How to have cool exhaust without being a dick?
Posted by Epsilon1352_@reddit | askcarguys | View on Reddit | 93 comments
Wondering how I can make my exhaust sound good without being that douche that keeps everybody up at night when he drives out. Something mid tier yk that sounds good for me driving and cool to people outside without being deafening. I’m guessing that exists but can anybody help?
ChiefLongWeiner@reddit
To piggyback on some comments, if you don't wanna go through the financial burden and likely annoying process of purchasing and wiring up a valvetronic, there are actually super old school manual versions that are basically just a push/pull cord that you mount in the cabin in order to open and close the valves
voucher420@reddit
Those are a pita to install due to the cable operation and needing to mount the cable. For about the same price, they have electronic versions that can be hard wired and operated with a remote control.
ChiefLongWeiner@reddit
That's fair I've just seen them for rly cheap lol. Never put one in anything myself
flndouce@reddit
Just don’t get one of those mufflers that make it sound like the engine is backfiring. That is ultra douche.
2Cthulhu4Scthulhu@reddit
That’s the tune, not the muffler.
Basically modified software that tells the car computer to send too much gas to the cylinders, then some unburned fuel gets sent with the exhaust and explodes in the hot muffler.
SlenderLlama@reddit
Why did my car pop and bang a lot when I had an open o2 port in my exhaust? Naturally aspirated 4 cylinder btw. Bung the hole and no more pop/bang/crackle. Old Bosch k-jet Benz if it matters.
Lochstar@reddit
The hole at the O2 sensor probably created a vacuum that pulled fuel out of the cylinders before it had been burned and it popped at the cats. And missing an O2 sensor the computer would have not known how much fuel it should be sending into the cylinders.
S2kKyle@reddit
Somewhat correct but it's not "exploding" fuel inside the muffler. It's all about the timing and extra fuel.
2Cthulhu4Scthulhu@reddit
… and that extra fuel from the injector overrun and retarded timing detonates at the hot cat, no?
flndouce@reddit
I didn’t know how that worked. I honestly thought it was the muffler. I appreciate the education!
Doberman831@reddit
I like the magnaflow complete cat-back systems. They’re nearly stock sound levels during regular daily driving but sound great when you get on it.
UmatterWHENiMATTER@reddit
You doing it yourself?
My solution is a 3" mandrel bent exhaust from trubendz with a high flow muffler and a 2' glass pack resonator.
You have to fab/weld a bit and I painted/wrapped it so I could then tuck it to avoid scraping while lowered. Was nice.
Gamer30168@reddit
I say this as a middle aged grump: if your exhaust can be heard on anything other than a racetrack you're being a dick.
Noise does not automatically equal cool.
zeromutt@reddit
Just dont go full straight pipe. Get a decent muffler from an aftermarket company. Theyre louder than stock but usually not douche level loud
Ok-You-6099@reddit
Depending on your car, you could enjoy intake noises much more. If it’s naturally aspirated, slap on a cone filter and enjoy the low grumble at low rpm and the roar of the engine at high rpm. It’s also quiet once you don’t push it.
Main_Monitor_2199@reddit
Get a valved exhaust. And also, don’t drive exclusively around housing estates at 3am
Melodic-Picture48@reddit
Thrush turbo muffler is nice. Quiet at idle, good sound when accelerating. With a resonator behind it of course so the volume wont be loud. Had that muffler on my 2003 VW GTI 1.8t,
One_Purchase_3127@reddit
Easy! Don’t rev it up like a prick. I can hear an exhaust and be like “that sounds good” but as soon as they do their little extra revs for no reason i think what a dickhead.
1864Fox@reddit
Good sound ≠ loud sound.
Buy and install a proper sport exhaust for your car, leave the cat in and the mufflers too and you will get good sound that isn't obnoxiously loud.
Interesting-Swim-162@reddit
You can absolutely change your exhaust setup to sound better without being any louder. Just shop around for mufflers
OkCartographer175@reddit
I promise you every aftermarket muffler is going to be louder than a stock one.
