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  1. #1

    Default Flowmaster - Back in the Day

    My son and I are going to tear into my 85 GT soon. The car hasn't been started for quite some time and needs a lot of stuff, so keep that in mind as I'm open to suggestions.

    I want that Flowmaster sound that was all the rage back in the late '80s and early 90s. Forgive my ignorance, but I don't know if Flowmaster still sounds the same or not, or if different Flowmaster models have distinctly different sounds.

    Can anyone advise which FM mufflers I need? The car is all stock now and will get some mild performance improvements - should I consider replacing everything starting with the headers?

    THanks in advance, everyone.

    BG

  2. #2

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    Quote Originally Posted by bgettel View Post
    My son and I are going to tear into my 85 GT soon. The car hasn't been started for quite some time and needs a lot of stuff, so keep that in mind as I'm open to suggestions.

    I want that Flowmaster sound that was all the rage back in the late '80s and early 90s. Forgive my ignorance, but I don't know if Flowmaster still sounds the same or not, or if different Flowmaster models have distinctly different sounds.

    Can anyone advise which FM mufflers I need? The car is all stock now and will get some mild performance improvements - should I consider replacing everything starting with the headers?

    THanks in advance, everyone.

    BG
    I hear what your saying but Flowmaster has gone through a lot of changes since "back in the day" when they first hit the street in 1983. They were an independent back then but have since been bought out and now they are owned by Driven Performance Brands and marketed by their "Holly" group. IMO, the closest muffler to the original "2 chamber" that you are refering to is their 40 series original. - Good Luck

    https://www.holley.com/brands/flowma...ered_mufflers/

  3. #3

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    Did you end up getting the 40 series originals? Did they sound like you remembered?

  4. #4
    FEP Member Dogster's Avatar
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    Thinking of doing the same thing with my 85 GT. Put 40 series Flowmasters on to give it the Day 2 sound, since I have to replace the Y pipe and mufflers. Hate the glasspack sound but love a chambered sound. Ran non-glasspack turbo mufflers way back when.
    '85 Mustang GT Convertible, Jalapeno Red, Charcoal Int., Black Top, 5.0 H.O., 4 bbl , 5 speed, No AC, All original except for 8.8 Motorsport rr w/3.55 gears & subframe connectors. Owned since 'August 86. 1 of 574.

  5. #5

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    I agree on the 40 series 2 chamber. i have an X-pipe and love the sound of it. real close to the "old sound".

  6. #6
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    Good luck finding the y pipe. I only found the one I bought a few months ago.
    Fox Body/3rd Gen MCA Gold Card Judge
    84 SVO 24K miles, 85 Mclaren Capri Vert. 84 GT Turbo Vert.
    88 Mclaren Mustang Vert 20K miles, 89 Mustang LX Sport Vert,
    03 Mach 1 7900 miles, 74 Mustang II, 69 Mustang, 67 Mustang, 07 GT500,
    14 Mustang CS/GT, 15 F150 FTX Tuscany, 16 F250 Crewcab, 67 Tbird 47K miles

  7. #7
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    Best sounding 2 chambers that sound like they did back in the day are Jones Exhaust...cheap too.

  8. #8

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    I have the 44s. They sound great and they're supposed to drone less, but... yeah they still drone.... a lot.
    Brad

    '79 Mercury Zephyr ES 5.0L GT40 EFI, T-5
    '17 Ford Focus ST
    '14 Ford Fusion SE Manual

  9. #9
    FEP Super Member gr79's Avatar
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    Sounded much better back then than the new performance cars do now.

    Firing up and revving cars woke up the neighbors all the way down your street.
    Something like a Harley setting off all the car alarms.

    Was on the x-way other day, slow lane, when a Charger weaved from hammer lane into the center lane.
    Then driver floored it, when the rear of his car a little past my drivers open window.
    Startled me good with the db and was not happy. Annoying generic high pitch blah sound.
    To the point where a natural jump or knee jerk reaction, to avoid, almost kicks in. Not good.
    Loud like walking in front of a parked car and they honk the horn for laughs.
    Or a race bike or three passing you on the freeway doing 120.
    Save the race sounds for the race track.

  10. #10
    FEP Super Member NAVYCAT's Avatar
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    when I grabbed that 94 GT parts car it had the 4 cats (that I had to replace to make it pass smog at $1400.00) it has flowmasters but I think they kinda sound like stock. I want louder but raspy I hate that and hate that fart can sound
    2017 Ford Explorer Sport (DD) 1986 Capri 5.0 Silver/Red
    1969 Falcon XW GTHO coupe (SOLD) went to Australia
    Past 4 eyes-
    4th. 1981 Capri "White" Black Magic I6
    3rd. 1984 Capri RS V8 Black/grey
    2nd. 1984 Capri RS V8 White/red
    1st. 1984 SVO Grey/grey (traded it for a worn out 1970 BOSS 302)
    Both '84 Capri's vin# were 10 away from each other
    U.S. NAVY 1980-2009

  11. #11

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    I like the sound of the Thrust Welded two chamber mufflers. Not loud by any means.

