Porter Story

When I was 16 yrs. old, I bought my first classic car.  It was 1963 Nova convertible which had a straight six in it. Of course, I was a little disappointed.  How do you put dual exhaust on a six cylinder?  Well, after checking around at local shops, I heard about a shop in Minneapolis that does split manifolds on six cylinders.   The name of the shop was Fechter Muffler.

This is Stevie D's current ride, 1959 Chev. Wagon

I gave Gene a call and told him what kind of car I had and we made an appointment.  I told him I have heard six's with glass packs and they sound funny.  He said that he makes a muffler called a Porter Muffler that will sound great on a six cylinder.  We decided to go with two foot long Porter Mufflers and four inch echo cans.  I couldn’t wait to pick it up to hear what it sounds like.  The next day, my Dad brought me down to pick up the car.

I saw my Nova sitting inside.   After we paid for it, Gene gave me the keys.  I fired her up.  All of a sudden, I heard a rumble come out of the back of the car.  It was a mellow rumble like a V8 motor.  I loved the sound.  It reminded me of the old Chris Craft boats in the water.  There was a smile on my face from ear to ear.  Even my Dad liked the sound. Then Gene said give it a little gas, and I did, oh what a sound it was that came out!   And the rap the exhaust gave it was a nice clean rap.  We left the shop and headed for home.  My Dad followed me back to the house and told me how good it sounds.  He's never heard a six cylinder sound so good.  I could tell he was happy about what I went with.  

I couldnt wait to take the car cruising of course.  I went down to Hopkins with the top down so I could hear the exhaust to do some cruising.  Hopkins is fun cause its a two lane road with tall buildings on both sides all the way down the main drag. I did some cruising and then decided to park the car and do some walking.   When I stopped a few people came up to me and said the car sounded great. Some even asked what size V8 I had. When I said it wasn’t a V8 it was a straight six, they didn’t believe me. I had to open the hood to show them it was a straight six.  They thought for a six cylinder it sounded awesome.  I told them that I had Porters.   Some of them never heard of them. So I told them what a Porter was and that they have been around since the 50's they said this is the first time they have heard them.

I did alot of cruising in that car, I did car shows, and I cruised Anoka where I also got the same reaction. Them asking what size V8 I had and me telling them it was a six, then me pulling over in the next parking lot so I can prove to them it was a six cylinder with Porter Mufflers.

Now lets fast forward to the present.  I now own a 59 Chevy wagon.  I got glass packs,  because I heard that Fechter Muffler closed shop and that was the only place I knew of to get Porters.   In 2009, I went to a car show in Northfield and I saw a sign on a tent that said Porter Mufflers.  Hear to come find out, Clark and Teresa had the rights to Porter Mufflers and started making them again.  I was so excited someone was making the Porters again!  On my birthday in August,  I gave Clark a call and told him I would like to come over and check out the shop.  He said, come on over.  I decided to take my wagon.  It was a nice day out, plus I love to drive my wagon as much as I can.  Clark gave me a tour of the shop and showed me where he made the mufflers plus, how they were made. I  t was a nice looking shop.   We talking about the mufflers and how I heard of them.  As we talked some more, he said you should put a set on the wagon.   Well, of course, I liked this idea.  So I called the wife and asked if she minded if I spent some money on my birthday she said, why not.  I got off the phone with the wife told Clark its a go ahead with the mufflers. Went out, jumped in the wagon and drove it in to the shop so we could get started on putting Porters on the wagon. I told him I wanted shortys.  He said it might be loud and I said that's the way I like it!  I watched him make a set of new Porters for me to put on the wagon. We raised her up, cut out the glass packs, added some new pipe and mounted the new Porters.  He even took the time make sure they were even from where the mufflers where all the way to the back.  He welded it all up and made sure I didn’t have any leaks.  We lowered the wagon down for it's start up with the new Porters on it.  Oh what a sweet sound the pipes where making!  And man talk about a difference in sound from glass packs. After we heard the rumble of the start up, Clark says, rev her up.  He didn’t have to tell me twice! Aw, the nice mellow sound of the Porters at idle and the nice rap of the Porters when you rev it up.  Then me, Clark, and his wife Teresa went up to the Minnetonka Drive-In to grab a bite to eat. (which is not too far from their shop)

It's been a year now since I’ve had the Porters put on.   I’ve been happy with them. They're nice and mellow when cruising down the road, so the wife and I can carry on a conversation without yelling to each other and yet, when I step on the gas you can hear me coming!  Now a lot of people have been asking me what kind of mufflers I'm running cause they like the sound and it sounds like cars did back in the Fifty's.   I tell them its Porters and a lot of them thought they weren’t made anymore.  I inform them, oh yes, there now being made out in Mound, Minnesota. So check out some of the videos they have of proud owners of Porter Mufflers, that way you can hear what they sound like. 

Thanks, Stevie D