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What Exhaust/Muffler Mods did you make? And Happy Memorial Day

Tommy Almond

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 11, 2010
Messages
73
Location
Stanley, NC
Corvette
1981
Thinking of adding something to get a little more noise in the rear and currently on the ole '81 all exhaust is still stock so where else better to ask about what others did on these '81 than in the best group on the web.....our '81 only forum. So tell me what you used and liked or disliked. I am not looking at doing a wholesale swap put since here in NC she still has to pass emission meaning the cat has to be on the car but what mufflers did you switch too or wished you did? To all the veterans out there, THANK YOU for your service and today let's remember those you gave their all for our freedom.
 
The 81 I bought was a 100% stock Oregon smog car. Here in Washington no smog laws for cars 25yrs and older. I installed dynomax ceramic coated 1 5/8 long tube headers and a corvette america off road dual exhaust system with no cats and magna flow mufflers. No proof but seems like a 40hp increase over stock. This was 4yrs ago and now that the mufflers are well seasoned I have a few issues with the exhaust tone. Idle sounds great with a nice rumble. WOT is loud and mean which is fine. I now have a nasty drone at 1300rpm to aprox 1700rpm while cruising. The other issue is a rapping type sound on moderate accelleration. I just picked up 2 new walker super turbo mufflers but not installed yet.
 
If I may ask. How do the walker super turbo's work?

I finally installed the super turbos in july 2014. The magna flow mufflers are a straight thought design. The walker mufflers make 2 180deg turns internally. I really cant tell any difference from power level. The drone I had at cruise is gone. Now that I have some miles on the walkers the idle sound has a good deep rumble and WOT.....well lets just say they know your coming. Freeway cruise very tolerable. Overall I like the super turbos better than the magna flows.
 
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I kept semi-stock exhaust system. Went to 2.5" stainless steel, and high flow catalytic converter in a stock configuration. It's still using the SS exhaust manifolds.

The Vette is already loud while driving on the freeway (road noise and what not), so I could not imagine flow-masters 40's or Super 40's on an 8 to 10 hour drive. :upthumbs
 
Still have the factory installed mufflers on mine - they are quiet, but still look like new so will retain them for originality. I'm amazed they have lasted 34 years! And yes, I wish the factory ones were a little louder.
 
I purchased an aftermarket, bolt-on "cat" a number of years ago. It gives a little more sound and that's all I was looking for. I also have the original mufflers in place.
 

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