I have had all three inserts. The quiet inserts were way to restrictive. The Max-Flo allowed the car to breath best, but I had to lean over and shoot to the passenger. I needed a muffler with low restriction that would allow me to Time Trial at Lime Rock, which has sound restrictions.

I call Borla and to my surprise Dave Borla answered. He said his quietest muffler that could be used as a side pipe was his Jeep racing muffler.

I gave it a try. See pic. The negatives are it get close to the ground. But my car is lowered. Also, the looks may not be to everyone’s taste.

But the sound is great. It allows the engine with low restriction to perform at its best. The car makes considerably more power than on the Hooker quiet inserts.



Not sure if I’ll pass Lime Rock sound restrictions. So far I have used it at a HPDE at Summit Point Motorsports Park.

 

Theres far more than the 3 insert options mentioned above for the 4" sidepipes... spirals, chambered resonators reverse flow and multiple versions and combos of each.... lots of options but then you have to factor in the engine itself since other factors like compression ratio and cam/valve timing will also play a factor in the exhaust note..

 

Sound is a a pet peeve of mine. It makes a car "Sound fast" .. But 95% of those fast sounding cars would lose to a KIA .. Put the money into power , run a 3" full exhaust with mufflers were they belong. And be fast sparing everyone that wanna be fast noise..

 

I hear you... and this is why I dont care for power robbing poser cams like the ***** thumprs and the like.... but much or the alure these c3s now have going for them is now looks and image over modern performance.

Most of the members in the c3 section have never raced their car nor do they want to deal with a crazy fast and dangerous 40+ year old car... Upgrading a c3 to compete with modern cars takes more than just hp.. Many would say if you really want to put money into power to ditch the 70 yer old sbc and go with a better design like an LS series. then replace the old 4 speed, then the weak rear end, then the poor handling suspension and steering and the list goes on. .. The truth is we all have different opinons and wants... I want a cool looking and sounding car thats fun to drive all around (which includes the looks and sound as well as better handling and decent street power.
Track timeslips or playing hard *** with a mustang or honda at a stoplight is not really a priority for me (although some will feel im a poser for having that classic sidepipe sound and look) if thats true that same can be said for most of the Harley owners out there right? I mean everyone knows if you really want to go fast you ditch the cruiser and buy a sportsbike.. regardless you still see them cool loud mean sounding underpowered antiquated v twins running around with different motivations behind them. I myself rarely give those crotch rockets a second look regardless of the fact that I know what they are capable of.. I know it doesnt make logical sense but I equate a c3 to an old harley... its just more primal in design and even with its lackluster performance theres something about it.

 

That depends on the inserts you use. I use the sts spiral inserts with no drone.

 

No reason not to be both fast and loud. Side pipes with big holes can make power

 

Hooker side pipes with uncapped STS spiral baffles work well on my c3. I think uncapping them was worth around 20 rwhp as I recall. Very loud though. I think they sound great!

 

Just keep a First Aid Kit in the car for when a leg gets welded to the pipes.

 

I was side pipe shopping before I even got my car! I just love the looks of them. As far as leg burns, I just sit in the seat and swing my legs in after. That is actually the easiest way for me to get in the car anyway.

 

The problem is you passengers do not ride enough in your car to do this all the time too..Just ask my wife

 

They makes covers ... The only place to get burnt on mine is the header. You have to be careful working on the engine hot in shorts. Getting in and out is no issue with the mesh cover.

 

I put covers on after doing that to myself. I also fixed the tune, and the pipes are now cool enough to remove the covers. The headers themselves can still burn you, so no Florida safety shoes around the car.

 

There are nice polished stainless steel heat sheilds you can get. They blend in nicely with the stainless pipes. Not as well with the coated pipes imo. Mine are in a box somewhere.

 

The issue with those heat shields for me is they literally cost more than half of what I bought my sidepipes for new... I made my own heat shields on a budget of under $100 at the time... I wasnt expecting them to hold up as well as they do and now theyve grown on me.
And yes I burned myself, which is why I then added them. they stay completely cool thanks to the header wrap I used between the pipes and the clamps.

 

I have stainless Hookers with capped STS baffles. There is no drone on the highway. The next time I have the side tubes off I'm going to drill a 1/2 hole in the cap.

 

I have exact same setup as Crimson Thunder. The capped baffles were too tame for me, so I drilled a 1/2" hole IIRC. That's what I like about the STS baffles - you can drill out the center cap and get them as loud as you like. If they get too loud, just weld another cap on and drill smaller hole. So in a way, they are tunable/adjustable..

 

I’ve got a phenomenon with mine that maybe some of you have too: they are quieter when cold after sitting for a few days.
Im thinking I have the glass pack mufflers and moisture is wicking into the fiberglass when it sits and helping to muffle the sound until enough heat is built up to evaporate the moisture.
The pipes came on the car and are quite old and I can’t easily get the tubes off to verify what I have.

 

I have obx with sweet thunder inserts. No heat Shields because I never wore shorts on Harleys and I never wear shorts in the Vette . I like it loud. Because it drives women out of the car.les blah blah blah in my life.
I love rumbling up next to someone in a new 🐎 etc with an exhaust that sounds nothing like a real car. With my car having a heavy lope with a custom grind. Cam not some power off the shelf unit