i want to buy a good thumping exhaust system for a dodge ram 1500 V-8 short bed pickup Also want to increase performance and pass inspection
How many catalytic converters do you have NOW…(Is there one in each leg of the “Y” pipe or just one after the “Y” pipe comes together into one pipe…)
Probably just one converter…You could run a straight pipe back from the converter and forget the muffler all together. You will get a little more noise and little or no performance boost…If you want it to sound like a '62 Chevy with a 327, duel exhausts and glass-paks, you will have to find a '62 Chevy and start from there…
I gave someone financial advise when he wasn’t seeking it or needing it. To you I would just say not to throw money into a black hole. Extra performance = less money. If you get more power from that truck, something would break anyway.
good thumping exhaust system
That’s a counteraction of terms. 
You’ll get minuscule increase in performance…NOT worth it. May sound better but don’t expect miracles.
On my Bronco, I have shorty headers with 2.5 inch pipes and 4 inch tips. No mufflers or cats. There’s no emissions testing where I live though. It’s loud enough to set off car alarms. But there’s not much performance gain there. Most people around here run straight pipes with Y pipe at the converter.
Assuming you live in the US…
There may be no emission testing, but what you did is ILLEGAL.
The vehicle had about 125k on it when the converter failed (due to taking a hit from a rock that tore the heat sheild off and pierced the case of the converter) Unlike most I used my SUV for it’s intended purpose. I just didn’t replace converter since the truck is used for 90% off-road use anyway. It’s probably illegal but nobody around hear cares. I’ve even had a cop compliment me on how nice it sounds, and asked what I did to it to make it sound like it does. He didn’t bat an eye when I told him I had headers, straight pipes, and nothing else.
youll want a set of headers. Summit Racing has a big selection of truck headers. most are legal and bolt on.