One of the best comparison vids I've ever seen sir!! Those flowmasters do sound good, different than most.. but those glasspacks take me down memory lane
Glass packs have been the muffler of choice for young car enthusiasts for decades now. The cars have changed but every young guy all the way back to the hot rod Era has done a glass pack
When it comes down to it, it's a personal choice. They both sound great, but I'm old school. My first car was a '62 Impala with a 327. I put glass packs on it and I loved it. Whenever I hear glass packs, it brings back some good memeories.🙂
@@74dartman13 A lot of people get they’re panties two wadded up over others missteaks. Perhaps their talents could help congress, they seem to really struggle with pronouns lately.
Agreed, I still here some of that 40 series drone. If the 327 had a little more of a hotter cam I’m sure the flows would sound better than the glasspacks
nice comparison , I do personally prefer the sound of glass packs but the flowmasters sound nice too . as an early Cougar owner I know all about dragging the collectors too .
@@BigRed_1980 what really gets me about flow-masters is the bottled up, or in other words, engine noise thru a tin can sound effect they mimic under half or full throttle...flowmasters are very aggressive upon startup or driving at very low rpms, but the minute i gave it gas, all flowmasters, aside from the straight thru outlaws, instantly gave me this bottled up or canny sound impression..i ran super 10's and 40's on my old r/t a while back, and must say that my r/t sounded much better with a muffler delete, and the borla proxs's that came on the vehicle when i bought it new....glasspacks are a win/win either way...flowmasters are nice, but the sound that most chambered flowmaster mufflers emit can be a hit or miss for some people since they produce this weird "bottled" up effect..
I hear what your sayin, this car is used primarily as a family cruiser so the Flowmasters work well for it. But, I have a BBC that will be getting new mufflers this year and I have been looking at the Borla’s. What are your thoughts on them for something a bit louder?
@@BigRed_1980 borla pro xs's sound very good at idle, and even under full throttle...they're too quiet for me perferbly but still sound better than most flowmasters hands down..now the Borla Atak's are extremely loud but sound good and with cat and res deletes, you'll stand out much more than people with just straight pipes all the way back from the secondary cats...these days tho, i just run straight thru mufflers..straight thru designs with larger diameter piping usually grants me better throttle response, and less lag at the accelerator..flowmaster exhausts with chambered systems like the 10, 40's, and 44's typically resulted in me loosing low end torque, and most of the people who rode with me noticed it when i ran flowmasters in my old r/t as opposed to my more free flowing muffler delete...borla ataks are hands down the best borlas around, but the straight thru flowmaster outlaws sound good too..
My 56 has good old 36 inch glass packs, flow masters do sound great, but my glass packs are from 1987 and are still like new and still sound great in my book.
For me, I like the sound of a V8 with long glasspacks...I remember my little brother had a '78 Chev truck with 12" glasspacks, and it was super loud and obnoxious. I like loud and obnoxious to a point, but this wasn't much different sounding than straight pipe. He took those off and put some 36" GPs on there, and it was PERFECT! once they were broken in, they sounded GREAT. So much smoother, without the infamous "glasspack crack" you get with short ones, yet the truck still sounded mean as hell. Longer length makes all the difference.
Stepdad had glasspacks on his Chevy Custom Deluxe when I was a kid in the early 80's. Will never forget that sound!! Back in a different time, us kids would ride in the bed when we went out. Nothing like being in the open air with that sound when he would take off. Nostalgia!
Personally on that era car I like the sound of the glass packs Flow masters sound good But to me it sounds more late sixties than mid fifties If that makes sense
it does cuz I don't think Flowmasters existed then, but glass packs were on any and all kids' cars that would fit them then, even my 55 Ford wagon!! ;D
Glass packs have been the exhaust of choice for young car enthusiasts for decades now. Back in the day the hot rodders loved them, then the pony car guys loved them, and now the tuners and JDM fans love them.
@@prylosecorsomething3194 definitely an oldie but goodie, like the great songs from 60's Motown!! Play them on your stereo system and have the glass packs humming away on your classic American car and you'll have a true "time machine"!! ;D LOL
Oh my gosh you had a 71 year old hotrodder in tears! We had a 56 Chevy 2/10 (ask some of your older friends if you don't know what that model was) with a 265. She would white the pipe on a high speed run and loved to do high speed for sure. Also had a 54 and 55 Bel Aire. Later had a 65 with a stock 283 that was crazy good for stock, a 66 with a 283 and a 66 with a 396. Up until 1970 or so the small block in an Impala in the later incarnations was so sweet. Anyhow the sound of that 327 (God Bless you finally a Bel Air that didn't get and LS or 350 wow) with those Flowmasters was like the heavens opening and the angels singing. A hotrodder's dream music to relive memories to. God bless you, thank you and take good care of yourself, your family and that pretty blue Betsy (that was always dad and my nickname for our Chevys certainly a term of endearment)😍 as we loved and still love those wonderful old cars!
Yes, they say "if you can remember the 60's you weren't there", but I do remember the sound of my glass packs on my '55 Ford Ranchwagon in the mid-sixties!! ;D LOL
The headers and tailpipe exit play a part too I’m sure but the flowmasters sound awesome. I just like the more mellow low rumble than the high pitch cackle of glass packs. Thanks for sharing
Though I am not an exhaust expert, I preferred the Flowmaster exhaust better for the same reasons. We seem to be a minority in the comments. This is so subjective. If nostalgia is your priority glass packs seem to win and old cars certainly represent nostalgia. I would tend to let performance take precedence. All things being equal, I still like the Flowmaster. That 327 ci engine I think was a great engine in it's day.
