The car headed to Magic Muffler, a Van Nuys
Boulevard staple for almost 50 years where thousands
of hot rodders have had their welding, header,
muffler and exhaust leaks fixed. The mufflers
already in place were also Flowmaster, but had
been purchased in 2002 so we’d have a frame
of reference for any difference in sound levels.
Interior sound levels in the Chevy II had been
high with these mufflers, so a change would
be good.
It was another simple installation by the veterans
at Magic Muffler, but now we had a full 3-inch
inlet and exit with the new Flowmaster Super
40’s. On the drive back home there was
a noticeable change inside the car; we could
actually hear each other talk.
I asked Flowmaster’s Kevin McClelland
why the Super 40 units were so different. Kevin
explained that the new unit has redesigned interior
chambers to reflect and cancel sound while retaining
the low-end rumble most hot rodders desire.
 Heat
is reduced because the muffler removes backpressure
and the relief of backpressure scavenges heat
out of the combustion chamber providing a cleaner
charge in the cylinder to fire the next combustion
cycle within the chamber.
Then we were off to the dragstrip, where in
practical terms the engine constantly ran cooler
with the Weiand Pump and Super 40’s combination.
There was no appreciable change in elapsed times
through the mufflers, but the sound was solid
and deep down the Irwindale Drag Strip 1/8 mile.
Street driving is also better with the reduction
in operating temperature now eight to 12 degrees
less with the addition of the new Weiand Pump
and Flowmaster Mufflers.
OK, but would the new mufflers still set off
parked car alarms? Yes they do and Alarm Golf
is still alive!
The next phase of Project Street FX will be
all horsepower with the addition of a tunnel
ram and dual quads, aluminum heads, roller cam,
headers and some dyno time at JMS Machine in
Monrovia, Calif. Stay tuned. 
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