Stupid question- how to replicate an engine sound?

[Phantom440]

Hey all-
I hope you're having a Merry Christmas/Holiday season and are spending it with your loved ones; either the ones in the house, or the ones in the garage that never complain about the gifts you give them. ;)

This is a really old video that I'm sure a lot of you have seen. Please skip to the 1:56 mark for the burnout/ my question:


My question is, is there a term for the engine sound made as he shifts? Clutch in, the engine kind of growls down in RPMs before letting the clutch out for the next gear. I know the Mustang in Bullitt also makes this sound when McQueen shifts (and double clutches?), but the movie dubbed in sounds from a GT40 for the chase.
How can you get this sound? This is what I want my 440 to sound like, but in the comments the poster says they're "custom racing mufflers" and since the vid is 10 years old I don't think he's liable to answer with the specs about those mufflers.
I know this is a stupid question, but I wasn't sure who to ask. Thank you in advance, and again- Merry Christmas!

 

[4mulas]

That’s just the sound of the engine rpm coming down between shifts. Any car will do that. How loud it is depends on engine, engine build, headers versus manifolds, brand of muffler, length and diameter of exhaust, crossover or no cross over. Too many variables...

Just get flow masters, they are plenty loud and will probably make that sound you want when shifting or decelerating.

 

[Darter6]

In the old days we called it ""Racking Off "and as you said letting off between shifts called "Grannie Shifting".
It will most likely have to do with the brand and type of muffler. It for sure ain't Flow Masters,they have their own unique sound.

 

[kiwigtx]

Recording inside a car with 'amateur' recording equipment will produce mainly wind noise, and all manor of electrical interference sounds. No matter how low you have a radio when using a camcorder for example, the radio will end up being the prominent sound.....that is how I got pinged for copyright on a couple of my early videos. The studio's run a quiet background and targeted microphones etc to pick up essential sounds.

In one video I shot back in the late 80's, I had a remote microphone tied to my towbar, to capture what I thought would be a great engine sound. All I got was a constant drone, with gear changes thrown in there. Awesome drone, but not the effect I was looking for. Sadly I have not been able to find that video since returning from the UK over 20 years ago now.

 

[Phantom440]

That’s just the sound of the engine rpm coming down between shifts. Any car will do that. How loud it is depends on engine, engine build, headers versus manifolds, brand of muffler, length and diameter of exhaust, crossover or no cross over. Too many variables...

Just get flow masters, they are plenty loud and will probably make that sound you want when shifting or decelerating.

I guess that's what I'm trying to determine- I'm building the 440 as best I can- I'm going to use the upswept manifolds so it looks fairly stock (externally) in the engine compartment. Not after insane power, maybe 550hp/tq with reliability and room to get at the spark plugs. I know you say any car will do that, but in all of my manual-trans cars, I've never had any powerful/loud enough to get that growl- I may need to start taking a Sawzall to my exhaust systems!

 

[Phantom440]

In the old days we called it ""Racking Off "and as you said letting off between shifts called "Grannie Shifting".
It will most likely have to do with the brand and type of muffler. It for sure ain't Flow Masters,they have their own unique sound.

I was positive there had to have been a name for that- it seems everything to do with cars has some kind of term or nickname. I like that- racking off! Thank you!

 

[493 Mike]

In 67 in my 55 Olds I had a piece of pipe to replace the muffler (full system). I would run the main drag, down the hill into the business section in 2nd (Hydromatic) letting her "rack off" all the way. I would replace the muffler after the town clown stopped me for noise, wait a couple weeks and do it again. What fun!
My dad had built copper whistles in his youth that my grandmother could hear 5 miles away. Just stuck them in the tailpipe and removed them close to town. He never would show me how to build one, wonder why?
Mike

 

[dadsbee]

Just the sound of someone not brave enough to leave the go pedal on the floor !!

 

[slimt]

Mattel had one for there Sizzlers sets. Also the supercharger

 

[chtampa]

I know how to "motorboat".


There are also Phonograph Records of cars going down the dragstrip. I have one that is from the Winter Nationals in Pomona that has all classes.

 

[Ranger16]

In the old days we called it ""Racking Off "

I remember calling it "rapping" off, but I suppose the term could have varied by region.

Just get flow masters, they are plenty loud and will probably make that sound you want when shifting or decelerating.

I can vouch for that.

 

[4mulas]

Just the sound of someone not brave enough to leave the go pedal on the floor !!

