I've been looking at putting Hooker Max Flows onto my car for a while. I really don't like the sound of the stock mufflers anymore. I want more bass in the exhaust note, and since adding more cubes is not in the cards it looks like I'm going to go with aftermarket mufflers. I prefer the tone of absorption type mufflers over chambered mufflers as well. The Max Flows are similar in tone to Magnaflows. The Max Flows are a bit quieter at idle and cruise, but much much louder at WOT. They also live up to their name and provide very good exhaust flow.

Where I'm stuck is the configuration. Here are my choices:

1) Quite whining about mufflers and get an electric cutout.

2) Single 3" Max Flow, probably no tip. My fave; a simple solution. It would require filling the other exhaust cutout in the rear bumper, which I wouldn't do for a good while. I could add a tip, but I would want to see how I like the sound first.

3) Dual 2.5" Max Flows, stock tips. More exhaust work, but it would look the part and fill both holes. There is something about paying for two mufflers that doesn't seem right with a single exhaust.

I estimate that 1 and 2 will cost about the same (cutouts run $150ish, mufflers $70ish + welding at the exhaust shop), with 3 clearly costing a lot more because of the Y and two mufflers.

Here are some youtube vids to give you an idea of what these bad boys might sound like:


Stockish 6.0L in a truck
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRoH25RhscA&NR=1

Heads, small cam, carb'd 5.0L Mustang
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4E9t6716Hks

71 Vette, engine unknown, with both a chambered and Max Flow (Thrush/Flowmaster then Max Flow)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwMhn...eature=related

360 Wedge in a Dodge Diplomat, obviously cammed and more
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twmbex6HbZ4



Please vote and throw in opinions. I'm probably gonna order the muffler(s) at the end of this week. Hopefully I'll get the exhaust done next week, just in time for a trip to Milan. BTW, the whole reason I'm even looking at the exhaust is that my cat is probably toast. It sure smells like a pre-smog vehicle, I've had to pull more and more timing at WOT to keep it from knocking (I'm at 22 degrees at peak torque), and my gas mileage has started to fall off a cliff. I'd like to get all of the work done at once.

 

You'll change the mufflers and then get tired of the drone. (trust me..) It was very bad in my car with the Spintech XL's. Sounded pretty bad *** at idle and WOT.
The drone was ear ringing...

I am now running the Magnaflow kit (Bought new for about 550.00 shipped) and I love it! Great idle and nice WOT tone. I am also using the resonator that was included in the kit and it helps with the drone a bit. Took about an hr to install and looks beautiful and the tips are lovely..

If I had to do it all over again, I would just run 3" pipe from the headers to the curve. Get a 3" high flow resonator or round muffler and put the cutout a little after the resonator. No cat! Cheapest and easiest solution IMO.

If you don't mind loud the ditch the mufflers and run some stright pipe with some C5 tips. Muffles are stupid heavy.. Bet you would shave about 30lbs. I would definitely get a resonator though.

The Hooker mufflers sound mean.. and with your cam, I bet you'd have a really nasty lope.

I wanna try the Edelbrock SCT mufflers on my next hotrod.

Little advice.. Don't even waste your time with steel mufflers that arent coated. My Spintechs are rusted to hell and and have a few leaks around some welds.

 

Thanks for the votes, so far it seems that people prefer the mufflers to the cutout.

Check out this ancient post:

https://ls1tech.com/forums/generatio...al-street.html

I was looking more at the dB levels than power, though the most interesting point in the whole article is that the mufflers universally out-performed the straight pipes. That of course could be tuning; Ford's MAF system wouldn't be bothered much, but if the car was carb'd it could be.


Some more background: I already have a custom 3" exhaust to the cutout by the rear tire. Then it necks down and dumps into the stock Y and mufflers. I have no resonator, and I like some rasp to the exhaust. I don't mind driving around with the cutout open, but I don't want to attract too much attention from the police.

What some call drone I call sweet music.


Here is the aluminized steel 3":

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/HOK-21630HKR/

And the stainless 3":

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/HOK-21630-2HKR/


The aluminized steel I used for the rest of the exhaust seems to be holding up pretty well, so I'm inclined to just get the aluminized steel mufflers. Any thoughts?

Finally, I can do a search and take measurements, but am I right in thinking that I'll need an offset/offset muffler, or is it a center/offset configuration?

 

Offset in center out.

16" L
9.25"W
4"H

 

i went with a 2.5" with 1-4" round magnaflow then 2-5"x8" oval magnaflow mufflers and it sounds really good. about $400 with the custom pipework and parts, also went with some jones exhaust tips.

 

I bought a pair of Hooker max flows for my car last year, they've been sitting in my trunk waiting for my car to come out of hibernation to be put on. I also went with the offset in/center out.

 

Thanks!

Two mufflers is winning, and I'm assuming that's based on appearance. How ghetto would it be to use a single 3" muffler and some tips, with unconnected matching tips in the other opening just for appearances? Ditching a muffler would just about offset the weight of my sub, too. Not to mention one is far cheaper, especially when you factor in labor.

 

Seriously.. Gross! That whole idea is whacked man..

I think you should get a 3" highfolw resonator and run straight pipe/tips out the back without mufflers. Super light and cheap!

Resonator
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SLE-31066/

Exhaust pipe 2.25" O.D. Will need to expand the pipe ends after cutting. Duh..
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SUM-640022/

I'd just have an exhaust shop install pipe, since the stright pipe will need to be bent due to our offset inlet/outlet muffler design

Tips
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2-STA...Q5fAccessories

Clamps
3" lap joint x2
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SUM-692300/

2.25" lap joint x4
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SUM-692250/

Something to consider man.

 

why not if ur gonna go 3" just dump it at the back so u cant see it

 

And then cover both holes in the bumper? That's an idea to think about more, but I kind of like the sound energy coming from the rear of the car, not under. You should hear the CAI coming, quieter when passing, and the exhaust when going. The one thing I can't stand is a car that is louder coming than going, which is what I have right now.

Dave, I know exactly what I want from a muffler/resonator selection standpoint; I'm just trying to gauge what everyone thinks of single outlet vs. dual outlet vs. cutout.