Need input on "Round" style muflers

[streetk14]

I'm thinking of changing the mufflers on my '67 Camaro. The car has the HTH truckarm rear suspension, so I don't have a ton of room for mufflers. I may be able to fit a smaller-case oval muffler (4X8 maybe), but a round style muffler is a better choice for me. The mufflers need to be stainless, and 2.5" inlet/outlet. I'm looking for something that flows great without being overly loud, and almost more important, they need to have a great tone.

I currently have Flowmaster Hushpower II's, and I am happy with the sound level. The tone is ok, maybe a little too "glasspacky" for me. My main concern with them is flow, since I have not seen any performance data on them.

Anyways, I have a few mufflers I'm considering. Here they are in no particular order:

Borla "Stingers" (these are used on late model Vette's & Mustangs a lot)

Magnaflow 4" or 5" round

Stainless Works round

Pypes "Race" round

Anyone have experience with any of these? BTW, the car has an x-pipe, rear exit exhaust, and the motor is an LSX that is soon to be Magnacharged. Any feedback on these would be much appreciated.

Andy

[streetk14]

Well, I just found out that Spintech makes their mufflers in stainless. This makes them a very good option for me due to their compact size. I have used them in the past, and liked their sound level and tone. Stainless Spintechs are now at the top of my list for mufflers.

I am doing a head/cam/header swap on my LS6 right now, so I'm going to wait to see how the Hushpowers sound with my new setup. The headers and cam are going to change the way it sounds in a big way. I'll make sure to post my progress as I go.

Andy

[chicane67]

Borla XR multi-core series.

Borla is just a hop skip and a jump away... over in Oxnard. I'd head down there to get an idea of the different sounds of their product.

Another excellent choice would be Burns Stainless. They make a killer muffler for motorsports and its size might be something to look at.

[streetk14]

Borla XR multi-core series.

Borla is just a hop skip and a jump away... over in Oxnard. I'd head down there to get an idea of the different sounds of their product.

Another excellent choice would be Burns Stainless. They make a killer muffler for motorsports and its size might be something to look at.


XR1's were another I was considering, but I had heard that the stinger style had less interior resonance. What is the difference between the multi-cores and the sportsman XR1 mufflers? I see the multi-cores are a good amount of $$$ more.

Andy

[streetk14]

I just took another look at Borla's site, and it looks like the multi-core mufflers are only available in 3" or larger. They do have a 2.5" sportsman oval XR1 that would work for me. It's case is only 4 1/2" X 7 7/8". They have this muffler in 12" and 16" case sizes. I would go with the 16" case, since length really isn't a problem for me.

Have you heard the sportsman style XR1s in person? If so, what do you think of the sound level & tone?

Andy

[chicane67]

I would just use reducers with a gradual taper for the 3 to 2.5. Its not goint to hurt anything.

I myself like the oval and offset XR1's. I like the multi-core because it knocks down the overall sound pressure enough to meet spec... which is 94dB at 10 feet. I have used the XR/Sportsman in quite a few street applications with good results. In fact I did a mid engine Porsche 944 that had a 420cid Vortec supercharged small block that had the mufflers right off the end of the headers. It was so quiet that you didnt even notice it at base idle. To this day... for such a simple system and for how short it was in total overall length and for how much power it muffled... I dont think it could have been done any better.

The sound quality is a good deep rumble but it really depends on the overall system design. I think it sounds the best with an X-pipe and at least some tube length beyond the muffler. I think they get a little raspy when the muffler is hung out on the end like that of a Corvette... and I also believe that is why they make a Corvette specific muffler.

Which still makes me wonder how that damn Porsche turned out so quiet ??

The other to consider is the Burns unit. I heard some on a turbo'd small block 1st Gen Camaro that were pretty much right off of the squirrel and its exit was right off of the front fender. I was quiet amazed and the sound control that it had for such a straight thru design... and I mean really impressed by it.

[streetk14]

I would just use reducers with a gradual taper for the 3 to 2.5. Its not goint to hurt anything.

I myself like the oval and offset XR1's. I like the multi-core because it knocks down the overall sound pressure enough to meet spec... which is 94dB at 10 feet. I have used the XR/Sportsman in quite a few street applications with good results. In fact I did a mid engine Porsche 944 that had a 420cid Vortec supercharged small block that had the mufflers right off the end of the headers. It was so quiet that you didnt even notice it at base idle. To this day... for such a simple system and for how short it was in total overall length and for how much power it muffled... I dont think it could have been done any better.

The sound quality is a good deep rumble but it really depends on the overall system design. I think it sounds the best with an X-pipe and at least some tube length beyond the muffler. I think they get a little raspy when the muffler is hung out on the end like that of a Corvette... and I also believe that is why they make a Corvette specific muffler.

Which still makes me wonder how that damn Porsche turned out so quiet ??

The other to consider is the Burns unit. I heard some on a turbo'd small block 1st Gen Camaro that were pretty much right off of the squirrel and its exit was right off of the front fender. I was quiet amazed and the sound control that it had for such a straight thru design... and I mean really impressed by it.

Thanks for the advice

So, those were the regular sportsman XR1 mufflers on the Porsche you speak of? If so, it sounds like those would work fine for me, the price is fair, and they are available in the size I'm looking for.

The multi-cores sound like a nice way to go, but for $300 a muffler I can't really justify it. Especially since I'm kind of picky when it comes to how my cars sound. I'd hate to pay that kind of coin and not be happy with the sound. I've always wanted to try the XR1 line, so maybe this will be the time I go for it. I also like supporting my local companies :)

BTW, I do have an X-pipe and full tailpipes after the mufflers, so hopefully they will sound good.

Andy

[chicane67]

That is why I was thinking with them so close to you... that you could swing by and actually hear what they had to offer.