Well, I guess fate is fate. After spending a few hours scouring the Internet on Friday for price and availability of the Ford Racing Rear Exit Header/Exhaust, I found one IN STOCK less than 5 miles from my work. Everywhere else seems to have a 3-6 week order time. I got mine from Muscle Motors (Jack) in Canoga Park. As has been mentioned on this forum before, Jack is a GREAT guy and very knowledgeable with the GT and the products he sells. Most of all, Jack has struck me as a very easy guy to work with and who also has a lot of integrity. He's done several exhaust installs and has a Heritage in his shop right now.
I started the install Friday evening and finished yesterday (Saturday) afternoon. This is a relatively involved job but it is not THAT difficult. There's a lot to take off including all of the old manifolds, cats, (duh!) half-shafts, starter, etc. The quality of the exhaust and components is amazingly good. The cast header flange is particularly nice, looking very strong with really no reasonable chance or warping.
OK, for the benefit of others contemplating this and maybe other alternatives, let's talk about the sound. (I'm sorry, but an audio clip would have no way of letting you experience what this exhaust is and isn't, IMO.)
All of you know that at start-up the GT makes a bit of an RPM lunge before settling into an idle. This lunge with the new exhaust will wake the neighbors up if you tend to venture out too early in the morning! That aside, let's talk about the good (quiet) attributes. The exhaust will idle very nicely. Both deeper and louder than stock, but very reasonable. Also, the car will stead-state cruise relatively quietly. You can even climb small grades using very incremental depressions of the "go pedal". All this is good and makes the car very "live-able" from this perspective.
In between these "states", it is a different story. The exhaust can be VERY LOUD when accelerating. Quick accelerations will cause a sound that is directly comparable to completely open headers. This is no exaggeration. In fact, from 1/2 throttle on, I'd say this was on-par if not louder than a completely open exhaust. That said, unlike the stock car where you really have to work at making it emit a growly sound, with this system you REALLY have to work at keeping it quiet. The good news is that it CAN be done. If you are very carefully and accelerate like there's a raw egg between your foot and the go pedal, I'm sure you can pass right by a cop without drawing suspicion. But, it is hard to do and it takes practice! (Hard = 10% physical skill and 90% mental adjustment.)
Perhaps the best attribute of the exhaust is the burble and subtle popping of the exhaust under deceleration. It sounds GREAT. Also, a throttle blip in the middle of a 3-2 downshift approaching a stop is very, very nice. The GT revs instantaneously (and loudly) and then settles into the burble as you bring the clutch out in 2nd. Very, very nice. No more sneaking up in a line of cars at a traffic light. If you blip down and decelerate, everyone around will know you are there. If you don't like this, I would suggest clutch-in for the last 100' and you just might sneak up undiscovered.... until the light turns green.
This exhaust is NOT for the feint of heart. Frankly, time will tell if I decide to keep it. It is definitely a whole different driving experience. I am admittedly an individual who will prefer (tolerate) the car on the loud side, and this one's definitely there. Make no mistake, however, in that I think the car will steady-state cruise just fine without droning. Frankly, I need to get a little more seat time to stand behind this statement, but I think it is the case.
Most of all this exhaust says, "I am a race car and I am a little out of place on the street."
Some words about weight savings in the next post....
I started the install Friday evening and finished yesterday (Saturday) afternoon. This is a relatively involved job but it is not THAT difficult. There's a lot to take off including all of the old manifolds, cats, (duh!) half-shafts, starter, etc. The quality of the exhaust and components is amazingly good. The cast header flange is particularly nice, looking very strong with really no reasonable chance or warping.
OK, for the benefit of others contemplating this and maybe other alternatives, let's talk about the sound. (I'm sorry, but an audio clip would have no way of letting you experience what this exhaust is and isn't, IMO.)
All of you know that at start-up the GT makes a bit of an RPM lunge before settling into an idle. This lunge with the new exhaust will wake the neighbors up if you tend to venture out too early in the morning! That aside, let's talk about the good (quiet) attributes. The exhaust will idle very nicely. Both deeper and louder than stock, but very reasonable. Also, the car will stead-state cruise relatively quietly. You can even climb small grades using very incremental depressions of the "go pedal". All this is good and makes the car very "live-able" from this perspective.
In between these "states", it is a different story. The exhaust can be VERY LOUD when accelerating. Quick accelerations will cause a sound that is directly comparable to completely open headers. This is no exaggeration. In fact, from 1/2 throttle on, I'd say this was on-par if not louder than a completely open exhaust. That said, unlike the stock car where you really have to work at making it emit a growly sound, with this system you REALLY have to work at keeping it quiet. The good news is that it CAN be done. If you are very carefully and accelerate like there's a raw egg between your foot and the go pedal, I'm sure you can pass right by a cop without drawing suspicion. But, it is hard to do and it takes practice! (Hard = 10% physical skill and 90% mental adjustment.)
Perhaps the best attribute of the exhaust is the burble and subtle popping of the exhaust under deceleration. It sounds GREAT. Also, a throttle blip in the middle of a 3-2 downshift approaching a stop is very, very nice. The GT revs instantaneously (and loudly) and then settles into the burble as you bring the clutch out in 2nd. Very, very nice. No more sneaking up in a line of cars at a traffic light. If you blip down and decelerate, everyone around will know you are there. If you don't like this, I would suggest clutch-in for the last 100' and you just might sneak up undiscovered.... until the light turns green.
This exhaust is NOT for the feint of heart. Frankly, time will tell if I decide to keep it. It is definitely a whole different driving experience. I am admittedly an individual who will prefer (tolerate) the car on the loud side, and this one's definitely there. Make no mistake, however, in that I think the car will steady-state cruise just fine without droning. Frankly, I need to get a little more seat time to stand behind this statement, but I think it is the case.
Most of all this exhaust says, "I am a race car and I am a little out of place on the street."
Some words about weight savings in the next post....
