Purchased a 1981 Corvette "project car" in Jan. "Bubba" has been under the hood and dash, wires from who knows where going no where. Vacuum hoses as well. I've made progress, exterior lights work now, wipers as well. Brakes are working since I installed a new vacuum booster (never again!) My problem is extremely loud exhaust. Previous owner(s) installed headers and straight pipes back to a pair of knockoff Turbo mufflers. We live in a quiet neighborhood with a HOA that frowns on loud vehicles; several elderly couples in the area do too. My near bone-stock Harley Fatboy has not ruffled any feathers; after startup I idle out of the neighborhood before twisting the throttle. But the Corvette is significantly louder than the Harley. Can hardly hear the radio when driving and I'm noticing a "drone" at cruising speed. I wonder if installing a couple of OEM C3 mufflers in place of the Turbos would do the trick or do I have to get more drastic. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

Jimmy Knucks
I'd suggest buying the Corvette Central stock muffles and modify YOUR exhaust to fit the mufflers. I installed Corvette Central exhaust ..... I bought it in separate sections since I didn't know my whole plan when I started. I find my car is pleasantly quiet nowadays.... and I'm old .... haha....
I say "modify YOUR exhaust to fit the mufflers" only in case you decide to buy more sections...that way they will attach more easily.
Anyway. You can buy these sections of exhaust ....look in RPI and Corvette Central....part numbers are the same...KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR SHIPPING CHARGES..... when i got mine it was significantly cheaper to order from RPI. I don't see why the stock mufflers would not help you, but if worse comes to worse you can then start buying the forward-more sections....

Here is the thread where I document my exhaust installation I used stock mufflers https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...post1598185200

 

Please use code ANURAN7 when buying from us

 

Consider moving..HOAs should be banned

 

Just a little muffler tid bit here. A stock Corvette muffler has chambers or baffles, turbo mufflers on the other hand actually are packed with sound deading materials(unless it's a more expensive/newer style S-design those have perforated tubes and can include sound deading materials or sometimes not) turbo mufflers are called so because they were designed by GM to quiet the exhaust noise on turbo equipped corvairs. That material varies in different turbo mufflers, fiberglass or steel wool etc. Maybe your packing is shot. Pictures are just for a rough idea, mufflers do vary by make and model
turbo muffler

chambered

S type turbo

 

Your Corvette came equipped with a Catalytic converter and when these are removed the dreaded Drone shows up. At least on C4's you don't want to eliminate the catalytic converter as you will get drone. Try putting a Catalytic converter back in and see the difference before replacing the whole system. I bought a High Flow Catalytic converter from Summit for my 1988 C4 and it helped the car's mileage and keeps it legal. Here in Northern Virginia they put remote emissions testing systems on the sides of the road where you least expect them. If your car makes too much dirty emissions they mail you a ticket.

I have always loved the sound of a muscle car through a set of side pipes. After riding in a C2 equipped with side pipes I will NEVER buy a set of side-pipes. Instead I bought a "Chambered Exhaust" which uses no Mufflers at all. The pipes have sound deadening materials inside the pipe and out the back of the car they sound just like side pipes but without any burned legs. All the sound from my engine goes out the back and I don't really hear much. It even lets me listen to my stereo while the L88 (copy) engine purrs along in my convertible. The company who made my exhaust system offered it in three sound levels, the base system would appease the HOA. The problem is that the company who made the Chambered Exhaust systems for both my C3 and C4 is no longer in business. The systems were made by Allen's Stainless Exhaust located in Indiana. I have had the 2 chambered systems for over two decades and they still work.

 

Thanks carriljc, I'll be checking the sources this evening.

 

No kidding. But the boss-lady likes it and has friends here. Loud cars, motorcycles and music have done a number on my hearing but my project car is still a bit offensive.