Why So Loud? Listen To This Full-Exhaust Malibu Run Down The Strip


Why So Loud? Listen To This Full-Exhaust Malibu Run Down The Strip

While we were in Vegas, I heard a quip that I hadn’t given any thought to up to that point: Any bracket racer should be running full mufflers and exhaust. Why do you need to go straight out of the headers when you’re in the tens or slower? It’s a fair question. There’s a difference between a free-flowing exhaust and having open pipes just to be kind of obnoxious about things, isn’t there? If you’re claiming to be a street car, you should have plates on and pipes attached, the end. I’m not saying stock exhaust, but I am saying something that acts like a muffler needs to be there. There are too many cars that run elevens and twelves that are barking straight out of the collectors.

Check out this Malibu for a clue on how to make it work. Stock? No way in hell. Stock exhaust? Again, nope. But if this thing can make the turn-out, pick up the slip, and drive back to the house, that’s all that matters. If it’s a street car, BE a street car. Run it through the mufflers and make the number.


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19 thoughts on “Why So Loud? Listen To This Full-Exhaust Malibu Run Down The Strip

  1. Dan

    I’ve got Flowmaster 40’s on my low 10 second street car. People tell me it’s quite at the strip, but my wife still thinks it’s too loud in the driveway!

  2. jerry z

    Had a ’70 Nova SS w/357ci that ran mid-12’s@!110. It had full exhaust with 2 chamber Flowmaster. Yes it was loud!

  3. Danno

    The car has a really nice combination. Butt ugly AND it sounds like crap. Sorry, but I do not agree that cars that run 10+ should be running mufflers. The strip is, and has always been the one place where gear heads and hot rodders can have fun and pretend they are John Force for a day. Why should racers who don’t have the deep pockets to own and operate a sub 10 second car be penalized?

  4. AndyB

    It depends on if it’s a street car or a race car. Street cars should indeed have mufflers. Race cars, rather less so. But I feel like the guys trailering in their 13s cars have their priorities all wrong for much the same reason.

  5. claymore

    What difference does the time it run make you dislike a car. WTF they put their time and money into the car like everybody there did. If the track allows open exhaust WHY NOT. Bangshift becoming just for the elite?

  6. Race Car Alex

    I have a major hatred of people who put claims on their cars such as “street car” or whatever. If youre gonna call it a street car, it better run on pump gas, Not need a half hour to cool between rounds, not overheat in traffic, and it should have exhaust. That doesnt mean sticking some hot dog mufflers on the end of the headers, that means an actual exhaust run out the back of the car. Unless it’s a turbo, then youre good. My 10 second car? Ill take that time between rounds, and Ill have a charger in the trunk too. overheating? Most traffic it’s ever been in was coming back from the top end at SGMP. Badass electric fan handled it fine but only for so long. Sound? Don’t fire it up in a residential neighborhood after 7:30pm. I don’t get why all bracket cars should adhere to these rules. I only say it to those that claim to have a street car.

  7. Jay Bree

    Run it loud and proud. Screw mufflers.

    We can have a nice quite electric car division for Bryan and millenials and Geordie.

  8. DavidH

    If it\’s too loud, you\’re too old. The sound and smell of open headers and race fuel are part of what makes it great. So put your fingers in your ears and suck it up buttercup.

  9. Brandon

    I helped build the original setup on this car, before these guys owned it. We ran mufflers dumped at the trans. Sounded way better than this and ran 6.9s in the 1/8th all motor. But for people saying this is a street car… it doesn’t have a title.

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