I have had Flowmaster Hushpower II mufflers on a 55 Bird with a mild built 312, 2 1/2 in and 2 out with 2 inch pipes. It had the sound of the 50s but without an H pipe it did rap (I do like that).
My new combo with horsepower I have 3 inch pipes all the way and out the bumper like the bird was designed with the Flowmaster Pro Series. They are pretty loud but sound really good. Both of these mufflers do not sound like the 40s and 50s Flowmasters at all, they are made with what they call laminar flow and are pretty much a straight through low resistant muffler.

  Vic Correnti

I know that every so called car expert hates Flowmasters, but I have a set on my Black Supercharged Sedan and I could not be more pleased with the sound.   It does have a nice throaty idle, but under full throttle it is not too loud so I can get on it and not get arrested. My '57 has the early two chamber version, but only has muffler shop bent 2 1/4" pipe with a crossover and tundowns under the rear bumper.  I have a set of Jerry Christinson's headers, 352c,i., Mummert heads, and a 112 L.C. 254/260 duration Isky cam so I would not consider my motor mild.  I do feel the small long pipes are surely hurting my horsepower with my aggressive engine combo. Yes, there are better flowing mufflers than FlowMasters, but I really hate the rumbling(new covette sounding) magnaflows.   Even the droan on the highway is acceptable with my combo, but my car has a lot of sound deadner under the carpet.  I still can remember the GlassPacks that were on the car when I first got it. It sounded like a UPS truck.   When I changed to the 2 1/4" pipe and Flowmasters, even with stock exhaust manifolds and a mild motor, it instantly sounded so much better.   I am planning to change the pipe to a 2 1/2 Mandrel Bent system, so I wonder what affect that will have on the sound and performance.

On another note, I have 2 1/2"pipe, a crossover,  2 chamber Flo's, stock exhaust manifolds, and large cam on my wife's '69 428cj Mach1 and it does have the annoying droan on th highway and is just plaint too loud, especially at ide.  Totally different sound. Maybe the larger pipe, high compression, and large cam contributes to the noise.  But it that situation, my wife loves the sounds as it is very intimidating.

I've been using Summit's 2 1/2" turbo mufflersSonic Turbos) on some big block Shelby's and my '57 460/TBird.  They had throaty idles, and were not too loud under full acceleration, and without the droan. Once again I'm sur ethey gave up some power, but I like them a lot for a regularly driven muscle car.

My message is here is don't always overlook FlowMasters or Sonic Turbos, as with moderate HP, the right sized pipe(bigger the pipe, the louder it will be), and a crossover tube they can sound great without sounding like a rice burner(MagnaFlows) or cackling glasspacks.




Pat Fleischman

I'd go Porters or Smithy's. I've got Smithy's on my wagon and I get alot of compliments on how it sounds. I'm real happy with how it sounds. I have never liked the tin can sound of the Magna Flow mufflers. They sound horrible even on new cars.

Durham Missouri

Hi BamaBob

Hope this works. Here's a link to my Parklane with Porters. I really like them, they mellow out at speed. I have an H pipe too. Sorry the video isn't longer or I didn't jump on the accelerator harder.

Roll tide!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3oYGG3cUIZ8


MplsMike
'56 Parklane
Minneapolis, MN

I have been thinking about using Porter mufflers on my 55 Fairlane, 292 yblock with dual exhaust, cast iron manifolds. They sound good reading about them, but has anybody had any real life experience with them? How did they do - sound quality, durability,etc.? Thanks!

The magnaflows are probably what's known as Turbo mufflers.  They have a straight through design like a glass pack, but are not a glass pack.

I've only used 2 mufflers so far, Flowtech Purple Hornies Glass packs and Hooker Aerochamber.  2 1/2" pipes from header to muffler, with an X-pipe, for both.  Purple Hornies are 3" in/out, header flange mount.  Aerochamber are 2 1/2" in/out.  Turn downs for both, no tailpipe.
Idle sound level is about the same.  Cruise and wide open, the glass packs are much louder.  The exhaust note seemed about the same, only varying sound level.

The Purple Hornies on my current engine are intolerable.  Even short trips would have my ears ringing.  I did use them on a smaller displacement, lower compression, and less free-breathing engine with an H-pipe and it was tolerable.

The problem with this info is that the sound level is largely dependent on the performance level of the engine, and exhaust tube sizing.  So you may not experience my results, unless you have the exact same setup.

Regarding bypassing the mufflers, there are many products for that, from a simple cap that you unscrew to electrically controlled that open with the push of a button.
Frank Rice has an F-code which he has an X-pipe installed and he says it runs no different with or without mufflers.  In that case, messing with cutouts would not even be necessary.  But he has  a full size car and I have a truck, so lots more room to work with.  I have not tested that with my truck.


Lawrenceville, GA

I have the 2” In – 2” Out Smitty’s on both my ’50 Custom with a Flattie and my ’55 Customline with the 272.  Both cars have a nice mellow sound without being too loud.  I have the 3” In – 3” Out chambered Magnaflow look-alikes on my ’66 Fairlane with a 390 and it’s simply loud.  Not popping loud but just a loud roar.  My dyno headers for the Y engines have DynaFlo straight thru mufflers on them and have held up well now for eight years.  These mufflers were also on three of the engines used in previous EMC competitions as in this case, the headers actually make better power numbers with the mufflers on the headers than running the headers without mufflers.. 

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)

Back in '68 I had a set of those "firing order specific" Hedman tri-y's. Good headers.

I've got a set of FPA 4 tubes on my bird now. 2 1/4", with Hushmasters in the original location under the X frame. I had to add a set of resonators at the back, they were just too rappy under power or down a hill. I had a set of Stainless Specialties on before with the Red's tri-y's and 2" pipes. Doing it again, I'd pay the price to have Stainless build me a pair in 2 1/4". They were great on the bird, and great on my F-code roadster with 2 1/2" pipes.

My buddy has a set of Smitty's (Smithy's?) on his scrub, and they sound great. 2" pipe, no H pipe, 350cid mild motor.

Edit.

I had my headers coated by the same outfit in Auburn WA that FPA used then. Been fine for years. But my headers were run by Ted on his Dyno before coating. 12 pulls if I remember correctly. They said they were the cleanest, most burned in set they'd ever seen. Good to know they're standing behind the work.

miker
55 bird, 32 cabrio F code
Kent, WA
Tucson, AZ

A comment about the FPA headers.
I opted for the additional cost of the ceramic coating which after 3 years has turned to shit.
Pitts and rust popping thru in a garage kept car is unacceptable in my book.
To there credit they said they would recoat for free if I shipped the tubes back to them.

On some of my other cars I have used Jet Hot for their ceramic coating. I will be sending my FPA headers to Jet Hot and have them do the ceramic coating.

Thats my story. Oldmics

The Magnaflos I looked at today were straight thu.  No baffels that I could see. You may be talking about Flowmasters. I have heard complaints about the sound of them before.