Old school glass pack sound wanted

[DocMel]

I've been restoring my own cars for about 15 years now:  68 427 Corvette roadster, 70 Cuda 340/6, 454, 70 El Camino 454, 77 TA, 76 TA 455 HO, now,my 71 Cuda 440, 76 GMC truck, 79 Ford truck, 65, 61, 66 Harleys, heck, even a 1939 Ford 9N tractor. 

But let's go back to cars:  Every car I have restored I have used basically the same  company, flow-master.  Not dinging them, but to me, they always sounded a little "canny or tinny", for lack of a better word.

Now with my 68 Vette I had hooker header/sidepipes that were glass packed.  And it sounded awesome.  Not too loud when idling or cruising, and just sounded plain badass, especially when you opened it up

When I was 17 I had a 72 El Camino with GPs and I loved them.  They were the old cherry bombs, and yes, they didn't last very long.   I never ran a set of GPs that were shorties like some guys did.(GPs on the end of the headers with no exhaust pipe.  That was just too loud for me)  I always ran full length exhaust with GPs and I loved it

So to my point:  I want the old school glasspack sound on my 71 Cuda/440.  Once again I have Flowmasters on it now, and it just doesnt do it for me now

There are arguments that glass packs are restrictive, blow out, etc.  But what I want is the glass pack sound.  I don't have to actually run glasspacks, I just want the sound.  Please note that I do not want to run  sidepipes, etc.  Just a set of some sort of mufflers that will sound like old school GP's

I have been away from the exhaust world for quite awhile now:  Over the past couple of decades I have just tended to buy what was popular over the years:  Hence Flow masters

So......  Im thinking that maybe GPs nowadays have improved over the years, or maybe there are other systems out there that do give the old GP sound, but built with modern tech

1. What is available out there thats sounds like old school glasspacks for my 71 Cuda?
2. Are glasspacks they only thing out there that will sound like GP's?

[ToxicWolf]

   Good question.  I remember "Cherry Bombs" and "Orange Peel".  I don't know whats out there now.   

[polarbear123]

They still make Cherry Bombs


http://www.cherrybomb.com/Catalog/Categories/glasspack.aspx

[CudamanTom]

Yep, I had them on my Nova back in the day. Loved how they sounded too. 

[RCCDrew]

Bullets would be the least restrictive... And the loudest.

http://www.jegs.com/i/Dynomax/289/24234/10002/-1?CAWELAID=1710896778&catargetid=230006180000514869&cadevice=m&&cagpspn=pla&gclid=CJjwtp_xnL0CFRQV7Aod-TYA1g

[DocMel]

I looked at the cherry bomb site  Its got a good comparison in flow and sound levels for thier variuos products. They have really expanded thier line.  Its not just glass packs anymore at the local drive in

[moparman82]

Bullets are pretty awesome, had some on the drag duster, sounded bad ass

[Super Blue 72]

Just curious, are either the glass packs or bullets legal on street vehicles? 

Keep in mind that not all glass packs are created equal.  Although some say reversible look inside.  A good GP will have the inner pipe that holds the fiberglass drilled through with a flat surface.  Cheaper ones will actually be louvered and if put on in the wrong direction will actually cause a lot of back pressure.

The sound of the GP IMO can only be duplicated with a GP or something similar in design like the bullets but given the short body of the bullet I would imagine (never head on in person) the sound closer to be like open exhaust.  Most GP you see in stores have a long body which mellows out the sound more than the short body.

It looks like the bullets are more durable.  GPs in stores like Autozone tend to rust out then you're shooting fiberglass out the tailpipe then your car sounds really fun at that point! 

[Moparal]

hush thrush

[Super Blue 72]

Hi Al, I was thinking turbo mufflers too.

When I think of exhaust sounds I like, I think of the opening chase scene in Mad Max.

His patrol car used I believe Lucas Turbo mufflers which I think is now Walker/Dynomax.



Start listening at 10 seconds.  Not as raspy as the GPs but it has a deeper mellower note.

Chase scene from Mad Max 1

[CudamanTom]

Hi Al, I was thinking turbo mufflers too.

When I think of exhaust sounds I like, I think of the opening chase scene in Mad Max.

His patrol car used I believe Lucas Turbo mufflers which I think is now Walker/Dynomax.



Start listening at 10 seconds.  Not as raspy as the GPs but it has a deeper mellower note.

Yes Phil, I love that sound of Mad Max's car.  :2thumbs:Reminds me of my 70 Cuda I had back in the day.

Al, I had Hush Thrush stickers on the side/rear windows of my Nova many years ago, if that counts. 

[Edison1970]

I second the Hush Thrush.  Have you seen what people are getting for those things on ebay?  If I knew that they would be collectable some day, I would have bought every one in the scratch and dent at the local PCA center back in 1980.

[Road_Runner]

So going back to the orginal question is there a 'modern' alternative to the original cherry bombs perhaps with durable steel wool vs. the original spun fiberglass that burns out quickly?  I ran the header attached glass packs with tail pipes which sounded great.  Went with  original turbo mufflers when I had to replace my busted headers and never liked the sound they made in comparison, way too tinny sounding for me. 

Later, Jim

[Mopar Thunder]

Purple Hornies are glass pack style mufflers. I've never had them but heard they are very good sounding.

[Moparal]

and they still make Hush thrush