I see a black C4 driving around town and it sounds really mean. His exhaust from the back looks totally stock though. Same tips and mufflers. Do you guys think that he just eliminated the single muffler in the middle of the car? Has anyone done this? I was thinking about replacing mine with like an X or H pipe. Anyone done anything like this and maybe have a sound of video clip? Thanks for all help and advice!

 

Oh btw, I forgot to mention, my exhaust now is completely stock. I would like to keep the rear mufflers and tips looking exactly the same. I like it being quiet, but I want it to get loud when I stomp on it.

 

Well to answer your question, that black vette is probably running a different kind of mufflers or eliminators. That would keep it looking stock and still sound meaner. Only way to know for sure is to ask the owner of the black vette.

Oh and I dont know if you had a typo or just didnt know, but the "muffler" in the middle of the exhaust system is the catalytic converter.

 

No it's not a cat. There are two cats, then the pipes merge into a single muffler, then split and have two mufflers at the end. One of those mufflers may be called an resonator though, I'm not sure.

 

 

If Im not mistaken the tube in the middle is the resonator and not a muffler...dont quote me on that...but thats my guess.

 

Good Guess

 

So if you remove the resonator and replace it with an X-pipe, would you car be louder? would there be any hp/torque gains or losses?

 

Leave the resonator alone. Change or eliminate the mufflers to get the sound you want. There are borla, corsa, magnaflow, flowmaster, and eliminator options. Take yours to muffler shop and get some pricing, but I think I listed them above from quietest to loudest order. NO muffler change will increase HP in an LT1. If you want higher HP then get out your wallet. You would be looking at long tube headers and the rest of the exhaust, plus cams, lifters, etc.

 

I'm not interested in headers, or any internal engine mods. I got the modding out of my system on my last car. I said in a previous post that I want to leave the mufflers, as I like the way the mufflers and tips look. I would like to keep the car looking completly stock. What I'm asking, is would eliminating the resonator make the car rumble a little more. I'm not asking will it roar, just will it increase the sound a little bit and not cost much.

 

In that case leave the resonator alone. I don't think it would help, might make it worse for in cab vibration. Have the mufflers gutted instead. Plus the mufflers I mentioned earlier can be fitted with the stock lt1 tips, especially the flowmasters (40 series are the loudest).

 

What is involved in gutting a muffler? Do they cut it open, pull out the insides and weld it back? Or do they just drill it out through the holes? Anyone done this and know what it sounds like, and what it might cost? Is it something I could do myself?

 

Does anyone know the actual inner and outer pipe dimensions on my 95 LT1 convertible pipes? I found an x-pipe to replace the middle resonator but I need the sizes to make sure it will fit before I buy it. Also, does anyone know where I can find it documented on the internet that the middle resonator is not a cat so I can convince my local exhaust shop that it's not illegal to replace it?

Thanks

 

1) Your 95 has two cats one on each side just after the exhaust manafolds. The single unit under the center of the car is a resonator it is not a cat. Just like on my 95. I believe your exhaust pipes are 2.5" in dia.

2) Removing your resonator will make your exhaust louder however it may also add some amount of resonance to the interior of the car. However I think that this is more the case with muffler swaps than replacing the resonator with an X pipe.

3) Replacing your mufflers with Borla's, Billy Boat, Magnaflow will all add resonance to the interior of your Vette to the point that most people can't stand it. This is because the resonance occurs right at highway crusing RPM. The only exception to this is the corsa cat back system.

4) The black vette may have done just what I did. I installed a set of Stainless Works LT headers and high flow random tech cats and left everything else stock so when you see it from the back or the side it looks completely stock.

The LT's make the exhaust note sound deeper, a little more like a big block. It's not really much louder at idle or cruse ... but ...... put your foot to the floor and everyone will know that it's not stock and you WILL feel the difference because the 1 5/8" primaries add to low end and mid range torq I'd guess perhaps 20ft/lbs across the torq curve.

5) I have never heard or read about anyone "gutting" their stock mufflers

 

Never had to cut or drill any mufflers for that matter. I had Dynomax super turbo mufflers on my 86 and they sound ok while at idle. I added new front and rear bumper upgrades and bought some LT1 tips to complete the newer look. The eleminator pipes are pretty loud at idle and WOT. Might be a little to loud, but the car looks stock until you look under the rear. The tips cost me about $25.00 and the eliminator pipes and install was about $60.00. If you like it loud, mean, and look stock then the eliminator would work. BTW the L98 and LT1 sound different either way you go.

 

Jeremy, the LT1 Vettes (91 & newer) have a true dual exhaust system with 2 cats. The central unit is a resonator. Lots of guys with older C4's swap out their exhaust for an LT1 system.

BTW the dual LT1 system is so free flowing that it's actually non restrictive up to about 400HP.

 

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BTW the dual LT1 system is so free flowing that it's actually non restrictive up to about 400HP. [/QUOTE]



Thats very initeresting.. where do you come up with the 400hp htreshold from? Any patricular testing or source? I've always suspected it was a pretty well designed system and would love to get some backup.

 

Gutted mufflers are 'old school', meaning something we used to do. It means cutting the muffler open, cutting out the baffles (guts) and then welding it back up. No such thing as drilling out a muffler. I would sooner do eliminators, but he said he wanted it to look stock. That would look stock.