mmayzak

I know this is a silly question, but, is there a muffler option that will give me better sound/performance and NO DRONE?

I wouldn't mind SOME rumble, but I don't want the drone... I am running stock exhaust now.

Just curious... I know, it's likely a white whale I am looking for.

Mike in Oklahoma

FAUEE

Probably depends on your definition of no drone, and your transmission, but people say Corsa has no drone. The other option is b&b fusions, they'e dual mode so it can open up at higher rpms and be loud, but close for highway cruises.

JrRifleCoach

Just sayin'

aklim

Mike in Oklahoma, How much money you got to spend? That determines if you exhaust comes from a "U Pick It" yard or if it is something over $1000

pologreen1

Better ride in some different cars to decide if it matters.

Everybody's hearing is different, come cars react a little different for different reasons.

Lots of variables here.

Basically if you ever find one that does not drone, you got lucky.

If you find one you can live with you got lucky.

My car drones so loud people have to shout over it or wait until I change rpms. lol

MyOtherCar

This is what you are trying to defeat when it comes to "drone" in your exhaust:

"Sound is a wave vibration that ranges in frequency and wavelength, or size of waves. When going through an exhaust, the shape of the exhaust can act as an amplifier for certain pitches. Example: at 2500 RPMs, you will hear the exhaust much louder than at other times. This can even be compounded more by traveling through the floor and into the cabin of the car. This can be combated with different shaped exhausts, or most commonly a resonator or muffler, which work to absorb the sound waves and quiet the exhaust. Resonators, being smaller, can be used at strategic points in the exhaust to still retain a raw loud motor sound, but to be done properly would need a lot of testing/sound engineering or a lot of trial and error/luck.

At a certain RPM your exhaust will resonate and create a loud hum. Every exhaust system will resonate at a certain frequency, so they should be engineered to resonate at a frequency outside what is typical for that car's engine to generate or they must include components to cancel out that frequency.

One way to cancel drone is to add a resonator tube to your exhaust."

Paul Workman

Killing the drone with mufflers only and still having a nice sound w/o harming performance (at all???) is a tall order. BUT!

That said, here are a couple MUFFLER (short of complete cat-back) mods our FBI (ZR-1) club seem to favor:

The vacuum operated NPP "flappers" aka C6 Zs have on one of the twin outlets of each muffler works very well - even with headers and no resonator! (The B&B "FUSION" muffler system is an adaptation of the NPP solution. Pricy, but effective!)

Electric cut-outs mounted between the differential and a quiet muffler allows quiet(er) normal operation and then open exhaust when needed (e.g., dragstrip, etc.). And, the electric cut-outs can provide the driver the ability to determine just how "open" to set the cut-outs!

Cat-backs?? Cat-back systems are more than just mufflers, and can be pricy too. But, the CORSA is "plug and play" and this cat-back works in conjunction with headers and is very effective at killing drone without stifling performance. Justa thought.

Need "cats?" The C6Z06 cats flow very well w/o affecting performance - except maybe on paper. (Just thought I'd mention it since we're kinda on the same topic! )

Lots more options, to be sure. But, these are some that our club has tried successfully - where noise abatement w/o power loss is absolutely essential!

.

rblakeney

On a road trip last summer one or more of my catalytic converters started falling apart on my 1989. The center converter clogged so badly the car would not run. A local exhaust shop pulled apart the exhaust and emptied out the center converter. The car sounds very nice to me now like this. Nice little rumble at idle with no loud droning going down the highway just a low burble. And it really sounds good when I get on it. This car is a 6-speed manual with original exhaust at 63,000 miles.

No emissons check in my county and no check after 25 years across the state in any case.

billschroeder5842

This is true.

Check out a Magna Flow X pipe. It may help solve what you are experiencing.

Blackfuriesfan Hawthorne

I have a short collected header setup with custom x-pipe and just Magnaflows out the back. (Non emissions) and have almost no drone at all. My car with almost effective straight pipes is quieter than my old 1984, Now my Dad's . He has stock exhaust manifolds and one high flow cat y-pipe setup. I can take pics and get info if you would like.
Cheers,
-Tim

Paul Workman

Always looking for options. Would like to see what else might be out there, as free flowing exhausts always seems to have compromising somewhere in the RPM range OR power reduction... Love to see some pix, if you get the chance.

aklim

I looked around and seems like Corsa might be the best compromise when my criteria are flow rate, 304 or 409 SS and noise reduction.

kenmohr

YES YES CORSA

64Scout

YouTube "Engine Masters", they did a dyno test comparison of true duals, h-pipe, and x-pipe. None made a significant difference in horsepower, but all the guys commented how the x-pipe was quieter.

aklim

I'm waiting for someone to get drunk enough to do something stupid like swapping my Borla with their Corsa assuming they are both in equal condition so they have louder sound and I get quieter. Love how the newer Vettes are making more power stock than mine did and less exhaust sound which I deem to be noise

flannel_man

Straight pipes here, no cat. No "drone", but it's loud

pologreen1

Crossover pipes really do make a difference in the cabin.

barchetta1

Center converter? Does the 89 have a center converter? Mine has a resonator but not a converter.

barchetta1

Mine is not a daily driver but Im pretty happy with my cheap setup.. but mine is an lt1 with dual cats so not sure what yours is.

Its important to consider that some folks will say.. oh I hate my borlas or I hate this.. but what is not always communicated is what has hall been done to the system.

Example.. lets say some guys says.. oh I hate my flowmasters.. too loud, drone etc.. well.. if you ask sometimes you will find that the cats have been remove or the resonator removed.. or "performance cats" installed etc.. well.. thats what you get when you mess around like that.

Anyway.. these are basically short and fat cherry bombs.. but just a little drone.. Im a little concerned that once they are really carboned up that they will become too loud but for right now Im happy.

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...6-lt1-car.html

1984Z51auto

I've got Corsa on my 1996 LT4 and do not have (what I would call) drone from the system. Of course, I liked the Flowmasters on my '84 so the best thing to do is listen to a bunch of systems and pick what sounds good to you. It is very subjective... that is likely why there are so many companies producing C4 exhaust systems.