i cut the cats off my 94 5.0 and had a knock off 40 series installed for 20 bucks. quiet as a mouse. cut it off and put a cherry bomb glasspack. sounded like a old water truck. took it off and just installed a cherry bomb vortex. complete waste of $85. back to square one. i want something that has a roar to it and has a deep rumble at idle but don't want the cackling of a glasspack. all pipe and mufflers mentioned are 2.25" and exhaust is single exiting in front of rear tire

 

You need at this point, a set of long tube headers, and a dual 2.5" system with straight threw design mufflers (not a chambered muffler).

 

x2. On the economical side, frun a 2.5" or 3" single to a Dynomax Bullet, then run tailpipes as tail pipes with large tips help give off the deep tone.

 

I have an '06 xlt with the 5.4 so our sounds will be different just with that fact, but I can maybe help you a bit. I have factory stock cats and stock single pipe (after the Y merge) to a Prosound (Flowmaster 40 knock off, saved $40 bucks) SIDO with 2.5" tailpipes to 3x18" chrome tips straight out the back. It is pretty loud on take off and smoothes out at highway speed but once you get up to 70-80 mph its the most awesome sound ever...reminds me of NASCAR. At idle, it's a mellow rumble but you can feel it in your chest. I love it because it's cheap and simple and probably sounds better than most set ups that costs near $1000 for overpriced mufflers....hope this helps.