Improving exhaust sound, Best aftermarket muffler? Options

[Last930]

My '73 2.0 sounds like a, well, Volkswagen. How do I go about making it sound better? It is a stock engine with FI intact. The existing muffler seems to have a couple small leaks. I would like to retain the heat as well as use the single outlet setup. The power train is coming out this spring so I can paint the engine compartment, so that's would be a good time to tackle the exhaust.
Any suggestions to make the car sound like a sports car would be appreciated.

[Dave_Darling]

My taste is probably not yours, so what's "best sounding" for me probably isn't for you. So there is no one "best".

Your options that I know of:
- New stock or stock-type muffler
- Tangerine stainless muffler
- Triad muffler
- Bursch muffler
- Sebring muffler

All of those bolt up to stock heat exchangers and have (or have an option for) a single outlet in more or less the stock location.

The Bursch and Sebring have collectors that merge the four pipes into a single one, then a muffler on that. The Sebring has, I think, a flange that lets you bolt on alternate muffler elements if you find ones that fit and have mating flanges welded on.

A new stock-type muffler will probably sound less Bug-ish due to not having holes.

The Triad muffler that I have heard (I think it was dual-outlet) was louder than I like.

I have not heard the Tangerine muffler, but I'm tempted to buy one anyway because anything that Racer Chris makes will be a functional work of art...


Note that SSIs are noisier than the stock exchangers, likely due to using thinner material.

--DD

[maf914]

The Bursch and Sebring have collectors that merge the four pipes into a single one, then a muffler on that. The Sebring has, I think, a flange that lets you bolt on alternate muffler elements if you find ones that fit and have mating flanges welded on.

Minor correction: The Bursch is actually a 4-2-1 arrangement, it merges four pipes into two into one. Whether this is really effective I can't say. I used a Bursch for several years and was satisfied with it. I always wanted to try another muffler on it, in place of the one Bursch supplies, but never did. At one time Bursch offered a model that included a bolted flange connection for the muffler or a straight through stinger outlet, but I haven't seen that listed anywhere in a long time.