MAC Cat back users....need your thoughts.

Mike86Stang · Jan 21, 2004

I need a new cat back mine... well fell apart
I wanted the MAC due to the fact I can install it myself
is reasonably cheap, & has chrome tails

Only concerns is this is my daily driver & it has no converters on it.
I drive through an area for work where the cops are notoriously bad,
& I don't feel like getting a "fix-it" ticket for them. Nor do I want to
go deaf driving around with them. Do they drone badly or is it livable?

Keep in mind I drive this all the time with my two young kids in the car
I don't want to damage thier hearing eigther

TIA
Mike

94_Teal_GT · Jan 21, 2004

I have a MAC Catback with MAC offroad H-pipe. I don't recommend it if you're going to have kids in the car. The drone at 2k RPM is pretty bad, loud enough to drown out the Mach 460 sound system under half volume. I drive 60 miles round trip on interstate and the drone gets on your nerves after awhile.

5.0 Mustang magazine Dec 2002, they tested a bunch of catbacks on a 370hp 5.0L, the MAC was rated at 87db idle 98db at 2k 119db at WOT.

I've never had a problem with the police. In fact, the only time my exhaust was mentioned was while my wife was driving it. A deputy pulled up next to her and motioned for her to rolldown the window. He then stated "Your Mustang sounds awesome!" She thanked him and motored off.

ONEBADPNY · Jan 21, 2004

what headers do you have? mine is not terrible with full lengths. i used to have full lengths and 3-chamber flows and it was just as loud. i think my old short headers made everything louder. just my .02.

5.0 HOtrain · Jan 21, 2004

I had mac on the 86 I used to own, wasnt too bad for the drone, sounded sweet at high rpm. Quieter than my 2 chamber flows. I am going back to mac for the 418 because they are one of the only companies that makes 3" cat back. I found the best price on that through mustangs unlimited fwiw. Good luck.
mike.

Mike86Stang · Jan 21, 2004

Well right now I have a off road H Mac unequal shortied (1-5/8th's) & the rest fell off
I don't wanna make myself or my kids deaf that's the main concern... I'd love to re-use my muffs (Hooker Max Flows) but I don't want to piece together another sytem like before just to watch it fall apart all over again.

nito88stang · Jan 21, 2004

With the stock h pipe it drones and drones. However, with the prochamber the drone is almost all gone. The sound is absolutely awesome with the prochamber.

93 teal terror · Jan 21, 2004

Ive got MAC equel lengths, MAC off road H and MAC cat back....The drone is definatly there but not more noticably than any other cat back. IMO

1hot5.0 · Jan 21, 2004

I still have the stock headers and h-pipe, and I can say that the MAC's degfinitly drone. Probably more so in my car because I have a convertible. To be honest, I don't think they are any louder than 2 chamber flows with an o/r h-pipe from what I have heard.

Mike86Stang · Jan 22, 2004

Well it sounds to me like I may just have to deal with it or cut off the MAC muffs & weld in my hookers, since I don't think hooker sells any cat backs.

Wasn't TEXAS MUSTANG running some sort of a thing where you picked your muffs & tails basically a "you build it" exhuast?

In any event I gotta get something done soon... got pulled over twice today

axeman · Jan 22, 2004

mike, you've heard my car before at the track. you may not have really listened to it though, but i have a full mac exhaust. all i can say is that it sounds really good. it's not real loud at idle, you can sort of keep it under control volume wise at low rpms, but it screams at WOT. i don't think my drone at 2000 rpm's is terribly bad but it's there. of course, i think with my long tube headers and prochamber, it tones it down a little.

LX90Stang · Jan 22, 2004

I've got JBA shorties and mac the rest of the way back. I like the way it sounds. I've gotten plenty of compliments on it. I agree with axeman, it is not that bad at lower rpm's.

Rick 91GT · Jan 22, 2004

Mike, with the tails on it sounds great and is a little mellow down low, but will scream when you open it up.

Talk to Bill about a kit........

Mike86Stang · Jan 23, 2004

Well I guess MAC it is then due to my circumstances....

If it is too loud anyone have any ideas on what I could do to dampen it a bit?
(besides the stock H or one with converters?)

