Sounds much better than when the mufflers were bolted with steel brackets to the frame! Same exhaust setup I had before, but with shorty headers and X-pipe, and 2-1/4" pipe. Tucked up tighter than the last setup, and the flanges are almost non-existent. from the side, you cannot see any of the exhaust except for the turndowns and the bottom 1/2" or so of the flowmasters. I do need to rotate the flanges so the screws are up on the outside side. Started it up in the garage (still on jack stands, have a couple more things to do to it while it is up in the air) and it sounds pretty good. Taking the day off tomorrow, and I plan on doing a couple other piddly things to it and taking it in for an alignment and inspection...finally
Looks good for sure... Can't wait to get mine done! Thinking of trying to run tailpipes this time though, except my fuel pump is mounted beside the tank an not sure the pump would like the heat that close.. Even being wrapped. Also would have thought you maybe would have went for 2.5" pipe but I guess it's not needed with your set-up?
I asked for 2-1/2" pipe, and my mufflers, X-pipe, and header extensions were all 2-1/2". AFTER the guy installed it, he said he had to use 2-1/4. I think he just ran out of 2.5 and got lazy. So the job was kind of ugly, extra weld material at all the 2.5-2.25 joints, etc. But, it fits nicely under there, and it actually feels like it has more torque, so maybe the engine needs a bit more exhaust restriction.
That reminds me of when I V-8'ed my '78 Chevy LUV truck back in the early 80's. I had installed a 350 with the small B&M supercharger and told the shop I wanted 2 1/2" pipes. Well they installed 2 1/4", I paid and drove off w/o checking. That thing felt so down on power after a few blocks I got out on the side of the road, checked and saw the small pipes. I immediately drove back and made them remove those and install what I had originally asked for, what a difference!
As Larry so eloquently points out in the above.. it's the added velocity that helps scavenging enough to fatten up the torque spread. Those GT40's atop this 302CID will never flow enough on the exhaust side.. even ported.. to take full and maximum advantage of 2.5's anyways. So.. IMHO,.. you're "all good".
