I need new exhaust. I am looking at 2.5 stainless steel. I want I good sound but I do not have headers. I am considering flowmaster with the 40 series or super 44. Or pypes with the street pro or violator(too loud?).
Anyone use these systems?
Thanks

Can't comment on the Street Pro or Violator but I had Flowmaster 40s on mine, couldn't hear myself think. So loud my wife wouldn't ride in the car with me. For me they are too loud.
I changed to Dynomax flow-through, a lot quieter.Still a bit loud but has a good throaty sound not just noise like the Flowmasters and really bark when I tromp on it. Could have gone for quieter but wanted some performance as well.
Look in Jim Hand"s book, he tested a bunch for flow, decibel rating and performance on the track.

I put in a RARE 2.5 system X- crossover on my convertible. The mufflers that came with the system were a 14" strait through design(Spin Techs). Keep in mind this is a convertible, but the drone was horrible and they were way way to loud for my liking. I bought a set of 14" Dynomax ST mufflers and they were much quieter but I still had drone from 2100 to 3K rpm that drove me nuts. I then went with 16" VT mufflers and I have been very happy with them.

I researched to death about mufflers and the dreaded drone. The problem with the Jim hand data is it is done with with his wagon (Longer pipes) and more importantly 20" mufflers. Videos posted on PY still don't give you an idea of how loud it will be or if you might have drone issue. Size, bends, mufflers, headers, length, Hpipe, Xpipe all effect the sound.

The subject of exhaust itself is very subjective. What is horribly loud to me may be fine with you.

Its basically a crap shoot to some degree.

VTs and Ultra Flows are currently my favorite.

I have the Pypes system on my car with Long Branch manifolds. Not sure on what mufflers that I have. The fit was not that great. But, I love the sound.

Headers, Pypes full, out the back, dual 2.5" x pipe system w/50 series Delta Flow Flowmasters on my '68. Mildly loud but not obnoxious. Nice interior sound. I took off the Pypes Street Pros - nice sound at idle and when mashing the loud pedal but droned like mad at speed. Couldn't stand it. Pypes took a lot of work to get the up-and-over axle tubes to fit right. Like cutting & welding work. PITA for the money!

A friend of mine put a Pypes system on their '63 Nova. He was so pissed at the fit he finally took it off and threw it away after several weeks of fitting. He started with Violators... super loud with just a warmed over small block Chevy. Crappy sound to boot. He then switched to the Street Pros I took off of my car. Not too bad with a SBC but louder than the 50 series Flowmasters.

My 2 cents... Next time I'm going to try something other than Pypes. Maybe a Magnaflow system. I like the bigger case Flowmaster mufflers but you have to want to make them fit on our cars.

I have a full Pypes system on my Firebird with the Violator mufflers, X-pipe, and Doug's headers that carries all the way out to factory-like splitters out the rear quarter panels. I really like it. I chose the Violators specifically due to the advertisement that went something like "for those that want to be noticed".

I recently had a nice long drive down country 2-lane roads to get my car to the paint shop and the sound was great, even with my side windows and interior being out at the moment. None of the drone that I have experienced with 40 series Flowmasters (probably my 2nd choice). But perhaps having all my floor panels treated with Cascade Audio vibration and heat coating might also help protect me from some of the sound.

I had the Pypes system put on by a professional muffler shop and the only issues they had were creating a "flat" spot on the upturn of the floor panels to mount the hangers for the mufflers.

I believe it really helps to have a full exhaust system to channel most of the "sound" out to the rear of the car to give you a pleasant driving experience while possibly annoying those around you. Or at least announcing your presence. That's exactly what I wanted for this car.

I enjoy the "mechanical music" from my car so much that I am forgoing an interior sound system and putting in a radio block off plate.

I agree with rohrt, it's a matter of individual taste. Some like a lot of noise some don't.
The trick is finding an exhaust that sounds good regardless of the decibels. Some mufflers are just loud some are loud and sound like power not just noise.

Radio? You can forget listening to one in my car unless the volume is amped up enough to damage one's hearing. Would be nice while waiting at the ferry terminal though.

My brother took his 440 powered 68 Road Runner to Midas shop and had them put on cheap stock replacement mufflers. I think they are Walker, his car sounds great and at a fraction of the cost of my exhaust.

I took my last 2 'bird's in to a local one man exhaust shop. He did an installed custom bent, completely stock dual system with resonators for $400. He also does custom exhausts with larger pipes and options.

