1967 Exhaust

Anyone know why they raised the price of the FlowMaster American Thunder system (17289) $110?

Now that it's $470+, does it make sense to purchase this kit? Or should I go piece by piece? That being said, does anyone run an X-pipe rather than an H-pipe in their Fairlane? I've read a bunch about how it quiets everything down some. I'm rebuilding my engine and I want a nice sound.

I was told that steel prices have taken another jump, so the price has gone up. There may be other alternatives. I used 5.0 headers from a lincoln MK VII and a 5.0 MUSTANG h-pipe with out converters and added a longer piece of pipe too get the muffler where I wanted. Then had the muffler shop bend a pipe over the axle. The Flowmaster exhaust is nice.

Goodluck!

Yeah, that's bullsh... there's not nearly enough steel in an exhaust system to justify that big a jump in price.... that system isn't even stainless.

I guess in the meantime I will do more research on prices and see if I can put together a system cheaper than the kit. probably doubtful, but it doesn't hurt to try.

I am running 3 inch with a x pipe and summit racing mufflers. Still pretty loud. If you are running long tube headers Buy the summit x pipe kit and a pare of summit racing race mufflers, and a couple of bends. It will be alot cheaper around 200 for the whole set up.

Originally Posted by unfairlane

I am running 3 inch with a x pipe and summit racing mufflers. Still pretty loud. If you are running long tube headers Buy the summit x pipe kit and a pare of summit racing race mufflers, and a couple of bends. It will be alot cheaper around 200 for the whole set up.

That'd be cool... the 17289 is only 2.5" anyway. I have 351W heads on a 289 Block, so I'm hoping that long tube headers will work since the ports sit a little higher on the 351 heads. Thanks for the info.

Originally Posted by unfairlane

I am running 3 inch with a x pipe and summit racing mufflers. Still pretty loud. If you are running long tube headers Buy the summit x pipe kit and a pare of summit racing race mufflers, and a couple of bends. It will be alot cheaper around 200 for the whole set up.

Hey, do you remember what Summit part number the mufflers are? Do you have 3" outlets as well as inlets?

Ralph, great thread so far! I've got a 66 with a 289 and I've been looking for an exhaust system myself but I'm not even sure what to look for. Never knew an X pipe was quieter then an H pipe, good to know! Do you plan on running your pipes all the way out the back or out the side? I've already got the long tube headers but that's it so far.
About those 351 heads on that 289 block...is that up and running yet? If it is, is that a good set up for more power. I'm looking for other ways to build up my 289 besides swapping out to a bigger engine....figure it would be the cheapest way to go. What intake do you use on that set up then, the 289 intake or 351?

Originally Posted by RickRacer

Ralph, great thread so far! I've got a 66 with a 289 and I've been looking for an exhaust system myself but I'm not even sure what to look for. Never knew an X pipe was quieter then an H pipe, good to know! Do you plan on running your pipes all the way out the back or out the side? I've already got the long tube headers but that's it so far.
About those 351 heads on that 289 block...is that up and running yet? If it is, is that a good set up for more power. I'm looking for other ways to build up my 289 besides swapping out to a bigger engine....figure it would be the cheapest way to go. What intake do you use on that set up then, the 289 intake or 351?

Well, I don't know for sure about the X-pipe. I've never had one and I've never peeked under anyone's car to see what sound relates to what pipe. I just read that they are supposed to be a bit quieter because they dampen the pulses from the 2 sides of the engine better than an H-pipe. There is tons of information on the web about X-pipe vs. H-pipe.

I haven't really decided on where to run the pipes. I kinda liked the way it looked before I tore everything out... out of the side behind the rear tires. But I have been considering running them all the way out of the back. I'm still deciding.

Here's a picture of what I have done on my engine rebuild so far. The 351W heads definitely breath better than the 289 heads, especially after some port work. I had bare 1970 castings, and for the money I put into them I probably could have bought brand new World Products Windsor Jr. heads and for a few hundred more, aluminum heads. But I think it all depends on the cam you are running. You have to match the top end of the engine to the cam. I am not an expert by any means, but I guess whatever modification you want to make to get more power depends on your current setup.

To answer your other question, you would use a 289 intake with 351W heads on a 289 block. The 351W intake is too wide because the spacing on the 351W block is wider than the 289 block, so a 351W intake just wouldn't fit between the heads.