Hi guys.
Just picked up a 1995 Impala SS, and have a few upgrades planned for it, but I'm on a somewhat tight budget.
It has a nice looking hood with a scoop and a ram air intake that was never installed that I'm putting on, and would just like a little more meaty exhaust note to go with that.
Had planned on just replacing the stock cans with flowmaster mufflers, but consensus seems to be these are not the best choice, correct? Recommendations for something deep yet still mellow, and I assume these are a direct cut/drop in replacement?
Here's your issues:
- Stock system is 409 grade stainless. 2.25" from intermediate pipes (directly behind the cats) to the over axles. They're channeled to 2" from there to the tips.
The problem w/ this is that many aftermarket catback alternatives are not stainless, so a switch would in effect be a downgrade, not an upgrade. They will naturally deteriorate/oxidize faster than the stock system. Will they flow better? Sure. But it can sometimes become a trade-off w/ modifications that you go "1 step forward" while also going "1 step back". In this case, including stainless steel build as a criterion along w/ improved flow and sound would be "2 steps forward".
- The stock mufflers have hangers welded to them. For a direct replacement muffler, it will have to have those hangers. This reduces the selection of alternatives. Not by a little, but by a lot.
- The flow of the stock system is impaired by non-mandrel crimping of the driver's side intermediate pipe.
Don't be too concerned about optimal CFM flow of an aftermarket muffler. The intermediate pipes (and to a lesser degree the stock manifolds) will prevent you from ever realizing those flow numbers.
- The stock mufflers are approximately 21" in length. Most aftermarket alternatives, both w/ and w/out attached hangers, are approximately 14".
The above bulleted items are facts, not opinion. These are the issues you'll need to address when deciding upon any replacements. There are many alternatives out there, but I'd 1st encourage you to do a search on the exhaust system to determine the various avenues available to you that other people have tried. I could rattle of a "do this because I think it's best" combination, but that may or may not work for your financial, aesthetic, loudness, drone or any other preferences.
Suffice to say, if you don't have a welding machine and just want to replace the mufflers, you'll need to bring it in somewhere due to the variance in muffler lengths and the commensurate need to "add" several inches of pipe. That alone will cost $. Should you wait and expolore the options available to you, you could arrive at a solution which will allow you to "bolt on" the system w/out the need and expense of an outside welder. For my part, I've used band clamps on my present system which allows me the flexibility of replacing any individual component and doing it myself.
2.25", 2.5", 3", mandrel bends, straight pipe, X-pipe, H-pipe, CFM flow, loudness, drone, and on... Take a look, write down some questions, post em back and we'll go from there. Sorry if this doesn't give you an immediate, custom tailored answer, but I'm trying to stay away from my opinion and focus more on your unique needs.