@@johnwidell8092 amen brother, it seems even the newer performance cars have the more high pitched cackle these days. I guess that’s just what most people like.
@@braderrick The great thing is for now we live in a country that you have a choice and options. I fear at some point these iconic automobiles and the internal combustion engine will be regulated out of existence.
@@johnwidell8092 Agreed 100%. Everyone likes something a bit different and is free to choose. It would be a boring world if everyone liked and had the same things I suppose. I think it is becoming a great fear for all of us car enthusiast’s of rules and regulations to come. There may come a time we’d love to hear any good ole internal combustion engine we could. Scary
When I was a kid we ran the glass packs backwards. Man we’re they loud. The shorter the louder, but the long ones sounded good to. Lots of different kinds of glass packs and they all sound different. 👍🏻. Not my favourite any more. But still pretty cool.
I like glasspacks myself they have a nice throaty sound and I personally think they fit the 50s hotrod aesthetic. Sounds good Either way nice ride! I love videos like this.
I prefer the flow master's but that's bc I'm into 80s and early 90s fox mustangs and cameros. As far as the 50s cars the glass packs sound more period correct.
One sound that was popular in my hot rod days of the early to mid 70's used long tubes with either Corvair turbo or Hush Thrush style quiet oval (offset in/out, not straight through) quiet(ish) can mufflers, no three hole gasket and one or more thin washers where the gasket used to be, no pipes beyond the end of the muffler. Those sounded incredible. I had a '65 Nova with a built 327, Hooker fenderwells and Corvair turbo mufflers. Tranny was a B/W Super T-10.
Yup, for old classics you must have the great "manly man" sound, especially when cruising up next to a wimpy EV. And of course, the iconic smell of old car exhaust is all part of the experience..... " I love the smell of burnt hydrocarbons in the morning"!! LOL ;D
@@ronschlorff7089 I can remember getting pulled over on my college campus one night. I’d slowed down between 2 tall buildings and put it in Neutral and was racking out my pipes and loving the sound. Man the way it echoed between those buildings. I can still feel the testosterone running through my veins. 😂 Cop was pretty cool and told me to not do it on campus anymore. 🤣
@@ronniegillaspy yup, campus cops are, or at least were back in the day, usually pretty cool; sort of like Barny Fife, without the one bullet in their shirt pocket! LOL ;D
Thanks for the thumbs up my dad was a exshaust system master always had the best sounding vehicle split manifold on six cylinder 12in glass packs purr like a kitten the good ol days 😀
I have flow masters on my 59 Ford 352 and I like them fine but like so many of the guys that responded, I am kind of old school myself and I actually like the sound of the glass packs better. Your 56 Chevrolet is really beautiful! I love the color on it as well.
I've always been a glasspack guy. I like the idea of a straight through design without breaking the bank. If you don't like the popping sounds and want a deep / mellow tone, just order the longest ones that you can fit. Happy motoring!
I will always prefer glasspacks. I have a 1959 Chevy pickup, CARBURETED 383 small block, 4 speed, long tube headers, and glasspacks. It has not been lowered, and still has the original leaf spring front suspension. I chose to run the exhausts out underneath the rear bumper, with chrome tips on them. It has a custom sliding rear window, which allows me to hear that beautiful sound better. It also has American Racing Torque Thrust 15" wheels, and RWL BF Goodrich Radial T/As. I would never consider using wheels larger than 15" on any car/pickup.
You must be an old guy to appreciate lower rotating mass on a street car. Unfortunately, as a great car designer predicted, the kids that grew up playing with hot wheels will want big rims on their cars, and they do.
@@richardelliott8352 I just turned 64, and I grew up playing with and collecting Hot Wheels. The late '60s/early'70s were the golden age for Hot Wheels. Those huge diameter wheels and tires with 2" sidewalls originated in the ghetto. Criminals of all different persuasions put them on their cars as status symbols. They are called "donks"
The one major advantage of bigger rims is having the room for bigger brake rotors. The big towing brakes on my half-ton saved the idiot that tried to use me for insurance fraud on the highway. However, that's an application where those brakes are expected to be able to stop 17k with some authority. Most cars won't benefit from such a setup unless they're running massive horsepower & torque numbers. However, most newer trucks are already large & heavy enough to make use of larger rotors.
I have a ‘70 Buick GS 455 Stage 1! I’ve always loved the sound of glass packs. Never been a fan of the “Tinka, Tinka. Tinka.” sound of Flow Masters at idle. Love my 3” tube, reversed 18” glass packs with Bologna Tips (18” hollowed out and chromed). I love the “Old School” raspy sound of the glass packs! Especially the pop and snap of the exhaust when down shifting!
1:54...NO, I've NEVER done anything like that before! Really like the sound of the Flowmaster's. Thanks for the video. Nice to see a '56 for a change. Always liked them better than the "everything is righteous with a '57"! Not a GM fan, but I do appreciate a good looking American car.
I've ran Flowmasters before but never liked the "tinny" sound of chambered mufflers...love the "rasp" of glasspacks or any straight through "packed" muffler...Ole Skool all the way
I always ran glasspacks when my original mufflers gave out. When I was 16, my Dad gave my Mom a 1973 Buick Estate wagon. She had it for a year when the factory muffler rusted off at the outlet (it broke while she was driving it, was hanging down). My Dad was at work, so I went to the local NAPA store and bought a glasspack and installed it--my Mom said the car sounded different and was just a little louder than normal but she kept driving it!
