The days of skinny glasspacks, rusty pipes, and restrictive pinch bends are thankfully gone. Instead, today's enthusiast knows all about aluminized exhaust systems for longevity and full-mandrel bends for maximum exhaust flow. However, unlike yesteryear, you don't have to rely on a custom exhaust fabricator and their custom prices to own one of these systems. These trick pipes are only a phone call away and can be easily installed on any weekend afternoon with a few basic tools.
It's always good to know the kind of real-world horsepower you can expect from a bolt-on. With Dan Houk from Strictly Dyno at the helm of the Dyno, our baseline results revealed 282 hp at 4,700 rpm and a peak torque reading at 347 at 3,700 rpm with our Coast High Performance-powered 342ci small-block.
To show just how simple it really is, we opted to bolt Bassani Xhaust's new BX Performance line onto an '89 Mustang 5.0L. Bassani has always been highly regarded for its quality stainless steel applications, however the new BX system is constructed of aluminized steel tubing that comes with precision-designed mufflers housed in 16-gauge aluminized steel with a stainless steel internal construction. Best of all, this system is affordable, while retaining the same Bassani design, tone, and performance. With the help from our old buddy "Hollywood" Rivetti (Ford driver for the "Chevy vs. Ford Street Car Shootout," July '02), we were able to install the entire system from headers to tailpipe in just over 4 hours. That also included disconnecting and reconnecting all the smog emissions hardware to install the passenger-side headers. So follow along, take a few notes if you must, but more importantly, get out there and wrench on your own.