Hamlet's '63 Exhaust rebuild: to Resonate or not to Resonate? That is the question!

[DannyInNJ]

I am converting a stock '63 Bullet Bird from it's 2 1/4" single exhaust to 2" duals. The H-pipe is easy; the question becomes the long 5A212 "resonator" pipes. The amazing Pat Wilson over at Wilson TBird ( www.wilsontbird.com ) is close by and sells them in aluminized steel both ways, either with ($40 more, each) and without resonators. Needless to say, like Hamlet I cannot decide. I'm thinking the muffler might factor into the equation. Do I use stock 5230/5232 mufflers or perhaps go a little throatier? I like Flowmaster's 13016101 Pro-series stainless steel muffler has that fimiliar downspout like the 61-62 duals (but would require a 2" to 3" adapter pipe & a custom hanger to replace the odd Ford 5A246/249's); it's considered a "mid-level" sound. Thoughts?

 

[jack-in-sac]

I am converting a stock '63 Bullet Bird from it's 2 1/4" single exhaust to 2" duals. The H-pipe is easy; the question becomes the long 5A212 "resonator" pipes. The amazing Pat Wilson over at Wilson TBird ( www.wilsontbird.com ) is close by and sells them in aluminized steel both ways, either with ($40 more, each) and without resonators. Needless to say, like Hamlet I cannot decide. I'm thinking the muffler might factor into the equation. Do I use stock 5230/5232 mufflers or perhaps go a little throatier? I like Flowmaster's 13016101 Pro-series stainless steel muffler has that fimiliar downspout like the 61-62 duals (but would require a 2" to 3" adapter pipe & a custom hanger to replace the odd Ford 5A246/249's); it's considered a "mid-level" sound. Thoughts?

Its all in what you want. When installing a new exhaust system in my 57 Bird I opted for no reonators. I have seen it both ways, even one with glasspacks and glasspack resonators( I cannot explain that one. If you are going with the Flowmasters. why would you want resonators.

 

[DannyInNJ]

The Flowmasters are more for performance than sound (thus the mid-level 13016101's rather than something loud like a MagnaFlow BiD Silver with a downspout). I'm thinking the reasonators might cut some high-pitch sound but keep the power level up. Wondering if anyone has tried it both ways and what their thoughts might be?