Can anyone recommend the best sounding exhaust mufflers on the market for a 98 LS1?

[redbanditZ28]

Well, its that time again for my car, inspection time coming up in March. Rather than keep paying my mechanic to get it privately inspected, I think I am just going to buy a new exhaust for my car. My car fails the visual inspection because the SLP loudmouth isn't a muffler and they told me 4 years ago that every NJ car has to have a muffler, so it looks like I gotta buy one. Its been a while since I've researched anything exhuast related.
If I am going to buy a new exhaust, I might as well buy one that I'll be happy with.

So what are the best sounding exhausts, with mufflers, out there that are reasonably priced?

I've heard Borla exhausts sound nice and loud. Doesn't Borla make a system that you can control how loud the resonator gets or something? I am open to suggestions.


I almost forgot, I bought the APS Twin Turbo setup for my car. Can anyone recommend a good exhaust setup for a turbo system as far as back pressure?

[deadtrend1]

its all opinion. You need to listen to what YOU like, not what anyone else likes.

LT1 Engine - sounds clips, videos, forum, pictures, tuning and more.. (http://www.lt1engine.com/techaids/otcvwires.html)

EDIT: IT seems that I bookmarked a page over top of a existing name. Explains why I couldn't find that page when I needed it. lol.

Give me a bit and I will find the page I was originally going to send. Its all sound clips from corsa to spintech and etc.

[JL8Jeff]

Twin turbo will totally change the sound of the exhaust so I wouldn't worry too much about what you go with for now. You can probably just put a Loudmouth II muffler/resonator in place of the Loudmouth I and it will be fine.

[98tadriver]

Well, its that time again for my car, inspection time coming up in March. Rather than keep paying my mechanic to get it privately inspected, I think I am just going to buy a new exhaust for my car. My car fails the visual inspection because the SLP loudmouth isn't a muffler and they told me 4 years ago that every NJ car has to have a muffler, so it looks like I gotta buy one. Its been a while since I've researched anything exhuast related.
If I am going to buy a new exhaust, I might as well buy one that I'll be happy with.

So what are the best sounding exhausts, with mufflers, out there that are reasonably priced?

I've heard Borla exhausts sound nice and loud. Doesn't Borla make a system that you can control how loud the resonator gets or something? I am open to suggestions.


thats freakin bullcrap. did u tell them that SLP stands for STREET LEGAL PERFORMANCE? lol my friends SS failed for being "too loud" with his slp loudmouth and he had stock manifolds and catted y

[camaro2you]

I have a magnaflow forsale if your interested in going that route, has 500 miles on it, pm me if your interested.

[GrandmasterCow]

I have a turbo ls1 and also i have magnaflow, sounds really good!
For clips try www.ls1sounds.com

[GrandmasterCow]

thats freakin bullcrap. did u tell them that SLP stands for STREET LEGAL PERFORMANCE? lol my friends SS failed for being "too loud" with his slp loudmouth and he had stock manifolds and catted y

No ones passing anymore and the inspection station don't care, if they don't see a muffler you instantly fail.

[Tru2Chevy]

The Loudmouth used to come with a sheet from SLP explaining the exhaust system, and stating that it was 50-state legal. If you bought it new, you should have had that sheet, if you bought it used, you should contact SLP and ask for them to send you one.

- Justin

[redbanditZ28]

See, thats interesting, you guys know the routine too. Yeah, last time I took the car to get inspected, they specifically stated that every car needs a visible muffler and theres no way around it. I went to both the Ringoes and Piscataway inspection station and both said the same thing about it being too loud and no muffler. Yet idiots with fartcans can pass with no problem and their exhausts are even louder than mine. Its probably because I am used to the SLP LM after driving it for years, but it doesn't even sound that loud to me. I mean my mechanic who used to own an 01 SS had the LM and once drove past my house with open headers. Now that was loud. That was like listening to a nascar up close.