Interesting-Swim-162@reddit
I can’t say I know too much about exhaust systems but you surely can buy specific parts that deaden sound. I imagine it depends on the vehicle as well.
OkCartographer175@reddit
Yet you are giving (the wrong) advice on what parts someone should buy
The specific part that deadens sound is the muffler. Stock mufflers muffle more than aftermarket ones. Replacing your muffler is going to add volume in basically every case.
All the other pipes and resonators can be replaced to change the sound quality with much less effect on the overall volume.
SlenderLlama@reddit
I get what you’re saying. But why don’t they sell mufflers for an even quieter ride? At the expense of efficiency potentially I bet a lot of folks would go for a quieter version of a car if they ever needed to replace it.
Prob just volume issue. Stock is easy enough to replace but still, people like EV’s because they’re quiet.
Interesting-Swim-162@reddit
You could’ve just said, from the beginning, that the part that needs replaced is not the muffler. I simply didn’t know. No need to act like that lol
LUXOR54@reddit
If you don't know the answer to a question why are you answering it?
Interesting-Swim-162@reddit
Obviously because I thought I did know? It’s okay to just correct someone like a normal person 👍
Likelysuspect69420@reddit
first time? Meme
pm-me-racecars@reddit
Depends on the car and the muffler.
The Abarth 500 comes stock with no muffler. I don't believe that going from no muffler to an aftermarket muffler will make it louder.
I would be very surprised if anyone with an Abarth 500 was asking this, exhaust sound is the thing the did the best, but if there is one example, there's probably more.
bigcee42@reddit
The Abarth is not very loud still, that's why they allowed it to have no muffler.
Compared a straight-piped V8 car it's quite subtle.
RoppFTW@reddit
Get an electric car. They have the coolest exhaust, both due to being the literal coolest with no heat involved and also due to not existing because they don't need exhaust. Bonus points because they have programmed sounds they play when you drive under a set speed so others can hear them, typically something akin to people harmonizing, although my wife's Venza sounds like a spaceship.
FaluninumAlcon@reddit
You could do an intake instead.
Samsonlp@reddit
You don't have to have a big dick to have a cool exhaust. Quite the opposite
bavile2002@reddit
Loud exhaust never "sounds cool" 🤣
K_Linkmaster@reddit
Tell them you want it quiet as possible while still loving the air required.
will13ku7@reddit
Find one that says it’s under 93db.
No-Individual4184@reddit
Yeah i got a 3.0 v6 and the engine sounds nice reving up, but i like it being quiet i dont want it obnoxious but a little louder in those higher rpms
Beatsbythebong@reddit
Removing the hoodliner of your car might help a bit.
IDPTheory@reddit
Typically a mild exhaust upgrade is back box only. Keeps most of the silencing but allows a more sporty note under throttle. The bolts holding it on will be very stuck so be prepared 👍
morningstar243@reddit
back box delete
0peRightBehindYa@reddit
My plan for my Caprice is doing long-tube headers and an x-pipe into my stock mufflers. I've been told this gives a rather nice growl without making your neighbors hate you.
Also, as others have mentioned, valved mufflers have become more available and I guess work splendidly.
Last option would be cutouts. Leave em close when you want quiet, open em up when it's silly silly fun time.
DorpvanMartijn@reddit
Tone is everything, volume is nothing
HydroWrench@reddit
A god damn shame the world has devolved into burble chuckle pop pop pop.
If your ride sounds like uncle Buck's land yacht backfire, something is incorrect. I cannot find any way to get behind what "modern" exhausts sound like. We all had a field day when that signature borla inboard boat motor tone came onto the market. Now we got this shitty bubble guts pop. I want off man.
Total-Improvement535@reddit
this is what I try to explain to normies that complain about all exhausts but they never wanna hear it (literally)
PoppaPingPong@reddit
Tone matters to us normies. A mid volume (the “quiete ones”) lower drone permeates into homes way more than stock. That sucks for everyone especially in a house with kids.
twelfthfantasy@reddit
Yeah, the last thing I want on my current car is more volume, but I would love a little more bass
RidiculousTakeAbove@reddit
They both matter. I've heard many cars with a great tone but they're not loud enough for me, most oem performance mufflers fall into this category. On the opposite end, you don't want something that is so loud that it drones at 2k rpm on the highway.
