MG Sports Cars
engine swaps and other performance upgrades, plus "factory" and Costello V8s
|
rficalora Rob Ficalora Willis, TX (2764 posts) Registered: 10/24/2007 02:46PM Main British Car: '76 MGB w/CB front, Sebring rear, early metal dash Ford 302 |
Ground clearance
Thinking about changing my mufflers to get a better sound. For those of you who have mufflers under the seat area and can make it over most speed bumps, how much ground clearance do you have under your mufflers?
|
|
Burrogs Matt Burroughs Houston, TX (39 posts) Registered: 01/18/2016 02:19PM Main British Car: 1970 MGB GT V8 Conversion Ford 331ci |
Re: Ground clearance
Rob,
My car's in the shop at the moment so I can't give an exact measurement, but I'd imagine it's around 3 inches. I've got a flowmaster and it's tucked up about as tight as you can get it. I've only bottomed out on a couple of "monster" speed bumps, and when there is a lot of undulation in the road, coupled with bad patch jobs (a.k.a. Memorial). It is the lowest point on the car. Here are some pics of my setup. |
|
|
MGBV8 Carl Floyd Kingsport, TN (4512 posts) Registered: 10/23/2007 11:32PM Main British Car: 1979 MGB Buick 215 |
Re: Ground clearance
Glad I didn't have to straddle any road kill while driving your car, Graham. My 15yo daughter did in my car (car coming the other way). We didn't clear the dead groundhog. She thought it was gross. :)
What about those armadillos, Rob?! |
|
rficalora Rob Ficalora Willis, TX (2764 posts) Registered: 10/24/2007 02:46PM Main British Car: '76 MGB w/CB front, Sebring rear, early metal dash Ford 302 |
Re: Ground clearance
Don't have to worry about the armadillos Carl... My front valance will clear them long before they get to the mufflers ;)
For anyone familiar with armadillos especially on the I-10 bayeau bridge between Texas and Louisiana... Why did the chicken cross the road? To prove to the armadillo it could be done! |
|
kstevusa kelly stevenson Southern Middle Tennessee (985 posts) Registered: 10/25/2007 09:37AM Main British Car: 2003 Jaguar XK8 Coupe 4.2L DOHC/ VVT / 6sp. AT |
Re: Ground clearance
My radiator hung down just above the splutter on my old car, but I address a piece of 1 1/2" angle iron as a cross brace and PROTECTOR. I think my mufflers were at 4", but the current is low also. I have scuffed the front cover on the parking curbs. Guess I need "Curb Finders and Dummy teardrop fog lights" also. ;-)
|
|
|
|
britcars Phil Ossinger New Brunswick, Canada (346 posts) Registered: 02/02/2009 07:58PM Main British Car: 1977 MGB Roadster, Rover 3.5 ADVENTURE BEFORE DEMENTIA! |
Re: Ground clearance
Rob, currently the ground clearance on my car is about 30".........................got the rear suspension apart for lubrication.
I'm quite sure the clearance is between 3 1/2- 4" and I've scuffed several monster parking lot speed bumps that have left marks on the mufflers. I'll measure for sure when the car is back on the ground. I have two Thrush mufflers with heat shield spaced about 1" from the floor and a home built resonator in place of the original muffler. |
|
MGBV8 Carl Floyd Kingsport, TN (4512 posts) Registered: 10/23/2007 11:32PM Main British Car: 1979 MGB Buick 215 |
Re: Ground clearance
Round here the chicken crossed the road to prove to the Possum it could be done.
You Texans have let that varmit, Armadillo, make it all the way to Florida! |
|
Mickey Richaud Mickey Richaud Townsend TN (198 posts) Registered: 08/25/2015 06:36AM Main British Car: '03 Jaguar XK8 Jaguar 4.2 |
Re: Ground clearance
Armadillo -- "Possum on the Half-Shell" :-)
They make great stringed instruments: |
|
rficalora Rob Ficalora Willis, TX (2764 posts) Registered: 10/24/2007 02:46PM Main British Car: '76 MGB w/CB front, Sebring rear, early metal dash Ford 302 |
Re: Ground clearance
I have 4" with my spintechs but I don't like the sound. They are only 2.25" thick and are about an inch from the floor board. Thinking if new mufflers are 4.5" thick, I'll probably lose about 1.5" of clearance which would put ground clearance at only 2.5". Maybe my car is sitting lower than most?
|
|
|
|
ex-tyke Graham Creswick Chatham, Ontario, Canada (1165 posts) Registered: 10/25/2007 11:17AM Main British Car: 1976 MGB Ford 302 |
Re: Ground clearance
Don't know if you could get this Dynamax muffler to work...3.25" thick but only a 2" inlet.....at least the sound is better than most!
