Sound of the Mustang V8?

[JD@af]

On a job back in August, I was stationed by route 6 in Bristol, Connecticut, all day, for the entire week. I was forded the opportunity to listen to many different automobile engines as the cars passed by. I was struck by the stand-out sound of the Mustang V8 that week, how its sound if fairly unique, and certainly sounds much better in my opinion than GM V8's I heard in Corvettes and Camaros. I wonder if this is a result of the Mustang V8's smaller displacement (4.6 liters versus 5.7 liters), or if it is due to the fact that Ford V8's employ a different cylinder firing order than most manufacturers use?

[paul]

It could be upgraded exhausts. That is the VERY first thing besides gears a Mustang will do. I have had Dynomax 2 1/2, and Flowmaster exhausts on my too before.

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- Lotus -
For The Few Who Know The Difference

[Dimex]

Well, it might be the exhaust systems. The Camaro's don't actually use dual exhaust...it's split, but it's just from one pipe. Is the 'Stang GT true dual exhaust?

Edited by: Dimex

[Dimex]

I love the sound of a V8 with some nice cam work down. Love how they miss, and roar, and grumble.

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1 Corinthians 7:14


Edited by: Dimex

[formulator]

The mustang sounds so different becasue of it's true dual exhaust. The Mustang has one pipe coming off of each exhaust manifold, into a cat (unless you have an offroad h-pipe or x-pipe) then into a muffler and out the tip. The pipes are connected somewhere in the middle to equalize the exhaust pressure. I once wanted a mustang (when I had no idea what kind of power the GM LT1 puts out. ) and still like some of the older ones. It's true that they have a very unique exhaust note, I can tell one from down the street without looking.

My formula and all trans ams and Z28 camaros have a pipe off each header (with one or two cats depending on the year) that forms a y-pipe and goes into an intermediate pipe (single 2.75" pipe stock and 3" or 4" on aftermarket cat-backs), goes over the axle and into a muffler and out the tips. My car has the stock exhaust system with an exhaust dump tube that bypasses the muffler, it really sounds badass. you can hear some sounds of what my car sounds like on this site:

http://www.skull-leader.cz28.com/cgi...3/exhaust.html

It's not my car but it sounds exactly the same.

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'96 Firebird Formula
Da Sauce

Edited by: formulator

[JD@af]

formulator

Sounds good, and thanks for the explanation. I am not all up on Mustangs and Camaros, as I like Hondas, but I have heard that in general pound for pound and dollar for dollar, the GM V8's usually win in racing (not exactly fair, since they compare similarly in most aspects, except that Ford uses a 4.6 and GM uses a 5.7. Even when tuned for the same peak horsepower, the 5.7's torque gives it the advantage it needs to edge out the 4.6.

[flylwsi]

i dont know...
it cant be just the exh, b/c even the 5.0 mustangs sound the same.
and i know of some pretty wildass 5 liter cars w/ headers, x pipes, you name it... they all have the similar sound that tells you it is a mustang, w/o having to see it... i think it may be the firing order thing, or at least something other than the exh. you can run no exh and it sound the same. and true duals on any other car (at least not a ford w/ a five oh) doesnt sound like it.... hmmm...

[Tony 96 Cobra]

Formulator,

If you like the LT1 power, you should drive a lightly modded Fox Coupe w/ 3.73 or 4.10 gears.. It will blow you off your feet.. One of my good friends just got rid of his 97 Formula M6. I helped him with all his mods and was still smiling and glad I had a stang when I got back into it.. He even admitted it was more fun to drive.. Damn, I miss that car.. needless to say, with exhaust, pullies and gears on my 93 coupe w/ 165,000 miles, I was beating his LT1 w/ exhaust, pulleys, roller rockers, CAI, Lingenfelter Tbody, and 8mm wires..

Have you driven a Ford lately?

[Ktulu]

I read somewhere that Ford actually tried to make the sound the same when it switched to the modular engine in 96. They also kept the power outage the same at 225 which isn't very impressive. I personally believe that the 99+ gts and cobras (at least the 01' anyway) are the best production stangs ever. True they may not be quite as fast as the big ls1 but they still get really close to the 13 second range (the cobra gets a 13.8 with the gt at just over 14). They also handle quite a bit better, especially the cobra with it's independent suspension in the rear. The reason the 5.0 became so popular was because it is so easy to make power. Check out corral.net forums for some real late model mustang enthusiasts.
For bang for the buck, the mustang simply can not be beat. Well, maybe with the exception of the mighty Zo6 (droollll, .97g on skidpad bone stock, titanium mufflers, 365 horseis, all for 50 grand).:bandit:

[flylwsi]

note...
the zo6 has 385 hp, (now 405 for 2002)

[Ktulu]

my mistake:sun:

[LiuBei]

Just because they sound good doesn't make them fast. A common assumption by mustang owners.

[Trigger351]

another common assumption by Mustang owners is that you are a DICK... This one seems to be based on FACT

[LiuBei]

You seem to know so much about me. Hell did you go to High School with me?

[MustangBellezx6r]

ooooo you mean the SAME misconception that leads kiddies to put big ugly fart cans on their 4 cylinder econoboxes and leads them to think that these 30+ mpg BEASTS are fast. Right Can't tell me differently...I own one as well. And if you say, well..a STOCK civic isn't fast, well neither is a mustang. And mine, is not stock