I like them both. One thing I would like to mention about the Cherry Bomb glass packs that I put on my 1960 Corvette is that they got louder over time. At first, they were a bit quieter than I would have liked, but after a couple years, they got louder than I would have liked. I guess the fiberglass burns up over time so the sound level just can't stay at a medium tone.
Very through comparison, Red! Nicely done. I had Flowmasters on both my '55 Chevys (2-dr Handyman Surf Wagon w/ 355 and a 2-dr Post w/ Dual-Quad 409). I liked them because they did a good job of picking up the distinct lope of the cam better than g-packs. While g-packs are iconic on old Merc's, post-war Fords and T-Buckets, I've found that the Flowmasters capture the torquey engines of the '60s-70s. (I now have Flowmasters on my '65 Chevy Shortbed's old 'Vette engine.)
Another vote for the glasspacks. It sounded richer. The bass notes were smooth and present. In comparison, the Flowmaster sounded flat, and somewhat anemic.
Flowmaster sounds like EVERY fkin truck around, glasspacks sound like it's got a pair. Thrush glasspacks all day long when it comes to classic american muscle.
Glass packs sound great, the Flowmaster does sound pretty good also. Not the normal sound I’m used to with a Flowmaster. Hands down to me, the ol Glass packs are the best. I loved the sound of them in high school, still do!
My modern ears like the flowmasters. But, glass packs on my dads C10 remind me of my childhood. We would haul a lot of firewood and the sound the old truck made made me smile.
Many years ago, I had a 75 Mustang II with the 2.3 L 4-cylinder and 4-speed. At the time, I was working in a shop that did a lot of custom exhaust systems, and my boss allowed the mechanics to work on their cars in the shop after hours. One night, I was feeling adventurous and built a custom dual-outlet header, along with a full dual exhaust with a pair of 18" glasspacks. It sounded great, but too loud to live with. Next night, I modified the system to add 2 more 18" glasspacks at the rear of the car, where the factory muffler originally was. It sounded great. Whenever I "got on it", my friends said it sounded like a Cessna taking off. About a year later I traded it off, but made a deal so that I could keep the exhaust system if I swapped it for a stock exhaust. A couple of months later I sold it and installed it in the guy's car at the shop where I worked. I love glasspacks.
If you got a fast nice lookin car you DO NOT need to advertise! My 68 RS/SS Camaro has a 650 hp orange S/B with a big lift looooong der. cam and I put them Bola touring freeflows on, most quiet mufflers on the market with tiny 2 inch tailpipes to keep the law dogs OFF MY ASS ! and it WORKS! the cops ALWAYS go after the loudest car and that for sure in NOT ME ! haven't been pulled over since I switched out the 3 inch exhaust and loud muffles to 2 1/4" pipe & super quiet mufflers and 2 in tailpipes. I am in love with my quiet exhaust. You get over loud exhaust after your second few tickets as the thrill goes away when the judge continues to opens your WALLET ! been there to many times. 6 years now with quiet exhaust and I would never go back.
Awesome video and very timely. I bought a 67 Buick Sportwagon that has a nice duel exhaust system with some sort of “turbo” style mufflers. I think they sounds tinny unless under hard acceleration. I’ve got glass packs on my 66 Skylark and 68 LTD which I prefer. You helped make my decision to go with glass packs. I’ve also got a pair of slightly used old school Thrush mufflers in the attic that I’m saving for the right project. Thanks for the info
@@bw3506 I don't remember brother if they had glass or not but I did like sound didn't pop as bad as the glass pack but the glass pack would be there when the tail pipes rusted away.
Back when I was around 14 I had a friend that lived up the road and his dad gave him his 1974 Chevy k10 short bed and it had the Quadrajet carb and glass packs and every time he left I told him to open it up and I can still remember that sound of that carb and those dual glass packs! I have a 67c10 396 stroker now with flowmasters and I’ve been really considering switching to Glasspacks
Glass packs by far is better. Install the mufflers as close as you can to the front giving you longer tail pipes gives you the best Cackle. Louder isn't always better, it's the tone of the rumble and cackle that makes that sweet sound.....
As a kid growing up we rode the school bus 10 miles each day ! I used to wait for this guy to pass us on his way to high school in a Ford V8 with glass packs ! That was in 63 ! To this day I still remember that wonderful sound ! ❤️
I have Flowmaster on my 1977 Malibu --- 406 with large cam, 3 inch custom full exhaust. Damn , its a very sweet sound and get alot of compliments . I also went from long headers to shorty headers. My car pulls really hard and tons of top end power. Really liked you comparison , 40 yrs ago we ran either gas packs, " Turbo mufflers" or the Hemi mufflers. Technology in exhausts have given us alot of choices. FYI, your '56 is very Kool.
When I was a teenager I had a 66 Plymouth Satellite 361 ci ,3 speed auto . I installed Hooker headers ,with Thrush header mufflers running all the way pass the bumper . At normal driving it wasn't to loud ,but at full throttle, Well let's just say, I got 3 tickets for loud pipes. And one cop said he was a mile down the road when he heard me. 😄
I prefer glass packs too. Yours sound like they maybe burned out. New packs have a deep mellow sound. I just put long Cherry Bombs on my 454 Chevy pickup..Tis a wonderful Rumble!
The flow masters were OK at a couple of cases. I liked the glass packs better over all. Love to have that car. Nobody wants dragging headers , that's for sure.
The flowmasters sound better outside the car but the glasspacks sound better going down the road. I prefer the glasspacks they just give you that classic chevy sound.
The best sound comparison vid I ever saw. Multiple scenarios and good quality sound. I like the Flow master sound better, always did. Nice car by they way, thanks for keeping it classic and not over modernizing as many chose to do.
