glasspacks

[youngW/69nova]

what do you guys think of glass pack mufflers??? do they make a lot of hp or just a loud sound i really dont know much about them but i'm looking for a new muffler and what do you guys think??

[AlmostStock]

Newer technology performance mufflers will make a little more power (and cost more) than old school glasspacks, but it would probably be hard to notice the power difference as long as you run duals. Hang out on cruise night and find out what cars that sound nice to you are running.

[silicon212]

Glasspacks don't make any power and in fact, reduce top end power. This is because glasspacks are very, very restrictive. But wait, you say, you can see straight through it, how can that be restrictive? It's the "cheesegrater" on the inside of the pipe, it sets up turbulence and limits flow.

[bobss396]

Don't laugh, but it worked. I got this brainstorm one day and made my own "mufflers" using 2 large baby formula cans and a piece of straight pipe per unit.

First, I cut out one end from each can and drilled a hole to allow me to pass the pipe through the bottom of the cans. I rolled a piece of sheet steel stock to make a ring to join the open ends of the cans. Tack welded it in place and had someone MIG weld them up for me.

The result is that it LOOKED like a muffler. I gave it a coat of VHT header paint and it would pass for a Thrush. It was loud as heck on the street and probably way too much work but it was fun.

Bob

[AlmostStock]

Originally Posted by silicon212

Glasspacks don't make any power and in fact, reduce top end power. This is because glasspacks are very, very restrictive. But wait, you say, you can see straight through it, how can that be restrictive? It's the "cheesegrater" on the inside of the pipe, it sets up turbulence and limits flow.

I agree. Even so, I still believe they have to out flow OEM style mufflers. Plus they are very inexpensive and have a timeless sound that can't be matched with new technology. They do tend to get louder over time, but for the price you can just buy a new set when this happens. Having said that, I would only use them on an 60's or older car built for the period.

[bobss396]

We used to use resonators as alternatives to mufflers. I had a buddy in a muffler shop and let's say that the price was very right. They sounded ok and deffo were less restrictive and smaller than a stock muffler.

Bob

[NOVA71]

My vote is for Flowmasters. I've read that the only thing that out flows em are Borla, but borlas are pretty pricey. Flowmasters in my opinion sound awesome, aren't too expensive, and they don't have that matting crap inside them that will absorb moisture and cause them to rot. So they last a very long tome. My 71 has had them on it for 10 years now and they are holding up fine. I've got 2.5 inch duals with no tail pipes, just turndown in front of the rear axle. It's quite amusing cruising around town and setting off car alarms from the rumble of my exhaust idling by. Now that's a sweet sounding exhaust!