How bad is Flowmaster?
07-27-2012, 10:48 PM
#22
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80 series is the typical catback system for all ls1s unless your going custom FM setup... Once you reasearch-- Flowmaster catback/flow/sound quality on this forum or any other ls1 base forum you'll start turning up all the same answers. Stay away...I didn't listen, I posted in "newb mod mistakes" thread awhile back and this was my #1 mistake.
It was just a wasted money quick fix...It just didn't have that rev you could blast through town with. It just wasn't their man....
It was just a wasted money quick fix...It just didn't have that rev you could blast through town with. It just wasn't their man....
07-27-2012, 10:56 PM
#23
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i run a flowmaster catback on mine, but i also have a cutout. i went with the flowmaster because i traded some valvesprings(which were free) for it. i needed something quiet but with good tone. when i want to be loud i just open the cutout
07-28-2012, 02:54 AM
#26
The flowmaster 80 series muffler has got to be the worst muffler ever designed for the 4th Gen platform. It would be nothing but a waste of money becasuse after a month you'd get tired of it sounding like every other truck on the road, it wouldn't be loud enough, and it won't sound very aggressive compared to what you'll hear the first time you meet up with some F-body buddies at the local hang out spot. Then you would try to turn around and sell it for what you got into it and you won't be able to because everyone you are trying to sell it to will already know what we are telling you so then your out the money because the muffler goes in the trash and you end up buying a complete magnaflow or other catback system used for a little more than twice what your looking to spend now. Just save your money. If you were orginally looking at magnaflow, just buy that. You can browse through the classifieds here and find a complete catback system, which is stainless by the way, for around $300 or less depending on the seller. I use to have a magnaflow system and enjoyed it. The only reason I got rid of it was because I could afford the GMMG I have now. And I made all but $50 of my money back out of my magnaflow. My very first z28 I purchased back in 2003 was a 95 Z28. First thing I did was go out and buy a 80 series for it. To this day it is still the worst $120 I ever spent for any of the f-bodies I've owned. You may not have the money for what you want right now, but if you buy the flowmaster that is just going to set you back $100 more than you are now towards what you really want. You won't recover your money from the flowmaster, that I can promise you. Good luck with whatever you decide.
07-28-2012, 09:07 AM
#28
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The flowmaster 80 series muffler has got to be the worst muffler ever designed for the 4th Gen platform. It would be nothing but a waste of money becasuse after a month you'd get tired of it sounding like every other truck on the road, it wouldn't be loud enough, and it won't sound very aggressive compared to what you'll hear the first time you meet up with some F-body buddies at the local hang out spot. Then you would try to turn around and sell it for what you got into it and you won't be able to because everyone you are trying to sell it to will already know what we are telling you so then your out the money because the muffler goes in the trash and you end up buying a complete magnaflow or other catback system used for a little more than twice what your looking to spend now. Just save your money. If you were orginally looking at magnaflow, just buy that. You can browse through the classifieds here and find a complete catback system, which is stainless by the way, for around $300 or less depending on the seller. I use to have a magnaflow system and enjoyed it. The only reason I got rid of it was because I could afford the GMMG I have now. And I made all but $50 of my money back out of my magnaflow. My very first z28 I purchased back in 2003 was a 95 Z28. First thing I did was go out and buy a 80 series for it. To this day it is still the worst $120 I ever spent for any of the f-bodies I've owned. You may not have the money for what you want right now, but if you buy the flowmaster that is just going to set you back $100 more than you are now towards what you really want. You won't recover your money from the flowmaster, that I can promise you. Good luck with whatever you decide.