Flowmasters sound good for about 6months, then every one I've ever heard starts sounding like you made your muffler from a bunch of soup cans. I've run Flow-Tech Eliminators on my last two Silverados and have also heard some Magnaflows that sound good . For 50's and 60's cars it's Glasspacks all the way.
For close to 20 years, i fabricated Lobak Mufflers, and they were custom made in different sizes for different applications. They were track mufflers on a lot of stock cars and for dirt track cars, and we even made them to as side pipes on cobra cars as well as inserts in boat headers. Flowmaster wouldnt test against them in the early years, and flowmaster had a problem of the ends breaking off. The patent ran out on them and now a few companies make copies.
Glasspacks are period correct as Flowmasters didn’t come out until the 80s but I definitely still prefer the Flows, just have a lot more tone and character imo.
1:50 that gave me anxiety. Glad you caught it. They both sound really good. The Flowmaster is louder. You get more raw engine sound out of it. But it's more labored too if that makes sense. I'm not sure how I would characterize the glass pack, other than that it "purrs" more, and it's surprisingly quiet, at least to what I was expecting. Obviously, the larger diameter exhaust, and different manifold have an effect as well.
I built a ford flathead for my dad and it had 12” glass packs in a 50 custom I built in high school. One of the sweetest sounds I have heard. I have a modified Camaro with 10 series flow masters This is the only exhaust can even compare
Glass packs! 72 Chevelle worked 350, Accel dualpoint and coil. Love them CherryBombs! Was just a good fun combo. HEI and Turbo mufflers just didnt seem to cut the mustard on that car compared to the old school setup. It all depends.
Nice 56! And nice solution to prevent dragging headers. I ran Delta 50s behind 390 ci with headers and 2 1/2” pipe for ten years, liked the no-drone and the WOT. Then stroked it to 444 ci, bumped the pipes to 3”, and used delta 70s. Also added a Y-pipe before the mufflers with elec. exhaust dumps. Now thats a tone I love! (when the situation allows)
Magnaflow straight flow through with Xtreme sound deadening for me, Choosing the biggest one of there muffler that will fit will keep things Quiet and little back pressure without baffling.
One of the best comparison vids I've ever seen sir!! Those flowmasters do sound good, different than most.. but those glasspacks take me down memory lane
Thank you Kirby:)
@@BigRed_1980 how long are the glass packs that you were running
@@ogphil5600 I did not measure them but about 20" long.
@@BigRed_1980 PURE aural sex!
Is this something that would get me pulled over constantly?
Glasspacks sound like the 60s to me. Just a classic, timeless sound.
Glass packs have been the muffler of choice for young car enthusiasts for decades now. The cars have changed but every young guy all the way back to the hot rod Era has done a glass pack
When it comes down to it, it's a personal choice. They both sound great, but I'm old school. My first car was a '62 Impala with a 327. I put glass packs on it and I loved it. Whenever I hear glass packs, it brings back some good memeories.🙂
Memeories?
@George Hays oh well...I can't be perfect all the time.🙂
@@74dartman13 A lot of people get they’re panties two wadded up over others missteaks.
Perhaps their talents could help congress, they seem to really struggle with pronouns lately.
@@preachers4135 yep!😁
@@preachers4135 we didn't worry much about pro nouns we was into pro stock To each his own.
Both sound good. For the difference in price, the glass packs sound better to me.
Agreed, I still here some of that 40 series drone. If the 327 had a little more of a hotter cam I’m sure the flows would sound better than the glasspacks
nice comparison , I do personally prefer the sound of glass packs but the flowmasters sound nice too . as an early Cougar owner I know all about dragging the collectors too .
The glasspacks do sound nice while accelerating but i love the idle of the flowmasters. They are nice for family cruising:)
@@BigRed_1980 what really gets me about flow-masters is the bottled up, or in other words, engine noise thru a tin can sound effect they mimic under half or full throttle...flowmasters are very aggressive upon startup or driving at very low rpms, but the minute i gave it gas, all flowmasters, aside from the straight thru outlaws, instantly gave me this bottled up or canny sound impression..i ran super 10's and 40's on my old r/t a while back, and must say that my r/t sounded much better with a muffler delete, and the borla proxs's that came on the vehicle when i bought it new....glasspacks are a win/win either way...flowmasters are nice, but the sound that most chambered flowmaster mufflers emit can be a hit or miss for some people since they produce this weird "bottled" up effect..
I hear what your sayin, this car is used primarily as a family cruiser so the Flowmasters work well for it. But, I have a BBC that will be getting new mufflers this year and I have been looking at the Borla’s. What are your thoughts on them for something a bit louder?
@@BigRed_1980 borla pro xs's sound very good at idle, and even under full throttle...they're too quiet for me perferbly but still sound better than most flowmasters hands down..now the Borla Atak's are extremely loud but sound good and with cat and res deletes, you'll stand out much more than people with just straight pipes all the way back from the secondary cats...these days tho, i just run straight thru mufflers..straight thru designs with larger diameter piping usually grants me better throttle response, and less lag at the accelerator..flowmaster exhausts with chambered systems like the 10, 40's, and 44's typically resulted in me loosing low end torque, and most of the people who rode with me noticed it when i ran flowmasters in my old r/t as opposed to my more free flowing muffler delete...borla ataks are hands down the best borlas around, but the straight thru flowmaster outlaws sound good too..
@@notimezforgames1465 I am kind of torn between the Borla Attak or the Borla XR-1. Have you heard these before?
Definitely like the vintage sound of the glass packs.
Flow masters sound good. But I like the Glas packs better a lot better!
