Best Sounding Exhaust for the ZR-1

[Z Factor]

Originally Posted by BBBAD94ZR1

Thanks you guys are great. My friend Rick as a 94 z with the bnb system on it.
I will check his out before I buy it. I want the car to sound as mean as it
looks.
Well thanks again.
Ray

So Ray, which did you settle on?

[RPO_ZR1]

Not to cause controversy, but I think it's all in the 'ear' of the beholder.

I had the original OEMs on my L-83 for years. Well, in my youthful 'boy racer' exuberance, ... I gutted them and then they rattled windows and set off every car alarm within 2 full blocks!!! (I had a fun neighbor back then who was an old B-24 pilot... he would see me on the street, laugh and yell 'contact!'...)

As I got older, I eventually valued my hearing, (and at my wife's request), in '97, I switched the old L-83 to a custom Flowmaster-ZR-1 'race' system (by TPIS), which was actually quieter than my gutted exhaust with reduced backpressure, better top end, -but I still had to wear earplugs... (OUCH!)

So, when I bought my ZR-1 in Desert Palm Springs from the great Jim Van Dorn, it had a Borla system.

IMHO, compared to to the Flowmasters, Borlas have a 'sweet' harmonic sound, but I had long ago stowed away a virgin P.E system, (because Lingenfelter's Car and Driver SB-2, 427 beast had P.E.s.)

... When I asked JVD his prefs, he said "Power Effects", so I swapped the Z over to PE's, but this time decided to save my hearing if possible...

In my experiment, I put the Borla H-resonator at the front of the Power Effects Y-pipe. This produced an exotic exhaust note, cancelled out ALL interior resonance, and I got to keep my exhaust flow, + my ears no longer bleed.

I've been happy, the car sounds exotic and (best of all) I can finally carry on a quiet conversation at WOT, w/o yelling.

The car still sounds great... BEHIND the car.

Another upside is that your presence is not telegraphed to every freakin' 'Barney Fife' ticket trap in the county as you do the triple digit.


Save the Wave!

[WB9MCW]

Welcome to the site RPO_ZR1... very interesting and detailed first post I might add!

[RPO_ZR1]

Originally Posted by WB9MCW

Welcome to the site RPO_ZR1... very interesting and detailed first post I might add!

Thank You!

It's an HONOR to finally post here amongst the knowledgeable and true 'cognoscenti'!

(BTW, the new site is GREAT, I might add!)


'Save the Wave!'

[ajaxajax2000]

Originally Posted by FU2

I saved it in Microsoft Photo Editor and enlarged and sharpened it.

The article basicly states that the best target for modification on the 93-95 exhaust system is the muffler. And that the cat's are a minor contributor to the back pressure , the resonator is the least restrictive.

A couple of questions with ref to Marc Haibecks study and analysis:

1 Would you say these results apply to a 92 ZR-1 as well?

2 Do the quoted results mean that the best you can do is to replace the muffler(s) with open 3" tubes?

3 If so - does it require any other actions (air/fuel ratio etc)?

4 Or else - what is best to do (on the exhaust system) for maximum hp increase (and a sound worthy of the Beast)?

Peter

[BBBAD94ZR1]

I went with the b@b
RAY

[Aurora40]

Originally Posted by ajaxajax2000

A couple of questions with ref to Marc Haibecks study and analysis:

1 Would you say these results apply to a 92 ZR-1 as well?

2 Do the quoted results mean that the best you can do is to replace the muffler(s) with open 3" tubes?

3 If so - does it require any other actions (air/fuel ratio etc)?

4 Or else - what is best to do (on the exhaust system) for maximum hp increase (and a sound worthy of the Beast)?

Peter

1) I wouldn't think so. The 90-92 resonator is considerably narrower than the 93+ one.

2) The resonator isn't 3" tubes and it wasn't a big restriction, so I'm not sure that's the only conclusion one could draw. In fact none of the system is 3".

3) On a stock car I think you wouldn't need to do anything if you didn't want to.

4) Best is highly subjective. I imagine there are several possibilities that will result in the same performance but a different look, sound, cost, etc.

[FU]

Originally Posted by FU2

B&B with the resinator.
Your opinion may vary.

Took the B&B system off. Put the Corsa system back on. I love it. No bean can fart sound either. Must be the extra inch's.

[rkreigh]

the best sounding zr1 exh for me was my 95 (near stock) which had headers and the flowmaster. that being said, the B&B is better performing but a bit too agressive for most (including me at times)

I went with the B&B and x pipe and the random SS cats which do mellow it out a bit and man does it roar.

but the cheap and "not so high flow" flowmaster still had the deep tone without being too loud. car sounded great. I also had a desert development which was cool too.

try this. take a stock 2.5 exh, cut out the resonator, put in the X pipe and add some 2.5 magnaflow muffs. I think you will be pleased and it's not too expensive either.

for strokers, the B&B is pretty tough to beat for HP, use the X pipe, but be prepared, it's LOUD!!!

[Z Factor]

Originally Posted by rkreigh

the best sounding zr1 exh for me was my 95 (near stock) which had headers and the flowmaster. that being said, the B&B is better performing but a bit too agressive for most (including me at times)

I went with the B&B and x pipe and the random SS cats which do mellow it out a bit and man does it roar.

but the cheap and "not so high flow" flowmaster still had the deep tone without being too loud. car sounded great. I also had a desert development which was cool too.

try this. take a stock 2.5 exh, cut out the resonator, put in the X pipe and add some 2.5 magnaflow muffs. I think you will be pleased and it's not too expensive either.

for strokers, the B&B is pretty tough to beat for HP, use the X pipe, but be prepared, it's LOUD!!!

Good synopsis on the different systems.

I've heard most of the systems with the exception of the DD, and from a price to sound ratio Flowmaster is hard to beat. I do however love my B&B with X-pipe and no cats, though I don't drive it for long periods of time.