Anyway, if you want to hear the story about that piece of paper from SLP about the LM being 50 state legal, the pricks at the Piscataway station almost laughed at me when I showed it to them and I could tell they just thought I was another kid in a muscle car who they would probably love to fail in spite of things. I argued with them a little and they gave me the BS that SLP isn't the NJ State inspection is it? I told them its not right if they fail me or don't even give my car a chance to pass but those guys were ******** with an uppercase A. Its cool though. I pitched a bitch to the head of the NJ dept of Motor vehicle and I got an apology both from the head of the NJ dept of Motor vehicle and the head of that particular NJ inspection station. They were nice and apologized and said that they have been talking about layoffs at that Piscataway station and that they are doubling up on sending secret customers to get their car inspected to see if they do something they aren't supposed to do.

In the end I got my apology and the head of the NJ Dept of motor vehicle gave me his phone number and personally saw to it that the head of the Piscataway station give me a private inspection himself. Needless to say I passed that time around. It just goes to show you that you can fight city hall and win. You just need to talk to the right people and complain the right way. I mean it was wrong the way they treated me. I could tell that they thought I was a preppy kid with a sports car and tried busting my balls. Well I got the last laugh and they are probably fired. Serves them right. They shouldn't be treating people like that and getting away with it.



Yeah though, I've had that piece of paper from SLP and even emailed the head of SLP to complain to him that my car wasn't passing and he didn't know what to say, which is why he mailed me the piece of paper you guys speak of. Didn't make a difference though. I figure once I get the Twin turbos on the car, I am going to have to do private inspection from then on out. I highly doubt they'll pass me from visual inspection.

I tell you though, the guys at Ringoes aren't that bad. Even though they didn't pass me, they acted cool about it. They gave me advice on how to handle it and what to do and even complemented me on the car. The guys at the Piscataway station were just rude and looked unhappy with their job. They were all BSing and looked like a tight knit unhappy group hellbent on making people's lives miserable.



Some one on LS1tech mentioned magnaflow as well. Must be the popular one. Does the magnaflow muffler exhaust have something where you can change the level of the sound? I've heard that some exhausts have something like that.

Or what about that SLP LM II? You think the parts are interchangeable with the original LM? or would it probably just be better to buy the whole new LM II and install the whole new thing? Also, with that LM II, does it have a muffler?

[GrandmasterCow]

Magnaflow just has all the pipes and muffler, Borla is the exhaust that has plates to adjust the sound.

I think the parts are interchangable between LM and LM II.

[Tru2Chevy]

You can swap the resonator from the LMI and LMII, they are interchangable.

If the head of the station gave you a personal inspection and passed you before, I would go for the same thing again. Don't let the jerks at the inspection station force you to buy a new catback....

- Justin

[redbanditZ28]

Its tough though. I am not sure if they would remember me and it was kind of an act of congress to get the private inspection the first time around. Plus, even though I didn't lose the guy's phone number (head of the NJ Dept. of Motor Vehicle), I can't remember where I put the number. I mean I just don't feel like driving out to either station only to waste gas and wait in line only to find that I fail. I mean thats a risk most people take nowadays, but those guys can really be rude.

I thank you guys very much for the info about the catbacks though. I am not sure if one is better than the other for a turbo setup, but I'll look into it. Thanks again guys.

[JL8Jeff]

The exhaust won't matter much with the turbo setup. The turbo itself kills a lot of the sound volume so you would probably have no problem passing with the turbo installed. But if you need to pass before installing the turbo, the the LM II muffler will probably be your best bet. It's a true muffler with silencing material compared to the LM I which is just an echo chamber.

[98tadriver]

No ones passing anymore and the inspection station don't care, if they don't see a muffler you instantly fail.

guess they wont be seeing me anymore lol

[GrandmasterCow]

guess they wont be seeing me anymore lol
lol yeah, but on the ls1 dont you have magnaflow? I've learned lots from this thread already, good info to show my friends with LM I.