Exhaust Opinion: Resonator replacements w/ bullet muffler

[DirtyD]

The excellent first sound of the GT500s over the stock exhaust has worn off on my after about a year. I have been tossing around the idea of replacing my resonators with a simple bullet style muffler while maintaining my GT500s. I am currently running the stock midpipe, but I do plan on upgrading to an ORH in the future. I don't want it to be ridiculously loud (like A Roush exhaust) before or after the ORH, just a little louder.

Basically looking to merge Johnathan's exhaust with a standard exhaust.

What are y'all's thoughts and opinions on how this may sound?

[Grandpa]

I love my o/r H and gt500 combo with stock resonators. It's not loud at all just driving around. Sounds great at WOT but can still be almost be as quiet as stock cruising in 6th gear on the highway.

One of the guys you were cruising with on Friday night his car was crazy loud. I rode in Merlins car too and just cruising down the highway it was still pretty loud. While it sounds pretty good, I'd get tired of it that loud all the time.

In my opinion, I think the O/R H, gt500's with stock resonators is perfect balance between muscle car sound but not obnoxiously loud.

[46Tbird]

You won't notice any change. Bullet mufflers are perforated metal surrounded by a fiber packing material... which is exactly what resonators are. In fact, the Bullet mufflers are intended to be the only muffling device on an exhaust system so there's a pretty good chance your car will be even quieter with them.

Steve is on the right track. I would ditch my Boss 302 quad exhaust if I could run a catless H or X pipe. However, I don't want to run a tune for now.

[re-rx7]

I love my o/r H and gt500 combo with stock resonators. It's not loud at all just driving around. Sounds great at WOT but can still be almost be as quiet as stock cruising in 6th gear on the highway.

One of the guys you were cruising with on Friday night his car was crazy loud. I rode in Merlins car too and just cruising down the highway it was still pretty loud. While it sounds pretty good, I'd get tired of it that loud all the time.

In my opinion, I think the O/R H, gt500's with stock resonators is perfect balance between muscle car sound but not obnoxiously loud.
Agrred thats what im trying to stay away from as well. Having owned alot of straight pipe cars it wears on your ears hearing it all the time. I though about the GT500 Over axle pipes to deete the resonator but decided that it will probally be to loud when I get my offroad H. Steve, is your car loud at WOT and how do you like the H vs the X?

[rriddle3]

If you have the GT500s, why not just remove the resonators and see how you like that? If it's not enough, you can take it from that point.

[Grandpa]

Agrred thats what im trying to stay away from as well. Having owned alot of straight pipe cars it wears on your ears hearing it all the time. I though about the GT500 Over axle pipes to deete the resonator but decided that it will probally be to loud when I get my offroad H. Steve, is your car loud at WOT and how do you like the H vs the X?

I suppose it depends on what your personal definition of loud is. I think it sounds pretty good at WOT, but it's no where near as loud as some of these other guys cars who are really loud. An opinion of what is loud or what sounds good really comes down to personal preference. If I wanted a super loud race car sound, I would have just stuck with foxbodies. TO ME, I think it takes away from how nice these cars are when making them super loud.

I personally prefer the H pipe because of its deeper tone and less raspy noise. The H pipe gives the car more of a deep muscle car tone versus the X that gives a higher pitched tone. My wife's Mach has an X pipe and its quite abit more raspy, but that is in part of the 4.6 motor.

Of all the years of Mustangs I've had, I think these new 5.0's are the hardest to get to sound just right. I love the classic Flowmaster sound of the foxbodies. I've heard just about every combo possible for these new 5.0's and I think the OR-H/gt500 is about as close to that as you can get with these high winding multi-cam motors.

[re-rx7]

I suppose it depends on what your personal definition of loud is. I think it sounds pretty good at WOT, but it's no where near as loud as some of these other guys cars who are really loud. An opinion of what is loud or what sounds good really comes down to personal preference. If I wanted a super loud race car sound, I would have just stuck with foxbodies. TO ME, I think it takes away from how nice these cars are when making them super loud.

