my 66 malibu / 402 big block car is in the planning stages. I want a deep throaty sound out of it. Im planning about 400 horse power with no racing. how should I configure the exhaust to get a low deep sound? whats more important length of the pipes or diameter? how does compression affect sound? which muffler?

Flowmaster has a nice 2 1/2" kit thats nice and fits well.

The people in the know, say 2 1/2" pipe will support well over 500 h.p.

Mufflers :rolleyes: Well now your getting into personal taste, some people love the flowmaster sound, some hate it. I've been planing on switching to Dynomax mufflers, for over a year now, just haven't gotten around to the switch yet.

Oh yeah, I've got 2 chamber flowmasters, and they are a little too loud for me.

For the best sound out of my big block, I simply mash the pedal to the floor! :D

I put chambered exhaust on my '71 BB Vette. It sounds quite deep and throaty.

Originally posted by maliboo66:
I want a deep throaty sound out of it. Sounds like a movie from the 70s! :D

Ah, the legend of Linda Lovelace will never die :D

Originally posted by kamino69er:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by maliboo66:
I want a deep throaty sound out of it. Sounds like a movie from the 70s! :D </font>[/QUOTE]You'll never get "that" sound out of a BB...

Damn perverted men graemlins/clonk.gif ;)

Chambered exhaust, www.sweet-thunder.com (http://www.sweet-thunder.com)

If you do go with Flowmaster mufflers ..the 70 series are the ones made for a big block!

It's not real evident, but that's what the guys at Flowmaster recommend. Much better flow to handle all the extra air being pushed out by a big block.

I have them, but haven't started my 396 (now 410)engine yet. Can't wait to hear how they sound.

Steve

OPEN HEADERS!!!!! :D

EXHAUST? we dont need any stinken exhaust pipes

Check out some sounds clips at Gardner Exhaust.
http://www.gardnerexhaust.com/soundclips.html

I had a set of 50 series flowmaster suv mufflers on my 396 and it was a deep throaty sound. Go to flowmastermufflers.com and then go down to mufflers and you can hear samples of them. I ran 2 1/2 inch pipe with turndowns and it rattled the cupboards inside the house.

I have a 3" exhaust with flowmaster 40 series with an x pipe. Nice sound :D

Dude it's all about the Hooker Aero Chambers! thats what i'm running and i love em smile.gif . i'm running a 70 with a 383 stroker, and a 700r. it sounds really clean and all the pocket rockets get jealous. you can find them in Summit.

Compression will give the note more of a crack to it. A lower compression motor will sound kind've flat. Think stock p/u truck with turbo mufflers. From what I've read, UDHarolds cams have a distinct crack to them also. I will find that out for myself pretty soon. The AeroChambers are pretty quiet at idle and little to no resonance at cruise. Then they get real loud at WOT. I scared a ricer the first time out with the 383.
Between the exhaust note and tire smoke at 40 when I pulled out and passed him, he had a startled look to him. :D The Aero's don't have a real deep sound to them though. Not like the newer p/u's or stangs with flowmasters that rattle windows just cruising by.

From what I've read, an X pipe raises the pitch a lot.

Ive got a 402 with a 3 in. x-pipe off the headers going into Flowmaster DeltaFlow 50series (3-chamber). If you like low interior resonance while driving, but something that really livens up when you punch it, these are a decent choice. They sound pretty decent too.

It's all a matter of personal preference, what sounds good to you, may not to another. I like a throaty load muffler just as much as the next guy, but I drive my Velle quite often during the right seasons and would get sick of not being able to hear the radio once in a while.

I had 3" 40 series on my truck blown 454, with pipes turned downed, sounded great, good for setting off car alarms too. When I put the big block into the chebeast I will be using the aero chambers also with 3" exhaust turned down but at a slight angle outward so I can clean streets better.

I've got 2 1/2" straight back with an H-pipe off of some Dougs headers running through a set of Bullet Performance ProTurbo mufflers. I love the sound - real deep at low to mid idle - I set car alarms off constantly cruising through parking garages. But, at cruise speed on the freeway, I can barely hear them. I absolutely love them.

Oh yeah, almost forgot - at WOT, I can barely hear myself think.

hey guys here's my thoughts. Compression a must, 10.5 and up, stouter cam for perf as well as lope, headers ( maybe Hedman, not Hooker) a nice 2.5" X-pipe config. to Dynomax oval welded race muffs ( maybe $75 per) out the back with SS tips. That's the way to go. Personally, I'm still using stock manifolds, but have the X pipe with Dynos. Sounds sweet but just a tad too little back pressure for my pretty stock setup. 402/350 / 10.5-1 compr., Crane equiv. 375hp cam, stock iron intake w/ 650 Holly SB. Maybe pulling 360-375 horse total. Thoughts

I once asked this question a different way, I asked how I could make my 400 warmed up SB sound like a vette. to me, a vette has a distinctiv sound the is easily identifiable as a vette (even without side pipes). Still don't know if I got the right answer.

Mike, what is the indication or ramification of "too little" back pressure?

Herb Sr;

The indication / ramification seems to be a tad ( just a tad) less top end perf compared to the turbo muff setup. Bottom end, off the line seems fine. Just burns the hell out of those 275/60s. Probably due to the straight thru (angled) design of the Dynomax race muffs. Most will tell ya you need a little back pressure for best power. Headers would probably help, maybe better intake too.
Hey, another project! After this, after that......
sure most can relate. Never finished.

Thanks Mike. I think I'm going with a Performer intake and stock manifolds. Then a Flowmaster 40 Plus system.

Sorry guys. Wasn't trying to hi-jack this thread. I just wanted the same info too. graemlins/waving.gif