07-28-2012, 11:45 AM
#29
Well my honest opinion is that its a peice of junk. It's nothing more than a non-stainless version of the SLP Loudmouth 2. It uses a dynomax bullet instead of the SLP bullet. They sound decent with factory manifolds and a factory catted y pipe. Once you install a set of headers and an ory you'll probably hate it. Even more so if you install heads and a cam. Are there people that like the Lt, ory, Rumbler/LM1/2 sound? Sure. The statistic is probably around 10% of the F-body community enjoys the loud, obnoxious, unrefined, defining drone of that set up so I can guess based on what I've seen over the years on here, and in person, that you won't like it. The magnaflow sounds really sweet with long tubes and ory, and even better with heads and cam. It is however, a little on the quiet side of things when you bolt it up to an otherwise stock set up. I run a GMMG. It is expensive, but it's stainless (will last longer than I'll have the car), sounds amazing, and if I want it to be louder, I can just install a cutout. I mean, isn't that what cutouts are for? My advise to you is to buy it once and be done. Decide what you want and save for that and don't settle for anything less. I say this from experience. On my last SS I had, when I purchased it, it already had a flowmaster. The day I got it I pulled it off and put on a Hooker Aerochamber system. After about 3 months it started to rattle so I pulled it off and installed a SLP LM2 system. After 3 weeks of my wife complaining it sounded horrible, I got a Magnaflow system. I kept that all the way until I decided to run true duals. After I got tired of always smelling like gas and never being able to see out of my rear view mirror because of the vibration I got rid of those and went with a Corsa I picked up from a friend cheap. After I got tired of how quiet that was, I purchased a GMMG. Then after all was said and done, I sold the car to buy the SS I have now. The sad part is is that the whole time the GMMG was what I wanted. I always bought something else to satisfy the here and now to only be dissappointed later. And after it was all said and done, I was out a lot of money only to end up with what would have only cost a little more than $600 to begin with. Is that a lot for an exhaust? Sure is but after you take into consideration that after all the things I went through and didn't like I spent almost 2k... Long story short, do it once man and do it right. Decide what you want and save for it and don't let any one skew your thoughts. You'll just be disappointed in the end and out even more money. You can search on here and find videos people have posted a mile long. You can also check out LS1sounds.com. Theres a lot out there man, good luck.
07-28-2012, 03:26 PM
#31
I have a TSP Rumbler catback connected to my CME tips on my current car with longtubes and an ORY. It sounds great...not too loud, but loud enough to not leave me wanting more sound. Very little rasp, no drone. It does not use a dynomax bullet...they use to, but now TSP uses a custom bullet muffler made specificly for them. It is not stainless but is made alot like a loudmouth design wise, but sounds great! It is absolutely not JUNK!! And if you buy it without tips, you can get it for $249. Thats cheap for its quality and sound!
07-28-2012, 05:28 PM
#32
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my biggest complaint on flowmaster is that they rust out too fast. i litterally BLEW out mine juct this past weekend. i have a hole in the bottom of my muffler. of course now it sounds badass since i have a hole in it lol i actually had a piece of metal stuck in my twin tips form it coming apart that i had to yank out with a pair of needle nose plyers.
in all honestly, if it isnt stainless, dont bother. flowmaster is a good start muffler for people that want to change their stock sound. once you open the can of worms, it doesnt keep up.
im going with a rear mount turbo so i really dont care at this point lol but will temporaly be looking for a temp replacment muffler to keep me alittle more docile until then lol
in all honestly, if it isnt stainless, dont bother. flowmaster is a good start muffler for people that want to change their stock sound. once you open the can of worms, it doesnt keep up.
im going with a rear mount turbo so i really dont care at this point lol but will temporaly be looking for a temp replacment muffler to keep me alittle more docile until then lol
07-28-2012, 05:35 PM
#33
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Ive had the flowmaster catback with the 80 series. sounded good but not loud enough. I just bought a flowmaster 30, it sounded good but still not loud enough so I put my magnaflow. Now its quite but loud when I want it.
07-28-2012, 10:05 PM
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Good plan. No offense to the guys that run and/or like Flowmaster but I just don't care for the sound. It might be because every truck and Mustang in town has them so I get a daily dose of it.
07-29-2012, 12:13 AM
#37
I had the vaunted GMMG and my buddy had the FM 80 (both manifolds/cats at the time) and I had to admit his sounded as good or better than mine. And I can't believe that anyone would think that GMMG + ORY sounds good. That didn't last one day with me.
The best advice you received was to buy it and have another muffler welded in. My buddy did this when his FM blew out. Replaced the muffler with a Magnaflow for $100 and hasn't looked back. Where else are you going to find a full catback with a new muffler for $200?
07-29-2012, 11:18 PM
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I would scoop it up for $100 its definitely worth it. I think they sound great, old muscle car tone. But thats personal preference. They don't flow as well as other catbacks, but are better than the stock catback. Put a cut-out in if you're concerned about losing performance.
07-29-2012, 11:21 PM
#39
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Magnaflow sounds like crap on modded cars. I've never heard one on a stock setup though so I can't comment there. I replaced my magnaflow with an SLP dual/dual and have been very happy with the change.
07-31-2012, 01:25 PM
#40
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You're the first to tell me magnaflow sounds bad with the addition of headers/ory so I'm still gona stick with it. I was thinking of going with a LM2 but I've never heard one in person and don't know how loud it really is. I don't mind loud, but I don't want cops to hear me coming from a mile away.