My 56 has good old 36 inch glass packs, flow masters do sound great, but my glass packs are from 1987 and are still like new and still sound great in my book.
For me, I like the sound of a V8 with long glasspacks...I remember my little brother had a '78 Chev truck with 12" glasspacks, and it was super loud and obnoxious. I like loud and obnoxious to a point, but this wasn't much different sounding than straight pipe. He took those off and put some 36" GPs on there, and it was PERFECT! once they were broken in, they sounded GREAT. So much smoother, without the infamous "glasspack crack" you get with short ones, yet the truck still sounded mean as hell. Longer length makes all the difference.
Stepdad had glasspacks on his Chevy Custom Deluxe when I was a kid in the early 80's. Will never forget that sound!! Back in a different time, us kids would ride in the bed when we went out. Nothing like being in the open air with that sound when he would take off. Nostalgia!
The glass packs definitely sound better.
Yeah for now They eventually will burn out and get louder You'll basically will be straight pipes
I agree!
I think sound is objective. 🖤👽
I agree especially on a classic car
I kinda like the more “crisp” sound of the flowmasters. I’ve got a 65 Comet which currently has glass packs. I’m considering changing them over.
I started driving in the 1960's and glasspacks were the thing. Love the sound!
Nah, open headers were popular.
Personally on that era car I like the sound of the glass packs
Flow masters sound good
But to me it sounds more late sixties than mid fifties
If that makes sense
it does cuz I don't think Flowmasters existed then, but glass packs were on any and all kids' cars that would fit them then, even my 55 Ford wagon!! ;D
Glass packs have been the exhaust of choice for young car enthusiasts for decades now. Back in the day the hot rodders loved them, then the pony car guys loved them, and now the tuners and JDM fans love them.
@@prylosecorsomething3194 definitely an oldie but goodie, like the great songs from 60's Motown!! Play them on your stereo system and have the glass packs humming away on your classic American car and you'll have a true "time machine"!! ;D LOL
I had a 72 chevell with cherry bomb glass packs! Love that sound!
As a teenager and young adult in the late 60's early 70's. Glass packs all the way. That sound brought back some awesome memories!
The Glass Packs sound incredible.
Oh my gosh you had a 71 year old hotrodder in tears! We had a 56 Chevy 2/10 (ask some of your older friends if you don't know what that model was) with a 265. She would white the pipe on a high speed run and loved to do high speed for sure. Also had a 54 and 55 Bel Aire. Later had a 65 with a stock 283 that was crazy good for stock, a 66 with a 283 and a 66 with a 396. Up until 1970 or so the small block in an Impala in the later incarnations was so sweet.
Anyhow the sound of that 327 (God Bless you finally a Bel Air that didn't get and LS or 350 wow) with those Flowmasters was like the heavens opening and the angels singing.
A hotrodder's dream music to relive memories to.
God bless you, thank you and take good care of yourself, your family and that pretty blue Betsy (that was always dad and my nickname for our Chevys certainly a term of endearment)😍 as we loved and still love those wonderful old cars!
I had a 56 Ford Fairlane Convertible with the 312 Thunderbird Engine, Dual Exhaust Glass Pack's... never quite captured that sound again... loved it.
I put glass packs on my Roadmaster wagon and the neighbors thought I had put in a mild cam! Best $45 ever
Thank you for helping me stay glass.
Also an older driver. It's what sounds natural to me. Cheers
Yes, they say "if you can remember the 60's you weren't there", but I do remember the sound of my glass packs on my '55 Ford Ranchwagon in the mid-sixties!! ;D LOL
The headers and tailpipe exit play a part too I’m sure but the flowmasters sound awesome. I just like the more mellow low rumble than the high pitch cackle of glass packs. Thanks for sharing
Though I am not an exhaust expert, I preferred the Flowmaster exhaust better for the same reasons. We seem to be a minority in the comments. This is so subjective. If nostalgia is your priority glass packs seem to win and old cars certainly represent nostalgia. I would tend to let performance take precedence. All things being equal, I still like the Flowmaster. That 327 ci engine I think was a great engine in it's day.
@@johnwidell8092 amen brother, it seems even the newer performance cars have the more high pitched cackle these days. I guess that’s just what most people like.
@@braderrick
The great thing is for now we live in a country that you have a choice and options. I fear at some point these iconic automobiles and the internal combustion engine will be regulated out of existence.
@@johnwidell8092 Agreed 100%. Everyone likes something a bit different and is free to choose. It would be a boring world if everyone liked and had the same things I suppose. I think it is becoming a great fear for all of us car enthusiast’s of rules and regulations to come. There may come a time we’d love to hear any good ole internal combustion engine we could. Scary
Give me the rumble I agree but it would be a boring world if we all preferred the same thing wouldn't it
Both sound awesome, but I prefer the flowmasters, because they have a deeper growl.
I agree, the flowmasters have a deeper rumble and tone which i like much more over the cackle of glasspacks
When I was a kid we ran the glass packs backwards. Man we’re they loud. The shorter the louder, but the long ones sounded good to. Lots of different kinds of glass packs and they all sound different. 👍🏻. Not my favourite any more. But still pretty cool.
I like glasspacks myself they have a nice throaty sound and I personally think they fit the 50s hotrod aesthetic. Sounds good Either way nice ride! I love videos like this.
I've always loved the sound of a good set of glass packs.
Good video. You didn't mention who's glasspacks. But I prefer them. Chery Bombs rock.
Yes, I think Thrush makes some too!
I prefer the flow master's but that's bc I'm into 80s and early 90s fox mustangs and cameros. As far as the 50s cars the glass packs sound more period correct.
