Exhaust Help!!

Looking to upgrade exhaust, a day away from buying SCP exhaust system. However I have been reading the forums about exhaust setups for the last 3 hours! Now I don't know much about exhaust setups and cars lol, but before I spend all this money I was hoping to get some opinions. Is this setup even worth $740?!?! I am hoping for a Nice deep deep deep throaty sound (no ricey sounding crap) and added performance of course. Just wondering if there is a cheaper or maybe a better way to go about this than just buying the most expensive.

i took a picture of the scp big dog exhaust to a local muffler shop and asked them could they clone it, they did and it cost me $620 installed, I've got magnaflow resonator and mufflers.

wish you had a sound clip of how it sounded.
I don't think i know of a muffler shop that could pull off a job like that around where i live either. Although that sounds glorious

Can you show me that picture you took to get cloned?
Why you call it the "big dog exhaust"?

The only cheap alternative that I know of is either get a used setup (like I did for my 90) or just do the upper exhaust and possibly port out your stock manifolds. Mine used cost me $400 and change. They are SPC upper with high flow cats, magnaflow resonator, and a Flow master force II lower. The manifolds are ported too.

Then I had it installed at a chain muffler shop which was a mistake. The installer welded the lower exhaust on after I provided all the clamps and he got it on slightly off center. I had to safety wire it to one side to keep it from rattling.


It sounds good but there’s a louder rumble between 60 and 70 mph in the drivers seat. I think it’s due to the curved pipe going around the gas tank. When I get around to it I’m going to replace the tank with one from a 93+ car that will allow me to use the straighter pipe.

SPC is expensive and for a lot of stuff is the only game in town. I’ve done business with Bill and he’s okay.

There are a lot of muffler shops that won’t do an exhaust unless you buy it from them. I would take a day and drive around to them and get quotes and if they can’t provide a quote then tell them you can get parts from SPC and if they would install.

No offense to Bill at supercoupe performance but $740+shipping is a ripoff for the exhaust they offer then again so is alot of things they sell ,And unless its full stainless steel like borla or a magnaflow custom system with stainless pipes then I'd pay 700 for'em even borla is cheaper and its stainless both systems will give you that throaty sound your after I myself chose a flowmaster cat-back with a custom made front setup from the headers back and have an extremely throaty sound then again I have a 418 in my car,Nope no v-6 for me.You may wanna try midas or meineke they both do custom setups just buy the mufflers they tell ya you need and bring it to'em I guarentee you will get a nice system for around $450 complete

Ya I thought it was kind of over priced. Wend to muffler shop and showed them Bill's exhaust, said they couldn't do it. the place is called Monro Muffler if anyone has ever heard of it. You think if just bring them a pic and ask them to clone it they would change their mind? They are the only muffler shop within 2 hours from me (Suffield, CT) so I really need something.

So if i do what Nickleman said earlier, bring pic of SCP's exhaust to a midas or meineke (didn't know they did custom exhaust) you think they could clone it?

t............

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Want2LearnTBIRD said:

Ya I thought it was kind of over priced. Wend to muffler shop and showed them Bill's exhaust, said they couldn't do it. the place is called Monro Muffler if anyone has ever heard of it. You think if just bring them a pic and ask them to clone it they would change their mind? They are the only muffler shop within 2 hours from me (Suffield, CT) so I really need something.

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There’s three muffler shops in Vernon and a couple in Manchester. I’m willing to bet there’s four times that many between Enfield and South Windsor. Use the yellow pages or www.anywho.com
The Meineke shop in Vernon is very busy. They don’t like to do after market exhaust unless they can get it but, that’s who did mine. They also did my truck with a Flowmaster for a good price. Like I said they didn’t do it exactly right but after all said and done it’s a solid job. After working on my Super Coupe, I don’t know if he wants to do another one. He does stands by his work and will fix it if you ask him too. Talk to Stu, he’s the owner. Tell him the guy with the white Thunderbird Super Coupe sent you. He might hang up.

Want2LearnTBIRD said:

Looking to upgrade exhaust, a day away from buying SCP exhaust system. However I have been reading the forums about exhaust setups for the last 3 hours! Now I don't know much about exhaust setups and cars lol, but before I spend all this money I was hoping to get some opinions. Is this setup even worth $740?!?! I am hoping for a Nice deep deep deep throaty sound (no ricey sounding crap) and added performance of course. Just wondering if there is a cheaper or maybe a better way to go about this than just buying the most expensive.

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I have the SCP kit from the manifolds back.It sounds good,but,to make it fit properly you need to take it to an exhaust shop anyway.If I had it to do over again there's no way I'd buy this exhaust.It works ,but ,it's way,way way overpriced.Bill's a good guy ,but , this exhaust isn't worth the money.It's not mandrel bent for starters at that price it should be.A good exhaust shop will be able to make it for you.

H

Keep shopping for muffler shops. I've found out the private shops are the best. National chains tend to be more expensive. I went to the same shop two weeks apart and got a $650 and a $350 estimate for the same work. Just depends how much work they have. Save up your $$$$ and do it right the first time. You'll feel better.

I think a muffler shop might be reluctant to commit to duplicating a system based on the picture because the reality of getting it to fit may be a lot of work. So they might not be able to give you a good estimate. The bends are pretty complex with the older tank.

I have plenty of money saved but I am so scared to do this because I really only want to have to do this once and i don't know much about exhausts and I want it done right. I've read almost a thousand posts so far about exhausts and I think nickleman's idea is the best one I have read so I am probable going to go with that. I just need to find a shop around where I live to do the project now for a decent price. Anything under 700 will be alright.

Try to find a shop in the area. I had mine done for around 600 total (parts and labor). I have dual 2 1/4 pipes from the stock manifolds to a Magnaflow resonator (dual in / dual out) to flowmaster 40s out back. The sound (I think) is pretty good and I have gotten compliments on it. Keep in mind that it will not sound like a mustang or other v-8. You can make them sound good but not the same from what I have read and heard. At the end of this video you can hear mine. http://s147.photobucket.com/albums/r295/perm102/?action=view&current=tbird.flv

Perm that sounded great....Def the kinda sound I am after

Want2LearnTBIRD said:

Perm that sounded great....Def the kinda sound I am after

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One thing you might want to consider.The Flowmaster catback is smaller than the SCP exhaust ,but, it's mandrel bent,I know the SCP site says it becomes a restriction after 250 hp.I had this flowmaster system on my car before SCP system and I will say the Flowmaster setup fit better.I couldn't feel a noticable difference just changing the exhaust from Flow master to SCP.I did notice a difference switching from stock exhaust to Flowmaster system,but, most of that is from getting rid of the stock resonator.
My point is the SCP system is way overpriced and there are other kits available that offer great results.The SCP kit is bigger ,but, the elbows aren't mandrel bent and that makes it smaller.
I'd get one done from a muffler shop after doing a little research,I bet it would flow better and cost less.

Want2LearnTBIRD said:

Perm that sounded great....Def the kinda sound I am after

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Thank you. I will say too that I don't have a "specific" system. They are flowmaster mufflers but not the flowmaster kit. I just took it to the exhaust shop and they put it on the rack. Looked at it and quoted a price. A couple of things that I don't like about it is 1. it is one piece so it has to come down as a whole system. I will change that when I get some time. 2. It is not mandrel bent. 3. I really wanted 2 1/2 pipe but I am not at the horsepower yet to require more than 2 1/4.

Considering you live in CT, you should do stainless. It will last much longer than aluminized.
Mike