undo the "harmonics" it created in the cabin at around 35 - 40 mph. I changed out the tip (wider) and when it was all said in done, I sold it cause it gave me a headache. But, I liked the sound (except between 35- 40 mph) and eventually bought the PV1 muffler without the catback and for some reason the harmonics disappeared with no modification to the tip (just using the stock). I'll never figure out what was the cause of my problem with the catback. I need a flow through muffler with the SC installed. Been happy with the PV1. I just passed the MA state inspection this month. Last two years I was warned that it was too loud and that I would fail the noise test for certain. The garage that passed me never said a word about the sound. They were all gathered around the hood checking out the supercharger though. Hell they had everyone of the employess at the garage going through my VX during the inspection, asking questions about HP and cool factor.

[E-ZooZoo One]

looks like there are now 2 choices for flowmaster...
Shawn, I’m really not sure if either of the 40 Series mufflers will fit the bill. --- I would so much prefer a more restrained sound, both inside and out (but especially inside), without any of the RPM resonation like Scott just described with his PV1 Cat-Back. --- I’m concerned that either one of the 40s would soon have me popping Migraine-Strength Advil like they were PEZ.


While I was looking around on the FlowMaster website,
I did noticed the 50 Series Delta Flow -and- SUV/Performance mufflers (http://www.flowmastermufflers.com/products/index.php?main_page=advanced_search_result&keyword=Delta+&search_in_description=1&categories_id=154&inc_subcat=1&manufacturers_id=&pfrom=&pto=&dfrom=&dto=&x=3&y=12)…

http://www.flowmastermufflers.com/products/images/cent_cent.jpg http://www.flowmastermufflers.com/products/images/cent_dual.jpg

"The Flowmaster 50 Series Delta Flow mufflers [< sic] is designed to produce a mellow, deep sound in most vehicle and truck applications. It is milder than the 40 Series mufflers on the outside of the vehicle, and is significantly quieter inside the vehicle, yet it still has the right performance sound and feel."

… which has application listings for such vehicles as the Acura Integra, Buick Grand National, Chevrolet Beretta - Cavalier/Z24 - S10 Blazer and Pickup, Chrysler PT Cruiser, Dodge Dakota- Durango- Neon, Ford Escort/GT- Explorer- Ranger- Probe, Honda Accord- Civic- CRX- Prelude, Jeep Cherokee and Wrangler, Mazda B2200/B2300/B3000, Nissan Pickup, Toyota Pickup- Supra, Volkswagen Golf- Jetta, etc.

With that many V6s on the list (and a few 4-bangers too) - and a claim of being milder than the 40 Series - I’m thinking the 50 Series might be a little closer to sounding like what I’m looking for.



I also noticed the Hushpower II Resonator (http://www.flowmastermufflers.com/products/images/the_resonator.jpg)…

"for Additional Sound Control."

…which I suppose could be a backup plan if the 50 Series is still too loud for my tastes.



And would you believe - FlowMaster even has a leather jacket (http://www.flowmastermufflers.com/products/images/630421-6.jpg) that matches the red & black VX interior! http://BombasticFX.com/Pimp-2.gif

[psychos2]

E-ZooZoo One, the configuration should look like this with same side in/out.which they do not make in 50 series.
http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/thumbs/off_off_same.jpg

[E-ZooZoo One]

I could be wrong, but when my tired-old stock muffler came off last week, it sure looked like it had an offset/offset configuration, sort of like this:
http://www.flowmastermufflers.com/images/offsets/o_o_60.jpg
…only flipped/reversed.

Here’s the MagnaFlow #14325 that AnalogVX used:
http://www.a-1performance.com/magnaflow/images/14325.jpg
…which happens to have the exact same offset/center configuration as the cheap POS off-the-shelf Auto Zone special that I’m currently running right now (and absolutely hating the sound of).

The PV1 Cat-Back that Cyrk is selling (http://www.vehicross.info/forums/showthread.php?t=8301&highlight=PV1) has a center/center configuration… and here are some shots of his more recent (Killer!) center-in/dual-out setup:
http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/thumbs/IMG_0494.jpg (http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/IMG_0494.jpg)http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/thumbs/IMG_0493.jpg (http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/IMG_0493.jpg)http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/thumbs/IMG_0491.jpg (http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/IMG_0491.jpg)http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/thumbs/IMG_0490.jpg (http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/IMG_0490.jpg)


I’m not trying to sound argumentative…
All I’m saying is that in the hands of a capable installer, as long as it’s pretty close to start with, there’s enough room under there to fudge things on the inlet/outlet configuration. --- An offset/center -or- center-in/dual-out Series 50 is doable.