After years of having dumps, I have always wanted to recreate factory style tips with a free flowing 3" exhaust I've since settled on Borla XR1 mufflers due to clearance issues with the UMI control arm braces. It sounded great with turndowns in front of the axle.

 

Recently, I decided to go for yet another attempt at the tailpipes. I put .mating v-bands on the over-axle tubes, so I could put the turndown tips back on. I had similar pipes, exiting behind the rear wheel previously with Pypes Race Pro mufflers and an x-pipe. That is the sound I am chasing. The XR1s in a similar system, sans x-pipe, sound like a 16 year old kid straight piped his Silveray-do.

 

It sounded SO BAD I had to finish it to the bumper. I had previously made slash cut tips with the trim rings to mimic the factory chambered pipes. I love the way it looks. I do think they are a touch low, but if you loop under the frame, it creates a p-trap behind the wheel. I'd rather see it follow the bottom of the quarter panel extension.
I didn't think the rolled edge of the trim ring would be enough to combat the crackle. I really wanted so.e sort of resonator back there. With the pipes visible, I didn't want a bulge in the pipe. So, I decided to create my own with some perforated 304.

 

In the end, it looks great, hits the floor, and sounds like poop. Ridetech frame braces should gain me some muffler clearance, where the Pro XS mufflers hit. Everyone seems to like it except me. It's too high pitched and doesn't sound like a big block anymore. A very judgemental friend described it as "modern sounding". I'll get a video.

 

That sucks, it does look good. I know what you mean by modern sounding, I rode in a newer 5L V8 with aftermarket exhaust, definitely a higher pitch. My favorite exhaust was Sanderson shorties, 2.5" duals with a X pipe and Hooker Aerochamber mufflers with tail pipes exiting behind the rear tires. It had an awesome howl and just loud enough in my 88 Cutlass. I then accidentally blew a hole in one muffler when I put it on my 70 Cutlass, so loud and droning. The current full length headers, 2.5" duals, no crossover and Flowmaster FX straight through mufflers with similar tail pipes to your car. Quiet under light throttle and just loud enough under full throttle. I found the Dynomax Superturbo's with the Sanderson headers were way too quiet. My Dakota with single 2.5" exhaust with a big Dynomax Superturbo muffler was slighty loud till the tail broke behind the muffler. It is loud but no droning. Little things make a difference, like interior padding and tail pipes vs no tail pipes.

 

Find a car you like the sound of and duplicate the sound using the same pipe diameters and mufflers and resonators.

I happen to like a quiet exhaust at idle but a little loader at WOT. I want to hear the secondaries on a Q-jet or end carbs on an L-69 moan when when WOT.

 

Well it LOOKS good.
But if you don’t like the sound, that would kill it for me as well.

Where did you get the trim rings?

 

I bought a dual tip off Amazon for $30, and cut 3/4" off. LOL It was the same size as my pipe, and split while hammering them on. I filled the gap with 1/8" rod.

 

I have officially achieved exhaust nirvana! I loosened all the clamps, thew in some extensions, and flipped the Pro XS mufflers up instead of down. They now clear the frame braces, and sound spot on!

 

Sounds great , your perseverance paid off!
A lot of ingenuity in your work.

 

Nice fabrication work and glad you're happy with the result. I'm curious why you wrapped the over-axle pipes? Pipe temp should be fairly low at that point is there something you're trying to protect from heat? Air bags maybe?

 

Yep, you nailed it- airbags. A previous iteration of that section burned a hole in a bag while fully loaded in drag and drive trim in 2021. I replaced it 3 times, and broke on Wednesday.

Thanks for the compliments!

 

Enjoy some low lights of previously cooked to death stainless as i learned to TIG








New on left, old on right

 

Looks good to me, nice work!

I used .030 SS flux wire in my Lincoln Weldpack 100 to stitch together my exhaust. Aside from the amazing amount of spatter it worked out fine, but not nearly as neat as Tig.

 

Still getting some vibration on decel. The outboard straps of the mid hangers were resting on the antiroll bar.


Solution- add a 1" spacer and a longer bolt. Ideally, I should have some rod ends and an adjustable end link, but that's another project.

 

Here's the final result. I lowered the inside strap mounting points via L brackets and readjusted everything, as it all came apart for the trans R&R. In the end, I got lucky. Lowering the hanger point let the V-bands seat better, and everything just fits nicer, almost like it was meant to be..... my density LOL

 

Nice job, flemming!

 

Good job!

 

Well, that didn't last long. Drove it all weekend, about 300 miles, and it's boring quiet. Fixed that today by yanking the tailpipes and putting the turndowns on after the axle. It sounds so much better.

Also, determined that the combination isn't radial friendly. Might as well wear these M/T ET Rs down in the streets. 😀 Then, maybe try slicks next year....

 

Too bad, looked good. Yeah, exhaust is very personal thing. I like quiet, near stock under light throttle and noticeable at WOT. I have good hearing, you might say too quiet. All 3 of vehicles are like this. I just removed a broke at the inlet and outlet large Dynomax Superturbo muffler on my Dakota, only slightly loud as it was. I put on a well used Hooker Aerochamber muffler that was actually part of their cat back set up for a G body. It actually has a leak just before the muffler and still ended up quieter. Maybe because it is a beater, almost wish I would have left it as it was. If you enjoy it, that is what counts.