One sound that was popular in my hot rod days of the early to mid 70's used long tubes with either Corvair turbo or Hush Thrush style quiet oval (offset in/out, not straight through) quiet(ish) can mufflers, no three hole gasket and one or more thin washers where the gasket used to be, no pipes beyond the end of the muffler. Those sounded incredible. I had a '65 Nova with a built 327, Hooker fenderwells and Corvair turbo mufflers. Tranny was a B/W Super T-10.
Glasspacks!!! Reminded me of my 1983 GMC Sierra I had. Had dual exhaust with Glasspacks and chrome echo tips. Man I loved that sound.
Yup, for old classics you must have the great "manly man" sound, especially when cruising up next to a wimpy EV. And of course, the iconic smell of old car exhaust is all part of the experience.....
" I love the smell of burnt hydrocarbons in the morning"!! LOL ;D
@@ronschlorff7089 I can remember getting pulled over on my college campus one night. I’d slowed down between 2 tall buildings and put it in Neutral and was racking out my pipes and loving the sound. Man the way it echoed between those buildings. I can still feel the testosterone running through my veins. 😂 Cop was pretty cool and told me to not do it on campus anymore. 🤣
@@ronniegillaspy yup, campus cops are, or at least were back in the day, usually pretty cool; sort of like Barny Fife, without the one bullet in their shirt pocket! LOL ;D
@@ronniegillaspyunderpass were great also
Thanks for the thumbs up my dad was a exshaust system master always had the best sounding vehicle split manifold on six cylinder 12in glass packs purr like a kitten the good ol days 😀
Best exhaust comparison video EVER.
Nothing like good Ole glass packs love em!
I like the sound of both but they are different in a good way. If this makes sense the Flowmasters have a "cleaner" sound to them. I like that.
yes, more refined and less "blatting" upon excelleration!!
It depends what you're going for.
I favor something less polished, a little more savage when I put the pedal to the floor.
Actually the glasspack is the one that's "refined". It filters out higher frequencies and lets the deeper notes growl, even if not as loud
👍🏾😎 cool comparison. The flow master sounds good but I guess for me it would be the oldschool glass packs and 🎶🎵🎶🎵👍🏾😎
me too, but that car is sweet.
Thank you 😁
I have flow masters on my 59 Ford 352 and I like them fine but like so many of the guys that responded, I am kind of old school myself and I actually like the sound of the glass packs better. Your 56 Chevrolet is really beautiful! I love the color on it as well.
I've always been a glasspack guy. I like the idea of a straight through design without breaking the bank. If you don't like the popping sounds and want a deep / mellow tone, just order the longest ones that you can fit. Happy motoring!
I will always prefer glasspacks. I have a 1959 Chevy pickup, CARBURETED 383 small block, 4 speed, long tube headers, and glasspacks. It has not been lowered, and still has the original leaf spring front suspension. I chose to run the exhausts out underneath the rear bumper, with chrome tips on them. It has a custom sliding rear window, which allows me to hear that beautiful sound better. It also has American Racing Torque Thrust 15" wheels, and RWL BF Goodrich Radial T/As. I would never consider using wheels larger than 15" on any car/pickup.
Sounds like you have a nice truck😁
You must be an old guy to appreciate lower rotating mass on a street car. Unfortunately, as a great car designer predicted, the kids that grew up playing with hot wheels will want big rims on their cars, and they do.
@@richardelliott8352 I just turned 64, and I grew up playing with and collecting Hot Wheels. The late '60s/early'70s were the golden age for Hot Wheels. Those huge diameter wheels and tires with 2" sidewalls originated in the ghetto. Criminals of all different persuasions put them on their cars as status symbols. They are called "donks"
The one major advantage of bigger rims is having the room for bigger brake rotors.
The big towing brakes on my half-ton saved the idiot that tried to use me for insurance fraud on the highway. However, that's an application where those brakes are expected to be able to stop 17k with some authority.
Most cars won't benefit from such a setup unless they're running massive horsepower & torque numbers. However, most newer trucks are already large & heavy enough to make use of larger rotors.
Problem is...there is only one choice for performance tires in 15"....
I have a ‘70 Buick GS 455 Stage 1! I’ve always loved the sound of glass packs. Never been a fan of the “Tinka, Tinka. Tinka.” sound of Flow Masters at idle. Love my 3” tube, reversed 18” glass packs with Bologna Tips (18” hollowed out and chromed). I love the “Old School” raspy sound of the glass packs! Especially the pop and snap of the exhaust when down shifting!
1:54...NO, I've NEVER done anything like that before! Really like the sound of the Flowmaster's. Thanks for the video. Nice to see a '56 for a change. Always liked them better than the "everything is righteous with a '57"! Not a GM fan, but I do appreciate a good looking American car.
I’m a glass pack guy just love the sound.
I prefer the sound of the glass packs
2 completely different and distinct sounds. Both sound great
Agreed!
Having both tail pipes aimed straight back will sound different than if they are angled away or down. Both mufflers sounded good!
I've ran Flowmasters before but never liked the "tinny" sound of chambered mufflers...love the "rasp" of glasspacks or any straight through "packed" muffler...Ole Skool all the way
The glass pack sounds awesome.
I always ran glasspacks when my original mufflers gave out. When I was 16, my Dad gave my Mom a 1973 Buick Estate wagon. She had it for a year when the factory muffler rusted off at the outlet (it broke while she was driving it, was hanging down). My Dad was at work, so I went to the local NAPA store and bought a glasspack and installed it--my Mom said the car sounded different and was just a little louder than normal but she kept driving it!
