can someone shed some light on this topic:what is the fixation with flowmaster mufflers? why does everyone think that they are the BE ALL and END ALL of performance mufflers? personally, i think they sound like *hit. I dont want my F250 sounding like a 5.0 stang! There are a plethora of performance mufflers out there BESIDES flows..and i dont understand why everyone gravitates towards them. Could it be the marketing? Could it be because of the internal design? (just baffles and no packing=more HP?) I think the dynomax ultraflows are wayyyy underrated and they will blow away a flowmaster anyday. same with borla and the edelbrock series. glasspacks are OK but its strictly 60's era sound (if thats what you like):P
I dont mean to offend here but I think variety is the spice of life and I would like to see others try brands OTHER than flows..like i said, i dont want my mean '76 sounding like a 302

regards
ben

 

I don't like Flowmasters either... Too many Chebby boys use. And, I wouldn't want my car or truck to sound like a Chebby..

 

>can someone shed some light on this topic:what is the
>fixation with flowmaster mufflers?

Ben:

I'm using Flowmaster 70. The reason: Recomended by a local custom muffler shop as having low restriction and mellow sound level (I'm not into loud mufflers...to each his own). Very low pitched rumble, you know it's there, you can hear exactly what the engine is doing- maybe almost TOO quiet. If there's anything I can compare the sound to, it would be a diesel locomotive. Low, low rumble.

I've got a pair of 4 into 1 headers on a 460 that I stomp on quite a bit, run at full throttle towing up hills, the exhaust system gets godawful hot, there's a hell of a blast of exhaust through it when I stomp on it, but it hasn't blown out at the seams and it hasn't rusted.

Flowmaster seems to make a quality, well made product.

I don't want to get in he middle of a debate on how different brands of mufflers sound, but sound is one thing and it doesn't mean a certain brand of muffler might be a POS! I wanted a solid, well-made, fair priced muffler and that's what I got. Maybe the discussion here should be which muffler has a good sound without the tin can sort of effect the Flowmaster 40s can put out on some vehicles. But NOT always. Remember, the engine has a lot to do with the way a muffler sounds. So does the pipes. It's not all the muffler.

Good to meet you.

-Bill in Colorado

 

The only flowmaster muffler i like is the original 40 series, because it has that "howl" sound. It's hard to describe but it's very distinctive. Other than that though, I just use FM because I'm familiar with 'em.

 

Bill
I didnt mean to start a heated debate or offend anyone here because of their preferences. That wasnt my intentions ans you have my apology if I did. I just wanted to know why it seems that everyone loves FM's? Around my way, all the stangs and even all the chevys and get this--some of the sport utes must be sporting FM's because they all sound the same; they have the 'hollow' 'stang sound. This is NOT to say that I dont like it, its just that its soooo common anymore. I have been trying to get that deep deep rumble for some time now and i was fortunate to experiment with a lot of different designs and tubing diameters. Im not a fan of straight pipes myself. That is too loud and I dont want to get a headache while driving.
To this day, I still havent found the sound Im looking for. I dont know if you ever (excuse me guys--dont yell at me) heard the DODGE magum 360 when they have the duals with chrome tips. THEY have a nasty rumble that I love. I DOUBT that its a FM. Could it be a pacesetter TFX system? ANYONE?? Maybe I am doing something wrong when I hook up mine (no crossover??) In any event, the purpose here was not to offend, so if I did, my sincere apologies....

regard
ben

 

Does anyone have any experience with spintech mufflers? I have heard that they are the best available but they are kind of expensive.

 

Me, just graduating from highschool, run into flowmaster stuff a lot. On my old truck, I had a gibson. I just wanted to be different, kind of liked the gibson stuff so i bought one. A lot of people my age who don't know a lot about cars/trucks, thought i had flowmasters. Its like, they think "flowmaster" is having a loud exhaust, not a company. Almost like kleenex and tissues, some people (atleast around here) call tissues Kleenex's for some reason. Flowmaster also has a lot of marketing where other types of mufflers don't have as much. I dont exactly know why, but I went with a flowmaster american thunder on my new truck. I would say a lot of the hype on flowmaster has to do with the reputation they have made for themselves.


Primary rig is:
95' F-150 XLT 4x4, 302, 5 spd, MSD 6A, Sunroof, and some 32" BFG Muds .

Pictures are in!!


Then theres:
99' Mustang GT 4.6L
88' F-250 Superduty 4x4 351/c6
95' Mercury Cougar 4.6L V-8
80' E-350 300/6 with a
3 spd column shifter. Top speed is 65mph, Go Baby Go!

 

I believe alot of that hollow sound comes from people having to run dual to single and then back out to duals, or from putting in a crossover pipe between the two. I don't like the sound either. And I believe the best sounding vehicle I have ever heard was a Dodge Lil Red truck with the side pipes running up beside the cab. I think these might have had a 360 too. I am not a dodge fan either, but that thing went by my house everyday and I always noticed it.

 

No man the sound I'm talking about is all engine and mufflers. Ever heard a pre-emissions big block engine with dual 40 series mufflers accelerate? It's one of the sweetest sounds in the world.