SBC chevy 350, only "upgrades if you will" from the previous owner was an 1406 carb and an edelbrock performer intake... plan to pull it this weekend and decide how to spin of the base... a buddy was trying ot sell me some later model vortec head but I would have ot change out intake so I dont know yet. Mainly just plan on stripping her down- checkin out the inside and then new seals and fluids for now. Maybe 2" pipes unless you guys think its overkill.
It already has a brand new exhaust on her- new as in picked up from the shop the day I picked her up from the guy. Has 2"s going to some quiet mufflers... not my style anyway! I like a little more rumble, but the pipes are there now. I am up for 2 1/4 though if better.
A buddy of mine told me He blew his smithy's out. He swears they are the cheapest out there, but he is running a big cam, from what he tells me. Me personally, I think on going with cherry bombs on my 35.
I've got 2 1/2 inch pipes and 30" cherrybombs. The truck isn't loud or obnoxious, but people feel it when I pull up. It sounds like most of the hot rod/muscle cars around here did in the 70s. Best thing is the cops don't give me a second glance.
I went to what I was told was a distributor of Cherry Bombs, via the internet. I asked for the length and diameter muffler. The guy came out with a box that had the "Wood Pecker" from Thrush on it. I questioned the guy about Thrush and Cherry Bomb. He asked what I wanted. I said "Lemme try the Cherry Bombs" He grabbed 2 Cherry Bomb stickers from under the counter and put them in the box. He said. "Same thing different box. I'm outta the Cherry Bomb box, but you can still have the sticker" Could have been a line. I don't know. Zilla!
I have used on most of my cars, the old fashioned corvair turbo muffler by any manufacturer. They last long and I grew up on that sound.........
I am gonna run a cherry bomb on my 50 buick cause i believe they are cheaper to buy. But i wouldnt mind buyin me a smittys to put in someday.
Cherry Bombs are made in Texas and therefore are my first choice. Plus they sound bad ass and I'll always use them. People bitch about the sound of a glasspack...but, like any other exhaust system, the sound all depends on the motor, exhaust tubing size, placement of mufflers, length of pipe, etc, etc, etc.
I have to agree with you there, those old round can Thrushes just bolted to a set of headers, or run at the back and out in front of the back wheels were the best sounding muffler ever bar none. I miss them too, I had header mufflers and short dumps behind the cab on my truck, beastly sounding. They just had a boom to them no one else has ever matched.
I have two similar four cylinder motors one has a 2" pipe with a cherry bomb the other has 2-1/2" with a short Thrush Stainless race muffler. The cherry bomb sounds like a car with a bad muffler that might fall off at any moment. The thrush is much more mellow and melodious.
Just to clearify some info in this post.... I believe that THRUSH did or does still make a bullet muffler that MIGHT actually be the same as a Cherry Bomb...but the "old" THRUSH tin can style muffler was a different beast entirely. Put you in mind of a Smittys muffler in shape. Rolled, folded and pleated just like an old soup can!
Yep. And man they sounded good. Especially with a big cam and a bunch of compression. I used to get excessive noise tickets sometimes. When you whacked it, they sounded like open headers. Made a booming echo at just the right pitch. For some reason mufflers just don't sound like that anymore. They didn't rap like a long straight pipe, or wheeze and drone like Flowmaster, they had more of a deep almost sub-sonic growl to them. Mine were 2.5" pipe Thrush Cans with 3.5" header adapters that were really thick. Loved those things. A 12.5:1 440 Mopar would make wooden windows with the little panes buzz cruising by even slow.
If I remember correctly it actually mentions "THRUSH muffler" by name in our local road rules...as in...NOT allowed! Hahaha I guess you can't get them anymore except maybe on Ebay or something? A set of one-off mufflers could make a cool project. I wonder does anyone have pics of an old style THRUSH cut open so you can see the internal layout??? I wonder what was or wasn't in there....
ya, thats my 58. it really booms at idle. when yer leanin over in the trunk with it idling its like sittin in a bass drum.
I'm running HushPower mufflers from Flowmaster and they sound REALLY good. They have a nice mellow tone and a nice loud rap when you really lay into the throttle. Not really too cheap, but they are stainless steel and should last forever.
I got Some NOS old Cherry bombs at a swap meet 2 years ago. Putting them on my Nova wagon soon. It's powered by a 194 6 cylinder. A buddy made me a split manifold for it and we are going to put real duals on it. Hope it sounds good.
I picked them up- I still don't know if they are the route I will go. If not they will be up for grabs again or if you just gotta have them let me know. Hope I wasn't bidding against any of you guys. Spaz
Straight pipes or fender well headers with no pipes on my '64 gasser? I'm leanin towards the headers but are they street legal? even if it is a classic?
Ya man, the cherry bombs are thicker, and will last longer. I had a pair of thrush glasspacks on my 54 chevy in high school, and they rusted out in about 2 years....laters
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