 SLP loudmouth power-flo install
I purchased a set of “SLP Loud Mouth Power-Flo” axleback exhaust from LMPerformance via the internet. Cost was about $340 plus shipping. I was alittle disappointed in the buying experience from LMP. I received no notification of ship date etc., only an automated confirmation of order. After a week of nothing I sent an e-mail request for estimated ship date. They responded within 24hrs saying it should ship in the next day or two and they would e-mail me. After two more weeks of nothing I was about ready to call when out of the blue, there was a box on my porch.
The parts were packaged well and looked very nice. Everything is stainless and the loud mouth tips and the power-flo mufflers are highly polished.
The first item in installation is removal of the stock mufflers. I jacked up one side of my white 05 5-speed GT and had sufficient room to crawl under. By far the hardest part of this whole deal was removal of the hanger bracket bolts on top of the stock muffler. You can not see them and there is very little room to get at them. After getting the stock parts off putting the SLP stuff on is fairly easy. The power-flo mufflers have straight through flow and are only the size of a large coffee can. The drivers side went on like a charm and the tip fit perfectly centered the rear cutout. The problem is the passenger side. The ford hanger brackets are not symmetrical. For example, on the driver side one of the brackets mounts on the outside of the frame rail. On the passenger side it mounts on the inside of the frame rail. This led to some fitting problems. The passenger side parts went on ok, but the hangers hit on the frame and the tip is not centered in the cutout. The tip doesn’t touch the plastic but its about a ½ inch away and the hangers have created a rattle as they bump on the frame. I assume I can fix this with some bending on the hangers but in my opinion it should fit correctly from the manufacturer.
Upon start up my initial reaction was disappointment. It was too quiet. I read a post some where and a guy with just the Loudmouths said it was so loud he could hear the car coming from a mile away. This is why I got the power-flo. I thought the small straight through muffler would take alittle of the edge off with out killing the sound. At idle its the same as stock, very quiet. From idle up to about 3,000 RPM, under load or with a few blips of the throttle, its an orgasm inducing deep throaty growl of a classic American muscle car. An absolutely beautiful sound but only 10-20% louder than stock. Heck what’s the fun of reliving my youth if I can’t annoy the neighbors alittle. From 3,000 on its the same as stock in tone and decibels, in my opinion.
Now that I’ve driven it for a few days, I need to update my initial impressions. First, Its sounding better and getting alittle louder. May be just some burn in issues. Time will tell but I’m digging it more and more everyday. I’ve also noticed from 1,800 to 2,800 RPM there is more of a drone than stock. So far not a big deal for me but may be for some. Second, I read that most exhaust, especially only an axleback, won’t improve HP. I also read that if you unhook the battery after installation to reset the computer(which I did) it will help the system relearn with the new exhaust. After installation of the exhaust I took the car out for three 30min bonsai runs through the twisty country roads. It might be my imagination but according to my seat-of-the-pants dyno the car just kept getting faster with each run. It has better throttle response and what feels like several more ponies.
I hope to get a tuner and CAI next. I’ll let you know how it goes when I install. | 
