tifo

Hi guys,

For a mod-oriented board this probably sounds like a no-brainer...

I already have the GTAs installed on my car, but I'm starting to wonder if the car actually came with GTAs off the assembly line and the stock mufflers were offered as the mod option...would I like the stock mufflers better?

The GTAs look great and sound great when opened up, but they are pretty quiet otherwise. The stock mufflers are louder and let's face it: Ford Engineers spent a lot of time tuning the stock mufflers to sound really good.

I know what the stock mufflers sounded like before my car was modded, but I wonder what they would sound like now that I have the X-pipe, headers, and CAI installed. After all the time that was spent getting my GTAs on straight (not to mention the money spent) I wonder if it would be worth it to take them off and put the stock mufflers back on. They should sound even more aggressive with the X-pipe and headers right?

What are your thoughts on this? If I took off the GTAs and went stock mufflers would I probably just end up switching back to GTAs again?

I've heard many stories of guys switching mufflers four times before going back to what they had in the first place...

~Ray

theedge67

Only one way to find out!! Exhaust sound is so subjective, you really have to hear it in person to decide if you like it or not. What one person thinks sounds great, another might not like at all. It can't be that difficult to change them out, now that you know what your doing!!

m05fastbackGT

I'm currently debating on whether or not to keep the stock mufflers to try along with the Pypes off road H-pipe or if going with the GTA's would provide more of a deeper and somewhat louder tone..Has anyone done a comparison and if so ? I welcome you're feedback and advice..

m05fastbackGT

I'm also curious Ray only I'll be looking towards an off road H-pipe and stock headers with either the stock mufflers or GTA's.. also from my understanding the GTA's are supposedly lighter in weight than the stock mufflers..in your opinion, would this be accurate or just speculation..

tifo

Yeah,
I'm not quite sure what post I read it in, but someone claimed the GTAs are 7 pounds lighter than stock mufflers. I'm sure this is true because they felt much lighter to me. Without a doubt, the GTAs are deeper note than stock, but they are definitely quieter when idling and through low RPMs because they have a much smoother sound.

I would almost descirbe it as a deep, very smooth VVRROOOM in contrast to the stock harsh rumbling (some call it motorboating) which has Mustang written all over it and is more audible at idle and low RPMs.

The GTAs really come to life above 4500RPMs and are louder than the stocks, but are still very smooth. It sounds more like a UUUUURRRRR than the stock rumble. Very unique indeed...

I still wonder what the stock mufflers would sound like with an X-pipe, CAI, and headers. Here's a video comparing the stock mufflers to GTAs with a stock H-pipe: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUSCOgffMZI

And another: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2dPYdfOuAk

~Ray

blkstang06

Hey! Rocky, Ive been running the GTA's about 4 months! Yes their about 6-7 pounds lighter than stock! and the muffler can itself is about 2/3rd the size of the factory can! I don't know any threads with sound clips of O/R H pipes with them, but 70MACH1OWNER has some video / sound clips of before and after with a O/R ProChamber Checkem' out! the O/R Pro Chamber sounds pretty awesome with the GTA's and 70MACH1OWNER say he has no drone!

Mustang Buster

I put on the FRPP X-Pipe with the stock mufflers first, as the GTA's were on backorder. The GTA's sound much better and louder than the stockers do, and all my neighbors agree.

tifo

Now this is what I was interested in knowing...

Did the stock mufflers sound any different or change pitch with the x-pipe in comparison to before?

Mustang Buster

The FRPP X-Pipe made the exhaust pulses smooth out and blend in a little compared to the stock H-Pipe with the stock mufflers. The X-Pipe did NOT make the sound of the stock mufflers get higher in pitch or raspy as some people have commented on with other X-Pipes. In fact, the smoothing out of the pulses resulted in it having a lower rumble, especially at idle as compared to the H-Pipe.

tifo

That's exactly what I wanted to know. The X-pipe smoothing things out instead of making it more raspy makes sense and explains why my GTAs seem smoother than the GTAs with H-pipe vid. I was wondering if my stock mufflers would get louder and more rasy with the X-pipe installed, but I think I got the answer to that question. It's funny because even though the GTAs seem quieter to me, my fiancee says my car is much louder and can hear my car from around the block as I drive off. Maybe they are quieter on the inside and louder on the outside.

thanks for the post Craig,
~Ray

Mustang Buster

Your welcome Ray Trust me, you are louder than stock

classj

To me the car sounds very sweet, stock, as is with just a CAI and tune. X-pipes neutered the sound of every car I have tried them on.

I love the burbly sound of either separate or H piped cars. X pipe totally ruins that sound. For me anyway.

I would like to have it louder at idle. But. I have louder cars. So it is not too bad.

It is always VERY difficult to get a nice sounding exhaust inside the car with little drone. Alot of exhausts that sound great outside sound horrible inside. The stock system actually does a pretty good job at that.

metroplex

The stock manual 07 GT exhaust sounds pretty **** good as-is. It growls when you fire up the motor, and at lower RPMs, the exhaust sounds like it is gurgling. You'd have to spend about $1000 to get this good of an exhaust sound on the Crown Vic (not that it matters). I've noticed quite a few people turning their heads when I get on the throttle, so obviously they can hear something.

Arrow

I'll second that.

The stock setup isn't as loud as I'd like, but it's got a great rumble, and I've freaked my share of alarms and chicks.

I'd love something as loud as an HD roaring up the highway, but I can't get too loud in my residential area and with all the travel I do I'm afraid it might get annoying.

m05fastbackGT

Just the 6-7 pound weight difference and the price of $ 258.50 from John Bleakley Ford is enough to convince me lol. Now I just have to decide on which off road pipe would provide the best performance, either the Mac pro chamber or the less expensive Pypes off road H-pipe to pair with the GTA's

m05fastbackGT

Thanks Ray, the GTA's definitely have the sound I'm looking for..Now I just have to decide if I'd be better off pairing them with the Mac off road pro chambers or with the less expensive Pypes off road H-pipe

Mustang Buster

In the original installation thread you will see that I did a weight comparison of the stock vs GTA mufflers. The GTA's have a weight savings of 3.6 per side, or 7.2 total:

http://forums.bradbarnett.net/showthread.php?t=53375

WuTimeUT

Well if anyone is interested I'll be posting a a vid of the Pypes OR H and stockers which is what I have on until my stingers come in

m05fastbackGT

Yes, I'm definitely interested...I'm looking towards either the Pypes OR H or Mac Pro Chamber to pair with GTA's the sound I'm looking for is deeper and just a bit louder than stock but not loud to the point where they drone..

Blitz

All I did was add the GTA's....and without question the car is louder...although I agree @ low RPM's it seems smoother, almost quieter, but I think what is missing is the "gurgling" due to less back pressure. At idle there is a deeper and slightly louder sound, and no question at higher RPM's much louder. I was about 20 car lenghs behind a Hertz Shelby a few weeks back and it was loud!