Opinions Wanted On Am Exhaust Videos

beviking · May 15, 2013

Up front: recently bought flowmaster american thunder axle backs for my '12GT from American Muscle (AM). Install, no problem, start up, AWESOME sound albeit louder than the video demonstrates imo. Test drive...someone freekin' shoot me! Ugh, these things sound like the exhaust was blown right into the trunk! Took pics since the tailpipe looked recessed to me and not sticking out far enough to transfer sound behind the car. Contacted AM who conference called flowmaster. Tech said the pics did look like the tail pipes were recessed a little much. Suggested I try loosening clamps and reposition the mufflers but said they would "take care of it" if I wasn't happy. Did as instructed, still just crazy sound...and my hearing isn't what it use to be! Took em off the car after a couple drives, just intolerable for me! Called AM back, no real help from them so am dealing with flowmaster atm. No, this isn't an AM bashing thread, thread would have a lot more in it, believe me!

So, I went back to review the video on AM site and comparing the video of stock vs. the flowmaster, in my opinion, it is far less quiet that the difference I hear from my stock vs. flowmaster.
Just curious if anyone else thinks the same?

Bojingles · May 15, 2013

That seems to be general thing with the sound bites on any video. The videos are quieter than what the products really are. I bought Borla ATAK exhaust on my car and they're much louder than what the video makes them sound.

beviking · May 15, 2013

Yeah, I get the videos being quieter in general, but to me, the advertised exhaust is quieter in relation to the real sound than the stock video. You would think they would both be equally quiet and we would still get a sense of how different they really are...right?

SlammedGT · May 16, 2013

AM videos are just courtesy videos and we are lucky they do them at all

TheShabz · May 16, 2013

Are the american thunders straight-through or chambered? If the former, yea. It'll be unruly loud and the positioning won't help you much, properly recessed or not. I have the Borla S-Types on mine and I think they sound perfect, if not a tad bit loud. Being in Los Angeles, I'm surprised I haven't been pulled over yet. You're taking a chance unless you go and listen to them live.

SlammedGT · May 16, 2013

I'm pretty sure they are Super 44 chambered

beviking · May 16, 2013

They are chambered. Maybe I was niave to think a vendor would include complete information about the product they're selling.

SlammedGT · May 16, 2013

Are you kidding?...lol .. AM gives so much info its not evenfunny... they even have a loudness meter and they give it a 4.5 out of 5...lol
http://www.americanmuscle.com/american-thunder-axleback-13gt.html#fitment

beviking · May 17, 2013

No arguement there! They have alot of info. Just saying, imo, the sound from the drivers seat (assuming we drive our cars) seems to be a vital piece of info. If that's missing, is one to assume there is none? Obviously noise outside will get inside, we covered that

Gearbanger 101 · May 17, 2013

Try not to take this the wrong way man, but where have you been? Flowmasters are notorious for being loud and obnoxious. They weren't nicknamed "dronemasters" for nothing. You're going to want a Magnaflow, Pypes Race Pro, or some other Muffler with a straight through, non chambered design if you want quieter. With a 4.5/5 exhaust noise rating and after reading some of the comments posted by previous buyers...

From inside the car, I can definitely hear a deep, rumble in the lower RPM’s and when I get on it, my baby roars!

American Muscle does an outstanding job with their videos, but even they don't do justice to the throaty rumble coming from the back of the car.

They sound is OK and there is a GOOD amount if drone.

etc, etc

I'd say American Muscle did their due diligence on this one.

TheShabz · May 17, 2013

wait, isn't it the other way around? The chambers quiet things down by bouncing and deflecting the sound. It's the straight-through that are loud.

Gearbanger 101 · May 17, 2013

TheShabz said:
wait, isn't it the other way around? The chambers quiet things down by bouncing and deflecting the sound. It's the straight-through that are loud.

Chambered mufflers are quiet and deep at idle, but amplify exhaust resonance, which is likely what he's not happy about. I'm betting right around 1,700-2,300RPM the exhaust drone is all but unbearable. Right around highway cruising speeds.

earleys94gt · May 17, 2013

My '94 5.0 at 2,000 RPM, with Flowmasters, seemed like the exhaust was just resonators. The drone was almost unbearable. Unfortunately, it is a characteristic of Flowmasters...

Did you notice the weight of the factory mufflers? All the internals needed to minimize drone/resonance.

Gearbanger 101 · May 17, 2013

I've got Ravens (knock off flowmasters) on my car right now. I'll be switching to a set of Pypes "Race Flo" mufflers in another week or so. I'll keep everyone posted on the results. Ironically, their best performing muffler is said to be their quietest. Anything to get rid of this highway drone.

beviking · May 17, 2013

Hey Brian, not taken the wrong way at all! Obviously I've been in a time warp somewhere! Never really researched exhaust, didn't think I had to, at least as extensively as I should have. I love all the advice from lifetime gearheads (that's not a bad thing!) that flowmasters are notorious at drone-ing. Really? I've never had an aftermarket exhaust on a vehicle (20+yrs driving, do I really need to count all the vehicles?) and this is the first 'Stang I've owned. Lesson learned, point taken. And yeah, at highway cruising speed around 2k it's the worst! Who would even make a product that does that!?! I'm nuts, crazy, whatever but that just does not make sense to me. Time to move on...

TheShabz · May 17, 2013

Believe it or not, some people enjoy that. Dronemaster has its target audience. Borla all the way for me.

Gearbanger 101 · May 17, 2013

beviking said:
Hey Brian, not taken the wrong way at all! Obviously I've been in a time warp somewhere! Never really researched exhaust, didn't think I had to, at least as extensively as I should have. I love all the advice from lifetime gearheads (that's not a bad thing!) that flowmasters are notorious at drone-ing. Really? I've never had an aftermarket exhaust on a vehicle (20+yrs driving, do I really need to count all the vehicles?) and this is the first 'Stang I've owned. Lesson learned, point taken. And yeah, at highway cruising speed around 2k it's the worst! Who would even make a product that does that!?! I'm nuts, crazy, whatever but that just does not make sense to me. Time to move on...

If you can swing another exhaust after this, look for something in a straight through design (magnaflow, borla, pipes, etc). They tend to be a lot more mellow at highway speeds.

Chambered mufflers like Flowmaster, MAC Flowpaths, etc tend to provide a deep "throaty" exhaust tone thatwas made famously by the old 5.0l OHV Fox crowd. The problem with them though, is that you pay for it in the mid RPM regions. Everything's got a trade off I suppose.

Try hitting youtube for some exhaust clips to get an idea what you might like. Problem with that is, that video cameras and camera phone mic's don't do a great job of picking up interior resonance noise, so you'll pretty much have to rely on word of mouth for that, if you're not able to hear them in person.

beviking · May 17, 2013

Thanks guys! Looks like I'm going Borla after I save a few more bucks and hopefully sell these. "Dronemaster"! Ha! Wish I had heard that phrase before!!!!

Bojingles · May 18, 2013

Borla is pretty awesome. I'd grab those S-Types or the even the touring if you don't want too loud. Don't get the ATAK unless you really just want everyone in the world to hear you when you start up and when you hit the gas.

beviking · May 18, 2013

Ha, now I'm a little gun shy about volume! Probably go with Touring! Thanks Bojingles!

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