Alright well I put cast headers on my flat six in my Plymouth then had 2" exhaust run with no muflers coming out through a set of fish tail tips. Now I knew it was going to be loud but bout the only way I can describe is it sounds like a bomber airplane. However I don't mind and frankly enjoy the hell out of it but Johnny Law doesn't like it, I've been followed several times with no tickets yet. But one quiz I don't know is do those flat sixes need more back pressure?? And if so I'll go with a glass pack style muffler but what difference does it make on lenght of the muffler? Or what the hell do you all think!!
I'm messing with an old glass pack that I cut open and removed all of the packing and the baffle. I need to shorten it some and weld it back. I'll be going on my '63 Dodge running a 225 /6. Right now, I have 3' of exhaust pipe and it's actually too quiet.
I run a single straight pipe on my Dodge flat six. I don't think it's to loud. With that long of a pipe u should have more than enough back pressure. The longer the cherry bomb is the quieter it will be.
It's never loud enough, man. Just tell the cops it's breaking down or something, and drive off. Might also avoid driving it at like, 2 am or something..
I couldn't have said it better myself!! But also its tough to avoid driving around at 2 am as well cause some nights are just late nights.
If those Harley owners can get away with the pipes they run cars should be able to run open headers. I have yet to hear a car on the street louder than the some of those Harleys.
Can it be too loud? Yes. Might it sound good even if it is too loud? Sometimes. Should you be surprised if you get unwanted attention from "the Man" if your pipes are too loud? I don't think so....
Had a 34' Coupe pull in the other night at a favorite cruise spot. Blown sbc with zoomies. It may sound cool when he pulled in, but it got on your nerves when he just sat there with the engine running.
I love a good sounding car but if you are going to be driving it a lot, be aware that you will incur hearing damage if the decibles are too much. I am 60 years old and now I value the hearing I have left! If your ears ring after a drive, you have damaged your hearing. It is cumulative and being deaf sucks when you are gettin old. I love loud pipes but I wear ear protection. Buy foam ear plugs and go with the good sound! If you keep off the throttle around the man, it shouldn't be too much problem.
i've had a little experience here and i would have to say........NO ! ! ! ! it also keeps me from talkin on the phone while i'm driving! and there's nothin like startin up in the middle of an awards ceramony and driving out........oh man, maybe that's why that club never likes me at their shows.
Can it be too loud? YOU BET IT CAN. When i first built my 322 ci GMC six in my model a i ran two pipes right off the manifold ( split) was the most god awefull sound i ever heard. Finally had to install a couple glass packs. On the other hand we built a ( Krylon Special) with a slant six and run a straight pipe off the manifold and it sounds really nice . Must depend on the pipe and the engine??
instead of just running the pipes straight out you throw in a few bends here and there. My roadster is running 3 1/2 inch headers and then reduced to 2 1/2 pipe. there is absoluty no silencer/muffler. all I did was go back then kicked them up right in front of the rear axle and then back. Eack bend is about 45 degrees. at idle she sounds great but you can hear me come'n when i got my foot in it. i don't know how well this would work on your car but i guess it's something to think about.
The only thing I noticed about a loud exhaust, at least for my beater truck... crusing down the highway with it without the muffler on, the drone of it gives me a headache. Or maybe it's the carbon monoxide. It's not super loud that way, it still has a cat on there, but 70-75 MPH gave just the right pulse to be annoying. Either way, after I got to where I was going I hit an Advanced Auto and bought a piece of pipe and fixed it right there in the parking lot the last time it fell off... I wasn't going to drive 150 miles home with no muffler and it dumping out right under me.
I agree with you guys on open header cars and harleys getting annoying, but its nice cause my cause is quite mellow at idle and just off idle. It doesn't sound like a war plane till you get into it or getting onto the highway. And I also agree, Fuck the police and hell with the neighbors. They can put up with noisy exhaust every so often, I shovel their sidewalk when it snows. And here's a couple pics of the tips and diff bumper. I'm just proud of my work.
My short answer would be yes. I built a set of lakes headers for my old Ford wit all the tubes inserted into the center of the cone so each pulse would pull a vaccum and suck the next out. I could drive from my house to the corner convenience store(about a 1 mi round trip) and my head would ring for 30 mins or so,even with ear plugs in. The single loudest exhaust system I've ever encountered. Hell fuel cars don't even hurt my ears anymore but them damn lakes headers sure as hell did.
You can always tell a quality built motor by it's sound. What I've witnessed at the annual Laconia bike races is something similar, where those who need to impress, end up diminishing their effect by running open pipes on an otherwise stock motor. The well built motors have an authoritive note to their exhaust. Usually they are run somewhat quiet. I expect and am prepared, for open pipes at the track. Hearing damage has away of changing your perspective, and yet I still appreciate good work.
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