Best sounding engine

[the sandman]

I have a 07 GT 3v 280cu in. I continually get great responses to sound of car. I was always a 69 guy so when the 05,s came out I loved the looks! Much more than the newer coyote versions. I dont care for the sound of the coyote either. My question is Do 5.4l 3v sound like my 4.6? I have long tube bbk,s, cams, 2.5" strait thru to borla,s. LOUD. Yes but enjoyable.

 

[Juice]

Win > great sound /end subject.

 

[pass1over]

pushrod 5.0 with flowmasters

 

[JC SSP]

Like so many things in life this is very subjective… I remember when “cherry bombs” (glass packs) were the rage.

I personally like the low rumble at idle & cruising but under wide open throttle love to hear the engine roar.

I despise that fart-can exhaust with bang & pops which is so common.

 

[08TorchRedShelbyGT500]

Like so many things in life this is very subjective… I remember when “cherry bombs” (glass packs) were the rage.

I personally like the low rumble at idle & cruising but under wide open throttle love to hear the engine roar.

I despise that fart-can exhaust with bang & pops which is so common.

My first car (1970 Plymouth Road Runner) had Thrush Mufflers on it.

 

[JC SSP]

LOL classic!

 

[the sandman]

I guess no one saw my question. Do 5.4l 3v sound as good as 4.6l 3v,s?

 

[08TorchRedShelbyGT500]

I guess no one saw my question. Do 5.4l 3v sound as good as 4.6l 3v,s?

No clue. My 2008 GT500 isn't a 3v engine, it's a 5.4l 4v hand-built engine. My past 2007 Roush 427R was a 4.6L 3v and was a completely different animal. Different engine, different exhaust, etc.

 

[the sandman]

Wow Geezer. Those are beautiful. Im also a former A&P with IA. Which one sounded best?

 

[08TorchRedShelbyGT500]

Wow Geezer. Those are beautiful. Im also a former A&P with IA. Which one sounded best?

I like both cars' sound. The Roush was a bit quieter, even with off-road exhaust. The GT500 is a bit louder and a lot more potent, so we are talking apples to oranges as far as what is best. I like them both equally for what they are.

 

[the sandman]

Brother Geezer; Ya need to get a pic of the new ride with green grass and blue sky. That 427R looks so good.

 

[StockishS197]

What sounds best is always going to be subjective, but most generally agree the one thing the 4.6 3v wins at is the sound game. It’s REALLY hard to make these cars sound bad.

The 5.4 4v does certainly sound different than the 4.6 3v, but it doesn’t sound better or worse, it’s just different due to the different heads/CC design. The 5.4 4v is a far more potent/robust design though.

 

[Recon]

To answer your question, from what I’ve heard they don’t sound as good. The 5.4 3V trucks don’t have equal length exhaust on the trucks and well sound like trucks. If you can get a system with equal length then it would sound kinda close to the 4.6. I have 3 3Vs and I’ll say they do sound good. One of my 427R’s has some special Roush mufflers and an offroad x and it doesn’t sound like a 281. It sounds bigger, really deep beefy tone on cold start. But I’ll say my 2V Bullitt with offroad H and a flowmaster catback system is my favorite sound out of the litter.

 

[Dino Dino Bambino]

The 5.4 4v does certainly sound different than the 4.6 3v, but it doesn’t sound better or worse

You can listen here to both and make up your own mind.

The difference isn't huge but that's because they're both Modular engines with the same cylinder bore size, firing order., and similar factory exhaust set ups. Personally I love both, and the 5.4 4V in the GT500 really does sound awesome with a deep, guttoral tone (a bit like listening to the German heavy metal band Rammstein)!
Having an exhaust that allows the engine to sing but without any drone certainly improves the driving experience.

 

[StockishS197]

You can listen here to both and make up your own mind.

The difference isn't huge but that's because they're both Modular engines with the same cylinder bore size, firing order., and similar factory exhaust set ups. Personally I love both, and the 5.4 4V in the GT500 really does sound awesome with a deep, guttoral tone (a bit like listening to the German heavy metal band Rammstein)!
Having an exhaust that allows the engine to sing but without any drone certainly improves the driving experience.

It’s pretty cool how much a PD blower will add to the exhaust.

A buddies G8 sounded SO much deeper after the LSA blower was put on, all else equal.

 

[Blue03Cobra]

I think, for the Mustang world, it comes down to H vs. X pipe sound. For me, the H (preferred) is more old school musclecar and X is more Nascar. I have gotten many, many compliments on my setup, which is 2008 stock manifolds, stock cats, stock H and Flowmaster 60 series Delta chambered axleback. My neighbor, who has classic vettes and trucks and choppers, says my car sounds better than anything he's heard.

And for a daily driver, I'll take sound and no drone over a tenth sec. in the 1/4. Back in 2002/03, it was all the rage to put Bassani X pipes and straight through mufflers on the Terminators...4" tips and all. Thought it looked silly and sounded even worse. I stuck with the tried and true stock (which had four cats) H and 40 series Flowmaster chambered mufflers (the original "American Thunder"). Yes there was drone at the usual 2,200 RPM, but the Delta design wasn't available. My Cobra and my '08 sound alot alike, IMO, but the '08 is better.

 

[the sandman]

I really liked the sound of my 280 with manifolds and xpipe i went to long tubes and its more x pipe sounding. I wonder if going to a 5.4 would change it much.

 

[Forty61]

Personal favorite on the 3V motor was my Bullitt factory manifolds and H pipe with MAC axlebacks. That was perfect sound to me, I tried to move the MACs over to my other car after it went LTs, X pipe and catless but they became unbearably loud on that setup.

 

[StockishS197]

Personal favorite on the 3V motor was my Bullitt factory manifolds and H pipe with MAC axlebacks. That was perfect sound to me, I tried to move the MACs over to my other car after it went LTs, X pipe and catless but they became unbearably loud on that setup.

I had the same setup on my 07 when I bought it and the Mac’s are surprisingly loud and sound great with stock manifolds, but the drone at 2200 was overbearing.

 

[asdrew]

I think, for the Mustang world, it comes down to H vs. X pipe sound. For me, the H (preferred) is more old school musclecar and X is more Nascar....

I agree. I have a Pypes cat-back with x pipe gleaned from a U-pick yard that was on my V6. It was moved to the GT, but in the end I stuck with the factory H pipe for the same reason and it sounds great for now until future mods come along... (after the V6 is put back to stock and sold)