Best Bolt-on Exhaust kit? NEW W/ PICS!

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Best Bolt-on Exhaust kit? NEW W/ PICS!

June 27, 2005, 12:13:16 PM

My 86 Cat is all stock and I find the single tube exhaust dangling under the car today. What complete bolt on exhaust kit do you guys recommend and do I need to replace the converters too? I have an eye on future upgrades and already have a set of stock Mustang headers at the house. Would like to have a more aggressive sound as well.
Thanks in advance! BTW, its a 5.0L motor.

Re: Best Bolt-on Exhaust kit?

Reply #1 – June 27, 2005, 12:34:36 PM

first check if you have emission checks, aside from that.....i would say the mustang headers, summit or jegs H-pipe $109 , and a flowmaster american thunder catback which runs about $225 on summit last time i checked

Re: Best Bolt-on Exhaust kit?

Reply #2 – June 27, 2005, 01:08:32 PM

We do have emissions tests, but for the life of me I have never seen an inspector look under the car. I assume you are talking about dumping the cats all together? I know hi-performance cats exist, but are mine bad after 19 years?

Re: Best Bolt-on Exhaust kit?

Reply #3 – June 27, 2005, 04:26:54 PM

heres what i am thinking per your advice:

Flowtech stinger cat-back exhaust system 2 1/2"
summit part number: BIG-420601FLT
and
Summit part number:
SUM-640725

This kit does not include cats, but they are $69.95 each part number:
MPE-23361

what do you guys think?

Re: Best Bolt-on Exhaust kit?

Reply #4 – June 27, 2005, 05:33:03 PM

I'm stuck with emisisons here also, and they always look under the car. They even have mirrors they slide along the floor to make it easier. Our law only requires them to be tested up to 20 years old and wondering if your '86 will be exempt soon. Might pay to check and possibly wait out the Mods eliminating the cats, or you could always install them later if they happen to look and fail it, right ?? Could save a lot of money to check it out.

Re: Best Bolt-on Exhaust kit?

Reply #5 – June 27, 2005, 06:12:04 PM

remember, there isnt really such thing as a "bolt-on" for these cars, everything needs a bit of custom work to fit

for it to bolt on, youll need some stang headers, stock headers from a stang would work, and an h-pipe for a stang, than whatever catback will bolt up, but you may need to lengthen some pipes

Re: Best Bolt-on Exhaust kit?

Reply #6 – June 27, 2005, 06:52:30 PM

Quote from: 87thunderbirdBlackJack

first check if you have emission checks

The only place in Illinois that checks emissions is Cook County.
As for an aggresive sound I would ditch the cats all together. Run the factory shorty headers with and off-road H into a set of flow master 40 series delta flow lers with full length tail pipes.

I have run that setup on 2 different cars and it sounds good.

Re: Best Bolt-on Exhaust kit?

Reply #7 – June 27, 2005, 07:36:00 PM

When you say everything needs a bit of custom work, I hope its nothing more than tweaking a pipe or two. The kits I picked out dont have provisions for cats, so I may go that route. But if need be as 87 3.8 cat said, I can always cut out a section of pipe and have them installed to satisfy the emissions puppiess.

I am not familiar with Cook County testing, but I know that DuPage county does have it.

My whole plan is to get these kits and have a local repair shop throw it all together while I am working. Then I can drive home in style! :flip:

Thanks guys for your advice!

Re: Best Bolt-on Exhaust kit?

Reply #8 – June 27, 2005, 07:40:38 PM

The pipe between the H and the ler is different between the Mustang, Thunderbird/Cougar, and the Mark VII. And the tail pipes. If you want the fancy Mustang pipes they need streched or you could use the Mark VII pipes depending on the size of exhaust you are running.

Re: Best Bolt-on Exhaust kit?

Reply #9 – June 27, 2005, 09:30:42 PM

Actually nothern Illinois (Chicago metro area) has emissions testing. I live on the South side of Chicago so I have to live with emissions. Any ways to answer your exhaust question. It might be easier to have a custom system bent. I have a 1988 Bird with a 5.0 and I had a 2.25 dual exhaust system custom bent for it and it cost me $500 total with all the parts and labor. It has no H pipe in it but that shouldn't affect the price too much. Any ways I just passed emissions with it no problem. It consists of stock Stang headers, a pair of Dynomax high flow cats rated for engins up to 360cid, and a pair of Flowtech Afterburner lers. Since each cat only has to clean exhaust from 151 cubic inches (4 cylinders) I passed really easily :D . And a couple of notes. You'll have to mess around with the shift linkage if it's a column shift to get it to work. You also have an 86 so your fuel filler is in the wrong place I believe and has to be moved. Check out http://www.coolcats.net and go to the the tech section and look for the section on dual exhaust for 5.0 Cougars. Good luck and I hope you get some duals soon. The sound really good and it adds about 15 hp or so (well that's what it felt like to me). Plus you have an 86 which is probibly lighter than my fully loaded 88 Bird so you will probibly notice more of a difference.

Re: Best Bolt-on Exhaust kit?

Reply #10 – June 29, 2005, 10:49:58 AM

I read the tech section on coolcats, and decided I might go with a custom bent exhaust.

My next question is about the area around the axle that Eric says is where the passenger side ler is supposed to go. Even with the fuel filter in the way, how much area is there to install a ler?

Flowmaster and DynaMax make some really thin lers.

Re: Best Bolt-on Exhaust kit?

Reply #11 – June 29, 2005, 11:21:10 AM

I have never heard of the filler neck needing to be moved. I think they are on the same place on both my 86 and 87 cats.

Re: Best Bolt-on Exhaust kit?

Reply #12 – June 29, 2005, 03:10:12 PM

Oops my mistake. Ment filter not filler.

Re: Best Bolt-on Exhaust kit?

Reply #13 – June 29, 2005, 06:22:02 PM

I was gonna say.....

Re: Best Bolt-on Exhaust kit?

Reply #14 – June 29, 2005, 08:30:18 PM

I only mention it because it was on the tech article. To be honest I havent actually got under the car and measured anything. :hick: