Noob question: "Clapton" level exhaust recommendations?
 

All - I love this forum! I've spent a lot of time lurking, but it's saved me quite a lot of money fixing this and that on my '88 Targa myself, finding used parts, etc. Thank you!

For next year I'm thinking about a bit more "musical" exhaust system than the stock one on the car. I would like that classic air-cooled sound but dialed up a few notches - yet not all the way to Spinal Tap '11' / call the police / set off car alarms on the next block levels. I live in a dense neighborhood.

In other words, I want to take it from it's current James Taylor up to maybe an Eric Clapton (electric blues era), but not to Eddie Van Halen or Metallica, if that makes sense.

What should I look at?

Monty Mufflers work really well and they have a nice note. They've been around for ages.

Our host stocks them.

Place a M&K cat by pass and if you want more aggressive on the highway aftermarket open Air Filter Box cover will do nicely without making you and your passenger deaf.

Peops tell me car sounds really good as I pass them on the freeway.

Check out M&K. If you want to lose your catalyst, you can go to their cat bypass; this adds some depth (performance too). Then their muffler choices are standard and sport versions, depending on how aggressive you want to go. Lots of threads here with sound clips, too. High quality and great sound, at reasonable cost. Good luck.
Lyle.

There are several by pass pipes on the sale forum lately. Get one and try out for very little cost or down side. They go on easy and you can bail out and re-sell if not enough or too much. Very subjective depending on how you drive.

This reminded me. When I installed my M&K dual on my 86 and took my studio manager (in her 20s) for a ride, she just looked at me and said, "Really?"

-e.

SSI only because they have heat exchangers and a M&K 2 in 1 out, check out a sound clip I made while some track touring .....it has whats been called the old school sound, with a change of note at 5500 thats great. Living in so florida I put Bursch headers (no heat) and said M&K but you'd prob want to stick with headers with heat, I know SSIs not sure of others,

https://youtu.be/3KiPOUTGvdk

May I suggest going a little more SRV than Clapton?

<iframe width="640" height="390" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OEJh2FFUUoU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="640" height="390" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EfE-_b-QeTE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Here's what an M&K pre-muffler / M&K 1-in/1-out muffler sounds like on the dyno:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IV_2By_ECww

I have a Dansk system on my car. It sets off car alarms and confuses the musclecar crowd. It's rad. :D

Exhaust
 

Tim...what exhaust is that ? With the SRV note....

+1 for M&K. I have the premuffler and 1-in 1-out. I think the sound is perfect. Definitely good air cooled sound. Not loud enough to make the wife/neighbors annoyed but sounds amazing when you get on it. I have heard the cat bypass pipe sounds raspier than the premuffler. I couldn't be happier with my set up. And the customer service/support at M&K is great. Also the quality of construction of the M&K was top notch.

Good question. I'm not 100% sure. I got it from Grant (Uwanna). He (and I) thought at first it was a B&B, but now we doubt it. If anyone has any suggestions I'd love to know it. I've had a lot of positive comments since putting it on.

Get a premuffler and a Dynomax or Magnaflow 1-in 1-out universal muffler. It requires some custom bracketry to mount the muffler but it's not terribly difficult.

Edit......... just looked at Tim's video and that's the type of setup i'm talking about. The second outlet adds some more volume and can sometimes drone. But it's the same thing i'm talking about. I'm guessing Tim's muffler is a universal 1-in 2-out crossflow muffler that was used on 3rd generation and 4th generation Camaros & Firebirds (1982 to 2002)

Here's what a 1-in 1-out muffler sounds like running full throttle on the track. Sounds pretty good IMO and just cruising around at lower rpms it sounds throaty/sporty w/out being obnoxious

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1X2b9Ahx9A

Drone is subjective. This exhaust does not drone to me FWIW.

Great tips, and thanks for the sound sample links. Ear candy!

[QUOTE=KTL;8651747]Get a premuffler and a Dynomax or Magnaflow 1-in 1-out universal muffler. It requires some custom bracketry to mount the muffler but it's not terribly difficult.

Edit......... just looked at Tim's video and that's the type of setup i'm talking about. The second outlet adds some more volume and can sometimes drone. But it's the same thing i'm talking about. I'm guessing Tim's muffler is a universal 1-in 2-out crossflow muffler that was used on 3rd generation and 4th generation Camaros & Firebirds (1982 to 2002)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Yep, I used a Flo-Pro with the factory Euro Premuffler and I love the sound. Deep tone and rumble at idle and wails in the higher RPM range. I think I spent about $120 for the muffler and the shop labor. I don't have a welder so I took up to the local hot rod shop and they fabbed it up for me. I have 1 side capped off.

Drone is indeed subjective. Some people love the sound of Flowmaster mufflers and others hate them. I had friends with early 90's Mustangs and the drone of their exhaust was incredible.

On these 911 cars, the drone typically rears its head with dual outlets in the 3000-4000 rpm range and can be tuned out by the length and size of the exhaust pipes. It also has to do with the length of the collector on the exhaust manifolds. Its usually a problem on true headers and not on the original exhaust with the merge piping and singular outlet feeding the premuffler/cat delete pipe.

Great points, KTL.

I forgot to mention the rest of my setup which is factory heat exchangers with a straight cat bypass and the 1-in/2-out exhaust above. It has a nice rumble at idle and it screams appropriately at high rpm.

I've been meaning to make some recordings of the sound but it's at the body shop to cut the opening for the 2nd outlet in the valance and some other things. I'll try to get that done soon and post in the exhaust sounds thread.

Stock muffler and cat by pass/Clapton.
Headers w/ M & K/Buzzcocks.