barchetta1

When I hear the newer mustangs and camaros I hear each cylinder fire, its very defined. In my 96 its muddy and nothing defined. I replaced mufflers with what essentially huge glass packs. This brought the volume up with minimal drone but I dont like the sound.

Im wondering, whats creating this sort of mixed sound? If I went with "performance" catalytic converters would it help? Or is it the stock resonance muffler that mixes it up?

I dont know if Im explaining this well.. do you guys know what I mean?

ddahlgren

Possibly look at the cars and count the things that are different starting with firing order and exhaust system and go from there.

84 4+3

The resonator reduces harmonics by creating an opposing standingwave or something to that effect. That will muffle distinct fires. The long cat also creates a pocket for it to mix with the next pulse. The newer camaros may have a more dual style exhaust setup with something like a crossover x in the middle. Also more compression and horsepower help create more distinct sounds as well...

barchetta1

Awesome advice man.. Im gonna get right on that. Thanks for being so helpful!

barchetta1

The 96 doesnt have a long cat.. has two coffee can cats, one on each side.

I dont think Im going to find the answer Im looking for. Perhaps its just the lt1 cam and I wont get that sound until I change that out. Ive listened on youtube and I think a cam is what mabe gives that sound. I presume the new cars have variable cam timing.

mrodoc

I think ddahlgrin has something there. I have an afetrmarket cam 227/234, .575, 110 LSA with all the necessary goodies such as heads etc. and I just not happy with the idle sound. I'm running straight dual exhaust, no CATS, no resonator, Flowmasters with crossover pipe. I've been told it is the firing order combined with the duration and LSA. I may have to go to CORSA or some other premium exhaust to get the sound I want. It seems evrywhere I turn it's more $$ LOL

barchetta1

Well, I cant change my fire order so that is out. I wont waste my time studying it. Our exhausts are dual out with either a cross over or a resonator. When I look at the resonator split open, to my surprise I dont see any cross over. Maybe I am missing something.

When I listen to youtube before and after of cross over pipes I do hear a more distinct sound if each cylinder firing. I havent looked for a cat in/catsout video.. not sure if there is one. Im in SC so I could remove and not be bothered.
only lt1 cat delete I could find

sstonebreaker

Headers. Dollars to donuts the cars with the sound you like are running long tube headers. And if they're running headers, 99% of the time they're going to have an upgraded cam, as well. The mufflers control the overall volume of the exhaust, but cam & headers are going to affect the tone of the exhaust more than any other thing.

barchetta1

thanks man.. I bet you are correct. When can you install them for me? I need to do my gear first but was hoping maybe the x pipe would do it or a cat delete. Headers are too damn expensive for me right now.

sstonebreaker

Cheapest headers I could find in 5 minutes: http://www.melrosecorvette.com/92-96...vette-headers/

Or, you could save even more money and build a set yourself if you know how to weld.

barchetta1

LT1

LS1

84 4+3

I was actually driving behind a newish 5.0 mustang last night and I couldn't hear distinct cylinder firings. Exhaust looked relatively stock.

barchetta1

Not sure you were able to determine it looked relatively stock. its not uncommon to go with long tube headers and leave stock mufflers and resonator to avoid drone...

But that being said, even if what I am hearing is not stock those cars sound sick as hell with very distinctive cylinder firing. I dont really hear the difference all that much between the firing orders I posted here. I mean its there but not anything Id spend any money on.

84 4+3

I mean if I were spending the money I wouldn't leave the rest alone but that's me. (I can also pick out headers from a mile away since they have such a distinct sound but maybe with a stock exhaust you won't hear that.) Really didn't sound that memorable imo, I actually had to listen to make sure it wasn't a V6 or something like that. Once I rolled the window down I could tell but nothing to write home about. Same way I feel about the 350r, sort of like a pissed off weed whacker more than anything.

I know the sound you're talking about, I don't hear it that much tbh. I get compliments on mine quite often. We've gotten compliments on the 67 too because it has a 70s sound to go with the 70s theme. Maybe mine has an 80s sound, who knows. It is so subjective anyway. I just know going under an overpass in the vette at wide open is one of the crazier sounding notes I've heard. At the end of the day it's what you want to hear. The standard sbc firing order is considered uneven though or something like that. I don't buy that much into that though.

barchetta1

all I know is I am envious when I hear the notes (new cars) Inside my car what I hear is a mish mash of exhaust notes.. sounds all mixed together when Im on it. At part throttle its not too bad but full throttle nothing but a mixture of pulses.. in fact I hear no pulses. Eh crap, Im never happy.. I will say this, on youtube the L98's sound better than the lt1s. Not sure why.

all of this being said I hate drone. Ive been doing a lot of reading of the guys who own the 2010 on up muscle cars (mainly camaros) and most of them are looking for more volume and no drone.. which is hard to get if not impossible.But they clearly have more product to look at.

Here I go... back onto youtube...

84 4+3

Just in case you've never heard mine then... Mostly stock at that minus mufflers. It's a very distinct sound I've been told.

barchetta1

Just muffler delete? no cam? nice. what about drone?

Benny42

And this may be some of the issue. Have you had a buddy drive your car while you were standing outside watching and listening to it go by? They sound WAY different inside than they do from the outside.

84 4+3

very mild cam comparable to a stock 89 l98 cam. 206/214 on a 112 lsa iirc. Nothing worth noting. Still has mufflers, they're just built into the tips there. They are a chambered (basically glasspack) type. The old monza style muffler is what they are modeled after. Mid america sells them and I love them.

As far as drone, top off or on it doesn't bother me. Lugging it around 1600 gets a little and running it up past 3k gets some too but just cruising I only really hear wind noise. Way better than the 3rd gen my cousin has or the 67. I found it not really any worse than the stock type muffler they replaced. There is a crossover tube on the rear y though. Top on it is dead quiet... like surprised me how quiet. The nice thing is the tips protrude out under the bumper. Iirc that helps as well as turndowns.

barchetta1

No... but dont YOU want to hear what you want to hear?

But to your point... Im listening to cars from outside the cars.. valid point.

Do you guys hear what Im hearing inside your cars?

Im at a age where I dont care what others think..

Sorry I didnt mean for this to go on and on.