What type of exhaust are you running in your flat head powered cars? I'm looking for Pipe size, Muffler style, dualed, or single exhaust, equalizer connections, Chrome tips, etc. I'm going to be replacing the exhaust in my 37' Fordor, and would like something burly sounding but drivable, and at the same time elegant, but not necessarily stock! Mike
An old set of W headers shortened to work with the stock wishbone through 1.75" straight pipes all the way out. Sounds nasty! I left long straight sections along the TT in case I want to add mufflers later. I doubt it...
Running home made manifold into 3" collectors and 2" out into 30" Smitty's sounds good being fed by a blown flattie.........
The 'W' headers make a wee bit more power than more 'traditional' designs - not that you'll ever notice on the street. I run Fenton cast irons to 1-3/4" pipes and 12" Brockman steelpacks on my '40 Ford - sounds good. On my '36 P/U, I run Red's tubular steel headers to 1-3/4" pipes and 22" Brockman steelppacks - sounds pretty good too.
2 1/4" stainless thru frame system with two 15"x4" spiral auger mufflers, the big pipe size makes it really gruff sounding at idle, but it actually gets quieter between 2-3000 RPMS and passed a noise test at 91 db! very hard to run this large a pipe thru a 32 frame like mine, but Im happy with the results and the sound!
Home made headers, you can get 2" pipe to fit the center flange. Tractor mufflers are glass, or steel packs, look for 2" inlet, think outlet is 1 1/2 pipe. Home made bells on the end, not fancy. Tin headers make more noise, cast iron seem's to be a sound sponge, had stock manifolds to get it driving, there is a difference.
On my 53 Merc had straight pipes, didn't have much low end power, good top end, put on a set of super traps, the motorcycle ones, great low end, top end OK, they were adjustble.
When I fist started doing exhaust for a living, I ran 2" all the way. Everyone wanted bigger pipes. They never sounded like the old flatheads. I couldn't figure out why and assumed that the new glasspacks were the problem. I had a customer come in and insist that I run 1 3/4 on his box stock 51 Merc using the same glasspacks. Bingo! It had that classic flathead/glasspack sound. Some guys fret about limiting the potential of their hot rod engines and never get over 75 MPH I'm more concerned about sounds. If you want the classic sound stick to 1 3/4" pipe all the way. My buddy had me remove his glasspacks and replace them with straight pipe. I was sure that he would not like it but it wasn't bad at all. Sounds are a very personal taste type of thing. One size does not fit all. I didn't build my flathead powered hotrod to race on Sat night.
I started with a pair of off the shelf headers, cut the flange off and welded a 90 degree angle out of 2 1/2 inch, and welded a reducer to 2 inch with a flange. Silver HPC Coated. The remainder of the exhaust is 2" polished stainless, with off the shelf shortie polished stainless mufflers. Welded hangers into the frame X as I went, so I could use the U bolts one time. Had the up over the rear custom made for a reasonable price, polsihed as the other pieces. Its a nice sound, not to loud as glass packs, but a good sound.
Red's headers, short smithy's, 2" pipe dumped out right before the rear wheel. Some say it sounds "bitchin'".
Okay, I got my exhaust done! Dualed 1 3/4" from stock headers, to 15" glass packs with little chrome tips to finish it off. sounds great! It also smells much better, I had an aftermarket manifold heater on the Passenger side bank, after some contemplating I removed the heater, instead of factoring it into the works.
Just got my Reds kit. Am handing off the Smithy's mufflers to a friend for another of his projects and we're going to run straight pipes. Can hardly wait.
Fenton headers through 2 inch duals with Smittys - pictured here is with the straight pipe option but they were way loud so tamed down a bit with mufflers - pushing moucho power so perhaps why they are so load un-muffuled.
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