57fordsforever.com

Bros:
Just thought I would run a quick poll of the 57 Ford Faithful to see what mufflers in your opinion give the best sound of the 57 to sixties era.
BuBBa

I want a set of those old Thrush round steelpacks bad...Have you seen what they're going for on epay?  You can almost buy Borlas for what they cost now.  I remember buying a pair at K-Mart for $18 a pair back in `84 or `85.

whatever it is they're putting on the newer Mustang gt's and such...those to me are the best sounding cars on the road.

I'm running flow masters and 2 1/4 inch exhaust out of stock 63 FE manifolds. The sound when idling is throatie ( sounds awesome ) and the sound going down the road at 70 mph is silent ( to me that's great ). The sound when you back off the trottle and let it coast down in gears is something else though. It sounds like a circle track car with open exhaust ( a popping sound like there's no backpressure ). I'm pleased overall though. Jim

I have 12" glasspacks and 2" pipe on my Ranchero.  It's running a balanced 312 and I love the sound.  Look on youtube for "David's Ranchero" for a sound clip.  (ignore the squealing belt at the beginning.  :002:  )

JPotter, This might be close to your looking for at the right price.....http://www.jcwhitney.com/aluminized-high-performance-glass-packed-mufflers/p2006484.jcwx

no, this is the ones I had and want again...The blue and white ones with the bird...

I ran those Trush mufflers in the late 60s, seems they were the choice as could be bought on sale for 6-8 bucks. Loud enough to get attention but quiet enough to not get pulled over.

I loved those things.  My first car was a `66 Mustang with 302 and 4 speed.  It had a set when I got it, and I loved them.  My next two cars after those had them, then it seems like they quit making them in about `85 or so.  The last ones I saw on epay were over 100 for a pair, NOS in the box.

 

FLOWMASTER all the way  :unitedstates: :icon_bigsmurf:

You might also checkout Porter mufflers,  :unitedstates: :us-washington:

I am with Zapato........ PORTERS...All the way!!!!!!!!!!
The sound is incredible.

I'll go with the FlowMasters for my 57.  When I had Doug's do my exhaust system; headers, mufflers & pipes, he only used FlowMasters.

My 08 Shelby GT has the Shelby factory installed Borla's.  I believe all the mod motors (4.6 & 5.4's) have a throaty mellow sound with whatever mufflers are used as long as they are duals.

Well back in the 60's we ran cherry bombs on all our cars. Thrush were a little raspy and the Cherry Bombs were mellower. 
Now I run straight thru 18" glass packs from JC Whitney for that old time mellow sound. They even look like short Cherry Bombs.
To get the original 57 OEM sound I found that Walker Dynomax mufflers work great, not to quiet but not to noisy, just right.
Now that Walker and Dynomax split and became two separate companies I don't know which muffler would be comparable.

I'm a Flowmaster kinda guy, love the sound.
Rick
57 Tudor

 I had a set of those Thrush mufflers on my '70 Mach1 in highschool. I bought them at Western Auto for about $10. I didn't know they would be worth that much or I'd have kept some back. My '57 sounds pretty good but I don't know what's on it. They are not glasspacks or Thrush. I was thinking I'd go back with smitties but not sure at this point. Here is a link to Thrush; http://www.thrushexhaust.com/pdf/Hush.pdf (http://www.thrushexhaust.com/pdf/Hush.pdf)
Ron

If you want a 50s/60s sound its not going to happen with Borlas, turbos or flowmasters. No matter how good they sound its never going to be the sound you want. Smitties are available and Porters sound incredible. I'm sure some of the major muffler makers probably still make a good stock muffler that would replicate the OEM sound. But if that truly bitchin sound you remember is what you seek you have to go low-tech and go either glass or steel pack, glass doesn't last long and they just end up getting louder.

Zap- :006:

I still want some of those old painted Thrush mufflers, would pay $150 or so for a good pair of them, maybe more for some NOS ones.  C'mon people, some of you must have some stashed away out there.

Quote from: JPotter57 on 2010-10-22 11:40
I still want some of those old painted Thrush mufflers, .

Have you tried posting a "WANTED" post in the HAMB classifieds? There's got to be a pair out there without the madness of e-bay

Zap-

In the 50's my car had stock stuff as it was a six. In the late
60's it got it's first 427 and glasspacks. (30 in). Early 70's it
got a 335 horse 390 with 30 in glasspacks and the large tapered
side exhaust in front of the rear tires. About 75 it got another 427
and went drag racing. Had custom headers and H-pipe and turbos
for the street. Next was 3" pipe and 3" flowmasters. Now it's 2 1/2"
pipe and flowmasters with FPA shorties. With the size of the engine
I like the performance sound. For the 50's definetly steel packs here
and glasspacks for the 60's I think. Muscle cars, Walkers with
headers was good. IMO

Quote from: JPotter57 on 2010-06-27 23:12
no, this is the ones I had and want again...The blue and white ones with the bird...

In 1969 I talked my dad into buying one for his California Special. He put it on, ran it for 6 months or so and couldn't put up with the racket.
It was a 302 2bbl but when he let of the throttle going downhill and it would rattle and pop I thought that was the coolest sound ever. I was
twelve years old at the time.