Steve,
I put Flowmasters (42040's) on the Funbeam in 2000, and they are quieter
than the glass packs that were on there when I bought it, but not by much.
They have a nice rumble at idle and a nice rumble at speed, but they tend to
get a bit loud in the neighborhood when they are warmed up and I step on it.
Also, I'm told that my gas mileage would go up if I had quieter
mufflers...something to do with the foot....
As to the discoloration on the bumper, even with the new mufflers, I still
have a little "milky" looking discoloration on the bumper after long trips.
I'm told this is because I'm running the carb a bit rich, which is
preferable to too lean.
I also get the fumes when I roll the windows down. When we were on our way
to SUNI III, by the end of the day, it was difficult to stay awake, and I
would get slight headaches (also, on any long trip, which I've made a few in
the past three years). We were doing about 650 miles a day. On the way back,
I almost fell asleep on the third day. So, I agree with Stu, it must be
coming from the boot lid not being sealed properly, or a hole in the boot
itself, thus allowing exhaust to be "sucked" into the passenger compartment.
I did replaced the rubber seal, but it still does it. I also notice the
smell more when I have the soft top up and the windows down as opposed to
the hard top on and the windows down. With the hard top on, I can open the
side windows and that helps with circulation. With the hard top on, I think
the soft top being stowed away does prevent, somewhat, the fumes from coming
in.
This is my unscientific take on this... I'll be happy to hear of your
solution to the problem...
All the Best,
FunbeamChuck
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