I like them both. One thing I would like to mention about the Cherry Bomb glass packs that I put on my 1960 Corvette is that they got louder over time. At first, they were a bit quieter than I would have liked, but after a couple years, they got louder than I would have liked. I guess the fiberglass burns up over time so the sound level just can't stay at a medium tone.
Very through comparison, Red! Nicely done. I had Flowmasters on both my '55 Chevys (2-dr Handyman Surf Wagon w/ 355 and a 2-dr Post w/ Dual-Quad 409). I liked them because they did a good job of picking up the distinct lope of the cam better than g-packs. While g-packs are iconic on old Merc's, post-war Fords and T-Buckets, I've found that the Flowmasters capture the torquey engines of the '60s-70s. (I now have Flowmasters on my '65 Chevy Shortbed's old 'Vette engine.)
Thank you. Wow a 409….. I would love to put a 409 in our BelAir someday. I just love the look of those 409’s😁
Great video! Maybe it's my age, but I'd say "Damned the dragging pipes, give me glass packs!"
this really is one of the best exhaust comparison videos i’ve ever seen
Thank you 😊
"HOT-RODDER" VS "LOW-RIDER"❣️
What?
Differently one of the best comparison videos. Touché
Thank you.
Another vote for the glasspacks. It sounded richer. The bass notes were smooth and present. In comparison, the Flowmaster sounded flat, and somewhat anemic.
Infamous Flowmaster tinny sound
Flowmaster sounds like EVERY fkin truck around, glasspacks sound like it's got a pair. Thrush glasspacks all day long when it comes to classic american muscle.
Glass packs sound great, the Flowmaster does sound pretty good also. Not the normal sound I’m used to with a Flowmaster. Hands down to me, the ol Glass packs are the best. I loved the sound of them in high school, still do!
My modern ears like the flowmasters. But, glass packs on my dads C10 remind me of my childhood. We would haul a lot of firewood and the sound the old truck made made me smile.
Hard to choose when they both sound good!
Flowmaster has a better tone... they get a bit louder over time just like a glass pack anyways. Never had rust issues with Flowmaster... ever! ❤
I like the Glass Paks. I also like the bow tie dash.
Thank you. The bow tie dash is out of a 55 but we really like it😃
Flow masters are nice but unless the motor is built they can kind of sound like scraping metal on concrete
Many years ago, I had a 75 Mustang II with the 2.3 L 4-cylinder and 4-speed. At the time, I was working in a shop that did a lot of custom exhaust systems, and my boss allowed the mechanics to work on their cars in the shop after hours. One night, I was feeling adventurous and built a custom dual-outlet header, along with a full dual exhaust with a pair of 18" glasspacks. It sounded great, but too loud to live with. Next night, I modified the system to add 2 more 18" glasspacks at the rear of the car, where the factory muffler originally was. It sounded great. Whenever I "got on it", my friends said it sounded like a Cessna taking off. About a year later I traded it off, but made a deal so that I could keep the exhaust system if I swapped it for a stock exhaust. A couple of months later I sold it and installed it in the guy's car at the shop where I worked.
I love glasspacks.
The glasspacks fit the character of the car, better. Just my opinion. Sounds great either way! 👍
If you got a fast nice lookin car you DO NOT need to advertise! My 68 RS/SS Camaro has a 650 hp orange S/B with a big lift looooong der. cam and I put them Bola touring freeflows on, most quiet mufflers on the market with tiny 2 inch tailpipes to keep the law dogs OFF MY ASS ! and it WORKS! the cops ALWAYS go after the loudest car and that for sure in NOT ME ! haven't been pulled over since I switched out the 3 inch exhaust and loud muffles to 2 1/4" pipe & super quiet mufflers and 2 in tailpipes. I am in love with my quiet exhaust. You get over loud exhaust after your second few tickets as the thrill goes away when the judge continues to opens your WALLET ! been there to many times. 6 years now with quiet exhaust and I would never go back.
Awesome video and very timely. I bought a 67 Buick Sportwagon that has a nice duel exhaust system with some sort of “turbo” style mufflers. I think they sounds tinny unless under hard acceleration. I’ve got glass packs on my 66 Skylark and 68 LTD which I prefer. You helped make my decision to go with glass packs. I’ve also got a pair of slightly used old school Thrush mufflers in the attic that I’m saving for the right project. Thanks for the info
This the Thrush have fiberglass packing in them or are they just circular baffles? I've seen them but never off a vehicle or installed any.
@@bw3506 I don't remember brother if they had glass or not but I did like sound didn't pop as bad as the glass pack but the glass pack would be there when the tail pipes rusted away.
@@rickybrackin543 No problem. They definitely sound good to me either way. 👍
Back when I was around 14 I had a friend that lived up the road and his dad gave him his 1974 Chevy k10 short bed and it had the Quadrajet carb and glass packs and every time he left I told him to open it up and I can still remember that sound of that carb and those dual glass packs! I have a 67c10 396 stroker now with flowmasters and I’ve been really considering switching to Glasspacks
I loved the full comparison but I am sorry, I liked the glasspacks.
Mike
Glass packs will always rule!
Glass packs by far is better. Install the mufflers as close as you can to the front giving you longer tail pipes gives you the best Cackle. Louder isn't always better, it's the tone of the rumble and cackle that makes that sweet sound.....
As a kid growing up we rode the school bus 10 miles each day ! I used to wait for this guy to pass us on his way to high school in a Ford V8 with glass packs !
That was in 63 !
To this day I still remember that wonderful sound ! ❤️
I do enjoy the way they sound at wide open throttle😎
I now want a barn.
