headers or loud mouth?

[clotus]

I currently have a 98 camaro Z-28 with an SLP intake with a flowmaster muffler only. What should I do to make it louder and more power? About how much power am i making at the rear wheels with this set-up, and which headers should I use? I am currently in college so price is am issue. Do you think it would be better to put on an SLP loud mouth to make it louder, or will headers provide a loder sound through the flowmaster muffler. Thank you.
Kyle

With your current setup I would think around 280 at the wheels give or take 5, but i would say at least that much. Loudmouth will definitly make it louder then headers will, and since you have an LS1 at $349, Loudmouth is a great deal. Headers will give you more power but will cost a lot more, especially since i would be getting ceramic coated, they will make it louder though. If it were my car I would get Loudmouth, and wait until i had enough money to get a good set of ceramic coated headers, and I would look at BBK shorties, or Hooker Longtubes. Longtubes will make a bit more power, but are more money and sometimes a pain in the ass for clearance. Unless you plan on making a ton of HP one day, shorties will be fine on your car, if ya need to change them a few years down the road it wont be the end of the world. Good luck.

[Rare99HuggerZ28]

your pushing more around the 290 range. getting rid of the flowmaster and going with the loudmouth will give you more hp gains and a lot better sound as well. Flowmaster actually flows worse then the stock muffler. headers will give you even more gains, but they run around $1200.00, then you have to get them installed on top of that. with your funds I would recommend the loudmouth and latter get the SLP longtubes headers, then the Y pipe. hope this helps. good luck. also, some will tell of a drowning noise at certain rpm's from the loudmouth, yea, it does, but hey, ya get use to it, and you also have a bad sounding ride with a better flowing exhuast then borla or corsa and you didn't pay 600.00 for it. o by the way, the magnaflow and dynomax, run the same, 600.00, spent two weeks pricing all over on them, going with the loudmouth.

The only headers that cost that much are FLPs, id go with Hookers, JBA or SLPs for a lot less mone. And not everyone has to pay to install them, some people actually do the work on their car themselves. Also, dont believe all the knocks on flowmaster exhaust, people in here dont seem to like anything that isnt corsa and borla and believe dyno tests done by magizines that corsa and borla advertise in, but for some reason flowmaster doesnt . Go with the sound you like best, you wont see much more then 5 hp gains with any exhaust system anyway, so i would focus more on what sounds best.

[clotus]

Thanks for all the help guys, I am leaning towards the loud mouth just for the sound. When it comes to headers, i live in california so will LT headers be emmisons legal? I have also heard that the y-pipe isn't the easiest thing to install, and you have to reroute the gas line, and clearence. With BBK shorties would, i still be able to use the SLP y-pipe, or the stock one? Also, do high flow cats really make a difference and still maintain California emmisons legality?
Thanks again for all the help.

i am having the same problem with trying to stay emissions legal but i think the y pipe and loudmouth are legal. the y pipe does require you to weld the cats. but that should not be that big of a deal. some high flow cats are street legal and i think slp makes some that are.

[ncnbmss]

go w/ ppc or qtp headers!

[stik6shift98]

i would go with a cutout...for that kind of money(300) u can get one with a electronic plate so u can open and close it at the flip of a switch

[Tawney]

If you have an automatic, do not go with the Loudmouth, you will hate in about 3 days after installing it. True it will make more power, but so will a glasspack. The reason you will hate it is because with the auto you can never get out of that range that its always DRONING, in the cab of you car, sounds cool at first but sucks after awhile, beleive me Ive done it. I think that the Magaflow is the best for the auto, about the same power without all the racket, and if you do go with the Loudmouth buy a good amp for your stereo.

