If youre looking for a higher pitched(similar to what a Nascar sounds like)exhaust sound,an xpipe is the way to go.If you want that deep,low rumbling pitch,you should go with an hpipe instead.The only mufflers Ive had are 2 chamber Flowmasters & BBK varitunes,so I cant offer much advice in the sound quality aspect except for those two.Ive always liked Flowmasters,but there are alot of newer design mufflers on the market to choose from.
Mustangs & Fast Fords magazine did a muffler comparison years ago which shows about 10-15 different styles of mufflers,what they sound like & interior/exterior decibel levels.The link to that is posted below.Keep in mind,this test was done many years ago,so the newest brands on the market might not be listed here,but all of the older favorites are listed.If you wanna listen to audio files,YouTube is a good place for that.However a large majority of them will probably be on cammed Mustangs.You would probably have to find audio files that record the car in acceleration or cruising mode,in order to hear how the muffler really sounds,because you probably wont be able to hear much of a difference in sound at idle(on an uncammed Mustang) between the numerous muffler brands.You can usually hear the difference quite a bit on a cammed Mustang, but not so much on the other.
BTW-once the engine is installed & you get it out on the road then another Mustang pulls up beside you,with a nice healthy cam,youll probably change your mind on the whole cam issue & drop one in the very next weekend. Bolt ons get very addictive once you start driving a Mustang with a 5.0,even when the engine is in an older Mustang like yours.The next thing you know, stroker or supercharger anxiety will kick in & youll be putting them on your wish list.
The t5 holds up really well,especially on a daily driver that doesnt see alot of drag racing.There are 2 recommendations I make though.Use synthetic fluid & replace the bearing retainer with an aftermarket steel retainer.The bearing retainer is the part bolted to the front of the transmission,that the throwout bearing rides on.The stock retainer is all aluminum & this allows the throwout bearing to cut gouges/score marks into the retainer surface.This causes disengagement issues where the throwout bearing can hang up.
The base of the aftermarket retainer is made from aluminum,but the center part(looks like a piece of pipe)is made from steel,so the throwout bearing wont dig into it.
If you plan to use the oem shifter & handle that comes on the t5 in a Foxbody,I recommend swapping it with a short throw shifter.It has adjustable stop bolts(prevents the shifter handle from being pushed too far forwards & backwards.The shifter practically goes into 3rd & 5th gear by itself.The gears are really close together too,compared to the oem shifter which has very long throws.
Ford Mustang Muffler Comparison Test - 5.0 Mustang & Super Fords Magazine
Mustangs & Fast Fords magazine did a muffler comparison years ago which shows about 10-15 different styles of mufflers,what they sound like & interior/exterior decibel levels.The link to that is posted below.Keep in mind,this test was done many years ago,so the newest brands on the market might not be listed here,but all of the older favorites are listed.If you wanna listen to audio files,YouTube is a good place for that.However a large majority of them will probably be on cammed Mustangs.You would probably have to find audio files that record the car in acceleration or cruising mode,in order to hear how the muffler really sounds,because you probably wont be able to hear much of a difference in sound at idle(on an uncammed Mustang) between the numerous muffler brands.You can usually hear the difference quite a bit on a cammed Mustang, but not so much on the other.
BTW-once the engine is installed & you get it out on the road then another Mustang pulls up beside you,with a nice healthy cam,youll probably change your mind on the whole cam issue & drop one in the very next weekend. Bolt ons get very addictive once you start driving a Mustang with a 5.0,even when the engine is in an older Mustang like yours.The next thing you know, stroker or supercharger anxiety will kick in & youll be putting them on your wish list.
The t5 holds up really well,especially on a daily driver that doesnt see alot of drag racing.There are 2 recommendations I make though.Use synthetic fluid & replace the bearing retainer with an aftermarket steel retainer.The bearing retainer is the part bolted to the front of the transmission,that the throwout bearing rides on.The stock retainer is all aluminum & this allows the throwout bearing to cut gouges/score marks into the retainer surface.This causes disengagement issues where the throwout bearing can hang up.
The base of the aftermarket retainer is made from aluminum,but the center part(looks like a piece of pipe)is made from steel,so the throwout bearing wont dig into it.
If you plan to use the oem shifter & handle that comes on the t5 in a Foxbody,I recommend swapping it with a short throw shifter.It has adjustable stop bolts(prevents the shifter handle from being pushed too far forwards & backwards.The shifter practically goes into 3rd & 5th gear by itself.The gears are really close together too,compared to the oem shifter which has very long throws.
Ford Mustang Muffler Comparison Test - 5.0 Mustang & Super Fords Magazine
