Scott Kelley

I am looking for good sounding, but quiet mufflers for a dual exhaust system on an El Camino that will be getting a 5.3L LS engine. The sound level of a high performance factory exhaust system on a Z28 is about what I have in mind.

One thought was to just go with a pair of good factory mufflers.

Any thoughts along those lines, or other suggestions?

Thx
Scott Kelley

RaNsOm

iTrader: (2)

high performance and factory exhaust dont go together

The stock Z28 mufflers are the quitest things I've ever heard. However, with its crossflow design, you cant use them on true-dual systems. They have 1 inlet and 2 outlets on opposite sides.

Scott Kelley

In this case, performance is only one consideration.

I'm looking for neighborhood friendly, quiet on long trips, and something that my girlfriend won't refuse to ride in (she doesn't get it). But I still want it to have an old-school authoritative sound. Even the quieter of the aftermarket performance mufflers I've heard tend to be on the loud side. My thought was that the factory mufflers off of some high performance car might be the most likely to have the tradeoff that I have in mind, but then I certainly haven't heard all of the aftermarket mufflers out there.

Any other ideas?

Scott Kelley

I'm installing a 5.3L in a '76 ElCamino. I want old-school authoratative sound, but it must be quiet - as in neighborhood friendly, quiet on long trips, and something that my girlfriend won't refuse to ride in (she doesn't get it).

Even the quieter of the aftermarket performance mufflers I've heard tend to be on the loud side. My thought was that the factory mufflers off of some high performance car might be the most likely to have the tradeoff that I have in mind, but then I certainly haven't heard all of the aftermarket mufflers out there.

This will be a full dual exhaust, over the axle, exiting under the rear bumper. If I can find headers that will fit, I will go that route, otherwise will use factory corvette LS manifolds.

Any ideas of either factory HP mufflers or aftermarket that might fit the bill?

SlowTA367

What year is your El Camino? I used to have an '83. I had a 2.5" x-pipe made with 2 Blowmaster 40 series on it. It sounded pretty good but that would probably be a little louder than what you're wanting.

TheBlurLS1

iTrader: (8)

Well none of the f-body factory mufflers will work with a TD's setup because they have 1 inlet on one side, then an exit on each side. I've heard a truck with a built SBC that was running duals and "Super-Turbo" mufflers that was pretty quiet. A set of z06 titanium mufflers would be trick as hell if you could fit them, also very quiet. I hear people are getting rid of them all the time.

demonspeed

iTrader: (7)

I don't think Z28 muffler will work due to what was mentioned prior of the crossflow design. Maybe look into GTO mufflers. I'm sure you could find several people looking to sell their stock ones.

TheBlurLS1

iTrader: (8)

I merged your two threads together.

You can always bump up an old thread if nobody has responded to it instead of creating a new one.

Scott Kelley

I posted new because the subject that I had used on the first thread - as I later learned - didn't really make much sense, so was not likely to get many replies.

Looking on ebay, I do see (dare I say it) Mustang take-offs for sale. You think the GM engine would self destruct out of spite if I connected it to Ford mufflers? No doubt it would get me black-listed from this site, so if I do it I'll keep it to myself.

Are the GTO mufflers a standard design? I have a lot of space to work with, so can get by with just about anything in terms of inlet / outlet offset.

Zger

iTrader: (18)

I like Hooker aerochambers. My fathers big block 72 Chevelle has them and they sound really nice and smooth. Not loud at all and thats on a 454 with long tube headers. I have dynomax super turbos on my Impala SS and they sound real good too.

If the car is a "g" body design (78-87) you could use a Hooker system designed for the GN/ Monte. They are different with the Monte tail pipes coming straight out the back while the GN style exits to the side behind the rear tires. Its quiet and flows really well. I think you will have to extend the I pipe a little due to the El Caminos longer wheelbase. A friend of mine has this set up on his GN and you can barely hear the car run. He also went 11.50s with it and picked up absolutely nothing by opening the exhaust cut out. Very efficient system and cheap too.

Scott Kelley

Thanks, sounds like good info.

The car is a '76 - for which there is a dearth of aftermarket parts. Can't decide whether it makes more sense to start with an exhaust system designed for a '72 and hope that I can use a lot of it, or just have someone do it all from scratch.

Well - just did some more searching, and found 2 companies that have systems - Summit (thought I had already checked with them) and www.heartthrobexhaustinc.com

Scott Kelley

Does this use the Aerochamber mufflers?

MrDude_1

iTrader: (4)

dynomax universal street mufflers are about as quiet as you're going to get for a performance muffler... if you're running manifolds, and dual mufflers, it'll be as quiet as a stock z28.

if you're going to run longtubes, its going to be a little louder, but not by much... all this is assuming you're planning on running a full exhaust that exits at the rear of the car.

if you want it dead silent, get non-performance, stock replacement mufflers.. run 2" duals for the last half of the exhaust... this will be VERY quiet.... to make up for the significant loss in WOT performance, get some electric cutouts... put them before it necks down to 2", and you can have full performance at the track, or when you are playing around, and close them to be dead silent.



all that said, i have friends running longtubes, ORY, into a stock catback with a cammed 383.. sounds bearly louder then stock.. REALLY muffled.. very neighborhood friendly... then he opens the electric cutout, and its a very nasty sounding cackle that can set off car alarms...
now because of the layout, you cant use the 4thgen muffler... but you are correct that it works very well..

volumebikertom

Get a muffler off of a factory slp dual dual exhaust, like that came on the slp ss camaros, the perform great, and a still quiet

TheBlurLS1

iTrader: (8)

Thanks for gravedigging this one!

Check dates before bumping threads, this guy's probably already got exhaust on it by now.

ChocoTaco369

why don't you pick up a set of mufflers from the new V8 mustangs? they make some sound but are still quiet. that should fit the bill wouldn't it? i'm not sure what kind of restriction you're looking at though.