[www.dynomax.com] |
|
ex-tyke Graham Creswick Chatham, Ontario, Canada (1165 posts) Registered: 10/25/2007 11:17AM Main British Car: 1976 MGB Ford 302 |
Re: Ground clearance
Some Walker Universal mufflers (# 17602, 17603 & 17604) with the same body dimensions, but with 2" inlet/outlet....
[www.walkerexhaust.com] |
|
rficalora Rob Ficalora Willis, TX (2764 posts) Registered: 10/24/2007 02:46PM Main British Car: '76 MGB w/CB front, Sebring rear, early metal dash Ford 302 |
Re: Ground clearance
Am thinking I want 2 1/2 dropping to 2 1/4" where they snake through my IRS. That's what I had in Townsend. I lost a lot of HP and torque when I changed to current set-up (2 1/4" to 2"). If I'm going to change the exhaust, I might as well get some of that back.
|
|
|
|
BlownMGB-V8 Jim Blackwood 9406 Gunpowder Rd., Florence, KY 41042 (6469 posts) Registered: 10/23/2007 12:59PM Main British Car: 1971 MGB Blown,Injected,Intercooled Buick 340/AA80E/JagIRS |
Re: Ground clearance
That's why I went to the exhaust in the rockers. No ground clearance issues from the exhaust and no power loss from the full length headers.
Jim Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/20/2016 09:37AM by BlownMGB-V8. |
|
rficalora Rob Ficalora Willis, TX (2764 posts) Registered: 10/24/2007 02:46PM Main British Car: '76 MGB w/CB front, Sebring rear, early metal dash Ford 302 |
Re: Ground clearance
I started out with chambered exhaust. LOVED the sound! Way too loud for me though. Even with 54" on each side. I was setting off car alarms at work all over the place which wasn't good (we have parking garages so the sound echoes). I sold that exhaust to a member here. I even had the full exhaust ceramic coated to the back of the chambered tubes. I should have kept it to put back on after I retire, but needed the cash.
The spintechs are great for clearance, but don't have the bass sounds of other mufflers. I'm hoping a regular Dynomax or Magnaflow will be a good compromise without making it a pain to drive around town. Every parking lot around here has a bunch of speed bumps. |
|
MGBV8 Carl Floyd Kingsport, TN (4512 posts) Registered: 10/23/2007 11:32PM Main British Car: 1979 MGB Buick 215 |
Re: Ground clearance
Quote: And Ted Lathrop & Steve Carrick. Those things sound awesome. Quite heavy, though. My car is louder than is used to be. I removed the center muffler for ground clearance & I have been giving the rear one a workout for 15+ years. I now understand Rob's comment about parking garages. I parked in one a month ago in Asheville, NC. My MG roared like a loin coming out of there! A mini-van pulled over to let me by & the passenger stuck his arm out the window with a thumbs up. It sounded like my 350 Camaro with burned out Cherry Bomb header mufflers. Yeehaw! ;) |
|
Moderator Curtis Jacobson Portland Oregon (4577 posts) Registered: 10/12/2007 02:16AM Main British Car: 71 MGBGT, Buick 215 |
Re: Ground clearance
Thrush Turbo is another option, made by Walker and available in the same dimensions as the Dynomax linked to above... I've run them since I built my car. Back then, they were about $20 each. Probably somewhat louder because Thrush doesn't include fiberglass packing. I've got them set into pockets under the seats, to afford a little extra clearance. I just measured 5" from rolled flange to garage floor. (Distance from the trim/seam on the front fenders to floor is 25".)
|
|
|
|
britcars Phil Ossinger New Brunswick, Canada (346 posts) Registered: 02/02/2009 07:58PM Main British Car: 1977 MGB Roadster, Rover 3.5 ADVENTURE BEFORE DEMENTIA! |
Re: Ground clearance
Rob:
Just measured my clearance tonight and have 4 1/4" from the bottom of the mufflers to the garage floor. The measurement from the floor to the bottom of the front fender (centre of wheels) is 23 3/4". and the rear is 23 1/2". |
Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.
British V8 Home Page
Photo Gallery
Web Forum
Annual Meetings
Contact Info
Site Map
British Race Car
© 2019 British V8™ All rights reserved. Website & graphic design by:
Curtis Jacobson.
BritishV8 Forum is hosted by
SiteWelder LLC,
and is powered by a
Phorum engine.