Some of you faithful Custom Rodder and Customrodder.com readers may remember my '63 Ford Galaxie project from the not-so-distant past. You might also recall the car starting out as a fairly blank canvas sporting a set of 14-inch American "Daisy" five-spoke wheels and stock ride height. With fairly nice paint, a straight body, a good-running 390 V-8, and recently re-plated bumpers, the car had plenty of potential. Once we mounted the 18-inch Billet Specialties Chicayne wheels and the set of lowering springs, along with a few other bolt-on modifications, it really came to life with a nice stance and plenty of attitude.

The big Galaxie was neglected for a while as I devoted my time to expanding my fleet of '60s Fords and tending to my growing family. Yet every time I drove the car, or even fired it up, I was reminded of one nagging item on its to-do list: the exhaust. I have long wanted to wake up the car's tonal attitude to match its visual appeal. More specifically, I was seeking a throatier, more aggressive sound than the current glasspacks and 2.25-inch squishy bend pipes could belch out. On top of that, I wanted a cleaner alternative to the pencil-tips-under-the-bumper look.

Based on what I'd been hearing for the past couple of years (from both enthusiasts and from exhaust pipes at car shows), I knew that Flowmaster's Hushpower II mufflers would deliver the sound I wanted--a classic, deep rumble without excessive rap or annoying harmonics. While talking to the guys at Flowmaster about the mufflers, I also learned about the company's U-Fit Dual Kits. These universal exhaust pipe packages are available in 2.25-, 2.5-, and 3-inch diameters, and come with all the pipes needed to build a dual exhaust for most any fullsize '50s or '60s car. The various straight sections, adapter pipes, and over-axle sections are all built from 16-gauge, mandrel-bent aluminized steel.

U-Fit kits were created so that seasoned enthusiasts could lay out and build their own exhaust systems in their driveways. But even if you're unable or unwilling to build an exhaust, the kits can make life a lot easier for your chosen exhaust shop, particularly if that shop lacks high-dollar mandrel benders and other specialized equipment. Given my lack of welding experience, I was happy to hand installation chores over to Steve Gavin at Welding Works in Orange, California. With 27 years in the business (7 years in the current location) and a reputation for great custom work, Steve and his nephew, Patrick Joyce, were more than qualified, and eager to share a few insights with our readers. Navigating the new 2.5-inch pipes under the Ford was a pretty easy task for them, but they commented more than once how thorough the kit was and the ease with which it went together. They finished the installation using Flowmaster stainless turndown tips, tucked up nicely behind the rear bumper.

The accompanying photos and captions should give you an idea of how everything went together. Of course, once you've seen it, you'll want to hear it too, right? No problem! Just visit www.customrodder.com to hear and see the Galaxie's new Flowmaster system and Hushpower mufflers.

Here are the Flowmaster Hushpower...        read full caption Here are the Flowmaster Hushpower mufflers and the stainless steel tips we selected for this install. We went with the stainless instead of chrome tips since we wanted to keep the exhaust exits tucked neatly under the bumper.

The U-Fit Dual Kit came complete...        read full caption The U-Fit Dual Kit came complete with all the necessary bends and enough pipe to handle the length of the big '63 Ford Galaxie. We used 2.5-inch-diameter pipe.

With the Flowmaster system...        read full caption With the Flowmaster system all laid out, the guys at Welding Works were able to get a good idea of how they wanted to route and use the pre-bent pipe.

It's usually best to start...        read full caption It's usually best to start building the exhaust from the front and work your way to the rear. After removal of the old pipes Steve noticed the inside of the stock cast-iron header was a little misshapen, which could have caused an exhaust leak by not allowing the sleeve pipe to slip in place. With a quick hit of the die grinder we were in business.