Single quiet pack or hideaway for 1600?

[rustfree1967bug]

Anyone?
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'70 ghia
'69 ghia
'65 singlecab
'66 sunroof beetle
'74 bus
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IDA's...well... they talk dirty -MURZI

[bugnut68]

[martyhibb]

I have a CB performance hideaway and I like it. It is NOT a "restrictive piece of crap". It has a nice sound and performs well on a smaller motor. VW Trends did a dyno test several years back of all the typical aftermarket exhaust systems on a 1600 and a hideaway performed well. The only thing I don't like is having to remove it to adjust the valves.

[Rome]

rustfree, some tips for your hide-away based on several years of running one on my Beetle (low-miles hobby car).

I bought a rubber generic muffler hanger kit at discount auto parts store. Drilled a hole in the body bottom channel to attach the strap, then used a 8mm bolt, nut and fender washers to hold the bottom of the strap to the metal tab on the front of the hide-away.

Yes, the muffler does get in the way of valve adjustments. You must remove it to get to the right side valves.

Coat all bolts (muffler flange and the hanger strap) with never-seize compount so they come off easily.

Have spare gaskets on hand for muffler flange since the one on there now most likely will disintegrate the first time you separate that joint.

Paint the whole system with a good high-heat paint after stripping off the "shipping paint" and cleaning everything with paint thinner.

Use 1.5" U-bolts (from car parts store) to hold the header flange ends to the back of the heater boxes, in addition to the stock-type clamps. Coat those U-bolt nuts with anti-seize also.

I've also exchanged the hideaway muffler for a single quiet-pack muffler on the same car and engine (near-stock 1600 with KAdrons) and notice no difference in power. Exhaust sound is similar with the QP being slightly louder but not at all "too loud". Both mufflers have very "favorable" sound. Unless you paint the QP muffler black, it is too "noticeable" from the rear and therefore I prefer the hideaway, which I also painted black.

[youngnstudly]

I ran the Bugpack hideaway for 7 or 8 years and that was by far the best muffler I have ever had. Yes valve adjustments were a pain (sort of) but the smooth and extemely quiet sound is great. I did notice an increase in power between that muffler setup and a regular quiet pack. Plus you really can't find any of the "cool" quiet packs that used to be available ("back in the day"). Berg, S&S, and (whatever other companies I am forgetting about) are no longer producing the quiet packs (dual or single). Actually, Thunderbird might still be around and they were always nice, IMO. I'd still run the Bugpack Hideaway though.

Andy
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