I'd check around locally, you could save yourself a lot of work and grief.

I have the Gardner exhaust. I have a convertible. It is nice and quite in the car. You can not hear the exhaust at all unless you stand behind the car and you here a little purring. Nice little growl when I bump the gas. We can talk and listen to the radio heading down the road . No drone noise at all.

It occurred to me later that the Pypes website has video clips of exhaust/muffler combinations so you can do some comparisons. There are more on the link to their YouTube page.

Here's what Doug's, X pipe, dyno max UltraFlows, 2.5" all the way out the tailpipes sounds like. Then again the specs of the motor build make a big difference on your sound as well.
http://youtu.be/eaWBd3M9MN4

Flowmaster will sell me a true dual set with super 44 for $600 shipped. 2.5 stainless with pipes to manifold. I think I am gonna get it. Cheaper thst pypes.

I hope it comes with earplugs.

Don't think I've heard anybody say they liked their blow master mufflers after about the first week. Be a shame to lay out that kind of dough and have to live with something you hate just because you spent a buttload of money on it. Just sayin.

My wife refused to ride with me for awhile unless I furnished her with a fresh set of ear plugs. Now normally I would say win/win but occasionally it's nice to have her go with me. Now, I don't consider my car to be loud but different people have different opinions of how much is too loud. Mine seems to run about 89 decibels at freeway cruise(there's a free ap for your phone). They say that sustained 92db can cause permanent hearing loss. The volume is only part of it. The drone is just plain annoying at any level and Flowmasters are known for it. Besides the fact that on a long drive the noise can really wear a person out. Good to think long and hard before making your exhaust decision.

Maybe there's someone near you that has removed a set of Flowmasters from his/her car, and perhaps would lend them to you for a trial period. If so you could try them out and if you like the noise buy the flowmaster, if you don't like the noise you saved some money.

I had a flowmaster system put on my car about 2 month ago. A local shop did the work for around $500
with new pipe all the way thru for an added X brace. I know about the drone from these mufflers have
which is mostly loud on the highway, around town I don't think it's that bad. To each his own I guess.

A crossover does help with the drone on flow masters. The X type crossover really does tone it down to comfortable levels.

When I had my system done , years ago...did the same...Flowmasters 40, an H crossover , 2.5 inch pipes....loved it...

Just to muddy the waters some more, it's not always just the muffler that makes the exhaust sound different.
I have a set of Walker Turbo mufflers (from NAPA) on my Challenger, with headers, 2-inch pipe, and no cross-over. It is reasonably quiet idling but does have nice rap when I put my foot in it on the highway. I used the same mufflers on my bird only with long branch manifolds, a cross-over and 2-1/2-inch pipe. And to me it's way too loud and has a very annoying drone on the highway. Much louder than my Challenger.

When I changed over from long branches to Doug's headers my car got a bit quieter, believe it or not. I was worried that it would be louder because it was already on the edge so I was pleasantly surprised when it wasn't.

Get any hotter, temp wise that is?

Hasn't seemed to. Since the break-in anyways. At one point during the cam break in the headers turned cherry red but all seems to be fine since.

The heat coming off my headers warms the passenger compartment a lot. I have the floor and back of the firewall insulated but still gets warm. Rather fatiguing on a 600 mile trip in 100 degree weather. I've never driven this car with anything but these headers so I can't compare the heat what would come from stock exhaust.

I don't get to drive the car that much so I guess in the end I really can't say if there is a definite heat difference between the LBs and the headers. I usually have the lower vent cracked slightly anyways to move some of that warm air from my feet.

We drove from Calgary towards the coast last summer in 100 degree weather, all vents and windows open. By the time we did the 400 miles to Kamloops we had to stop and get an air conditioned room.[bar]. I've driven that road in that heat a lot but never cooked like that before. I must be getting old. I've owned dozens of vehicles but never one with AC, looks like I'll have to install ac, or get younger.

I'm thinkng you might have better luck with the AC.😎

I bought the Hooker headers and exhaust from Summit Racing and they bolted right on to my 400 engine. I like the sound.

I had that on My Alfa Spider, but under drivers floor (exhaust header pipe goes on drivers side , 4 cyl) ) ....very uncomfortable....but installed header "wrap"...it helps quite a bit!

Take a look under any new vehicle and take notice to all the heat shields from the engine back.