Uncle-Istvan@reddit
It’s going to depend on what kind of car you have
DeepSeaDynamo@reddit
Yea, no kidding, I have a 3 inch straight pipe on my mk4 tdi and it isn't really loud at all, cause it is such a tiny turbo it does a real good job as a muffler
briman2021@reddit
Same here, other than some whirring at idle, nobody would guess it’s straight piped. Even when I get on it, still not as loud as a stock v8 anything.
Shit, my wife’s stock Escalade is louder and that’s a tame luxury SUV
Parking_Abalone_1232@reddit
And how much money.
Ok_Two_2604@reddit
Have a resonator that goes into the car like mustangs and stuff have had for a while. Improvising a speaker like BMW (I think is the one) would be harder. Or do whatever the V Max has, iirc they made it transfer the exhaust vibration into the seat so that it felt loud without being too loud.
FirehawkLS1@reddit
It all depends on the car, what you are trying to get out of it, and the setup. I have an SLP loudmouth exhaust on my car and long tube headers. My car doesn't get over 1300rpm in my subdivision. I've taken audio from my cameras in front of the house, asked neighbors, stood out there while the car warmed up after a cold start, and it's pretty unobtrusive and not obnoxious. I plan on getting an electronic cut out before the muffler for track use. But my RPMs are low in my subdivision as I'm going less than the 25mph speed limit due to kids being around, and me not needing to go faster than 16mph to get out of my subdivision on a bad day. Tone means a lot too. Too many variables to give you a definitive answer with not knowing your engine and end goal. Electronic cut out or valved exhaust is probably the most controllable.
Dangerous_Pattern_81@reddit
I had Dynomax VT’s on my Duster, and they sound great, as a plus, at about 3000RPM, there’s a flapper inside that pops open to basically straight-pipe the exhaust. Unfortunately, they stopped making them a few years ago.
WiseSubstance783@reddit
Corsa
voucher420@reddit
Seriously. What car is this? Most factory V8 models will sound good with almost any exhaust. Most economy cars will sound like ass with anything other than stock exhaust unless you’re flooring it, and even then. Performance vehicles will sound the best with modified exhaust, especially with a manual transmission or a aftermarket programmed automatic that doesn’t try to hunt for the highest gear possible.
Unfortunately, most aftermarket exhaust systems tend to be loud. The best one I’ve heard of is the double loop exhaust pipe. It’s a pipe that’s been looped through the muffler. I heard these are great for four cylinder cars. I would recommend a 3 chamber Flowmaster muffler for a V8 vehicle.
You can also keep your stock muffler and add an electric cut out with a remote to have both loud and quiet on demand.
4158264146@reddit
Just change the muffler but leave the resonator alone.
Nstraclassic@reddit
You do your research
Optimassacre@reddit
Resonator is key
Wonderful_Setting_29@reddit
350z guys assure me its coolest to remove the mufflers and resonators altogether!
ElectricSnowBunny@reddit
Just imagine the poor guy doing a dyno on them
LUXOR54@reddit
When I bought my Z the previous owner ripped out the resonator, sounded like absolute ass.
First thing I did was rebuild the exhaust.
Wonderful_Setting_29@reddit
Oof, that's rough. I was joking. They sound so bad. Lol.
fenderstratsteve@reddit
I’ll never understand why people do this.
LUXOR54@reddit
Because cheap and loud
fenderstratsteve@reddit
You’re right – I understand that. But it doesn’t sound good.
djsnoopmike@reddit
Them street trumpets sure like to blast down the road at 1am
Cool-Bunch6645@reddit
Don’t forget your pesky cats for the true VQ trumpet
Lordofpineapples@reddit
V8
voucher420@reddit
My wife has a loud V8 and it’s definitely “dick” loud. She liked it better when the cheap Flowmaster knockoff broke internally and it was way louder until I “made her fix it” because it was rattling because of the broken piece inside with a real Flowmaster muffler. It’s still too loud imo, but she’s happy and my daughter is happy not to have to yell in the car to have a conversation again.
gmehodler42069741LFG@reddit
Valvtronic
coyoteatemyhomework@reddit
You dont sound like the type that would have loud exhaust.... you sound like the type that calls bylaw about loud exhaust. Lol
Bubbly-Pirate-3311@reddit
Valved exhaust if you've got more than 4 cylinders. If you've got 4 cylinders, get something that still has a muffler instead of a straight pipe.
