No mufflers
Race Director
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 13,175
Likes: 129
From: Louisiana
St.. Jude Donor '17-'18
Yeah it's pretty loud and sounds like poo. I ran out of wire when putting some tiny mufflers on, forgot the name, and went to get some more wire with one muffler. Wouldn't recommend.
Pro
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 590
Likes: 134
From: Hanover Maryland
Did this recently after spending a day trying to align my Corsa Extremes. Rain caught me mid adjust. It's fun....for a little bit. Driving with my windows up gave me a headache in about 10 minutes. The cabin resonance is insane.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 9,296
Likes: 1,531
From: Oviedo Florida
2024 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
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With your helmet on ,you don't notice the noise (at the track).
After 6 months and a drive for 3 hours, I called uncle.
I don't run catbacks just a small muffler off of the x-pipe.
Good luck......I say, GOOD LUCK!!!!!
After 6 months and a drive for 3 hours, I called uncle.
I don't run catbacks just a small muffler off of the x-pipe.
Good luck......I say, GOOD LUCK!!!!!
Administrator
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 368,522
Likes: 24,823
From: In a parallel universe. Currently own 2014 Stingray Coupe.
C7 of the Year - Modified Finalist 2021
MO Events Coordinator
St. Jude Co-Organizer
St. Jude Donor '03 thru '26
NCM Sinkhole Donor
CI 5, 8 & 11 Veteran
Not something I would do - but only one way for you to know if you like it.
Race Director
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 14,137
Likes: 2,985
From: Iowa
St. Jude Donor '03 thru '26
My 99 has cut outs that open/close with a switch. I would never drive with them open for an extended time as it get obnoxious after awhile. I have long tube headers though so it would be slightly less loud with stock headers.
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Safety Car
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 4,346
Likes: 755
From: Greensboro Nc
I scooped up a set of borla straights while my headers were on preorder just because they were dirt cheap and I knew I could get my money back out of them when my headers arrived. I planned on running headers through the stock ti exhaust.
the straight pipes alone are really loud. Definitely drone some and don't have the cleanest sound.
I put the the headers on and left the straights on just for ***** and giggles and was so surprised by how much more tolerable the sound was. It's still very loud but the drone is very reduced.
It isnt for everyone, but neither my wife or I mind it, we've been on 1500 mile trips in the car where neither of us complained about the noise or getting a headache. In all honesty my tire noise is louder now that I'm getting close to wearing this set of tires out.
Moral of the story is: with cats and stock manifolds I don't really like the sound. With headers I do.
the straight pipes alone are really loud. Definitely drone some and don't have the cleanest sound.
I put the the headers on and left the straights on just for ***** and giggles and was so surprised by how much more tolerable the sound was. It's still very loud but the drone is very reduced.
It isnt for everyone, but neither my wife or I mind it, we've been on 1500 mile trips in the car where neither of us complained about the noise or getting a headache. In all honesty my tire noise is louder now that I'm getting close to wearing this set of tires out.
Moral of the story is: with cats and stock manifolds I don't really like the sound. With headers I do.
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 233
Likes: 41
From: Clarksville Tennessee
If you plan on just removing the mufflers (no axle back pipes) the done is insanely bad. and the coupes glass seems to amplify the problem. With pipes to the back, its loud but my girlfriend likes it and we don't have to talk loud to have a conversation. The worst drone is about 1700 to 1800 rpms. You know cruising speed :/
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 4,013
Likes: 388
From: Chandler AZ
I did this in 2005 as the flange where the muffler pipe bolts to the catalytic converter flange broke.
Pulled off both mufflers, drove around for years, at first it was awesome sounding, later I decided it sounded redneck.
Ended up buying used factory C5 mufflers and new gaskets, put them on and noticed it had a deeper more rich bass like rumble vs a higher pitch loud rumble.
Also with no mufflers and letting off accelerator pedal while in gear coasting in a parking lot at slow speed (6 speed car) you could hear what sounded like exhaust air going backwards, reminded me someone breathing weird like a struggle to inhale.
Also don't forget the loud backfire sound after you get on it then lift off pedal!
