My buddy owns a 1987 El Camino with a chevy 305 in it. Now we've been trying to decide what would make a better sound. We are running true duals regardless of sound. We want it loud so i figure headers and like two flowmasters and maybe even a cam.  But with loud comes rasp and he doesn't like rasp, and he doesn't wanna spend a sh*tload on this, so he thinks just the stock manifolds and two magnaflows off his brother's mustang. Any ideas on how to get the best of both worlds?  

I would stick with stock manifolds with 2.25 in. dual exhaust and flow master mufflers tucked under front of bed with pipes running out the side behind wheels with last 18" of exhaust in 3" chrome tips. I feel this is your best choice for legal application,plus headers(unless you use shorty headers)tend to drag the ground on rough roads,potholes,speed bumps,etc. Headers create more heat,that can damage starters,unless you want to buy thermal heat wrap for headers where they run past starter.  

When you say RASP are you also saying rapsnap?If so install a balance pipe as close to the engine as possible or for smoother note go with a x-pipe.Do you like the smooth sound of factory 5.0 stangs with the short balance pipe? Kick that around    WIEDER  

Sound funny but I am running Supertrapps on my car and love the exaust note. I have an H pipe close to the front of the exaust for balance. They are also tunable by adding or subtracting tuning rings. the more rings the less noise and added backpressure. I am running six rings and you can hear me coming 3/4 mile away!  

TO vega_racer73   I had posted a question on your article         about 300 buick. I was wondering if you could tell me if hei  distributor from 79 305 (with spark advance)would rattle if wore out with 215,000 miles? It is the same distributor i used with 83 305 motor i was asking your advice about.  

But also remember that he doesn't want to sink a lot of money into it. Plus he explained to me that his brother's mustang is pretty loud and that's 4 cats and glasspacks. He is now leaning towards the stock manifolds and glasspacks for a good, inexpensive sound. For graduation i'm offering him $2500 for it cuz thats what they were asking for it when it was for sale. He said by then it'll will have a 350 in it and all the body work done.