Jamaidian@reddit
What's the car?
Imaginary_Highway69@reddit
Depends on the vehicle. Some are reasonable with a resonator only but something bigger might need a resonator and a performance muffler. The muffler won't actually give more performance but they tend to be baffled not insulated. Kinda 50/50 stock setup to get more sound without pissing everyone off or being difficult to live with.
lunchbox651@reddit
Don't straight pipe, get a resonator in it.
Don't rev the cunt out of your car unless you absolutely have to.
SATXS5@reddit
Valved exhaust
GraphicWombat@reddit
Get the dump! My buddy has one on his camaro ss and his Cadillac cts-v wagon. Both are drag cars and are also street legal… somehow. The camaro has a friggin parachute on it.
Granted both are very large boosted v8 engines. So your milage may vary, lol.
jrileyy229@reddit
This is the answer if you want to be kind to your neighbors and household members... And then open it up when you're out playing Fast and Furious
Talentless_Cooking@reddit
This, it's a bit more expensive, but yhe right way to go. I have an electric y pipe, so I can go from normal nice neighbor to the envy of the boy racers in the push of a button.
Total-Improvement535@reddit
Valved exhaust if you can afford it and do it.
if not, just don’t be a dick about it. don’t rev it up late at night and early in the morning, be easy on the throttle through neighborhoods, and let it sing out on the open roads
it’s also about the tone of the exhaust. some simply sound better than others, based on what resonators, mufflers, crossovers, and pipe diameter you use.
I had a Lincoln MKZ that I chopped the mufflers off of but left the resonators and cats on. it was a nice hum during normal driving but really sang under WOT.
tl;dr - be easy on the gas and DO NOT STRAIGHT PIPE
aringa@reddit
Quiet stock exhaust is the coolest.
Cool-Bunch6645@reddit
Buy a full catback system with mufflers and resonators and they will typically not be a problem with obnoxious noise
Due_Ad_6085@reddit
Just tell this to the muffler shop.
Toxiczoomer97@reddit
I mean if you have cats, there really aren’t many and stress many mufflers that are that loud. It’s the catless setups that get insane
AdjustDeezNutz@reddit
Like others have said, it depends on your car. Some cars just won't ever sound good and some already sound good, but get ruined by their douchebag owners.
TellemTom@reddit
It depends entirely on the car.
Generally I fucking hate high pitch exhausts.
Old-guy64@reddit
Growing up, I drove a big block Ford.
I didn’t have header’s as didn’t have room for them, and the car was a looker first. It had Mercury Tubes ahead of resonator mufflers.
It had a nice tone, but it wasn’t loud at all.
That’s probably too old school for your application.
No_Educator_6376@reddit
Most popular cars have videos on YouTube with different exhaust systems you can listen to them and pick what you like.👍
ramtough_63@reddit
Street FX better tone and even better at WOT
Darkslayer_@reddit
At the very least you can get a valved muffler that lets you quiet the exhaust to stock levels with a remote.
Also, it's always best to make the exhaust sound good instead is of simply loud. play around with resonators too.
Prestigious-Hyena-72@reddit
The balance of noise, I chose the 2nd quietest exhaust for my car, it’s mature but definitely an exhaust lol
ethereal_twin@reddit
It depends on how much of the exhaust you plan on swapping out. Different mufflers have different decibel levels. There are also muffler inserts that can reduce sound levels as well. Had a full exhaust swap some years ago but the mufflers were basically wide open, the inserts helped tremendously at keeping the sound characteristic intact while quieting them just enough to not be head turning.