I have Flowmaster on my 1977 Malibu --- 406 with large cam, 3 inch custom full exhaust. Damn , its a very sweet sound and get alot of compliments . I also went from long headers to shorty headers.
My car pulls really hard and tons of top end power.
Really liked you comparison , 40 yrs ago we ran either gas packs, " Turbo mufflers" or the Hemi mufflers.
Technology in exhausts have given us alot of choices.
FYI, your '56 is very Kool.
I prefer the glasspacks
When I was a teenager I had a 66 Plymouth Satellite 361 ci ,3 speed auto .
I installed Hooker headers ,with Thrush header mufflers running all the way pass the bumper .
At normal driving it wasn't to loud ,but at full throttle,
Well let's just say, I got 3 tickets for loud pipes.
And one cop said he was a mile down the road when he heard me.
😄
Had that happen before when I had Thrush glasspacks on my Camaro, the cop told me he heard me coming a mile away 😆
Both sound great but I prefer the deeper,fuller,more powerful sounding glass packs.
I have a 3'' exhaust turbo back single exit with just a glass pack in the middle on my WRX. Love how raw they sound for sure.
I prefer glass packs too.
Yours sound like they maybe burned out. New packs have a deep mellow sound. I just put long Cherry Bombs on my 454 Chevy pickup..Tis a wonderful Rumble!
That sound difference might just be from the different engine size
Beautiful '56. I'm still working on my '55 210 "post" sedan with a 327 sbc. See you at the 2023 Good Guys Rod & Custom show in Puyallup!
For sure😁
Glasspacks sound so good 👌
Man, the sound in your video is great! The car sounds great before and after i find.
Thank you😊
Never liked the sound of a Flowmaster or any other chambered muffler. Glasspacks on a classic or keep it quiet.
You just can't beat that classic sound of glass packs
The flow masters were OK at a couple of cases. I liked the glass packs better over all. Love to have that car. Nobody wants dragging headers , that's for sure.
Thanks 👍
The flowmasters sound better outside the car but the glasspacks sound better going down the road. I prefer the glasspacks they just give you that classic chevy sound.
Love the glass packs. I drop mine from three to four feet before installing them on my daily drivers.
The best sound comparison vid I ever saw. Multiple scenarios and good quality sound. I like the Flow master sound better, always did. Nice car by they way, thanks for keeping it classic and not over modernizing as many chose to do.
Thank you 😊 we definitely tried to keep the car looking like it should but still be able to drive it without worrying about it breaking down.
Excellent comparison!
Great comparison but I gave my glass packs up for Magnaflow I don't like the tin can sound of Flowmaster but just my opinion.
Flowmasters sound good for about 6months, then every one I've ever heard starts sounding like you made your muffler from a bunch of soup cans. I've run Flow-Tech Eliminators on my last two Silverados and have also heard some Magnaflows that sound good . For 50's and 60's cars it's Glasspacks all the way.
For close to 20 years, i fabricated Lobak Mufflers, and they were custom made in different sizes for different applications. They were track mufflers on a lot of stock cars and for dirt track cars, and we even made them to as side pipes on cobra cars as well as inserts in boat headers. Flowmaster wouldnt test against them in the early years, and flowmaster had a problem of the ends breaking off. The patent ran out on them and now a few companies make copies.
I'll go with the glass packs
Love the Flowmaster sound above the glass packs & definitely above Borla.
Thanks, I am considering Borla XR-1's for my truck but I want to hear them in person first. Thanks for the input.
Both sounded real good at high rpm but I prefer those glasspacks. I'm thinkin of putting glass packs on my Gran Torino if my dad will allow me to
A straight pipe would sound better.
Glasspacks are period correct as Flowmasters didn’t come out until the 80s but I definitely still prefer the Flows, just have a lot more tone and character imo.
I agree😎
When people start calling flow master old school I feel old
I love people trying to show you on television how good an 8K television picture looks 😎
1:50 that gave me anxiety. Glad you caught it. They both sound really good. The Flowmaster is louder. You get more raw engine sound out of it. But it's more labored too if that makes sense. I'm not sure how I would characterize the glass pack, other than that it "purrs" more, and it's surprisingly quiet, at least to what I was expecting. Obviously, the larger diameter exhaust, and different manifold have an effect as well.
I built a ford flathead for my dad and it had 12” glass packs in a 50 custom I built in high school. One of the sweetest sounds I have heard. I have a modified Camaro with 10 series flow masters This is the only exhaust can even compare
I had also a trans am of the same year with a tune able exhaust by Borla, just didn’t compare even with all the disks removed
Glass packs! 72 Chevelle worked 350, Accel dualpoint and coil. Love them CherryBombs! Was just a good fun combo. HEI and Turbo mufflers just didnt seem to cut the mustard on that car compared to the old school setup. It all depends.
Nice 56! And nice solution to prevent dragging headers. I ran Delta 50s behind 390 ci with headers and 2 1/2” pipe for ten years, liked the no-drone and the WOT. Then stroked it to 444 ci, bumped the pipes to 3”, and used delta 70s. Also added a Y-pipe before the mufflers with elec. exhaust dumps. Now thats a tone I love! (when the situation allows)
Magnaflow straight flow through with Xtreme sound deadening for me, Choosing the biggest one of there muffler that will fit will keep things Quiet and little back pressure without baffling.
These flowmasters make it sound exactly like my Thunderbird which also has flowmasters. I didn't expect it to sound so similar.
The flow master's sound crisper and cleaner ,the exhaust note is on point and fits the look of the car also. Good choice .👍
My older brother's 1957 Chevy had glass packs in the 60's I remember as a kid.
Glasspacks are definitely a traditional sound from that era.😁