PonyGrl420 · Jan 23, 2004

I had a mac catback with a off road h pipe and shorties it didnt seem that loud to me only when I got on it. Then again I like LOUD exhausts so my vuiew might be a lil diffrent

GAU89LXStang · Jan 23, 2004

One of the magazines did a test with and without cats, and to be honest there wasn't a huge power loss. I don't see why on a street car anyone wants to run without them. I'll see if I can locate the article for exact specs. I'd probably switch to the MAC prochamber with the high flow cats and the cat back system. You can get the whole thing for around $600. That's just me though.

Later,
Mo'Town

Dan95-5.0 · Jan 23, 2004

PonyGrl420 said:
I had a mac catback with a off road h pipe and shorties it didnt seem that loud to me only when I got on it. Then again I like LOUD exhausts so my vuiew might be a lil diffrent

i totally agree. loud is good. (look at sig)

Mike86Stang · Jan 23, 2004

I don't know sleepers are alot of fun too....
When I had the stock 4 cat H on my car with the tails & the hookers it was quiet as a mouse.... sounded stock. Then one night a pull up on a new Z28 & proceed to put 2-1/2 cars on him at the top of third...I thought it was funny... he didn't Actually turned out to be an ok guy when we stopped to talk about our cars & he knew quite a bit about stangs go figure.

Anyway it looks like I am doing a MAC cat-back I just needd to decide if I want the 3.5" tails or the regular 2.5" tails... any suggestions?

Remember I want to kill the drone or lower the tone of the exhuast as much as possible, b/c I know this suckers gonna be loud! Hell I got pulled over just when I had my hookers on with a off-road H & trust me the hookers are WAY quiter than flows or Mac's could ever be

5spd GT · Jan 23, 2004

MSTANG said:
I don't know sleepers are alot of fun too....
When I had the stock 4 cat H on my car with the tails & the hookers it was quiet as a mouse.... sounded stock. Then one night a pull up on a new Z28 & proceed to put 2-1/2 cars on him at the top of third...I thought it was funny... he didn't Actually turned out to be an ok guy when we stopped to talk about our cars & he knew quite a bit about stangs go figure.

Anyway it looks like I am doing a MAC cat-back I just needd to decide if I want the 3.5" tails or the regular 2.5" tails... any suggestions?

Remember I want to kill the drone or lower the tone of the exhuast as much as possible, b/c I know this suckers gonna be loud! Hell I got pulled over just when I had my hookers on with a off-road H & trust me the hookers are WAY quiter than flows or Mac's could ever be

I used to have the Hooker Aerochambers and in my opinion they aren't to much quieter than the 2 chambers I have on now ...I will eventually move to Mac though

David

5spd GT · Jan 23, 2004

GAU89LXStang said:
One of the magazines did a test with and without cats, and to be honest there wasn't a huge power loss. I don't see why on a street car anyone wants to run without them. I'll see if I can locate the article for exact specs. I'd probably switch to the MAC prochamber with the high flow cats and the cat back system. You can get the whole thing for around $600. That's just me though.

Later,
Mo'Town

I don't think they make Mac Prochambers with cats

David

CobraGT87 · Jan 23, 2004

MSTANG said:
I don't know sleepers are alot of fun too....
When I had the stock 4 cat H on my car with the tails & the hookers it was quiet as a mouse.... sounded stock. Then one night a pull up on a new Z28 & proceed to put 2-1/2 cars on him at the top of third...I thought it was funny... he didn't Actually turned out to be an ok guy when we stopped to talk about our cars & he knew quite a bit about stangs go figure.

Anyway it looks like I am doing a MAC cat-back I just needd to decide if I want the 3.5" tails or the regular 2.5" tails... any suggestions?

Remember I want to kill the drone or lower the tone of the exhuast as much as possible, b/c I know this suckers gonna be loud! Hell I got pulled over just when I had my hookers on with a off-road H & trust me the hookers are WAY quiter than flows or Mac's could ever be

Mike, I have NO drone and I run angled turn downs with HF cats. If you want something quieter than flows, might look at dynomax ST's, they flow more than 50 series flow's, and are much deeper and quieter sounding at an idle. but plenty loud at WOT.

Just an idea for ya,
Scott

MAC Cat back users....need your thoughts.

Mike86Stang

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