Well just got my truck back from the shop. Had a bad exhaust leak at the Y pipe where the pipes come down from the manifold that I was quoted something like 200-300 since the whole Y pipe would have to be made and the possibilitly of the studs breaking and having to be drilled out. The Ypipe that was on there was catless, and I could only find them w/cats for about the same price, so I figured custom bent was the only way to go anyway.

The truck is an 84' F150, 351w 4bbl edelbrock carb.
The previous exhaust system was this : From the Y Pipe into a 3 inch pipe, into a 3in inlet, 2 1/5 in dual outlet Cherry Bomb Extreme. It sounded close to what I was going for with it, reallllly loud and somewhat raspy but w/ a decent tone.

I figured if the leak was going to cost that much, I might as well just go TRUE
Duals, 2 1/5 tubing, 1 cat per side (would be no cat's but NJ is retarded) and a 2 1/5 Cherry Bomb Glasspack per side.
I really was expecting this new set up to wake the neighbors from a mile away... which is exactly what I was looking for.. something extremely loud with that old school sound, yet still legal. I definitely saw thought the 5.8 would have no problem getting me that with duals.

Well not even close. With the true dual set-up it sounds to me 10x quieter then the single in dual out extreme that I had previously. It doesn't even really sound like glasspacks unless you rev it up, then on the idle down from the rev it'll crackle like a glasspack. The closest thing that I can think that it sounds like now is like your everyday Dodge with a flowmaster... but not nearly as loud. Could the cats be quieting it down so much that it doesn't even sound like a glasspack?
I've read before that the glasspacks do get louder with age... but really how much louder?
Just kinda annoyed spending the extra money for the duals expecting them to be much more then they turned out to be... looks like I would have been better off just getting the leak fixed


*** Whoops, should have been in Aftermarket. Going to move it, so if a Moderator sees this you can delete this one. Thanks

 

the cats would quiet it down i had the same prob on both my stangs, i would try no mufflers or go w/ a 40 series flowmaster or a magnaflow setup ill be using a mangnaflow setup on my 02 screw w. factory style pipes behind easch rear tire

 

Guess I'll live with it for now and try to find someone I know who can weld good and will put a pipe in place of my cats. I would just cut it out and clamp a pipe in so I can swap in the cat for when inspection rolls around, but one of the cats is welded right up to one of the glasspacks, the other one has maybe a few inches of pipe in between the glasspack and the cat.

Not really looking to spend any more money on it though, spent two paycheck's worth today just to get this set up done (note I'm only 18 working at a dealership about 35hrs/week)... so more money into it is not really an option for now.
Actually had my uncle do it since he works at a Meineke so he gave me a deal I think... but since the shop could get a nice fine for it, he won't do it without the cats or cut the cats out for me.

Just really feels like a part of the truck is gone to me now that I can't turn heads like I used to be able to