PontiacBonnevilleClub.com

So apparently (so I read), Pontiac added a resonator to the exhaust in 1994 to "lower the raspy tone the engine produces." Sure glad I got the 1993

In glad they added it. Never heard a good sounding 3800.

01bonneSC wrote:In glad they added it. Never heard a good sounding 3800.

I'm working on that. You should hear what I have now in person.

01bonneSC wrote:In glad they added it. Never heard a good sounding 3800.

I still love the "Vomiting Giraffe" description. Sounds about right, which is why I haven't messed with my cat-back. The stock setup actually sounds dang good...

I've heard the more length of glasspack you can get in there the better. I'm probably going to put something together by spring.

MattStrike wrote:

01bonneSC wrote:In glad they added it. Never heard a good sounding 3800.

I'm working on that. You should hear what I have now in person.

Is it cammed? Or maybe 2 more cylinders? Lol

01bonneSC wrote:Or maybe 2 more cylinders? Lol

Well, maybe for the Buick, but no


A cam is in the near future though. Ever played Forza 2? It's a little like the sound of the GN in that game. I think it has a lot to do with the LG3 headers. And the additional resonators I have added. And the broken baffle in the Aerochamber...

01bonneSC wrote:In glad they added it. Never heard a good sounding 3800.

Yeah.. Go past 3,000 RPM and they're all

I put my Flowmasters on and I like the idle noise and the cruising noise. I don't plan on ever opening up the exhaust more though. I like what I have. Just sounds like stock but a little louder.

I can't wait to hear what Matt fabbed up though.

Wow, I've never heard anyone say they DIDN'T like the sound of GM V6's... I can't think of anything I like better! Every time I hear one coming down the road my ears perk up!

There's a turbo gp that revs to 8000rpm and it actually sounds alright.

GM 60* V6s (2.8, 3.1, 3.4, 3.6 etc) can sound great!
GM 90* V6s (3.8, 4.3 etc) sound like crap.

Some modded 90* V6s sound ok though.

I like certain sounds the 90* V6's make, just not all of 'em...

Andrew88 wrote:Wow, I've never heard anyone say they DIDN'T like the sound of GM V6's... I can't think of anything I like better! Every time I hear one coming down the road my ears perk up!

A high winding 289, any small block from Dodge(minus the 318)/Chevy/Ford, obviously big block. As much as I hate to say it, my brothers Porsche sounds better. I grew up around V8s.

They just lack......well....balls sound. They sound castrated at anything above 2500. Headers and cam can help.

I agree. They don't have the low frequencies.

It's not a lack of low frequency sound. I hear plently of loud 3.8s that drone so bad in the low octaves your eyes wiggle.

I think the 60 AND 90 degree V6s sound fantastic. There is a slight difference but it's hardly there. But I think they only sound good below 3000... it's the rumbling and growling they're best at

Drone is not the same as low frequency IMO.

I think the biggest problem is that the mufflers are tuned for the V8 frequencies, and the V6 is on a completely different set. But the LG3 headers are timed differently, and I can hear it. The link to it in my restoration thread has what it sounds like up to 3500 with a loose baffle(s) in the muffler.

How are the headers timed differently? Are they 3 into 2 into 1 or something? There are smallblock Chevy headers that route the #4 and #7 primaries to opposice side collectors and make it sound almost like a flat plane ferrarri V8.for that matter, there are also 4-7 swap cams that produce the same effect.

I'm going off memory and I don't have the marked off headers in front of me; I'd have to get the actual measurements once I get home for the weekend. But this should be mostly correct.

I don't know is this is by design or if it just happened to work out.
Based on length;
The front three are simliar to shortys, and collect near the crossover. The #6 port is on the front collector. Ports #2 and #4 are on the rear collector. The FR and RR collect at the O2 sensor. EGR is pulled off the #4 port in the head.

#6 is fast, 4 is normal, 2 is slow, 3 is fast, 1 is normal, and 5 is slow.

1-6-5-4-3-2-1-6-5-4-3-2-1-6 almost becomes 1.6-5-4.3-2-1.6-5-4.3-2-1.6 when it reaches the collector.

(these images are not mine)


Note that this manifold is different between early and late LG3, early design is a true collector while later design is a T like this picture.

Andrew88 wrote:But I think they only sound good below 3000... it's the rumbling and growling they're best at

Yeah I know we're probably talking about the old 60 degree pushrods...but have you heard GM's newer 60 degree V6's?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvD7ehf9q00#t=00m41s

Yeah, that's mine. I'm shameless...but they are screamers. Mine doesn't make much other than quiet generic V6 noise below 3000 but screams when it gets over that.

My truck on the other hand...90 degree pushrod 4.3...is the polar opposite. Sounds fantastic below 2000 rpm but after that it's just noise.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WS1cxdW32T4

I keep it loud because I love the low RPM noises. And I don't get above 2000 much.

My old 3.8 on the other hand...well, it went from stock to loud to definitely not stock but very quiet. I don't really care for the sound of a loud 3.8 at any RPM much...just doesn't make for a good exhaust tone IMO. This was my old 3.8's last exhaust variation:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbpfpmdnZ6U#t=01m45s

Quiet for the most part and only loud when you wanted it to be...that was really the only combination I found acceptable for it. Mine had a high flow cat, resonator removed, stock muffler, and better piping than factory. Kind of a franken-exhaust but it had a very pleasing hum to it.
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