A couple of weeks ago I put a set of Flowmasters on based on the article in corvette enthusiast magizine. They claimed no drone at idle or cruise.... My car is an A4 with 3.15 rear. There was (is) serious drone at certain RPMs. I put a layer of dynamat under the factory carpet and a layer of jute and a Loyds mat. That helped some... We went to a show yesterday about 1 1/2 hours away. At 14-1900 rpm there is annoying drone under ANY load and as you pass through that range in 1-2-3. Even the slightest throttle and the drone is there. It is very bad a 55-60mph in 4th (OD). The volume level is not a problem but the resonance that they claim is not there IS. I don't usually use OD until 65mph but there are times when it would be nice to use OD at 55. With the flowmasters that is the worst speed. Now if my car had the standard rear that would be at a higher road speed. Anyway.. The test car in the magizine was a 6 spd so maybe it is better. I love the sound from the Flowmasters but the resonance is not good. I am going to try a sound barrier under the car above the mufflers next.

 

Not sure if the A4 is different then the M6 or not. I too love the flowmaster sound but don't want the drone. Wonder if there are any M6 owners out there who can comment on the flowmasters?

 

Since I have heard and driven in a C6 with just about all the more common aftermarket exhausts I've come to the conclusion that the louder and throatier the exhaust the more drone you will have. Period.

 

This thing about exhaust continues to amaze me. Every one of us will have a different opinion for every exhaust system out there.

I might be one of the factors that caused Larry B to go out and get the Flowmaster setup. I think he may have done this after reading my thread on my feelings about this system.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...18&forum_id=74

Here's a classic case of what I mean about opinions because I feel pretty much the opposite of the way Larry B. feels about the system.

After having the Flowmasters on my car now for a little over 3 weeks, I'm totally pleased. My car is exactly the same as his, an A4 auto with 3.15 gears. A few days ago, I took 180 mile trip and for the first 60 miles or so, I left my radio turned off so that I could hear the exhaust note. When I finally went ahead and turned on my radio, I couldn't really hear the exhaust sound anymore. I listen to the radio at what I call slightly above moderate volume levels meaning that it isn't cranked up to full but certainly louder than most normal people listen to a radio. For me, I don't perceive any drone at all since all I really hear is the radio.

For all of you considering installing an exhaust system, the best advice I can give is to seek out and get a ride in as many Corvettes with as many different systems as you can. You want to hear these systems under driving conditions, not just sitting at the curb or standing in back of the car. Let your own ears be the judge.

You can read all the threads and listen to sound clips until you turn blue but there's nothing like hearing it in person so that you know what to expect.

I'm sorry Larry B. isn't happy with his system and again, I hope I was not a contributor to his unhappiness.

 

It's that simple.

 

Not a problem, Quickride.... The corvette enthusiast Magizine ageed with yours. Tomorrow I will go to Midas and have them check to make sure there are no leaks an that the pipes are not touching the body...


Walt.. I sorta agree but...I have had a lot o cars with non stock exhaust and for the most part none had this resonance.My 69BB was loud enough to set off alarms in a parking garage but not any drone inside the car although the overall sound was louder.

 

Same here. I had an '83 Trans Am w/a SBC 400. Edelbrock "headers", hollow cat, 3" mid pipe, and SLP straight through glass pack style muffler. It was LOUD. But in a mellow, smooth bubbly kind of way. It sounded sweet; to me and others commented that it was possibly the best sounding V-8 they'd ever heard. And there was no drone.

I don't understand the drone issue (why it is so prevelent in a 'Vette), and I also don't understand why it's so hard to get a SBC in a Corvette to sound as good as a SBC in another application...like the current GTO for example. I can't understand what the issue is.

There was another thread discussing the sound of exhaust and someone brought up how good stock (and modded) Mustangs sound. I agree. At first I was wondering why they sound so good IMO, compared to a Corvette; they both have tubular manifolds, 4 cats, full dual exhaust w/an H-pipe. Pretty similar layout, way different sound. SO I was thinking it must be the engine; firing order, size what ever. But then I thoguht about the new GTO. Same engine...WAY nicer sound. Why??

 

Here we go again

Unfortunately, the C6 Corvette LS2 does not have a nice sound to it, and each aftermarket system has to try it's best to make up for it.

I had the B&B Bullets, outside it sounded MEAN, but inside it DRONED at an unbearable level about 90% of the time with my A4/3.15 with the top and windows up.

I have heard GHLs on an automatic and on a manual tranny.
On the manual I thought they sounded really good, but they did drone a little bit (20% of the time), not to a pont I would get rid of them if I had them, but maybe enough to keep me from buying them.

On an automatic the GHLs lost the throaty gurgle you get from winding out a stickshift a few hundred more rpms before shifting and instead just ended up with a bassy hum that droned a little bit (20-30% of the time). I did not like them on the automatic.

I now have the Magnaflow #15884 system, it has a smooth V8 hum you can hear at all times (not loud) with the windows up, but it does not drone, but it also does not sound MEAN.
My 11 year old son summed it up best when he said:
"They are loud, but they really don't have a sound, they just hum"
I think this is what most Vette guys are looking for, but I would like to have a more throaty gurgle without a drone like my Mustang has.

All in all, there is no perfect exhaust for the C6s, you have to compromise.

For me, the Magnaflows give the best blend of volume, performance, looks, and tolerability (no drone). They are not perfect, but they never bother me. I'll bet with long tube headers they would really sound good.

