Pacific Thunder on the final stretch

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Sure, I picked this up from a couple other forums, because I was getting an incredibly bad drone from the previous cam that I had.

The idea being that you Tee off the tail pipe a dead end section of exhaust tube 50% the length of the tailpipe.
The resonator then is supposed to cancel out the droning sound waves coming through the tail-pipes.

You should also make the resonator pipes a slightly different length from each other, so that it also reduces harmonization.

Does it work. Yes absolutely cancels 80-90% of exhaust drone. Does not rob any horsepower.

The down side, if any, is it really knocks down the exhaust note. Mine sounds like a beast with them off, and more like a modern day performance car, with them on.

But the car was built for long performance cruising, and does have a good sound system, so it's really the right thing to do.

[Krazed]

Thanks for the explanation and pictures! Thats really an odd way to get rid of droning but I can see how it works.

Do you still have all that on your exhaust system? if so, that may be the clunking you're hearing.

[Ripped]

You're welcome,

I took them off, and still had clunking. Tracked a lot of it down to the larger magnaflow mufflers. I increased the recess under the rear seat and no more banging.

The next thing is the rear shocks . The KYB (cheapo) GR-2's are way too soft and the rear suspension is bottoming out.

With a car lowered this much I need much more dampening from the shocks. Leaning towards Bilsteins or Konis.


After fixing the floor pans, I put the resonators back on and hammered it down a bumpy road.

Yeah, shocks for sure are on the agenda. I just don't want a hammering ride.

Some engine pics after I got my air filter back from the chrome shop, and installing the new aluminum rad.;

[Ripped]

I just started working on the custom floor console, and got word that my seat covers came in.

I sold the '67 mustang seats and picked up a pair of 88 Mustang GT seats. I ordered some customized upholstery from TMI in a pattern that they were already using, but different fabric.

This pattern matches very closely the stock back seat upholstery, but of course the seats are far more comfortable. They have a power lumbar, and adjustable side bolsters as well as the adjustable thigh support.

Even in the ugly cloth these seats were way more comfortable than the stock ones. Now with the new covers and the repairs, which had to be made to the old seat foam, they feel fantastic.

I have a little gathering of the vinyl around the top of the seat back. This may be the way they are sewn, because they are both doing the same thing. Already I have most of the vinyl smoothed out. I figure I want to drive the car this weekend, and worry about tweaking the fabric later ;)



Probably will complete the wiring on the power lumbars this week.

[slownova73]

gotta love the fastbacks!!

[Ripped]

Working on the custom console this week. I pretty much have to make my own with the tunnel mods due to the TKO transmission,

I am adding a hidden fuse panel to accomodate all the accessories that a vintage car does not have. The stainless steel is all drilled. Hope to be starting upholstery tomorrow.

[Ripped]

A little more work on the console tonight. It's taking a lot longer than I thought ;)

[Ripped]

Rear brakes;

11.65 Baer Ironsport's
After the install, I can see that this is within a 1/4" of being the largest rotor I could fit on the deep 17 x 10.5 rear rims.

Testing, breaking in and troubleshooting over the next few days.

I used the templates to check, and I can fit the 14" front rotor, so that goes on the wish list.

Some pics;

[BA.]

Great looking build man!

[GT500KR_Vert]

Looks good.

[Motown 454]

Nice progress and sweet car..

[Ripped]

Thanks guys. I am happy to report, no problems and put about 200km on the car today. Lots of stop and go steep hills etc.

After adjusting the parking brake, it actually works better than the stock drum parking brake. Even with the dash mounted hand lever.
It held the car on a moderate hill. I was surprised.

Anxious to do the fronts now

[My427stang]

Welcome to 5th gear

Although the stroker is a very close second, the TKO is probably the best change I did to mine. Been driving the wheels off it for almost 3 years since the swap

[Ripped]

Well I thought about it for a long time.

Since I quieted down the exhaust, I wished that there was a way of making it louder when I wanted to, and quiet when I didn't want to listen to the drone.

After a guy at work talked about having open headers on his truck with an electric cut out, my mind started thinking. I liked the car loud.

Then I thought about the resonator tubes. If there was a way of blocking them off.

So I made little caps, took the resonator tubes off.

Yep it was loud again. Yep, but it also droned again.

Back went on the resonator tubes.

Then i thought about open headers. What about if I put a Y-pipe in and had open headers with an electric cut out.

That would mean reworking the exhaust quite a bit.

Then I had a brighter idea, which I cannot understand didn't come to me sooner.

