Is your exhaust too loud or too lame?

[McLaren-TAG]

After going through the process of buying a new exhaust/s and trying things out on my car, I realized a few things, unfortunately I found my solution only the PayPal button had been pressed a few times buying and selling.


I realized that the sound we all lust for is really just subjective.
I realized that the exhaust is just one component that needs to work in concert with the entirety the rest of the mods you've got to get the response you're looking for and you may be unhappy with your choice unless you do a lot of research and ask the wise guys.

I'll leave the performance side out of this since there is a way to quantify that and just focus on the experience and the sound. I don't like YouTube clips because they don't really give you the experience of the real thing and you can't get the sense of drone or the way certain sounds just resonate in your chest cavity. In the end they're sort of like watching pron, it's just not the same as being there. .

My original starting point was a 3.2 with SSI's and an early OE muffler that in hindsight I would have been happy to keep were it not for it being in the sorryest of states.

Having had that setup for a few years and having heard other P cars in the process as well as being very happy with the sound on my existing setup, I thought it would be good to start a very generalized thread of sounds where we rate what we've got on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being an electric car, and 10 being and open exhaust. I'm looking for day to day spirited driving impression only as we all know a flat six sound glorious when it's screaming at 5k regardless of what's back there. So no Apples to orange comparison of competitive use. Any mods made to the engine will have some type of effect on the sound, so you should list that as well.


3.2 Stock internals, Open Air Box, SW 93 Oct Chip, SSI's (so in all cases 2 in)

1 out early OE muffler: 5

(baffled) M&K GT3: 7.5 quite a bit of drone

Dansk Sport GT3: 6.5 slight drone

Megaphones: 9.5 (just sitting and revving in the driveway not streetable!)

[GH85Carrera]

My exhaust is still stock. I do have a cat bypass and that changes the tone but did not make it much louder. I actually drive my 911 on long road trips. I drove to Monterey, CA just this summer. 12 hours in my car is no big deal as. A louder exhaust would make that unbearable.

[IROC]

I'll add a few:

2.7: stock internals, European Racing Headers (George's):

Modified Supertrapps with 18 discs: 9 (glorious, best sounding exhaust I ever had)

3.2: 10.3:1 P&Cs, SSIs, SW chip:

Dansk Sport: 6 (not bad tone, but not exciting)
Triad "street" muffler: 7 (great exhaust note, but too quiet)
M&K Track "shorties": 8 (awesome sound, way too loud for anything but track use)
Dansk Sport with center outlets: 7 (nice low rumble, but doesn't sound nearly as good as a factory sport)

I'd put the Triad back on if it was louder...

[82 SC]

I got to drive my father in laws S2000 the other day with dual bigger exhaust. Did not like it at all the drone was awful with the bigger exhaust. So bad he had to put the original exhaust back on so my mother in law would ride with him again in it.
I though of putting duels on my 911 but that drive cured me and I will stick with my ssi's with stock Dansk. OH i was also not impressed with the S2000, felt like a very fast Civic. Had to rev it up to feel any power.

[SiberianDVM]

My 3.2, stock internals, stock air intake;

M&K cat bypass, M&K 1 in 2 out: if the stock muffler was a 5, then this combo is an 8. It's perfect for the track, a teeny bit too loud for everyday use, and on the occasions when I do drive it on the street, I get asked "Do you have a V8 in there?"

[WIL84911]

My favorite subject. SSI with older gen M&K 2/2 has been perfect for me (3.2 stock with SW chip). I drive it whenever wherever (in fact took out for work this morning at 5am) and never had any noise complaints (sans the wife).

Previous setups:
1) Bursch 1/1 came with the car = nice but sounds like a V8 and droned
2) GHL 2/1 = loud, sounds like a Ferrari, droned like crazy
3) Dansk non sport 2/1 = lame lame lame but I might go back to this when I turn 70
4) M&K 2/1 gen4 = nice but just slightly lame for me (could have kept it except I damaged it)

So I'd prob score my setup a 7.5 smiling while humping between foreplay and orgasmic heaven.