Not as loud as that old POS John Candy drives that backfires on the movie Uncle Buck, but that noise, it's a unrefined sound on a nice car such as a C5. Lol
I say get long tube headers and high flow cats and keep the factory mufflers for a nice rumble.
Pulled off both mufflers, drove around for years, at first it was awesome sounding, later I decided it sounded redneck.
Ended up buying used factory C5 mufflers and new gaskets, put them on and noticed it had a deeper more rich bass like rumble vs a higher pitch loud rumble.
Also with no mufflers and letting off accelerator pedal while in gear coasting in a parking lot at slow speed (6 speed car) you could hear what sounded like exhaust air going backwards, reminded me someone breathing weird like a struggle to inhale.
Also don't forget the loud backfire sound after you get on it then lift off pedal!
Not as loud as that old POS John Candy drives that backfires on the movie Uncle Buck, but that noise, it's a unrefined sound on a nice car such as a C5. Lol
I say get long tube headers and high flow cats and keep the factory mufflers for a nice rumble.
Banned Scam/Spammer
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 15,685
Likes: 1,330
From: Machineguns, because I don’t compromise
High flow cats and an x-pipe along with an axle back system is true v8 music.
The x-pipe is the biggest key to the puzzle as it blends gasses from each exhaust bank.
The x-pipe is the biggest key to the puzzle as it blends gasses from each exhaust bank.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 30
Likes: 2
I remember back in the day when just a good no cats dual exhaust systems with proper mufflers would sound great. Still to this day the best sounding exhaust system ever had was on a 72 Monte Carlo I had. It was a dual 2.5 system with turbo mufflers. What brand? I don't remember but they weren't they typical quiet sounding turbos. They were actually quite loud. I'm thinking they had glass packing too.
My wife once owned a a Trailblazer SS which had the muffler removed but still had the resonator intact. It sounded great. Just the perfect balance between loud and quiet. Can hear it idle pretty good, nice rumble at cruising and when you got on it, it sounded really really good, yet didn't drone at highway speeds.
I've also owned a 2002 Trans Am. Loudmouth 2 exhaust, no cats and longtube headers. Brutally loud and just too raw for my taste.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 7,021
Likes: 46
From: enterprise al
St. Jude Donor '08
I scooped up a set of borla straights while my headers were on preorder just because they were dirt cheap and I knew I could get my money back out of them when my headers arrived. I planned on running headers through the stock ti exhaust.
the straight pipes alone are really loud. Definitely drone some and don't have the cleanest sound.
I put the the headers on and left the straights on just for ***** and giggles and was so surprised by how much more tolerable the sound was. It's still very loud but the drone is very reduced.
It isnt for everyone, but neither my wife or I mind it, we've been on 1500 mile trips in the car where neither of us complained about the noise or getting a headache. In all honesty my tire noise is louder now that I'm getting close to wearing this set of tires out.
Moral of the story is: with cats and stock manifolds I don't really like the sound. With headers I do.
the straight pipes alone are really loud. Definitely drone some and don't have the cleanest sound.
I put the the headers on and left the straights on just for ***** and giggles and was so surprised by how much more tolerable the sound was. It's still very loud but the drone is very reduced.
It isnt for everyone, but neither my wife or I mind it, we've been on 1500 mile trips in the car where neither of us complained about the noise or getting a headache. In all honesty my tire noise is louder now that I'm getting close to wearing this set of tires out.
Moral of the story is: with cats and stock manifolds I don't really like the sound. With headers I do.
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 233
Likes: 59
From: Bowling Green, Ky
the mufflers had been removed from mine when I bought it. I like it so much I scrapped my plans of buying an axle back system the first day. Now that might change when I get longtubes and remove the cats.
at idle it is just slightly louder than stock. and up in the revs, at least to me, it has more of a sports car sound vs the annoyingly loud deeper muscle car sound that my best friends LS1 camaro with flowmaster has (which i think doesn't belong on a vette).
I will get a video of startup here in a few when i go to work
at idle it is just slightly louder than stock. and up in the revs, at least to me, it has more of a sports car sound vs the annoyingly loud deeper muscle car sound that my best friends LS1 camaro with flowmaster has (which i think doesn't belong on a vette).
I will get a video of startup here in a few when i go to work