I personally prefer the H pipe because of its deeper tone and less raspy noise. The H pipe gives the car more of a deep muscle car tone versus the X that gives a higher pitched tone. My wife's Mach has an X pipe and its quite abit more raspy, but that is in part of the 4.6 motor.

Of all the years of Mustangs I've had, I think these new 5.0's are the hardest to get to sound just right. I love the classic Flowmaster sound of the foxbodies. I've heard just about every combo possible for these new 5.0's and I think the OR-H/gt500 is about as close to that as you can get with these high winding multi-cam motors.

I think we have the same taste in exhaust noise. I absolutely loved the way that the 4.6 motors sound with exhaust. Im choosing the Hpipe to get away from the raspiness.

[Midnight11]

remove the resonators or just get an offroad h pipe

[re-rx7]

remove the resonators or just get an offroad h pipe

The plan is O/R H and leave stock Res. I think that will be plenty loud.

[DirtyD]

I love my o/r H and gt500 combo with stock resonators. It's not loud at all just driving around. Sounds great at WOT but can still be almost be as quiet as stock cruising in 6th gear on the highway.

One of the guys you were cruising with on Friday night his car was crazy loud. I rode in Merlins car too and just cruising down the highway it was still pretty loud. While it sounds pretty good, I'd get tired of it that loud all the time.

In my opinion, I think the O/R H, gt500's with stock resonators is perfect balance between muscle car sound but not obnoxiously loud.
Which one? LOL Every single one of them were loud as hell. Haha.

I'm wanting a little louder tone, but not obnoxious like you said. I guess the ORH will probably do the trick if I just hang out and wait.

You won't notice any change. Bullet mufflers are perforated metal surrounded by a fiber packing material... which is exactly what resonators are. In fact, the Bullet mufflers are intended to be the only muffling device on an exhaust system so there's a pretty good chance your car will be even quieter with them.

Steve is on the right track. I would ditch my Boss 302 quad exhaust if I could run a catless H or X pipe. However, I don't want to run a tune for now.
Yeah, I know they are similar, but I figured they may give a little more volume. Johnathan's car is running bullets pre-axle on his car, and it's pretty damn loud without ABs on it.

If you have the GT500s, why not just remove the resonators and see how you like that? If it's not enough, you can take it from that point.
GT500s with no resonators are raspy. They will also pop like crazy on decel without an OR midpipe, which will only get worse when that is added to the mix.

[rriddle3]

...GT500s with no resonators are raspy. They will also pop like crazy on decel without an OR midpipe, which will only get worse when that is added to the mix.
I guess raspy is in the ear of the listener. Mine don't sound raspy to me, and mine definitely does not pop on decel without resonators. Whatever.

[DirtyD]

I guess raspy is in the ear of the listener. Mine don't sound raspy to me, and mine definitely do not pop on decel without resonators. Whatever.
All the ones I've heard sound this way, but I may want to give yours another listen. I only heard it briefly a few times.

[Midnight11]

The plan is O/R H and leave stock Res. I think that will be plenty loud.

its alright, already had that combo. was too quiet and sounded like everyone else to me..

[Grandpa]

sounded like everyone else to me..

Wait..wut. Now the sound needs to be "different" too? Ok, I'm drawing the line there. That's crazy. lmao.

[Midnight11]

Wait..wut. Now the sound needs to be "different" too? Ok, I'm drawing the line there. That's crazy. lmao.

when we had that first softball practice and 4 out of the 5 had gt500s yea i wanted a different sound.

like i said though mostly too quiet for me

[re-rx7]

The only difference I really hear is the loudness and raspiness. Also, more 5.0's use the X then the H from what ive seen.

[DirtyD]

The only difference I really hear is the loudness and raspiness. Also, more 5.0's use the X then the H from what ive seen.

Most guys want to be loud as shit, so they get an x pipe. I want to have a good tone to the car and sound muscular, so I'm going H pipe

[re-rx7]

Most guys want to be loud as shit, so they get an x pipe. I want to have a good tone to the car and sound muscular, so I'm going H pipe

TRUF!!!:headbang:

[Toby]

Removing the resonators makes these cars sound like crap IMO. Regardless of the muffler, it sounds really raspy.

