I found this video of a 2008 Ford Explorer Sport Trac Adrenalin with the 4.6L 3v V8.
The guy got rid of the resonator and stock muffler and replaced it with a Flowmaster 50 series, but I'm certain he still has cats.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6zR5ML5f6E

This is very similar to the mid-mounted Flowmaster sound on an S197, I would guess.
It sounds ok, but nothing great. I guess the 3v engine is just too smooth to produce a great exhaust note like the 2v does.

So, what's the verdict? Are good sounding muscle cars a thing of the past???

 

I dont know, I have flowmaster AM's and they are relatively close in tone to that setup. I think they sound good all over. I've also heard boom tubes are even better. I'm going to pick up a set just to see. I dont know, Its a different motor, it does have a smoother tone w/ the 3v but I dont think its a lost cause. I've heard things about the pypes mid muffler as well.(many positive) I just wasnt really awed by the clips I found on that one. You could always just get an off road X pipe and forget all that classic muscle sound

 

I don't like the Pypes MM sound. It's kind of buzzy sounding to me....especially with an offroad pipe. Boomtubes sound like SLP LM's, and they sound like a dump truck. There's no tone to them.

The Best Flowmaster setup I've heard on the S197 is an offroad X with Super 44's.
The bottom line is that all exhausts on the S197 sound weak compared to the 2v stangs.

 

yeah, you really hit the nail on the head with the pypes setup. I wanted to see a mid muffler setup but with only the room for m80's its really not the same thing. Thats why i'm leaning against it. I do like the boom tubes as I know how it sounds at idle but at WOT its really amazing. I'd like something like bassani's or stingers but the drone kills it for me. The boom tubes dont drone. We'll see, I'm not sure what I'll do next.

 

You can always have an exhaust shop fabricate a mid-muffler Flowmaster or Bassani setup like this guy.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=xk2fF9lQJxU
www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIGlsfkU8m0

I would pay someone to do this for me (except with an X-pipe design and Bassani mufflers) if I had the money.

 

double post