Or the sound of someone who has recently rebuilt their trans and knows what a gear set cost’s. Lol.

 

[33 IMP]

There are basically three different muffler types, and each has a distinct sound. There's chambered (normal flowmaster, hooker aero, etc.) straight through (glasspack, dynomax ultra flow) and triple pass (turbo, hemi muffler, and almost all stockers). I would go to my local car show , or drag race, and listen for a sound you like, and find out what they are using.
I personally like the flowmaster sound, some don't, and they do tend to drone. But if i were to guess, i'd say the car in the video has a set of cheap straight thru's, thrush or cherry bombs.

 

[Budnicks]

IMO that sounded like glass-packs, something like Purple Hornies
(cylindrical fiberglass filled mufflers)
&/or possibly/less likely Hemi style resonators
(like Hemi cars had way back by the rear bumpers/before exhaust tips
to tone the sound down & so it wouldn't have that dreaded drone)
making that sound when depressing the clutch
& engine RPM comes down, exhaust resonates or crackles sort of

not sure what you're actually asking for

the old crossflow GM crap-boxes mufflers did that noise too

I prefer the Flowmasters sound/exhaust tones
I have Delta Flow 50 Series on my RR (no drone either)
3" Muscle Car dual mandrel bent, H-pipes system, tailpipes out the rear
it sounds like a muscle car should sound, deep tone but not too loud
& a single 3" cat-back Delta Flow 50 on my truck 99 Dakota 5.2ltr
sort of a mellow deep tone on the truck

 

[Phantom440]

Mattel had one for there Sizzlers sets. Also the supercharger

I might be able to afford that! ;)

 

[Phantom440]

IMO that sounded like glass-packs, something like Purple Hornies
(cylindrical fiberglass filled mufflers)
&/or possibly/less likely Hemi style resonators
(like Hemi cars had way back by the rear bumpers/before exhaust tips
to tone the sound down & so it wouldn't have that dreaded drone)
making that sound when depressing the clutch
& engine RPM comes down, exhaust resonates or crackles sort of

not sure what you're actually asking for

the old crossflow GM crap-boxes mufflers did that noise too

I prefer the Flowmasters sound/exhaust tones
I have Delta Flow 50 Series on my RR (no drone either)
3" Muscle Car dual mandrel bent, H-pipes system, tailpipes out the rear
it sounds like a muscle car should sound, deep tone but not too loud
& a single 3" cat-back Delta Flow 50 on my truck 99 Dakota 5.2ltr
sort of a mellow deep tone on the truck

I guess I’m particularly asking how to get that racking off sound between gears, the engine returning to idle (or close to it) between shifts. Both my B-bodies have just had 318/904s- the first one’s long gone and I’m currently building my Coronet to be a little more than just a granny car (at least in the drivetrain where it counts. ;)) Midway through the 4-speed swap now (just need the pivot shaft mount welded in). But the manual cars I’ve had in the past (Datsuns, an old Bug, Ranger, Audi A4) never made that noise. I think it sounds pretty tough, even though it means you’re granny shifting.

 

[khryslerkid]

 

[moparedtn]

If you learn how to AGGRESSIVELY let off the go pedal between gears, you can imitate
that "Bullitt" sound - yes, loud-assed exhaust helps in this pursuit, but it's that all-at-once
lifting of your right foot that gives the best rap-off sound.

Oh, and sorry if it disappoints @dadsbee - but I am one who lifts between shifts, if only
for a nano-second. If you've ever witnessed a flywheel come literally through the firewall
and saw its' way out the side of a car, you'd understand why.
Some of us can't just go replacing broken parts left and right, after all...
and I have a sort of mechanical empathy that keeps me from brutally abusing any machine,
although I can beat on one occasionally while not hurting it.

 

[dadsbee]

LOL Ed.. there is a reason I have a Lakewood in it. I watched my old GF's Brother lose his right foot in his '66 GTO when he launched his assembly through the floor boards in 1978.

 

[moparedtn]

LOL Ed.. there is a reason I have a Lakewood in it. I watched my old GF's Brother lose his right foot in his '66 GTO when he launched his assembly through the floor boards in 1978.

Coincidentally, I also witnessed the same exact thing happen to a good friend of mine....
and the flywheel whizzed right in front of my own Nikes as it came out of there, too.

After that day, the car's owner (another good friend) never let another human drive the car again
once repaired....except for me. He still owns it to this day.