[Rare99HuggerZ28]

Okay, I just got the SLP Loudmouth last week thursday and installed it that night. It is now fri, the nxt week, I have no "drone" in the car at all and it is not as loud as everyone made it out to be. I have noticed alot better performance and stronger pulls, and the trq is even stronger. I have driven cars like a 79 camaro Z28 with headers and 3" flowmaster two chambers, that is way louder then the loudmouth. The loudmouth is only loud when I go from a complete stop with just normal take off, or when I get on it, WOT. It does sound alot better then Borla or Corsa. It seems to have more of a 60's muscle car sound to it, very smooth with very few raps when you let off the throtle, very few. I seem to be the only one around here running it and have already had mustangs pull up reving thier engines and when I rev mine, they suddenly, have a diffrent look on thier face and when the light turns green, they take off like normal, while I open her Wide Open and let them eat my dust. I had the Flowmaster 80 series on my LS1 Z28, and lost 13 hp and struggled to stay in the 13'9, nothing lower then that. The only reason alot of owners went with Borla and corsa, is becuase when the aftermarket opened up, they were the only ones with systems for our cars at the time. There is a guy on LS1.com by the name of XTrooper, he has flow charts on these three as well as magna and dyno, and the SLP LOUDMOUTH out flowed, out performed, and had the best true hp gains. Flowmaster was the worst. All im going to say, is if your looking into a set up, do your homework, hear sound clips, and ask yourself, is it powergains your looking for, or trailer queen mods. As for the SLP Long Tubes, they are going for part number 30051/$849.95 and install kit 30054/$119.95 which comes to $969.99 plus shipping, $70.00 for the headers, and $11.95 for the install kit for a total of $1051.85. As for headers, SLP truly has the best ones out there, they are dyno tuned and have the best flow, and hp gains out of all brands. They may cost more, but like I tell my customers when looking for a Rad for thier muscle car, you have thousands of dollars spent in the car and motor, do you really want to put a cheap $100.00 rad in to cool it, or would you rather protect your investment and have one custom built that will cool it, and last you more then a yr and keep your headgaskets from blowing for $500.00, they 9 out of 10 times go with the custom built rad and core. We are always asking, what are the best power gainers and so forth, but ass soon as someone says , o, it drones, or it costs to much, or thats not a name brand, or thats not what my buddies have, we suddenly are willing to make up reasons to not promote or run those products. Alot of us spent $30 thousand or more for are cars brand new, so ask yourself, if you were willing to spend that kinda money, do you really want to put cheaper product on it and sacrifice things to be apart of "the click" or spend the money, put the good products on, and in the end, your car is worth more, and others will repect you more, why, becuase you did it right and in thus, you are yourself, not a wanna be. Just do your homework, and ask yourself, if your willing to make the sacrifises or not and how important it is to you. sorry if this came across as a rant, did not mean it to. take care guys and gals. later.

[Lyle A]

Well said. I was thinking of going with those one of these days. My question is... "drone" what do you mean by that? Duh.

[Rare99HuggerZ28]

when they say drone, they are talking of like a humm noise in the car. There is a slight humm, but very very low, you really don't notice it. If the radio is on, then you really hear nothing but the radio. hope that helps with your question, if not, let me know. By the way, my Loud Mouth cost me $369.95 deliverd to my door from SLP, they are having a sale on them.

[Rare99HuggerZ28]

As for headers, dyno tests have shown that shorties Vs. long tubes, long tubes produce power gains and tq gains, shorties cuase power and tq loss. all the Berger cars, Tom Henry and Dale Earnhardt SS's and all others made by GMMG inc, run long tubes due to the power gains and tq gains. According to SLP, the Y Pipe is not emmisions legal and is for off road use only, so if you live in cali, chances are you will not pass the testing. I would check first with some owners in cali that have the Y pipe and headers that have done the testing to see if they passed or not.
I do not recall any of the fore mentioned cars being sold to any owners in cali due to the emissions requirments and that the cars had to be recertified to meet requirments for all other states. hope this helps.

[Lyle A]

Yep, that answers my question, Thanx

[hurstz28]

I have a 2002 Z-28 6 speed, LS1 with a hurst on it.. I am still under factory warranty but hate the tinny sound the stock exahusts have.. what should i get to have a good sound but not lose power? and still be covered under the factory warranty by chevrolet.
-christopher