Muffler on a 1959 TBird

[59TbirdPDX]

Spring has sprung in Portland and the ThunderChicken is out of the garage, washed, tuned and ready summer; with one noisy exception.

Both mufflers are shot!

Everything on the car is stock so I'm wondering; is there any value in spending the extra $$ and buying a set a Flowmaster or should I just buy a stock pair from BirdsNest or Larry?

I'd rather not do any exhaust modifications so I am wondering what model of Flowmaster would make for an easy install.

Thanks in advance for your answers.

J

[Deanj]

The first time I replaced the aftermarket mufflers on my '60, I used Larry's "stock" replacements. These are okay, but very large. I had to position these on an angle and still half the muffler showed itself prominently.

When my shop replaced the entire exhaust, I asked for Walker regular chambered (quiet) mufflers. These are smaller than the stock, cost about 60% of the stock, and sound the same to me.

Believe me when I say these produce a decent classic sound. I drilled a tiny hole at the lowest point to allow water to exit.

Dean

[59TbirdPDX]

Thanks, Dean!

I am calling summit right now.

J

[StealthSRT10]

personal opinion is just delete the mufflers althoghter. depending on if you want it quiet or not of course. I run true dual straights dumped at a angle before the rear tire on both sides. like the race cars. I love it. no drone at all on freeway but roars when i want it to. oh and hearing a big block idle is just great

[Deanj]

I wanted a louder exhaust when I was young. It always turned out pretty annoying. The truth is noise is tiring. Everyone has different tastes, and I find my Thunderbird with a stock exhaust is louder than my Challanger RT Plus Classic.

Dean

[tbird430]

I installed Summit Racing Turbo mufflers on my '60 430cid car. They sound tame

-Jon in TX.

[Deanj]

Good job. I've heard mufflers "break-in". I always thought that was a stretch, but my Walkers definitely sound louder after a few hundred miles-and I quite certain it's all going out the tail pipes. Everything is buttoned up and welded.

Dean

[RustyNCa]

Flowmaster's don't sound very good with them out toward the end of the system where they would end up on a squarebird. They also tend to drone really bad, personally I'd avoid them.

My 65 had a great tone to it, but it had some of the longest glasspacks installed under it that I've ever seen. They were put on in the 70s, found the invoice for them in the center console of the car.

Spring has sprung in Portland and the ThunderChicken is out of the garage, washed, tuned and ready summer; with one noisy exception.

Both mufflers are shot!

Everything on the car is stock so I'm wondering; is there any value in spending the extra $$ and buying a set a Flowmaster or should I just buy a stock pair from BirdsNest or Larry?

I'd rather not do any exhaust modifications so I am wondering what model of Flowmaster would make for an easy install.

Thanks in advance for your answers.

J

[sidewalkman]

Flowmaster's don't sound very good with them out toward the end of the system where they would end up on a squarebird. They also tend to drone really bad, personally I'd avoid them.

My 65 had a great tone to it, but it had some of the longest glasspacks installed under it that I've ever seen. They were put on in the 70s, found the invoice for them in the center console of the car.

I couldn't agree less...I installed 2.25 staggered Flowmasters out back, and there is no drone at all, sounds just hotrod enough but not loud. Mind you I did the whole floor in dynamat when I replaced the carpet so that didn't hurt. But I like the sound of flowmasters!

[StealthSRT10]

It really depends on a few factors.

1. which flowmaster muffler you get (ex. 40 series, or 50, or 10) lower the number the louder it is.

2. if they are Delta flow. supposed to cut down on drone.

3. where they are dumped. (under the car or out the back

[RustyNCa]

I couldn't agree less...I installed 2.25 staggered Flowmasters out back, and there is no drone at all, sounds just hotrod enough but not loud. Mind you I did the whole floor in dynamat when I replaced the carpet so that didn't hurt. But I like the sound of flowmasters!

Well, I'd say you had better luck than I. I like the sound of the flow masters on my Olds, but they drone so bad it will clear your sinus at 2k rpm. My 3rd gen Camaro had a single flowmaster made the poor thing sound like a V6, so we redid the system with glasspacs sounded 100% better. On my CTS-V, we cut the flowmasters off and I now run no mufflers, less drone, oddly, no louder but now has a pop every now and again when you shift.

Have one on my suburban which also drones not as bad as the old, bigger cabin? But since she has become the old beater I just live with it.

We tried them on my 58 TBird, but didn't like them way out back.

I've just not had good luck with them.....

[simplyconnected]

It really depends on a few factors.

1. which flowmaster muffler you get (ex. 40 series, or 50, or 10) lower the number the louder it is.

2. if they are Delta flow. supposed to cut down on drone.

3. where they are dumped. (under the car or out the back

Add this to your list:

• Diameter of the pipes in your system,
• The cam your engine is running,
• The CI of your engine,
• The compression ratio. <--Very high compression sounds like a shotgun every time a cylinder fires.
• Number of chambers in your #1 and if resonators or catalytic converters are installed.

I put 3-chamber Flowmasters on my stock Mustang GT thinking, when I retrofit from the 5.0 to the 351W, the 3-chambers would still be quiet enough. WRONG. My neighbors' windows rattled, the radio/CD was useless, etc. It was a treat to put the top down just so I could think. The car was a rocket and too dangerous to let my kids borrow it. Eventually, I wore holes through the back ends of both Flowmasters.

[Deanj]

Once I installed Borla mufflers on my L48 1980 Corvette 4 speed.

Before the installation, I installed an Erson cam 208/208 which had more lift and duration than the L48 cam, and a free flow cat that you actually saw light through. The result was disastrous with drone, loud cabin noise, and vibration.

I went back to stock mufflers and these provided great sound because of all the engine and cat changes.

Dean

[sidewalkman]

My Mufflers are MAGNAFLOW 13235 XL Performance Muffler Oval 4x9x14 Offset/Offset 2.25/2.25, on a stock 352. Like I said, no drone, a friend of mine has Dynaflows on his Duster (Stock 340) and the drone loosens your fillings at 1800-2500 RPM, but mine is good. But like I said, the Dynamat likely is more the solution than the mufflers!