exhaust system: 390

[Old Bird]

What exhaust system have you used on your bump with an FE? I have a small exhaust leak, and of course I'm going to fix that by replacing the manifolds with headers and doing a full exhaust system.

The motor is mostly stock, but I do plan on eventually swapping cams and doing some other relatively minor upgrades. What headers have you used, exhaust size, full kits, etc. Most of the "universal" and pre-bent kits that I see for our trucks have 2 1/4 inch tubes, but I was thinking 2 1/2. Would the 1/4 inch diameter be much of a difference?

[reflectionpoint]

My truck has Hooker or Comp header's (not sure, both stickers on truck--no identification on headers themselves, !) with 3" collectors, after that I left it fully divorced 2-1/2" with knock-off FlowMaster 40's (FloPro is the brand) and they stay divorced and dump in front of the rear axle.

Sounds mean with a decent 390-- will sound better I presume when I have a mean 390 in front of them. They resonate BAD just above warm idle (the entire truck vibrates and if you're talking out loud to someone you can hear it in your voice) but otherwise they sound great whether just cruising or mashing it till the secondaries open!

My truck is a 72 390 C6 RWD. In the end, it depends on the sound you want. There are a couple 390's around here with dual cherry bomb (glass packed) mufflers and they sound alright but I just don't like them as much as my chambered mufflers. Try some videos on YouTube to see the difference, lots of 'Stangs with both types and some variation of an FE as well as a few nice sounding trucks. I don't know about the 1/4" difference.. but my whole system, including putting flanges on the back of the headers and everything new past that was about $400-- a lot of systems I looked at before doing it professionally were ~250. For the difference, I am very happy with having the professionals do it. I can post pics if you want.

-~Eric

P.S. -- I like the off-idle resonance--it scares a lot of would-be ricer's off and also turns heads.. my exhaust shop said that putting in an H would completely eliminate this so when I "grow up" I may have an H or X put in.

[reflectionpoint]

P.P.S. I live in South-Western CO so depending on what neighborhood you live in NM we could meet up sometime and chat about these lovely addictions we find ourselves cursed (read: blessed) with. I'm an hour from Farmington, if that helps

[Old Bird]

my exhaust shop said that putting in an H would completely eliminate this so when I "grow up" I may have an H or X put in.

No need to grow up here! Mine will be short and totally independent, dumping right behind the doors. Thanks for the info.

I'm outside of Santa Fe, but I do bunch of work up toward farmington and take the family to Durango and Pagosa sometimes, so i'll definately drop you a line next time I'm up that direction, and you should do the same if you ever head down this way.

[reflectionpoint]

That's going to be loud as heck! My truck is loud enough a couple of the neighbors have flipped me off because I go to work at 7am, including Saturday's.. haha. I haven't found a camera yet that doesn't distort the sound if you're closer than about twenty feet while it's "resonating".. after it warms up and kicks down it's not horrible but still kinda loud. My wife hates it

[hotrodfeguy]

I went with headers and a full 3" universal exhaust from skummit. Sounds nice when the ground shakes :0)