[DeTomaso] Gutting 1972 Pre L stock exhaust

[JDeRyke at aol.com]

Dave, GTS mufflers use a 2-3/8" OD exhaust pipe with a 'free-flowing' muffler 
mounted with gussets around the point where the exhaust enters the muffler. 
Here's what I did to our '72 L model's stock Ansa mufflers & exhausts to 
simulate the expensive GTS Ansa mufflers; 
1)- the exhaust pipe coming into a std muffler is 1-3/4" OD. I cut it off, 
dug out a second circular 'shim' pipe-stub from the hole to open the cases up, 
and substituted a 2-1/4" OD exhaust pipe all the way from the collector to 1" 
inside the case (not quite as big as the real GTS). I didn't use gussets to 
brace up the pipe-to-muffler body either. Std rubber/steel muffler mounts support 
the muffler to the body.
2)- deep inside each std muffler there's a big flat washer tack-welded to the 
inner perforated end of each chrome tip. It's inside the case maybe a foot. 
The washers seems to be intended as final sound baffles. The washers can be 
broken loose from the inside with a long piece of pipe & a hammer, freeing up 
exhaust flow a bit and allowing about 2dB more noise. In many cases, one or both 
washers break loose on their own, saving you the trouble. Sticking a 
broomstick inside each tip, marking the depth on your stick then gauging from the 
outside will tell you if the washers are still intact. With the washers gone, the 
stick will go very close to the full depth of a muffler and if they're there, 
it'll stop maybe 8" away from the end. 
BAnd once broken off, the washers will usually jingle around inside the 
muffler body, and will be clearly audible at idle; all the washers were busted 
loose in our car as-received in 1980. So I cut the cases open on one end, shook 
out the loose noise-makers, then re-welded the cases closed. I didn't go further 
in gutting the muffler baffles as the Space City guys did. All this was done 
15 yrs ago and no ill effects have resulted- including no tickets for 
excessive noise and no black flags at Open Track events- both of which can happen at 
some places if you gut the baffles inside. I am probably sacrificing some over-
6000-rpm power, but I don't often get up there. Good luck- J DeRyke
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