[Scooter]

3.2 stock internals, open air box, SSI's (so in all cases 2 in)

M&K single out: 6
M&K dual out (RSR spacing): 8 (some drone at 2900 rpm)

[cole930]

Mine may be a little loud !!!!

[Porchdog]

3.0 Stock. SSi's and an "early" M&K 2 in 1 out, with a little baffle in the tailpipe.

It's kind of loud but not outrageous. No drone. Hard to talk on the cellphone at highway speed.

Definitely edgier, with a sharp bark and a sort of metallic vibe.

I've gotten numerous compliments on the sound at Porsche and other car gatherings. I'm very happy with it. My wife would prefer it was a bit quieter.

[Josh D]

Stock big port 3.0 Euro

Early heat exchangers and 2 in/1 out Bursch with Dynomax turbo style muffler. Not too loud, not too quiet. No drone at all. Great sound IMHO. Only downside is it's not as pretty as stainless HE (SSI) with stainless bannana style muffler.

I'm very pleased with this exhaust.

[Henry hill]

Just right!! B&B Headers and B&B 2 in one out.

[jasonlee]

stock internals on my 3.0 Bursch Cat Bypass, 1 in 2 out flow master, Great sound, although a little loud for everyday, so 1 side is capped off for tooling around the city, uncapped for highway and backroad runs. No noticeable drone at all.

[HawgRyder]

This is a never-ending discussion.
Sound is in the ear of the listener.
Power and pitch are as unique to each person as is beauty.
If your system pleases you...great...but your system may sound "tinney" or harsh to the next man.
By all means...find "your" sound...but don't be surprised when some voices his opinion that differs from yours.
Have fun.
Bob

[dicklague]

BURSCH 2.7 MFI pipe. small glasspack on each bank into a larger glasspack. Been on there for years so I am sure there is no glass left and this was before Bursch started using stainless steel wool in them. I love the sound, loud enough but not nuts and lets that 2.7 MFI song come through.

The 2.7 MFI version has a slightly smaller diameter for better performance.

Stock OE heater boxes that I have patched and welded in a continuous maintenance cycle. Almost went for headers, but I do use the heater once in a while.

As you can see this is not a concours car but a daily driver.....The system has several wideband sensor bungs in it for experimenting with AFR readings at different places. You can see a couple of them and the wideband sensor for the Daytona-Sensors AFR instrument is now in the junction of the 2 sides......you can see the sensor wire at the top of the last photo if you look carefully.

[WIL84911]

Originally Posted by HawgRyder

This is a never-ending discussion.
Sound is in the ear of the listener.
Power and pitch are as unique to each person as is beauty.
If your system pleases you...great...but your system may sound "tinney" or harsh to the next man.
By all means...find "your" sound...but don't be surprised when some voices his opinion that differs from yours.
Have fun.
Bob

Amen!

[dicklague]

I just wish mine sounded as good as Magnus' car!!! I envy him....he is so so cool!

[dfhtrhjn]

For my '73 RS clone I punched out my stock 2 in 1 out, to a 2 in 2 out. It sounds exactly like that SC in Magnus's video.

I had to do a little internal cutting on the stock muffler to get the exhaust flow the same from both tips.

[ganun]

Down load the app, so we can compare (somewhat) at least idling decibels.
My 87 with Bursch 1 5/8 headers and an M&k 2 inti 1 idles at 70 dB +|- 3 about 5 feet away from left side to right side of the rear.

[Hotrod911T]

Just right for me. 3.2SS, RarlyL8 1 5/8" headers, Monty 2 in 2 out muffler.

Rod

[jsveb]

Originally Posted by cole930

Mine may be a little loud !!!!

As little as we have heard from you lately Sir, I think your Zork is silent...