With the top down I loved the Bullets, but unfortunately I do not have that luxury more than 50% of the year. With the top and windows up they can cause serious hearing damage.

One thing, there is no way I am adding weight and putting dynamat in my car to tame the exhaust.

Howard

 

There has to be a technical reason why. Again, it's the same exact engine that's in the gorgeous sounding GTO. It's not the engine. And it's not just C6's IMO either. I think C-4's, 5's and 6's all have the same or similar sound, and it's not bubbly/gurgly luscious V-8 sound. I want to figure out why. When I finally get mine I will, one way or another, but I think there needs to be another chamber/resonator in there somewhere.

 

The way I see it, a Vette doesn't have a trunk; The exhaust sound goes right thru to the cabin.

 

I had a Monza Mirage (hatchback... no trunk) with a V8 and a nice aftermarket set up.... Great sound .. no resonation. C3 vettes don't have the problem either. I bet that if you extend the tips out past the rearmost point..( which is at the top of the rear facia) you would get rid of the resonance.

 

I'm glad you didn't say C4 Vettes. I have an '88, I put a Borla catback, and I could've written your original post

I put 2 layers of dynomat under the rear carpet, plus another type of sound deadener, finally its OK. Dynomat, IMO, is not a cure-all, it just takes the 'sting' out of the exhaust sound.

I am thinking long and hard about changing the exhaust in my C6.

 

Everyone has a thought about why the C6 sounds different. Some of you have stated that the GTO with the same motor sounds better. There's one key issue here I haven't seen anyone talk about and that is 'The placement of the Mufflers'. I don't know this for certain, but I'll bet the mufflers on the GTO are not right at the rear of the car like they are in the C6. Can anyone confirm this?

I do know for a fact that the sound is definitely affected by the location of the mufflers. If the mufflers on the C6 were somehow moved up let's say under the passenger compartment, the sound would change. Would it be better or worse, your guess is as good as mine!

With the mufflers placed farther forward, you then have the rest of the pipe leading out to the back of the car and I think this might be where the different sound comes from.

Just a guess.

 

I can tell you one thing... When I bought my old 69 the (under car not sidepipes) exhaust was missing the tip extensions and the drone uas unbearable on our 1100 mile trip home with it. The first thing I did was put the correct length tips on which looked way too long BTW and it took away ALL of the drone and resonance. Exit point is a major factor too.

 

I've had a 75 Vette, a 92 Vette, a 93 Vette Vert, a 96 Vette, a 2000 Vette, a 2001 Vette Vert 6 speed, and my 2005 C6 Vert.

They all sounded TAME from the factory.

I tried Dynomax mufflers on my 93 taking a friend's advice.
Result - TAME, no difference in sound. There was a performance difference.

I tried Borla mufflers on my 96.
It was deep and bassy, but I don't remember it being an annoying drone like my C6 with Bullets.

With my 2001, I tried the A&A exhaust mod.
Result - still sounded TAME

You would think I would have learned by now, but I actually ponied up almost $1000 to buy the B&B Bullets for my C8.
Result - NOT TAME, but DRONED unbearably.

The only reason I did not go back to the TAME stock system is I got a GREAT deal on a used Magnaflow #15884 system.
Result - Thankfully louder with no drone, but not quite aggressive enough for me. But, at least it is better than stock and the car is still enjoyable to drive from inside and sounds decent outside.

This exhaust thing is a sore spot with me.
It has resulted in me trading every Vette I have owned in on a more AGGRESSIVE, often not as good performing car, such as a Trans Am, Mustang, etc....

I know for a fact that FORD has engineers who specifically work on tuning the exhaust sounds, obviously Chevy does not with the Vette or they think we all like getting manicures

Chevy and Pontiac made the Trans Am and Z28 sound pretty good with just one muffler, but the Vette always gets the Buick mufflers.

BTW - just so you don't think I only pick on Vettes, one of the reasons I traded my Viper GTS in on the C6 was that the Viper did not have that cool V8 sound I love. The bigger reason was that it was not very comfortable for me with my bad back.

Howard

 

Oh man, if you guys think a Corvette doesn't sound all that great, be thankful that you don't have a Viper. My buddie's Viper just doesn't sound like much at all. It has to be those 10 cylinders. He has installed three different exhaust setups in an error the get his car to sound like the monster it is BUT so far, the sound is weak. Obviously it has to do with the 2 extra cylinders and what they add to the exhaust tone.

When he heard the sound of my Flowmasters, he told me he was going the get rid of the Viper and buy a Vette because he was tired of the wimpy sound of his Viper.

I THINK he was kidding!

One more word on the Mustang or Fords having a different sound. It may be that Ford spends more time tuning the exhaust note but I also think some of the sound difference comes from engine design. We're talking about two different manufacturers here and there are design differences between them. I garantee that if you put the exact same exhaust setup on any Chevy V8 and any Ford V8, they will sound different from each other. Things to consider are timing, combustion chamber shape, exhaust porting, firing order, and the list goes on.

It's like comparing apples to oranges.

 

FYI... While I'm sure that Ford does have people working on the exhaust sound of their cars.... I'd be willing to wager GM does as well.

The "cool" sound of the Fords vs the sound of our cars has EVERYTHING to do with the different firing order of the Ford V8.

Just sign me,
Violet (former Mustang afficionado)

 

how is the c6 seat on your back?

 

The C6 seat is GREAT!!!

I can drive for 2 hours and get out feeling better than when I first got in.

It is a very comfortable car.

Howard

 

The more of these post I read the more I like my stock system.