• Welcome to the Contour Enthusiasts Group, the best resource for the Ford Contour and Mercury Mystique.

    You can register to join the community.

Thoughts on my exhaust system ideas

R

random_rodder

CEG'er
Joined
Mar 1, 2009
Messages
85
Location
Fort White, Florida
Been kicking around the idea of how I'm going to do my exhaust. I know, lots of guys have done this already, and there's been many parts tried and many posts made about them; so why not use one of those systems?

Maybe because I'm unconventional and I like to think outside the established lines...? :confused:

Any way, I'm looking at getting a TruBendz tubing kit, 2.5" and adding the following:

Muffler - Flowtech Afterburner - I've used these before, on my '74 Maverick with a well built 302. These are an open chamber design that really sounded great on that 302. Nice deep tone, slightly more mellow than Flowmaster 30 series. Just a nice rumble at idle and a growl at normal throttle. At WOT, you knew it was there. The V6 wouldn't sound like that, but, it should be an improvement over the glass packs...

Resonator - Magnaflow 10426 - This is where I'm not educated enough; never had a car with a resonator before. I do not want rasp and I think this should eliminate that, based on what I've read here.

From the pics I've seen, it looks like there's enough room under the trunk and beside the tire well for 4 x 10 x 18 (over all length, 13" body) mufflers on each side. My SVT has cherry bombs, so I can't really get a feel for the room that's actually there. Does anyone know the size of the stock SVT mufflers? Or if those Flowtech would fit?

Seriously, I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel, just maybe another option for folks on a budget. The price of those parts would be $335 ($360 with the shipping for the TruBendz pieces); $10 more than the TruBendz system without resonators, and $130 less than the system with resonators - before shipping. To clear up some confusion:

TruBendz Aluminized 2.5" Exhaust kit with Muffler/no resonator - $360 shipped

TruBendz Aluminized 2.5" Exhaust kit with muffler & 2 resonators - $510 shipped

Trubendz Aluminized 2.5" tubing kit - $195 shipped
Flowtech Afterburner 50322 X 2 - $89.98 shipped
Magnaflow 10426 muffler/resonator - $68.14 shipped

Total system cost is $353.12


Thanks,

Brian
 
Good job for research. I'll help you out and tell you what I have on my SVT. You have a stock SVT, I assume? *also, I know it's your car and you are going to do what you want. I'm just adding insight.

Depending on the condition of the exhaust piping from the main cat to the tips, I wouldn't even replace it. I would just cut the resonator out and replace it with the magnaflow muffler you provided. It's the EXACT same one I have, it fits perfectly.

As for the mufflers/tips. Are you going to change your tips as well, or keep them stock? My opinion is keep it all the same, so I'd look into Magnaflows. Flowmasters/Flowtech just seem to raspy to me, but thats me. I have these, http://www.pro3i.com/shop/magnaflow-14821-444.html They are a 14'' overall length and the tip is flush with my bumper. I never kept my stock stuff, so I'm sure someone else could chime in with measurements.

And you're not reinventing the wheel, I was on a budget when I did mine and I don't regret doing it this way. I love how it sounds and there's a few people on here who have heard it, and they have all said they loved it.

I'll be glad to answer any other questions. I remember doing this when I did mine, it took me FOREVER to actually just do it and buy the parts. :laugh:
http://www.pro3i.com/shop/magnaflow-14821-444.htmlhttp://www.pro3i.com/shop/magnaflow-14821-444.html
 
Thanks for the input, SVTRacer, I'll never turn down good insight. What started this project was the fact that the flex pipe was disintegrating, and the back part of the exhaust had fallen down due to poor craftsmanship by whomever put the old exhaust on.

Yeah, the engine is stock, for now. I'm eventually going to do the 3L Hybrid swap, and since I needed a new exhaust any how, I figured I put the one on I'll need after that swap. The existing exhaust was a kludge of bad choices, IMHO. From the y-pipe back to the splitter was stock 2" with resonator. The splitter was DOWNSIZED to 1.75" diameter, and about 2" on each side of the splitter is a crush bent 60 degree angle into a 2" cherry bomb on each side.

I did order the parts mentioned in my earlier post and have began putting it together. I'm working my way from back to front; have the mufflers in place all the way to where the Magnaflow 4" X 18" is going to go.

I spent half the day yesterday and a good bit of today fighting with my cheapo Harbor Freight welder, which can't seem to feed steadily - or at all right now. So I decided to lightly clamp everything in place and take it to a custom exhaust installer and have them adjust and weld it for me. Tomorrow I have to go get some more clamps to finish it up so I can take it to be welded. Right now, after fighting with the positioning of the oval mufflers, I'm wishing I had just gone with shorter 4" Magnaflows - much like those in your link. Also, due to the position of the mufflers, there's no tips at all. Gonna see how much the shop will charge me to cut a little more of the pipes off and put a couple tips on.

Again, thanks for the insight - it's duly noted for the future.


Brian
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top