Best sounding muffler ?

If you want that hotrod rap' go with 1 3/4 pipes out to the back.

36 - 2" pipe into one (original header) through a glass pack, 2" to tail. Pretty quiet and no rap on rpms.

38 - 2" duals out (fenton), glass packs down to 1 3/4" out to the back. Has that rap (crackle).

Like that rap at times, but the 36 is easy on the ears.
 
tinker why would a smaller diameter tubing make it noisier?

Pressure and the release thereof. If you listen to all those newer Mustangs, they make a good racket with factory exhaust, However some go for Flowmasters, for performance or economy, then as well as with other performance cars the 'music' is gone with the loss of backpressure.

In my opinion there is nothing as impressive as one of those 'original or survivor' types that can be detected only with the eye. ( stealth as D. Jones pointed to) One that the owner himself has to look (when there is other street noise around) at the gauges before reaching for the key. Twice in my past I owned two OT flatheads like that, and really, they were a joy.

That said my next project is slated to have 1 3/4" straight pipes. I'm getting old and I want the neighbors' to notice my work.
 
A bones, when I got my '35 it only had a single pipe on it, as they did in '35, the single pipe is/was 1 3/4" diameter, this is whats on them as stock and it was quiet as a mouse. ive now changed it to dual pipes and it is much noisier than I want, I'm about to try and change it. I don't want to go up a size in pipe but expect its the size of the silencers that is different.
 
I just remembered, in the late '60s I had the the pleasure of borrowing a one owner 1950 V-8 Ford tow truck. The gears were the only noise. It was a stock type system single pipe.
 
I was walking out of an auto supply store a few years ago, when I spotted a Barrel of red torpedo mufflers for 10 bucks apiece. Bought two and they're on my truck now, and they sound great.
 
While most of the responses here mentioned "duals" or "mufflers" (prural), the O/P was asking about the single system on his truck. While I agree with what most have said about "that sound" (I have Fenton's and Porter's on my '51) I think that a single exhaust should use as close to an original muffler as possible. The "Tractor Supply" solution sounds intriguing.
 
This is very subjective to the owner's own tastes....
I, for one, don't ascribe to the loud pipes rapping away scenario but prefer a more mellow sound without droning away...
 
tinker why would a smaller diameter tubing make it noisier?

The bigger the pipe the more drone you get. Like a diesel truck with a 4" pipe. Yes they do run that big.

I'd say that having factory exhaust manifolds on the 36 has the most effect on how quiet the sound is.
 
After reading these posts I am thinking about pulling the glasspacks off the duals and installing straight pipes on my '41 for louder sound.
 
I have red headers and the short 10" Brockman steel packs into 1 3/4 pipes all the way back and it's too quiet. When you step on it you can hear it. I'm gonna take them off and go straight pipes. The set up is on a 34 coupe with a 59ab.
 
I like the idea of starting with straight pipes. If you dont like the sound you can add mufflers. Find different mufflers about the same length and you can switch them out to you find the sound you like....... Mark
 
For single exhaust like the OP was asking about, I would say a short glass pack (12"). But since everyone is talking about dual exhaust. Here's my stock '47 with Fentons, 1 3/4 pipe into 16" generic glass packs.

https://youtu.be/KN4vtJlOOHQ

I like that sound. I'd love a set of duals on the 52 Merc but for now am pretty happy with the single straight pipe sound. It sounds pretty good kicking up some snow in this video from a couple of years ago.
https://youtu.be/CMenIpyWi3c
 
Running dual exhaust with Red's Headers and a pair of Hedman Turbo Mufflers. Love the sound, especially at idle. Had the system made the old fashion way. Went to an old school muffler shop and watched a craftsman eyeball and bend the pipes into shape. Been great for about nine years now.
 
I guess I'm the only one that likes a "stealth" truck. Mine is so quite that it's like a BMW motorcycle, you see it go by but don't hear it.

I couldn't agree with you more!! My 50 Merc used to be that quiet to the point of being drowned out by gas pumps at a gas station being louder when I pulled up and had the engine idling before turning it off. My friends thought I was exaggerating when I said it idles so quietly you can hear the brushes buzzing in the generator when the valves are fully warmed up and tight on the clearance. Their jaws dropped when I popped the hood and then they knew I wasn't talking out of my ***. The muffler is old now and the guts are burned out so it's slightly louder but I will fix this. I don't want it sounding like it belongs in a ghetto!
 
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