[46Tbird]

Most guys want to be loud as shit, so they get an x pipe. I want to have a good tone to the car and sound muscular, so I'm going H pipe

That's an interesting take on it, considering that for the past 20 years, H-pipes and straight pipes are what you used to make exhaust loud. The X-pipes tend to mute the volume and give a more exotic sound, similar to 180* headers without the complexity. Of course I'm talking about same pipe diameter, material, and cat configuration. I think that "loud as shit" sound comes from cheap catless X-pipes with whatever insane mufflers are flavor de jour.

I'm not sure I would change it up, as GT500s sound great on otherwise stock exhaust. IMO.

[Courtesy Flush]

I agree with most, leave the resonators alone and keep the gt500's. Go with whatever offroad pipe that suits your fancy if you want more sound. You have an sct so seems like the most cost effective move.

[DirtyD]

Removing the resonators makes these cars sound like crap IMO. Regardless of the muffler, it sounds really raspy.
Yeah, that is one thing that is a downer about these cars is the raspiness of the exhaust.

That's an interesting take on it, considering that for the past 20 years, H-pipes and straight pipes are what you used to make exhaust loud. The X-pipes tend to mute the volume and give a more exotic sound, similar to 180* headers without the complexity. Of course I'm talking about same pipe diameter, material, and cat configuration. I think that "loud as shit" sound comes from cheap catless X-pipes with whatever insane mufflers are flavor de jour.

I'm not sure I would change it up, as GT500s sound great on otherwise stock exhaust. IMO.
I've heard cars with exhaust mufflers and exhaust mods as each other with X and H and it was much louder with the X it seemed.

I agree with most, leave the resonators alone and keep the gt500's. Go with whatever offroad pipe that suits your fancy if you want more sound. You have an sct so seems like the most cost effective move.
I think that is what I will do.

Thanks for the thoughts, fellas.

[PLASMAN]

I love my o/r H and gt500 combo with stock resonators. It's not loud at all just driving around. Sounds great at WOT but can still be almost be as quiet as stock cruising in 6th gear on the highway.

One of the guys you were cruising with on Friday night his car was crazy loud. I rode in Merlins car too and just cruising down the highway it was still pretty loud. While it sounds pretty good, I'd get tired of it that loud all the time.

In my opinion, I think the O/R H, gt500's with stock resonators is perfect balance between muscle car sound but not obnoxiously loud.

+1 I agree

[DirtyD]

I was able to find someone on SVTP that has the exact, and I mean EXACT setup I am looking at. Sounds damn good if you ask me.

Steve, maybe you should do it too. Haha

AT-EVDpdMwU

[Grandpa]

Steve, maybe you should do it too. Haha



Nah. I'll leave my resonators on. I like it the way it is now with just the gt500s/lethal H. My car is a lil more mellow than that and doesn't pop like that one does.

[DirtyD]

Nah. I'll leave my resonators on. I like it the way it is now with just the gt500s/lethal H. My car is a lil more mellow than that and doesn't pop like that one does.
I'm waiting for him to post a driving video, so it may not be that poppy while driving. Even my GT500s now will pop when revved on idle.

[fordplay]

Am I only one that likes the exhaust to crackle and pop?? Here is my current sound.. had my axle backs done here... I want to keep the same volume when I remove the cats.. so I think I agree with the gt500 and res https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiLnci6JQ4M&feature=youtube_gdata_player

[Dark Pony]

A) the Spiral Flows were something I ran before I had long tubes. I knew it was going to be too loud that way when I put the long tubes on, so I changed it.

B) Right before I put long tubes on, I blew out the welds in one of the mufflers, so I bought a set of street series Magnaflows. To your question, I put the Magnaflows on the car while still having the Spiral Flows on...this was my attempt to quiet down the rattling noise from the muffler. I literally could not hear the car idle. It was so flipping quiet, I thought I had a Prius.

C) I run Dynatech long tubes, o/r x pipe, no resonators with Ford Racing AB's now and I absolutely love it. Not too loud, but not too quiet.

Derek, just go cut off the resonators. It's not going to be too loud.

For the record, guys typically don't go buy x pipes just because they're too loud. They buy them because of the flow characteristics at higher RPM's.