[89QuadSpider]

Hi all,

I just got my very first Alfa TODAY and this is my first post on this BB!

It's a local car with 88K miles and it came with a hardtop and a great stereo system. Great overall condition and it has really been well maintained, with tons of service records and all the manuals, brochures, repair manual, etc.. etc..

The exhaust sound is not very thrilling to me and I've been reading on here that many Alfa owners have the rear muffler cut off and replaced with a straight pipe and chrome tip. The previous owner had a new magnaflow center muffler installed a few years ago.

Does anyone else have a recommendation for improving the exhaust sound without getting to extremely loud?

From what I've been reading, it sounds like the car might TOO loud if I have the center muffler removed. Some said it's important to keep as an expansion chamber to help the low end torque.

Gary

 

[lgbalfa]

congratulations - beautiful car. have pics of the interior?

 

[89QuadSpider]

congratulations - beautiful car. have pics of the interior?

Thanks! Here's a shot.

 

[GuyC]

Another beauty graces our BB, but then I have a weakness for Quads

Gary there are lots of threads about exhaust options. I recently replaced mine from stem to stern, header, cat, new center muffler and tailpipe ( without muffler) and the car is not loud at all. Just a nice rumble. I suppose if one used a "glass pack" or something similar it would be though. The cat on our cars acts as the expansion chamber. In the pre-cat years there was a resonator located in the same place.

Guy

 

[89QuadSpider]

Another beauty graces our BB, but then I have a weakness for Quads

Gary there are lots of threads about exhaust options. I recently replaced mine from stem to stern, header, cat, new center muffler and tailpipe ( without muffler) and the car is not loud at all. Just a nice rumble. I suppose if one used a "glass pack" or something similar it would be though. The cat on our cars acts as the expansion chamber. In the pre-cat years there was a resonator located in the same place.

Guy

Hi Guy,

Thanks for the info. Guess I'll start by having the local muffler shop cut off the rear muffer and see how that sounds.

If that doesn't sound loud good enough, I'll try removing the center muffler, or maybe install something else (glass pack?) in it's place.

 

[dwc]

Nice garage, too.

 

[john.harrill]

Welcome!

Bella!
Looks like it was kept in a hyperbaric chamber

 

[Green Dragon]

Welcome to the AlfaBB.

Seems you have found a real beauty. Congratulations!

 

[ga_mtn_spider]

Welcome, and she's a beaut and even the right color

 

[ocduff]

89Quad -

Welcome to the forum - what a great purchase!

Centerline sells a Stinger real tailpipe which may bolt right onto your Magnaflow, assuming it replicates the original system.

That said, I have no center muffler and only a rear muffler and I love the sound - low, growly, lots of blat, blat, blat during decceleration. Not too loud at all - very sporty.

As for loss of torque - I couldn't say. However, I'm not aware of any data that dyno confirms loss or gain of low end power with the removal of either muffler. I think a lot of the data out there regarding this topic is based on general logic and "seat of the pants" feel, and not real numbers.

Maybe someone on here has some from Magnaflow's dyno tests of different muffler configurations? Sure would be interesting to see the results.

 

[Tifosi]

Actually knowing if there's loss or gain is as simple as calculating the exhaust harmonic pulses at X RPM.

If you don't have a muffler/expansion chamber at the same distance from the exhaust valve as what the pulse calculation provided, you're losing power. (or rather not getting all the power you can as there's really poor scavenging effect without it, and our little hemi's need all the scavenging help they can get)

It's not a myth, pipe dream, or even a 'seat of the pants' thing, it's a reality and what a true tuned exhaust builder utilizes when he is making a specific exhaust for a specific car which is to be used for a specific purpose.

 

[89QuadSpider]

Bella!
Looks like it was kept in a hyperbaric chamber

LOL... thanks! and if you like that one, you'll probably really love this one.

I bought it five years ago and it only had 11K miles on it.

 

[backfeeder]

ok thats just sic!
So tell us poor boys, compare driving the red car with THE red car.

 

[Tifosi]

Yeah, but ours are actually Alfas, (well those of us with pre-1987 or so) that's just a FIAT.

Though I can't say I'd kick it out of the garage for eating crackers on the floor tarp. hehe


So tell us Gary, if you've got a Ferrari, why pick up an Alfa?

 

[89QuadSpider]

ok thats just sic!
So tell us poor boys, compare driving the red car with THE red car.

To be honest, I have only driven the Alfa on a short test drive last week (with the previous owner, a lady), so I have not experienced driving it "full out," to see how it can really perform.

It's been raining here in Seattle since the spider arrived yesterday and I don't see the point in taking it out, until it's nice out.

Both cars have their own advantages/appeal. I love having a choice in driving a car that I don't have to worry quite so much about where I'm going to park it.

The Ferrari Berlinetta is fantastic and has gobs of 12 cylinder torque, but on a really sunny day, I love driving a spider too.

I've had a Fiat Turbo Spider for seven years and it has been my other fun option, until now. The Alfa is replacing it and I'm probably going to list the Fiat on eBay later this week.

 

[Tifosi]

I was kinda wondering what that screen covered headlight poking into the corner of the picture was

Find something twisty, keep the engine spooled and you likely won't be let down.

 

[89QuadSpider]

Yeah, but ours are actually Alfas, (well those of us with pre-1987 or so) that's just a FIAT.

Though I can't say I'd kick it out of the garage for eating crackers on the floor tarp. hehe


So tell us Gary, if you've got a Ferrari, why pick up an Alfa?

Because I like ITALIAN CARS!! If I had more bucks and a bigger garage, I would own a few Lamborghinis and Maseratis too.

Here's the other Italian one that I'll be selling soon.

 

[Tifosi]

Sweet.....

 

[Dolce86]

Hi gary - welcome to the BB !!

Beautiful car by the way - Use it well!! I can tell you from my own experience that I had an Ansa single tip rear exhaust installed and it has a wonderful sound to it. My Quad is an 86 with the cat and center muffler in-tact. The exhaust note is not loud and IMO, just enough to let others know that I'm around.

Jeff

 

[Peter]

Welcome Gary! Nice stable