    Kenny

  12. #12

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    I have the Thrush Welded two chamber mufflers and they pretty much sound like the 80s Flow masters did.
    Folklore on the internet says that they are an exact copy of the Flowmasters,
    https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...-mufflers.html
    1978 Mercury Zephyr boxtop 5.0 EFI T5Z 8.8
    1999 Ford Contour 2.5 V6 5 speed
    2016 Ford Focus ST 2.0 Ecoboost 6 speed

  13. #13
    FEP Power Member 87gtVIC's Avatar
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    Just installed a set of flowmasters American Thunder on the 85. https://lmr.com/item/FLO-817213/1986...hunder-Exhaust

    Holy hell. Rattles the house when pulling out of the garage and down the driveway. Puts a smile on my face.

  14. #14
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    Love the sound of Flowmasters on someone else's car!

  15. #15

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    On an 85 I would convert it to true dual. I spent a lot of seat time in foxes with flowmasters and I always loved the way they sounded for about 20 minutes.. I ran 18 inch case length magnaflows on my 85 and loved it. But now every car we build at work seems to get flowmasters and boy I love the way they sound. I may need to just add more sound deadening and put them on my next one.
    86 Notch under construction

    2011 4Runner Trail edition
    2014 Suzuki V-Strom 650

  16. #16
    FEP Super Member gr79's Avatar
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    Thumbs down

    Now, the trend is exhaust that are shrill WOT and crackle pop bang during deacceleration.
    Tones- Flowmaster is like feeling 80's heavy metal music,
    Thrush varied from loud live level 60' 70's hard rock to soft rock playing on the radio. Never pop.

    Before Flowmaster existed.
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    No 'glass, just perforated straight thru pipe and pretty lightweight.
    There was/is a bolt on to header version.
    Swap out versions easily or swing away for open headers.
    Not harsh. Loud WOT on any engine not fake, low noise otherwise. Heard but not felt.
    Hush Thrush is the quieter oval turbo version.
    Turbo ovals are a close sounding replacement for the factory sport tuned dual tip single exhaust system mufflers.

    60's 'Vette side pipes and the 'muscle' sound of rare optional chambered exhaust.
    http://www.classicchambered.com/

  17. #17
    FEP Super Member gr79's Avatar
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    Default Hot rod muffler and accessories

    Chain auto parts do not stock these specific parts in store. Avail by s.o. unknown. Their websites are a real hassle.
    Rock Auto does. Simple pic and pay. Parts arrived in a couple days via default std rate Fed X.
    Although parts are for my Ranger, other sizes will work for other apps.

    AP Exhaust Technologies Cherry Bomb brand Ol Skool Hot Rod Muffler.
    Just received my order from good ol Rock Auto today. And a new car pic magnet for the fridge of course.
    From inspection, does not appear to have fiberglass stuffing like a glass pack. Good.
    Straight thru design, stamped scoop shape baffle punch outs inside in a spiral pattern end to end. Inexpensive.
    I think the sound/loudness depends on which way they face.
    Body is seamlock type, robotic welded inlet and outlet pipes, nice unscratched red paint job. Official Cherry Bomb sticker was in box.
    4" dia, reversible, 6.5#, 18" long body, 23" total. Made in Mexico not china.
    Sure looks like the old Thrush like round design shown in my above post we used back in the muscle car era.



    Am sold on band clamps. Still use hd u-clamps only to hanger.
    Walker brand Mega Clamp lap joint band clamps. They come with flange bolts. Box says HD, SS, made in USA.
    I like this clamp design better than others with separate hard to install pieces all at once.
    Drawback is, even after applying copper anti-seize, bolt removal is a bear over time to remove/save band clamps for reuse with new bolts..


    Lastly, gonna try this to fix a exhaust manifold flange to downpipe leak due to stripped exhaust stud thread by a shop:
    Is another AP brand p/n. Says Hush stud fix kit, made in USA. Slips over the exhaust manifold flange:
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  18. #18
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    This is what the gizmo above looks like installed:

    Name:  hush stud fix.JPG
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    '85 GT

  19. #19

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    There's nothing wrong with wanting that old school sound.

    If I recall correctly, the Flowmasters you want are the original 40 series. I do know that Flowmaster also makes a 44 series that supposedly drones a little less. But I'm not buying it. I think that ALL Flowmasters drone based on how they're built.

    For that car, heres what I'd do: I'd go with a set of shorty headers, an off road H pipe, and then a nice 2.5" cat back system, especially if you have any mods planned.

    As for mufflers....well that's really up to personal opinion. Frankly, I will NEVER run Flowmasters on any car I own. For a variety of reasons but the main ones are because I don't want to sound like everyone else at a cruise night, and because Flowmasters don't really flow all that well.

    If you want the car to sound badass, I'd look at a set of either Spintech's or the Black Widow Venom 250's.

  20. #20

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    The Flowmaster 2 chamber is the classic. I had them on my modified car, and honestly with a straight pipe it was louder than I wanted. The rear Hatch turned it into am amphitheater. I eventually swapped them out for the 3 chamber and was much happier.
    Theodore J. Garbera, 1985 Mercury Capri RS

  21. #21
    FEP Power Member qtrracer's Avatar
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    I had the Flowmaster 3 chamber on my '86 GT. No real drone at a cruise speed and had a nice sound at WOT and idle. I made the mistake (IMHO) of changing to the new Flowmaster Fx straight through design. Now those are very loud and drone miserably at 2100 RPM with 3.55s

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