Muffler Suggestions?

[58PackardWagon]

I always go with Midas. They are guaranteed for the life that you own the car. Many of my cars sit. Moisture works from the inside out and sooner or later I get a free muffler.

[kmac530]

I buy new work trucks and new family cars about every 6 years give or take mileage. We drive alot with commuting to work to LA or OC from the IE. I put about 50k a year on my trucks so after 6 years they are done. My family cars are not far behind with about 40k or so a year. So my trucks get replace at 5-6 years and my family cars 6-7 years. I have NEVER replaced a muffler or any exhaust component other than O2 sensors. Never a muffler, never a tail pipe, Cat, head pipe...nothing.

Inland Cali is pretty dry and good on cars. The coast is not rust free along the beach cities, but once you are 5 miles or so in the salt air is low or gone and we live about 30 miles inland from San Juan Capistrano and over a small mountain range of about 3k feet. We do get about 14-16" of rain every year, but that is spread out from Oct- March and then a bit in June. So it is not loke we are usually ever under water. Although I lived here in the '92-93 winter year. That was the El Nin~o year and we got 32" of rain. We went about 3 weeks where we got over an inch every day for 20+ days in a row. we were definately water logged here. People were water locked around the lake in many places. We had to ford about 2' of water to leave our house in every direction. The lake was up over all of the roads around the lake. They were actually under water. It was wild.

I have not had a problem eating mufflers here in so cal. Then a Cherry bomb is only 30-50 bucks so even if I needed to replace them they are really cheap and I LOVE that raspy, rattly sound that just says 60's. That is why I want them. I am fully aware they are by far NOT the best exhaust system, but sometimes COOL out weighs performance, as long as it is not by alot.

I appreciate Jack and everyones input. I am always fine with you guys expressing your concerns and doubts about my choices, and I have had a few changes of heart based on the input here, so feel free to continue to let me know the cautions of my choices. That is why I am here and read alot on this site.

[mbstude]

I drove the 15 miles to Summit Racing Equipment over in McDonough tonight. Even if I don't need anything I'm always looking for an excuse to go and look around. Grabbed a catalog at the door and flipped through that, then looked at the shelves of exhaust system parts. After seeing what was available at the size and length I needed, I settled on Thrush glasspacks. $55 bucks for a pair and cheap enough that if they rust out in 10 years, I can replace them without cringing. If I absolutely learn to hate the sound and want a quieter muffler, again, it's not much of a loss. I do have two layers of insulation/sound deadener on the floor of the Wagon so road noise will already be a lot quieter than stock.

Thanks again to everyone for their suggestions. If I hate the glasspacks, it's good to have some other ideas.

[Flashback]

Now ya talkin'. Made up that mind in a few. When ya gonna getum on ? We gonna both have to plan a little road trip after the first and meet in the middle.

[woodysrods]

I run "Blanks. glass packs, cherry bombs, or what ever you want to call them on all my cars" Currently buying "Red Hots" at $18.00 each.
Used to get "Blanks" from the local muffler shop at $1.00/inch.
Get 8 to 10 years out of them.
They sound great and don't take much room.
I weld them into my exhaust system.
Good Roads
Brian

[riversidevw]

Another vote for Don's mufflers. I have the "medium loudness" sets he makes for the Speedster oversized tailpipes on the '56 Golden Hawk as well as the Speedster. Results are actually quite different for the two engines. The '58 President has the oval long case stainless Magnaflows. I like them also, but there is a sort of roar of "white noise" at idle and low speed cruise. Doing it over again, would have gotten Don's again.

This is a really, really subjective thing!

Gil

[rockinhawk]

I drove the 15 miles to Summit Racing Equipment over in McDonough tonight. Even if I don't need anything I'm always looking for an excuse to go and look around. Grabbed a catalog at the door and flipped through that, then looked at the shelves of exhaust system parts. After seeing what was available at the size and length I needed, I settled on Thrush glasspacks. $55 bucks for a pair and cheap enough that if they rust out in 10 years, I can replace them without cringing. If I absolutely learn to hate the sound and want a quieter muffler, again, it's not much of a loss. I do have two layers of insulation/sound deadener on the floor of the Wagon so road noise will already be a lot quieter than stock.

Thanks again to everyone for their suggestions. If I hate the glasspacks, it's good to have some other ideas.

That's the same system Mitchell put on his Sky Hawk. Remember how it sounded? He said his Thrush's Came from O'Rielly's for around $30.