What if I put the electric cut outs on the resonator tubes. It would be the opposite function; open for quiet, closed for loud.

And the system would still run through the big truck 22" magnaflows, so would be completely legal and not obnoxiously loud.

So I picked up 2 electric cut outs and 2 pair of 3 bolt stainless header flange adaptors. Rewelded the resonator tubes with the three bolt flange adaptors, bolted, clamped and wired it up in about 2 hours.

It works great. All I have to do, is pull the harness up to the floor console, and I am done.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijwxKDVnAec

Loud and quiet at the flick of a switch. Now I can sound like a muscle car at traffic lights, and purr like a kitten on long highway drives.

[SimplyKC]

You could also use a nitrous window switch that opened those up at a specific RPM...and use your manual one too as needed.

[Ripped]

Not a bad idea, thanks

[Ripped]

Been driving the beast quite a bit. Took it to the drag strip a few weekends ago for a car show, and to be a spectator.

My car won't pass tech yet, because of the battery in the trunk and no "off" switch.

I am going to work on those issues, because I would not mind making a few passes to see what it does. Maybe next year.

I changed my blue LED's in the headlights (slightly too dim, and illegal colour) which I planned on using for daytime running lights. I switched to amber LED's which were supposed to be super bright. They were not. I am taking them back today, and used a regular amber type bulb. They're legal and much brighter.

I plan on adding air conditioning, so all the hard work I did hiding stereo components up under the dash, has to be redone. I have a smaller set of front speakers, which I'll locate in the door panel behind the factory grille. This will be stealthier than the kick panel speakers. I will weld up a small sealed/insulated speaker enclosure and mount for them. The front tweeters are still mounted discreetly behind the headliner, so those will still be used.

I also have a small inline amp to mount and base filters. This is all going to be hidden. I want the car to look more retro.

On the performance end of things, I am expecting to have the front brake kit in a couple of weeks. A few days ago I ordered a Bilstein shock package. That should arrive at the same time. I was going to get Konis for the "vintage look" but talking to a few track guys convinced me otherwise.

Weather is still good, so more crusing this weekend!

[Ripped]

So a lot of work happened on the stereo over the past few days. I removed the front kick panel speakers, for a couple reasons. One they are getting in the way of my feet. Two they will be in the way of the a/c system ducts, when I add it.

I was a little concerned that when I changed from 6.25 to 4 x 6 speakers, I would lose a lot of sound capability. The discreet tweeters, that I have hidden in the headliner, are staying, though.

So here are the changes. The 4x6's go behind the factory grilles, and the kick panels go. This makes the stereo system completely hidden, other than the head unit. I like that.

I also added stinger bass blockers to the front and rear speakers. 600hz on the fronts and 300hz on the 6x9's on the back.

This is the first time for me using bass blockers, and I am sold.
I have used electronic crossovers on multi-amp systems, but never these bass blockers.


The amp I used is Alpine's ktp-445, which is essentially an plug and play amp, connecting between the head unit and speakers, a simple 2 minute install.


After setting the eq, fader and sub, I was blown away. this is the best, by far car stereo system I have ever had. I have had lots of multi-amp, multi speaker systems, that cost far more money, and should have been way better.

The only thing I am going to change is the speaker enclosures in the back, for the 6x9's sound a little tight (small). So I am going to remake those and change the dampening, which should richen them up a bit more.


Like I said, the best thing is, other than the head unit and opening the trunk, everything is hidden.

Probably over the winter, I'll detail out the trunk and make some nice panels to go around the amps etc.

[Ripped]

I picked up the Bilstein shocks on Friday, and after about 3-4 hours had the old KYB GR2's out and the new shocks in.

Driving around today, I have to say that the shocks make a huge difference. Tonight I want to hit a couple of bumps that used to cause the car to bottom out and one other that caused a real hammering noise.

Some of these might not be fixable with the lowered suspension. Hopefully things will be okay.

I am planning, either a dry sump system for the engine, or a custom welded pan. The big aluminum cobra tee pan is a little too low for comfort.

One other project for the winter will be to modify the exhaust pipes between the headers and mufflers. They can tuck up tighter, but need to be modified to do so. They had also hit on some ramps and speed bumps.

The new firmer shocks should stop the pipes from bouncing down and hitting.

After the shocks were done, I headed out to the 'burbs and picked up a battery box and shut off switch. I am getting started on making the car track legal.

It was a great day and supposed to be sunny all weekend, so I am going to be driving it a lot, while the weather lasts ;)

[Ripped]

Shocks:




Electric cut outs on the two resonator tubes;