Lou's Loud Mouth
No, this isn't SLP's Loudmouth Exhaust, it's my own configuration. It's based on the same idea with a single resonator except that I used a Dynomax Race Bullet Muffler. Since I retained the stock single exhaust outlet on my 98 SS, this was a cinch to do.
What I was looking for was better sound from my exhaust. I knew my SS already had an upgraded exhaust system over the base Z28 so I didn't want to sink a lot of cash into something that would not give me any big power gain. And with all the exhaust options out there, it's easy to spend $500+ on an exhaust system. Another reason I wanted to keep the stock 98 SS set-up was because this exhaust configuration with the single in/single out actually flows very well.
So first what I did was put a Flowmaster 40 Series Delta Flow muffler in place of my stock muffler and for a while I was satisfied with the sound. But after I heard the SLP Loudmouth, I decided I wanted something better, but still, I didn't want to spend a lot of money. When I first saw the SLP Loudmouth installed on a Firehawk, the wheels started spinning (in my head actually) and I came up with a modification to my exhaust that was similar in function and sound.
Below are the results of my endeavor...
One of the main problems with the exhaust on the 4th Generation F-Bodies is appearance. Most of the mufflers are usually pretty visible from the rear of the car and they really don't look all that great. This is especially true of the stock set-ups. And we want to give all those Mustangs something nice to look at, don't we? Here's the view from the rear and it doesn't look too bad. The muffler shop did a good job of tucking the Bullet muffler up as high as they could. And you can see I retained the stock single 3.5 inch outlet on the left. I kept it this way because 98 was the only year they put this on the SS and to me, it's makes mine a little more unique.
Here's a little closer shot and you can see that with a little metal polish, it's looks pretty good. The Bullet is 12 inches long and 4 inches in diameter with 3 inch inlet/oulet tubes so obviously there's not much there for muffling purposes. The shop did a great job getting the whole piece nice and straight. They used 3 inch pipe on each side to weld the muffler to my stock intermediate pipe and then the tailpipe. Stock hangers were also used. The muffler cost me around $45 and the shop charged me $30 for the install. So for around $75 and a little innovation, I was able to make myself a pretty good looking, great sounding exhaust at a fraction of the cost of a new system.
Here's one more close-up of the Bullet. So how does it sound? .... It's sounds great! Not quite as loud as the SLP Loudmouth and I would guess that is due to the different resonator that SLP uses. Now it has a nice "growl" to it. There's a nice tone at idle and when you get on it, it sounds really good. The sound is not overpowering at all. There's no annoying drone at highway speeds and no vibration whatsoever. There seems to be a bit more power too at the higher RPM ranges as well.
Am I satisfied with the sound now? ...Definitely!!!
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