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Old 05-09-2021, 12:10 AM
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Default Convince me I need to change to 3" exhaust!

I have a line on a mandrel bent 3" Flowmaster system with Flowmaster mufflers installed for $450.

I currently have a near new 2-1/2" shop-bent, fully welded system with mufflers I hate (the old Goerlichs/now AP Brand) and an H pipe that I want gone. The H pipe completely killed the nice cammy sounding idle my car had with individual pipes.

At a minimum I would have to swap mufflers and either cobble up the mid-pipes with sleeves to eliminate the H pipe and when they cut the mufflers out, I'll probably wind up with more sleeves/adaptors and end up looking like some hillbilly plumbing job when it's done. New custom bent mid-pipes are probably going to have to fabbed.

Would you throw in the towel on the existing and start over in 3" given the deal I have available?

No muffler recommendations please. I have very particular tastes and Flowmaster is my flavor.

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  #2  
Old 05-09-2021, 12:40 AM
1965gp 1965gp is offline
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Nothing sounds like a flow master in my opinion. Every time I use something else I am reminded I love the echo sound of flows.

450 installed? That is really hard to beat. Especially since you are going to do exhaust work anyway. I would jump on it.

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Old 05-09-2021, 08:52 AM
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Sounds cheap vs the work needed on the old system!. 3" may bring the sound level up a little over the 2.5", all else being equal

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Old 05-09-2021, 09:00 AM
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Go for it.

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Old 05-09-2021, 09:17 AM
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Do it!!! I put an X pipe on my car years ago and hated the sound almost immediately. When I put the roller cam in over the winter I put new exhaust on with no x pipe. Sounds way better!! But yes that is a steal!

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Old 05-09-2021, 09:20 AM
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Get rid of the crush bent 2 1/2"
If it was mandrel I wouldn't change.

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Old 05-09-2021, 09:56 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by leeklm View Post
Sounds cheap vs the work needed on the old system!. 3" may bring the sound level up a little over the 2.5", all else being equal
He would live up to his name here...


Bugger the Flowmasters though - they are neither.

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Old 05-09-2021, 11:39 AM
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Too good of a deal to pass up on the 3", do it

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Old 05-09-2021, 03:38 PM
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For what you want and like, sounds (no pun intended) like a "just do it" scenario. You'll lose some torque with the lack of crossover and larger tubes, but should be able to keep all your upper rpm power, even with the Flowmasters. Plus with the larger tubes, Flowmasters, and lack of crossover, you should be able to set off every car alarm within 20 feet wherever you go.

I'm sure you'll find someone interested in the old Goerlichs too.

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Old 05-09-2021, 07:42 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by amcmike View Post
For what you want and like, sounds (no pun intended) like a "just do it" scenario. You'll lose some torque with the lack of crossover and larger tubes, but should be able to keep all your upper rpm power, even with the Flowmasters. Plus with the larger tubes, Flowmasters, and lack of crossover, you should be able to set off every car alarm within 20 feet wherever you go.

I'm sure you'll find someone interested in the old Goerlichs too.
LOL. That loud huh?

Yeah, the "AP" mufflers and crossover went on during a phase I was going through wanting a quieter car. After it was done, it was just wasn't very satisfying hear it running.

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Old 05-10-2021, 12:18 AM
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My 3” mandrel bent, no x pipe exhaust certainly does set off car alarms. The pipes exit to the sides behind my rear wheels, so the sound will echo off any cars I pass, concrete walls, etc. I drive my car to have fun, so it works for me. It’s also why I never bothered to try and get the radio working.

If you’re cool with the sound, I say do it. I wonder how it’s possible to get all that for $450 installed.

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Old 05-10-2021, 09:05 PM
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Went to check out the details. Turns out it was a system ordered (deposit only) for a customer who backed out. Unfortunately, It was a universal "A Body" system with turndowns on the tailpipes. Would have to cut off the tailpipes and add a short section. I had one of those in 2-1/2" at one time and had alignment issues with the tails which also hung down far enough to be visible below the rear quarters. Mufflers were actually no-name Flowmaster clones. I decided to pass.

