John 65

Still on the fence with a big block swap. The 66 curently has small block sidepipes, obviously we would need bigger pipes, but would we loose more power thru them then we would with a stock exhaust with mufflers ? Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.

tdelph

John65,

I am not following your question but if you want to keep the side exhaust, I would call Stainless works, Allen, or Sweet Thunder and get them to price the side pipes. All of them are good sources. There are a few different flavors of side exhaust and performance models. I got the large inner diameter sides that flow big time but they are also louder than I expected. I love the look and the sound of the side pipes and I wouldnt trade them out for a little better performance. I am not sure what your goals are but I am pretty sure your not setting this up to be a racer. I am not sure if you have seen any pictures of my BB motor on a stand with the Sanderson headers but it looks pretty cool. I can send you some pictures and you can get a feel what yours would look like with headers.

Tim

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John 65

Thanks for the pic Tim, really looks great. I am trying to figure out if there is more HP with or without the sidepies, and you are correct, no raceing here. Thanks

Donny Brass

a freind of mine races a 66 L72....he put on the Sweet Thunder GNM 2.5 sidepipes and ran a best of 12.63 yesterday, I think he picked up a couple mph ........

they definately work better that stock / repop ones........

65-StingRay

John,

I have a BB in my 65. I had the small block sidepipes on my car when I purchased it. I believe the interior diameter of these pipes was 1 3/4 inches. They worked quite well but restricted the flow of exhaust gases. Then I purchased the "sweet thunder" 2 1/2 inch exhaust and my vette's performance changed for the better. The sound was definitely deeper and throatier-if there is such a word. Louder yes but not too loud unless you really put your foot into the throttle.
Performance increase, yes. There are definitely better under car muffler systems available but I love the sound and looks of those new pipes. Plus I had the headers, piping and chambered pipes ceramic coated. Looks killer and the ceramic coating really helps keep the heat down under the hood.

Wayne
65-StingRay

magicv8

IMO I get the same performance with 2.5 inch undercar exhausts through the (see through) Borla turbos with 2.5 inch outlets. I can still hear my radio at 80 with the top down (headrest speakers) - the people behind me are going deaf.

Grey Ghost

I'm interested in buying a set of factory style pipes, covers, etc...if any of you guys remove yours.

Thanks.

rc648@yahoo.com
Jerry

Mike7061

I have a set of the Allen stainless steel BB sidepipes that I don't need anymore. They are in perfect shape and about 1 year old. Let me know if you are interested.

Best regards,
Gerry

65convt

Mike,
How did your Allen's BB side exhaust sound? I haven't finished my 65 coupe yet and have heard conflicting stories about the tone of repro side exhaust.

mikea

I recently bought a 65 roadster with smallblock and sidepipes. It has started to develop a little rattling out of the right pipe. I took it off and gave it a shake and found nothing loose inside, but it still rattles. Is that typical of an old stock sidepipe? I am considering GNM replacements. My motor is 350 horse with a little more cam. What do you think?

Donny Brass

go for it, I am saving my pennies and dimes for a set for my 327/350....they sound good.

Grey Ghost

Mike7061 - Do they look like factory sidepipes ? Or something else.

THanks.

Viet Nam Vett

I have a BB502 with Sanderson Block Hugger Headers and a pair of Sweet Thunder 2 1/4 " internal Baffel Side Pipes. They are Very Loud.. and I asume the GNM...( Give No Mercey) 2 1/2 " Sweet Thunders are just as loud if not louder..

Make sure this is what you want... Loud..!!! Because they are..!!!

An under car exchaust System ...2 1/2 " will give you great performance either in the chambered full length design or a standard 2 1/2 " Pipe with under car Mufflers.

The Under Car Chambered design are loud but not on your ear due to the exhaust exit at the rear. Any pipe is better then the stock 1 7/8 " Side pipe as far as performance goes.

But remember... Even with the stock factory side pipe your ok ...if your not after all out performance. Nothing says you have to go biger if you just want to cruz and have some fun.

It's yor car..you should build it the way you want.. Enjoy the ride..

BarryK

Mark
I'm curious, assuming all else being equal, I understand the larger diameter pipes would allow for freer breathing for the engine (less restrictive) but doesn't it also affect the low-end torgue? Wouldn't a less restrictive system give more performance overall but actually decrease low-end torque? Or did i just completely misunderstand what I had read about that?

6T5RUSH

BarryK/Viet Nam Vette/,

To confirm what Donny said, yes the GNM Sweet Thunder Side Pipes did improve the top end performance of my small block.

I went from 1 7/8" ID stock GM pipes to the aluminized 2 1/2" ID pipes from Sweet Thunder. What I noticed from making 9 passes at the Pure Stock Drag Races this past weekend, was a consistent pulling harder in the last half of the 1/4 mile. This was bolstered by the fact that my best last year prior to the pipe and intake swap was: 13.826 @ 101.99. This year my best was 13.635 @ 103.43. I attribute the gain more to the pipes then the intake (went from the stock '461 intake to the '70 LT1 intake). That may seem small for the money and effort but you really do feel it at WOT above 4,000 r's.

As far as sound goes, I honestly think the pipes sound like an off shore, big block race boat (under acceleration). Otherwise, they just gurgle sweetly

Jim

Mike7061

They are somewhat louder then the originals and also allowed the car to breathe a little better. I liked them a lot but they were too restrictive for the 540 with650-675 HP.

Best regards,
Gerry

Mike7061

I would look to the side covers or the insulation for the rattling sound as there is nothing to rattle in the chambered sidepipe.

regards,
Gerry

Mike7061

They look and bolt up exactly like the originals except they are stainless steel and won't rust.

Best regards,
Gerry

Grey Ghost

Gerry,

Grey Ghost

Gerry,

Please email me a price. What all does it include ? Any pics would be great to.

Thanks,
Jerry
rc648@yahoo.com