TheSamba.com :: View topic - Which muffler system rocks your socks off?

Mon Mar 05, 2007 3:33 am

Howdy World,

I'm looking for some feedback on what people think of the two muffler systems The Thing Shop of Chandler, AZ offers. Which is totally more awesome-er?

This one?

... or this one?

Mon Mar 05, 2007 5:51 am

I've had the second exhaust (split header from the Thing Shop) on my car and didn't like it -- I actually gave it away a couple of months ago.

Unless you're Captain Fantastic, adjusting the valves is next to impossible. Beyond that, there is zero scavenging on that exhaust system and on my 1600 SP, I can't give away HP. I haven't dynoed the car, but replacing the exhaust with a '74 muffler (crude scavenging) and a full merged header (excellent scavenging) meant 5 to 10 MPH respectively in the car's top speed.

On the positive side, it's well-made and if you want to use the Thing Shop's trailer hitch, it stays out of the way.

As for the first exhaust (I believe it is called a Wild Boar), my understanding is that it fits like a '74 muffler, but is a little louder. I also understand that since it is a glass pack, that it may get louder with time. I haven't used it, so take that FWIW. Personally, I think it looks really nice and the price is right IIRC.

After all my trial and error, I'm using a '74 muffler with J-tubes on my '73. The car runs well and for a daily driver it had the least obnoxious sound. I'm giving away a little top end when compared to the full merged header, but difference between 75 MPH and 80 MPH isn't such a big deal since I don't feel safe above 65 MPH in the car any way. Around town the car feels just as responsive (not saying much).

Hope this helps.

Ben

Mon Mar 05, 2007 7:20 am

I just bought the first one and love it. It does have a much louder sound which I like. And as said before, doing a valve adjustment with the 2nd muffler is a PAIN! I did buy the non coated one and painted it myself with some high heat paint..........wish I would have just spent the extra money on the coated one!!!!! Good luck!

Mon Mar 05, 2007 9:29 am

rhedrick wrote: I just bought the first one and love it. It does have a much louder sound which I like. And as said before, doing a valve adjustment with the 2nd muffler is a PAIN! I did buy the non coated one and painted it myself with some high heat paint..........wish I would have just spent the extra money on the coated one!!!!! Good luck!

Ditto. And double ditto on the ceramic coating.

Mark

Tue Mar 06, 2007 1:33 am

Sweeeet: all the info I was looking for. Thanks, guys! Wild Boar it is!

Tue Mar 06, 2007 11:50 am

Why am I limited to only those 2 that you selected?

Tue Mar 06, 2007 2:37 pm

Please, don't let me limit y'all in any way, shape, or form. Have at it and go buck wild by posting any pertinent info you guys and gals have on Thingy mufflers.

1'st amendment, baby!

Tue Mar 06, 2007 2:42 pm

wings_n_fins wrote:

nice looking mufflers. any pictures of those installed?

Tue Mar 06, 2007 6:05 pm

Modified Monza exhaust. Cheap
$25 http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=417413
$55 http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=410702

Tue Mar 06, 2007 7:20 pm

I have a ceramic coated #1 photo on my '73 Thing. It does sound good - when it's running (still down due to fuel pump).

I picked it up on eBay for $279. As my Thing, somewhere in it's days, had a extra piece of steel welded to the rear bumper to accommodate a trailer hitch, I had to have the holes cut out larger to allow for the pipes to exit properly.

My goal is to slowly make my Thing "last forever", it's a good addition.

Tue Mar 06, 2007 7:40 pm

Here's what I got for mine. I third or fourth the ceramic-coating.

Wed Mar 07, 2007 3:27 am

I never really understood all the twists & turns in the muffler shown above. Is it purely cosmetic or is there something terribly ingenious about it that I just can't see?

Wed Mar 07, 2007 5:11 am

wings_n_fins wrote: I never really understood all the twists & turns in the muffler shown above. Is it purely cosmetic or is there something terribly ingenious about it that I just can't see?

It actually is kind of ingenious. The trick is that you want the header pipes to be of equal length when they meet up. Because cylinders two and four are so close to the back of the car, the header pipes for those cylinders must meander around for a while before joining the others. I'll let Rob and Dave take it from here:

http://www.vw-resource.com/muffler_discussion.html#standard

You can find more information by searching the Samba for the terms: extractor, scavenging and exhaust.

Note that on the standard VW muffler, the header pipes for cylinders two and four continue on inside the muffler so that they end up being the same length as the header pipes for one and three (although the pipes don't come together in a collector or extractor like the one the Towel Rail posted). Does anyone know if the Wild Boar has the same provision for equal length headers?

If you go back and look at my first post in the thread, you can see my real world experience using an exhaust without equal length headers or an extractor/collector (the Thing Shop split header), an exhaust with equal length headers but no extractor/collector (the stock '74 Thing exhaust), and a fully merged exhaust like Towel Rail's. This stuff does make a difference.

Wed Mar 07, 2007 9:26 am

Here's my exhaust for my new Type4 engine (wont fit a Type1). Posted here because it's a 4:2:1 extractor exhaust, and it does rock my socks off :D Still don't have it running yet :(

Wed Mar 07, 2007 10:04 am

Ian Epperson wrote: Here's my exhaust for my new Type4 engine (wont fit a Type1). Posted here because it's a 4:2:1 extractor exhaust, and it does rock my socks off :D Still don't have it running yet :(

I've read about those Tangerine EVO exhausts for the Type IV -- probably the best ACVW setup that money can buy (but not cheap!).

Mon Apr 30, 2007 6:13 am

i have the second one on my thing. it sucks.

it makes valve adjusting hard.
:?

Tue May 01, 2007 10:40 am

My exhaust is from German Motor Werks, and is a near-exact replacement for the stock unit.

Besides the pipes coming through the stock holes in the rear bumper, the unit is nearly empty - probably does not have much back pressure from baffles or turns in the pipes.

It fit the stock motor perfectly, and I know that you can put it on a Dual-port Type 1 just as easily.

The nice thing about the stock-type exhaust is that it does not interfere with any servicing, and it does not bleed any heat onto your heads.

Not sure why so many go for the other aftermarket pipes, but the stock-repalcement unit from GMW is excellent.
You can get these ceramic coated if you want. They are made in Denmark from what I can tell and mine has lasted 2 years without any rusting - though I do hit it with some WD-40 once every 3 months.

Tue May 01, 2007 12:31 pm

alg wrote: My exhaust is from German Motor Werks, and is a near-exact replacement for the stock unit.

Is that exhaust a 73' or 74'. I'm going back to stock soon and would like to know the noise level of a stock 73' system.

Tue May 01, 2007 2:48 pm

GSD_Master wrote: alg wrote: My exhaust is from German Motor Werks, and is a near-exact replacement for the stock unit.

Is that exhaust a 73' or 74'. I'm going back to stock soon and would like to know the noise level of a stock 73' system.

I saw the dual mufflers for the '73 here:

http://www.cbperformance.com/catalog.asp?ProductID=1639

Tue May 01, 2007 3:24 pm

Nice! I'm tired of people thinking I want to race them. The loud noise has gotten old after 2 years of driving. Plus I would like actually be able to communicate with the person I am driving with, namely my girlfriend.