I've got a '63 Colony Park with 390 and want to get duals put on. I've got a setup of cast iron shorty headers I'm going to use, but there are so many muffler choices I thought I'd see what you guys are using. I'm not interested in loud, just that nice gurgle and I don't want any droning in the car. The current single exhaust setup is a muffler mid car into a smaller piece which I think is a resonator. It's quiet in the car, but on the down side it's pretty tame outside as well. Thanks!
Whatever you do, do not put the tailpipes exiting out the back. Open the gate glass, and that exhaust will be sucked right into the cargo area.
Yep, I found another '63 on Tumblr that had the exhausts cut at a 45 exiting about 3/4 down rear quarter panel. I thought that look really good so I'm going that way. 1963 Colony Park wagon -- DSC04978 by Lance Nix, on Flickr
One of the best sounding mufflers I ever had was a Flowmaster 50 SUV Delta flow. It is a large muffler if you have the room but it was really quite and if you got on the gas hard, it had a nice mellow tone. I see they call it the Super 50 delta flow now but it was amazingly quite behind my mild small block with a standard transmission even when you wound out second gear. I understand "best sounding" muffler is subject to personal preference but that is just my experience with that muffler and remember how much of a difference it made from the loud 40 series Flowmaster I started out with on it.
I would use the longest Dynomax Welded Ultra-Flo that will fit under the body. Straight-through design, nice mellow tone and none of the brashness that you get from a Flowmaster 40 or 44 series. I am not familiar with the sound of the 50 series FM DeltaFlow that 1tireman suggested. If you have any drone, add a pair of straight-through resonators (12" to 16" long glass packs work well) as far back in the tailpipes as you can install them.
Walker DynoMax, hands down. (No)Flowmasters have that magic combination of obnoxious sound and drone while consistently being ranked among the most restrictive aftermarket mufflers in magazine tests. I like the DynoMax Turbos for low cost and great sound. You can get 14" and 21" versions. Longer is quieter.
been using the walker dynomax super turbo mufflers for 20 yrs now . even the magnum i gave my daughter has them and she asked if she could pay me for them as she thought when i got my new magnum i was gonna take them off and she loves the way the car sounds. never had flowmasters as they needed you to cut the factory exhaust up for the hangers whereas the walkers had a complete system back in the day. they still offer walker dynomax catbacks for a lot of cars today
Best way to get rid of the drone is to use a cross or X pipe set up. This will minimize The difference in pressure and the flow will improve. Do not skimp on the job. Do it rite!
Pypes Violaters sound awesome with zero drone. I have them on my Trans Am and my wagon will also be getting them. I have Flowmasters on my wagon and the drone at 45-55 is unbearable.
Resonator tubes will quiet the drone down if resonators won't fit, basically a T in the pipe with a section of exhaust tubing with a cap on the end on it, usually go right behind the rear end . I think my '68 GTO had them factory, some car I had did, they had a 90 degree curve to turn them to the back of the car up above the tailpipe and the lower quarters hid them. I've seen them installed at right angles toward each other behind the rear too. I was looking at performance exhaust systems for new cars and a bunch them had the same deal, a little more refined but basically the same.
I agree with the X pipe, evens out the flow. I have a tranny whine I don't like. I got the car with a rebuilt C6 that has a shift kit in it. I don't care for the whine even though others say it sounds like it has a blower under the hood. My setup is the same as yours, Dan, 390, C6, cast iron shorties, aftermarket starter (smaller).
Not sure, I bought the car with duals and haven't touched them. My truck runs dual dynomax and they are loud. Just waiting till they wear out to get something more tame. Best advice I can give is to hear someone else's running and copy. The muffler dealer's ear is like pizza and spaghetti critiques, everyone's opinion is different. Whatever he sells, they are the best. I finally got it home from the painter. What a nightmare. I would have been far better off just taking it to Maaco. A few minor tweaks then it goes to the vinyl wrap guys for the wood graining. We're taking a vacation soon so the idea of my car being done for this years events is looking dim. Being in a hurry works for the clowns on TV but us senior citizens don't have a crew of 10 hiding in the wings to do all the grunt work. The only drama in my shop was when my air hose fell on my bench grinder before it stopped.
Now you know why I don't let go of the bench grinder until it's stopped. It's because of that one time....
