To run cutouts or not run cutouts, that is the question.

I've tried about 3 different brands of electric cutouts on my '70 E-Body. Some drifted open and leaked, others just quit working. My buddy had a pair of QTP's on his car for over a decade until we smashed one on a big whoop-de-do at 80 mph down near the LA desert. I put a fresh set on his car, and they are still working flawlessly to this day. I recently had to swap out my last cutouts, so I bought a set of QTP's, and have not had any problems with them so far yet either.

The trick to getting great sound with cutouts is to mount them within a few feet of the header collector. Closer is better. I never buy the install kit. Instead, I buy the cutouts separate and order them with two pairs of header collector extensions. I also order a foot long ovalized megaphone exhaust tip to attach to the outlet pipe.

A lot of people install the cutout with no extension, and the sound is harsh and un-appealing to the human ear. The addition of a small section of exhaust pipe along with the ovalized megaphone greatly enhances the sound quality from the engine. I noticed the same improvement on my tail pipes when I installed the same tips on them. It makes a huge difference. The effect is the same on horned musical instruments. It sweetens and enhances the sound to the human ear. Imagine how "tube-like" music would be from horn sections without the flared ends on the musical instruments. It would suck. Believe it or not, the same thing goes here. It makes a huge difference. A directional tip helps, but its not the same as a megaphone.