Small Block & Big Block Chevy Specific - 355 exhaust

The general game plan for the motor I am *hopefully* building soon for my '72 c10 is a fully forged 355 or forged piston 383 from Wheeler performance (unless y'all have had bad experiences with them) because of the price. It will have patriot vortec heads that flow about 240/180 cfm and will end up with about 10.5:1 compression. I plan on using a comp 280 xfi flat tappet cam (236-241 duration, 113lsa, .552 .547 lift). It ought to end up being a pretty healthy combo, maybe 450 horse at the crank? But i'm trying to decide between 2.5" duals with an x-pipe and two Borla xr-1's dumped after the axle or 2.5" into a flowmaster y-pipe then 3 inch single xr-1 dumped after the axle. Which will give me a higher pitched more racy lsx-ish sound, duals or the single? Should I be worried about having two xr-1s being too quiet? I like loud for sure. What about overall performance/weight? Thanks

Go with the duals to allow some future growth with your setup.

Being that they are a race muffler, the XR1's should not be too quiet.

Which shortblock would you guys go with?
Short Block Assembly Includes:
Fully Blueprinted Seasoned GM 4-Bolt Block
-Oven Baked & Shot Peened to Settle Molecular Structure
-Checked for Cracks, Magnafluxed and Clearanced
-Line Honed Mains on Sunnen CH100 Line Hone
-Decked with BHJ Fixture – Cylinders Bored Perpendicular to Block
-Finish Honed with Sunnen CV616 and Torque Plates
-Brass Freeze Plugs and Durabond 1-Piece Cam Bearings
Forged Dish or Flat-top Pistons
Hi-Performance Moly Rings with Standard Tension Oil Ring
Wheeler Recon 5.7" Connecting Rods with ARP Bolts
New Wheeler Nodular Crankshaft (Externally Balanced)
Clevite H Series High Performance Rod and Main Bearings
Short Block is Completely Clearanced, Assembled, Inspected and Detailed
A great foundation for the heart of your street machine.

Compression Ratios-
Dish: 58cc-10.3:1, 64cc-9.7:1, 76cc-8.7:1
Flat-top: 58cc-11.8:1, 64cc-10.7:1, 76cc-9.6:1

or Short Block Assembly Includes:

Fully Blueprinted Seasoned GM 4-Bolt Block

-Oven Baked & Shot Peened to Settle Molecular Structure

-Checked for Cracks, Magnafluxed and Clearanced

-Line Honed Mains on Sunnen CH100 Line Hone

-Decked with BHJ Fixture – Cylinders Bored Perpendicular to Block

-Finish Honed with Sunnen CV616 and Torque Plates

-Brass Freeze Plugs and Durabond 1-Piece Cam Bearings

Forged Dish, Flat-top or Dome Pistons (manufacturers vary depending on application)


Hi-Performance File Fit Moly Rings with Standard Tension Oil Ring

Wheeler Forged 4340 6.0" I-Beam Rods with ARP Bolts
Wheeler Forged 4130 3.48" Stroke Crankshaft, *Internally Balanced*
Clevite H Series High Performance Rod and Main Bearings
Short Block is Completely Clearanced, Assembled, Inspected and Detailed
A Very Stout Small Block bottom end for your Hot Street or Strip Machine
Compression Ratios-
Dish: 58cc-9.5:1, 64cc-9.0:1, 76cc-8.1:1

Flat-top: 58cc-11.2:1, 64cc-10.4:1, 76cc-9.1:1

Dome: 58cc-13.1:1, 64cc-12.0:1, 76cc-10.3:1

Would the stock connecting rods in the 383 with arp bolts hold up to 6600 or so rpm?
Here's the links to the short blocks
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/SBC-350-355-358-360-Chevy-All-Forged-Short-Block_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trkparmsZQ7c301Q3a0Q7c293 Q3a1Q7c294Q3a30QQ_trksidZp4634Q2ec0Q2em14Q2el1262Q QhashZitem45ec421548QQitemZ300316497224QQptZRaceQ5 fCarQ5fParts
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/SBC-350-355-358-360-Chevy-All-Forged-Short-Block_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trkparmsZQ7c301Q3a0Q7c293 Q3a1Q7c294Q3a30QQ_trksidZp4634Q2ec0Q2em14Q2el1262Q QhashZitem45ec421548QQitemZ300316497224QQptZRaceQ5 fCarQ5fParts

I vote for 2.5" duals into an X-Pipe followed by a set of Pypes Violators. That's what I have and it's deep at idle, mellow while cruising but screams when I go WOT

One thing about Pypes is that they have a full stainless kit with x-pipe for my truck cheap. Anyone have input on the shortblocks? Does anyone know of a small block specific website?

I used a magnaflow X-Pipe. I thought it would be cheaper buying the X-Pipe and mufflers from Summit then having a shop weld up everything (I was wrong).

I love the way the violators sound (with more cubes, compression and a bigger cam I'm sure it'd sound lots bettter):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zor17uRoO_8