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Old 05-10-2021, 09:41 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NeighborsComplaint View Post
Mufflers were actually no-name Flowmaster clones. I decided to pass.

Good call. The clones might have sounded like the real thing until the rattle shows up 6 months later.

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Old 05-11-2021, 12:47 AM
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You got me curious and I just looked up the price of a flowmaster 3inch stainless kit (part noo. 817200). Its 900 dolllars at summit.. Pricey!!! I wonder if they still make the 40 series mufflers?
I had those on my camaro years ago and loved the noise and didnt care about the drone (back then)

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Old 05-11-2021, 11:37 AM
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The system part number was 1040, aluminized steel.

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  #16  
Old 05-11-2021, 07:10 PM
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Pypes stainless system with mufflers is around $600 I think.

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Old 05-11-2021, 09:32 PM
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Yep, the Flowmaster stuff have pretty much priced themselves out of the market as far as I'm concerned and have been that way for several years for me. That kind of coin for aluminized pipe and painted chamber mufflers is just crazy when there are others on the market selling the same type of material for half that.


I'll take the Pypes stainless setups all the time every time. They are probably the best deal going on exhaust pipes and fitment has always been really good.

Before they came along I was a Torque Tech fan.

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Old 05-12-2021, 12:54 AM
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I always thought but have no experience with the pypes set that the flowmaster kits fit better to the cars they were made for. Anyone with experience with both flowmaster and pypes kits able to shed some light on that?

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Old 05-12-2021, 08:34 AM
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I still have complete Flowmaster kits on the mezzanine that I pulled off cars many years ago. I used to use them in the 80's.

I had the transverse Force II kit on my Firebird (no longer available and replaced with the American Thunder) and the dual muffler setup on my Chevelle.


The transverse kit fit okay on the bird. Took a bit of fiddling to get the muffler positioned so that the tailpipes would fit right. My only complaint with that system is how Flowmaster designed the up and over pipes that go over the rear end to the muffler. They basically entered the top of the muffler under the floor, which limited how far up the muffler would go. Even all the way up I had a problem with the rear end housing hitting those pipes. They clearanced themselves. The other issue is this design negated any option of using factory hangers, which I didn't care for. Otherwise was an okay system.

I switched that car over to the Pypes transverse setup at least 10 years ago. Fitment was much better, no rear end interference and Pypes designed the muffler to have the in and out sections of the pipes to go into the sides of the muffler as they should be. That's how the OEM did it. This also allows the use of the factory hangers back there. I have no real complaints with this system.

On the Chevelle, the dual muffler system is much easier to fit and of course more room to work on an A-body. The Flowmaster kit was fine. I liked the tailpipe fitment and appearance was close to stock, and all factory style hangers could be used. Frankly though I just got sick and tired of the drone so I had a few different mufflers on the system over the years with satisfactory results. I'd probably still have the system on this car today if I had not pumped up the power.
With the jump to a 3" system I decided to go with Dr. Gas for the X and mid pipes, and have switched around several mufflers, now with Dynomax Ultraflows, and the tailpipes are 3" Torque Tech, which mimic the stock pipes and fit excellent around the gas tank. A very nice quiet system with no drone, a pleasure to drive.

I've done similar Pypes systems on Mustangs and other Firebirds and for the price I feel it can't be beat for fitment and quality, and when comparing to other stainless systems on the market like Magnaflow, Bassani, etc... Pypes is hands down the best deal going. As mentioned it's even cheaper than a few of the plain steel aluminized coated systems, including Flowmaster.

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Old 05-12-2021, 12:12 PM
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Dude there’s no reason not to change if you can get it done for that price! What state are you in that any shop does that work so cheap? I had headers and exhaust built for my pro street 1965 GTO at a price tag of 2,850.00 and I supplied the 2 x Flowmaster series 40. I went with 4 inch because my car is a blown 468 ci BBC. It sounds incredible!!! Do the swap and be glad!!!

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