Why the price difference in mufflers?

limp · Jul 19, 2023

Looking around at different mufflers for my car...
I was going to take it to a muffler shop, but changed my mind as I would like to keep control of how the exhaust is assembled and what items I want to use...
So I want to keep the car fairly quiet, which means larger mufflers...
Whats the difference between a Walker $70 muffler and a flowmax $220 muffler? ( or other brands?
Is it mainly for a certain exhaust note? Better materials its manufactured with?
Lurn me here please......

General karthief · Jul 19, 2023

You can buy the pieces and have a muffler shop install it, that way they can tweek it if it needs it. And it likely will.
I installed the H pipe and the muffler shop did the rest, they put Walker mufflers (or some other cheap knockoff) that they supplied. I was not going to stress over sound but I didn't want the dreaded drone. Success!
Let me mention that my H pipe is two pieces, L & R and where the crossover tube is wielded to the main tubes the opening for the crossover was only about 2 inches or a little less so I got in there with a rotary cutting bit and opened it up the full tube diameter, now did this do anything ?
I will say there was no drone and a mellow tone.
Oh, and I painted the exhaust pipes with black Furness paint (for what that's worth)

96pushrod · Jul 19, 2023

We used a bunch of walker mufflers at the shop. They’re pretty good for the money, and were way cheaper than $70

limp · Jul 20, 2023

So I see alot of banter on here about what exhausts and mufflers are being used? Thought there would be more conversation about this??
Why did anyone here pick the muffler they did for their car?
TY all...

96pushrod · Jul 20, 2023

Imo the dynomax ultra flo is the best value for a well made, fully welded, stainless muffler. Their cylindrical mufflers fit well for what I was doing. Also used their oval ultra flo on another car.

AeroCoupe · Jul 20, 2023

I've had the Flowmaster 40 series on my Coupe for about 18 years now and got them used from a buddy. Not sure about the quality now though. The MAC's on my T-Bird are 25 years old and still good to go but they got jet hot coated with the rest of the exhaust. Both of these choices were based on flow and sound. I am not a quite exhaust person on my toys, DD yes but not them. Both cars have sound dampening (Stinger / Dynomat) so that helps immensely.

Recently (2 years ago) I put a $100 Magnaflow on my 2020 F150 and get compliments on that exhaust as well. Cat backs are over $1000 for that truck so that was not going to happen on the DD.

LILCBRA · Jul 20, 2023

limp said:
So I see alot of banter on here about what exhausts and mufflers are being used? Thought there would be more conversation about this??
Why did anyone here pick the muffler they did for their car?
TY all...

Reason #1: $$$ above all else, but exhaust note and sizing were also factors.
Was looking for something audible over something super quiet. On my Cobra, I originally went with a pair of turbo mufflers - I think they were Dynomax(?). I decided to change it up to something that resembled Flowmasters, so I chose a pair of Thrush chambered mufflers. Then I decided that their 2 chambers were too loud, so I added a pair of glass packs upstream of them. I never kept track, but I think the old turbo mufflers were like $20/each, then the Thrush chambered mufflers were maybe $30/each, and the glass packs were like $15/each.

Original exhaust setup:

Thrush chambered:

and

And the most recent with the added glasspacks:

LILCBRA said:

It's still fairly loud, but a lot more tame than it was without the glass packs.

Now, as far as my GT goes, I swapped the original mufflers that were only hanging on by some speaker wire with a pair of Summit chambered mufflers. So far, I've left the original exhaust both up stream and down - but I think those mufflers only cost about $25/each. And I did everything myself, so there were no shop fees involved.

Summit chambered mufflers on stock exhaust:

Now, as far as why they cost what they do, I can only speculate a few different reasons. What material they're made of obviously, and in some cases who originated the design and did the engineering play a role. It's the same reason why a company like Edelbrock can sell stuff for what they do and you can get some kind of Chinese knock off for a considerable amount less. China didn't do much of any engineering and sometimes (most EVERY time....) uses a cheaper material.

85GTStangGuy · Jul 20, 2023

limp said:
Why did anyone here pick the muffler they did for their car?

I chose the 3-chamber Flowmasters because: 1) I like the way they sound, 2) it has the quintessential (to me at least) 1980/1990's Fox Mustang sound, and 3) the 2-chamber Flowmasters on my buddy's Stang were just too loud and droned too much for a DD.

Noobz347 · Jul 20, 2023

I run Bassanni Quiet Thunder Cat-Back, Dr. Gas X-pipe with 3-ways, and Bassani 1-5/8 shorties.

The Quiet Thunder is no longer available so I don't generally participate in exhaust threads.

Now that smog isn't a concern, LTs are in the future. The Cat-Back stays no matter what else gets swapped.

Rdub6 · Jul 20, 2023

I went Flowmaster 2 chamber, because I too, wanted the sound I loved back in the early 90’s. It’s loud, and it drones, but I don’t care! I don’t drive it often enough where it would start to bother me. Right now, I love the sound.
Those mufflers are behind equal length shorties, and a cat less H-pipe. I used Kilmat on my interior floor, and it helped a huge amount from the heat I used to get before, and that was with BBK catted H pipe and flows.
Before I did the work, it was almost unbearable in the summertime, with the heat coming from underneath. Now, I almost don’t even miss the AC. Windows down, listen to that engine hum, and drive drive drive.

