Cheapest, quietest, free-flowing muffler?

2432 Views 17 Replies 14 Participants Last post by dogstar, Oct 10, 2003

Black Dawg

Discussion Starter · Sep 26, 2003

I'm going budget on my exhaust and will be doing it myself. Basically it's going to go from the manifold downpipe into a strait pipe back and exit in front of the rear tire. I was thinking of a cheap, $15 turbo-muffler from Napa, but something a little quieter would be preferred. Anyone know of any muffler for under say $30 that will provide good flow and still be quiet? Thanks for your help!

P.S. I realize that it would be quieter to run it all the way out to the back, but I don't have the patience or the tools to do that myself. Legality is also not an issue where I live.

1 - 18 of 18 Posts

SupraFiend

· #2 · Sep 26, 2003

it would be easier to just follow the stock exhaust route. Don't forget you have to hang your exhaust off of something, adding new mounts to the car everywhere isn't easy, fun or cheap. Piping is cheap though, plus theres no room for a big turbo style muffler anywhere under the car but where the stock one is. Quiet, cheap & high flowing, thats an oxymoron. Its like the old saying, "fast, reliable, and cheap, pick any two".

But if you are hard set on the side exit exhaust, get your self a couple glass pack resonators. They run about 50 bucks cdn each. Don't get the cherry bomb ones or other baffled mufflers, go for perforated ones if good flow is what your after. But your going to have to spend more then 30 bucks if you want it to be at all civil. I'm running one glass pack with a dual tip straight through muffler right now and its still a little too loud, but thats because of the muffler, it has a literal straight pipe in it, no perforations or baffles. I good muffler, or two glass packs would be fine.

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Black Dawg

Discussion Starter · #3 · Sep 28, 2003

any other input?

DKJones96

· #4 · Sep 28, 2003

the turbo muffler is a good idea, however, to shut it up you need to put a glasspack in front of the turbomuffler. basicly it'll shut it up just like the stock exhaust system but will be higher flow. i think at jegs you can get a glasspack for 25 bucks and a turbo muffler for like 20 more. not sure tho it's been a while since i bought my mufflers. i'm running a 27" glasspack in front of a 24" turbo muffler w/ 2.5" piping and a 3"cat and turbo muffler for the added flow thru the two most restrictive of exhaust parts. this setup works GREAT.

i didn't go overboard on the tip either. just a dual 2.5" chrome tip out the back. looks nice!

StanS

· #5 · Sep 29, 2003

You need straight thru muffler for hi flo. Turbo muffler is
NOT straight thru. It's a sales gimmick to make u think
that they're performance oriented. Suprafiend gave u
good advice, imo.

StanS

Phil G.

· #6 · Sep 30, 2003

Dynomax super turbo is a good cost effective muffler. Pretty quiet (maybe a little ricey sounding but not really load) and I think they are only around $40.

Phil G.

Flyin' Hawaiian

· #7 · Sep 30, 2003

If you really want quiet and performance, go with a 2 1/2" or 3" system and drop a Midas muffler on it! This is basically what us old farts used to do to make a "sleeper" back in the old days!!! you get the performance of a free-flowing system and almost no engine noise at all. In fact, if you listen to a chevy van or similar, it's about the same sound you'll get, just a loud rush of air coming out, no engine noise at all.
Just another idea...

RWDCelicadude

· #8 · Sep 30, 2003

If you want a cheap free flowing exhaust get a magnaflow aluminized muffler. There isn't any way to get any more straight through, you can look right through mine and it's 2.5" all the way through. They aren't very loud and sound very nice. It won't be as cheap as a midas muffler or whatever knock off you get but they're well built and flow better than just about anything else out there.

Allan-MA45

· #9 · Sep 30, 2003

I have 2.5 inch strait thru all mandrel bends on the MA45, only one muffer where the *cough* cat *cough* used to be (Runing on LPG at the moment anyway)

sounds absoloute SEX but a little too loud for a dayly driver needs another muffer at the back or a turbo to quiten it

Allan

Sparky

· #10 · Sep 30, 2003

The Magnaflow is great (and really is a free flowing muffler), but is a little pricer then what he mentioned. Still, I love mine. I went from a cheap turbo to the magnaflow, gaining top end power and losing police attention in the process.

Melly

· #11 · Sep 30, 2003

I was also thinking of reduing my downpiping to 2.5 I want to put the Magnaflow high flow catalytic converter, along with some aftermarket exhaust.. Will there be a noise factor i should worry about?!
-Melly

artm

· #12 · Sep 30, 2003

I have the freeflow cat and the stainless 2.5 in to two 3" tips out. Outside sound is good but there's quite a drone inside the car - requires at least a 600 watt amp to compensate.

Muchbzy

· #13 · Sep 30, 2003

Mine is from PowerTech and cost about 90 but the tips are 4 inchers. I'm also running a resonator that I got from ebay for about 20 bucks. Sounds good and gets a nice growl at higher RPM's.

pappahuff

· #14 · Sep 30, 2003

nice sound

This is a little loud inside the car. It doesn't bother me I just get worried my passangers may not appreciate it as much as I do. I got a Magnaflow with a 3"in Dual 2.5"out. Straight through. No mandrel bend exhaust. Stock cat. I love the sound. I know it isn't much but 3 of my friends with Hondas (not ricers, we hunt rice) love my exhaust note. I also have a friend with a eclipse GSX and one with an RS who also bow down to the sound of the inline 6 with this exhaust. Looks really stock too, tips aren't chrome, just looks a little big. I think I payes like 60 for the muffler and 30 to hang it and new piping from cat. back.

Flyin' Hawaiian

· #15 · Oct 1, 2003

Okay, I'm not sure which Magnaflow you folks are talking about that are so quiet that cops will not even look at you, but I have a Magnaflow and just got a ticket for noise! Even with a cat, after testing at the new referee station I received a 94.2dBa. California has the maximum sound level at 95dBa!
If you plan on running without a cat, you're gonna be loud, especially around 3500rpm and up, I guarantee it!
The problem with this discussion is what's loud to each person is subjectable. What's loud to me may not be loud to any others...

SupraFiend

· #16 · Oct 1, 2003

depends on the muffler entirely. The packing material type, the length etc. But a good straight through muffler with a glass pack is plenty to keep a car decently quiet

Black Dawg

Discussion Starter · #17 · Oct 10, 2003

ok consensus is: I'm going to run 2 cheap-o 2.5" glasspacks and then pipe it out in front of the back tire.......... for now until I go turbo. Don't want to waste too much cash on an exhaust thats gonna get tossed, eh?

dogstar

· #18 · Oct 10, 2003

i think that should work for you, ive heard a 7mge on a similar set up, no cat, and headers, and it was loud, but tolerable...

again, what flyin said is true, sound is very subjective.

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