Looking to upgrade my mufflers finally after 10 years (the only thing that hasn't been changed by me yet)

Currently have hooker headers (3" collectors) running to 3" pipes to these horrible "turbo' mufflers.

My plan is to keep the hooker headers, run an x pipe with 2 high flow cats (from melrsoe corvette) to 2x new mufflers with the LT1 tips. Can anyone recommend a good muffler that isn't obnoxiously loud but still rumbles with NO or limited DRONE? My current set up drones like crazy at cruising speeds and drives me crazy it's so loud. I'm told an x pipe will help with this as well but definitely need new mufflers. I was looking into flowmaster but not sure which series has the least drone/best performace trade off.

The melrose corvette set up goes from 3" on the headers down to 2.5" would this be robbing me of any HP or does that even matter after the x pipe where it reduces down to 2.5?

My current set up is:
396 stroker (525HP on engine dyno)
10.5:1 compression
com cam hydraulic roller cam - duration 242/248 lift 585/580
aft heads 195cc ported eliminator 75cc double valve springs, hardened retainers and locks, 1.6 comp cams rocker arms, 2.05" stainless intake valves, 1.6" exhaust valves
holley sniper efi system
3" exhaust
3:73 gears
700R4 automatic transmission


Thanks!

 

I heard that headers into a stock exhaust(2.75") sound great with no drone. When I 1st got my car.....it was Corsa all the way(no drone), but for $1600 a catback with no real performance upgrade seemed like alot of money.....so for half of that $800 (headers) + some fabrication money you're ahead of the game

 

Love the sound of the new Corsa cat-back on the '88 but the "new" '89 has a sweet sound, no drone and not Corsa. Don't yet know what is the mystery exhaust, maybe Flow Master??

 

If I remember correctly, no matter what the headers with x pipe will drone some. Necking down to 2.5 at the end won't hurt much at all being honest and even still, dual 2.5 will support 600 hp without a terribly large amount of horsepower loss. I don't care what anyone says. Unless you want every last horsepower that is.

I have eliminators om mine but they're 2.25 inch tubing. Stock replacement mufflers with no cat have a decent rumble while not being loud and droning.

If you want to spend the coin, corsa is supposedly the best at what you want. I personally found the sound to be tame when I listened to one with it.

 

If you like the sound of the engine but are not ready for side exhaust try a Chambered Exhaust System by Allen's Stainless.

I have a stock 1988 C4 and I removed the catalytic converter and replaced it with a free (er) flowing unit and then connected to the Chambered Exhaust that I bought at Allen's Stainless. The system was a piece of cake to install as it bolted right up and has lasted a while. My 1968 C3 has over 26 years of Chambered Exhaust Systems and my 1988 came soon after. Both of my systems are still working great and have not rusted through anyplace in the 20 plus years of driving them. The systems I bought were made of aluminized Steel and they still look great.

I have a 500 plus hp 427 running high compression using these chambered exhaust systems, a good sounding engine will sound even better. These systems are good for high horsepower Corvettes and work with the headers. My C3 has long tube headers connected to the Chambered Exhaust and it sounds great. I can talk with my passenger and even appreciate the stereo occasionally. The sound behind the car is similar to what you get out of side pipes but the noise is behind you. My chambered system does not have the famous drone issues that some mufflers induce.

Switching over to a free (er) flowing catalytic and these chambered exhaust made an additional 14+ horsepower according to my GTECH Pro.

Best Regards,
Chris
P.S. The system I bought for my 1988 C4 came with the LT1 rectangular tips, looks good!

 

Spintech Super Pro Street mufflers ftw!