Trogdor · Jul 21, 2023

Currently I have late 90s 2 chamber Flowmaster mufflers. I'm going to 3" exhaust and wanted to keep the same tone when it looks like (or could just be marketing) that Flowmaster has made small changes to their design over the years, and the price is $100 a piece! Their Chinese knockoff is now owned by Holley (that also owns Flowmaster), chain that it is the original design, and they are around $30 a piece!

Are they the same quality as the originals? Probably not. But for a car that will make see 1-2k nice weather miles a year, I do not care.

Mustang5L5 · Jul 21, 2023

Had flowmaster for 20 years with BBk headers. Was cheap and what everyone did back then.

New setup is JBA ceramic shorty headers, Bassani catted X pipe and Borla pro XS.

I wanted all stainless. I also wanted ceramic in the engine because I hated how hot the BBKs got. I wanted cats because I was trying to knock down the sound a little and the smell, and wanted the Borlas pro XS because it’s quiet during idle and light cruise.

Ultimately I wanted a quiet growl for exhaust until I got on the throttle. It’s still definitely loud but I’m happy with it.

limp · Jul 21, 2023

Thanks everyone....... Been doing some reading and it seems as if the " turbo style mufflers" are the quietest with the " Chambered mufflers" next.... The size, mainly the length, has to have a lot to do with making a quiet muffler??
So how does the OEM mfr get a stock car so quiet?? Is it just the size of the mufflers?
I would think that GM or Ford do NOT use " turbo" style mufflers??

AeroCoupe · Jul 21, 2023

They use baffled mufflers, straight through mufflers, and a combination of both designs within one muffler with all different lengths and then can use resonators upstream and/or downstream of the muffler. It all depends on the motor, length of the exhaust, forced induction, etc.

85GTStangGuy · Jul 21, 2023

limp said:
I would think that GM or Ford do NOT use " turbo" style mufflers??

Well, a long time ago, Chevrolet did. They were the first to use them... on the turbocharged Corvair. That's the origin of the name. Don' t know if anyone else ever used them tho.

limp · Jul 21, 2023

85GTStangGuy said:
Well, a long time ago, Chevrolet did. They were the first to use them... on the turbocharged Corvair. That's the origin of the name. Don' t know if anyone else ever used them tho.

Yes, I remember that... Not much choice back then as we have today...
I mentioned Turbo mufflers as they are touted as the quietest aftermarket...
Aerocoupe is probably right.. There isn't just one muffler for the job... Alot of different parameters be it resonators, pipes and mufflers.....

nickyb · Jul 21, 2023

limp said:
So I see alot of banter on here about what exhausts and mufflers are being used? Thought there would be more conversation about this??
Why did anyone here pick the muffler they did for their car?
TY all...

most don't have a quiet muffler, at least not me so that's why I hesitated to reply.
my daily Fox runs bb k sorties ( wrapped in D.E.I. Headder wrap), bb k catted x pipe, and loudmouth Cat back with no muffler s but two resonators stainless with 3 1/2 inch polished tips.I
She sound beastly and that how I like her.
Hope you get the sound you are looking for first shot.

TOOLOW91 · Jul 22, 2023

I wish I could use a turbo style muffler on my car but I believe they are too restrictive and they don’t make a 3 in and out

I run ultra flows but you can’t go by me . My car is just sort of loud .

My belair has Pypes race pros . Nicer version of an ultra flow but is more quiet than the mustang even with long tubes - 3 inch x pipe as well .

limp · Jul 22, 2023

Thanks all for the comments on here....
My plan is to install this ( coming next week)

And maybe this ( havent made up my mind yet)
Then measure for the largest mufflers ( up to a point) I can install ..

General karthief · Jul 22, 2023

Are you going to paint them or coat them in anyway?

Why the price difference in mufflers?

limp

wrap a little cheese around it and its a done

General karthief

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair

96pushrod

I think they're a little easier to get off

limp

wrap a little cheese around it and its a done

96pushrod

I think they're a little easier to get off

AeroCoupe

lube between the nut and the face. I know my lubes

LILCBRA

I wish I didn't have all of these balls in the air

85GTStangGuy

Noobz347

Stangnet Facilities Maint Tech... Er... Janitor

Rdub6

So while I wait to figure out my rear end issues

Trogdor

Mustang5L5

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell

limp

wrap a little cheese around it and its a done

AeroCoupe

lube between the nut and the face. I know my lubes

85GTStangGuy

limp

wrap a little cheese around it and its a done

nickyb

I gotta say i never painted my nuts, Never Ever

TOOLOW91

If you're the village idiot what's that make me?

limp

wrap a little cheese around it and its a done

General karthief

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair

Similar threads

Why the price difference in mufflers?

wrap a little cheese around it and its a done

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair

I think they're a little easier to get off

wrap a little cheese around it and its a done

I think they're a little easier to get off

lube between the nut and the face. I know my lubes

I wish I didn't have all of these balls in the air

Stangnet Facilities Maint Tech... Er... Janitor

So while I wait to figure out my rear end issues

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell

wrap a little cheese around it and its a done

lube between the nut and the face. I know my lubes

wrap a little cheese around it and its a done

I gotta say i never painted my nuts, Never Ever

If you're the village idiot what's that make me?

wrap a little cheese around it and its a done

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair

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