larrywalk

Anyone know who makes mandrel-bent 2 1/2" exhaust pipes for the C2?

I don't need stainless steel - aluminized is fine. I just want to replace the stock replacement 2 1/2" pipes which are not mandrel bent - the squashed bends and ovalized cross section of these pipes hurt the performance too much IMO. (I only need the pipes from the trans cross member to the mufflers, but don't want custom pipes which won't be compatible with a stock system.)

Thanks!

toddalin

Best bet is to go into a muffler shop and tell them what you want. They may be even able to just cut the old bends out and weld in mandral bent pieces saving you a ton of $$$.

rengawdor

The pipes on my 60 are from Allen's and are mandrel bent.
Rod

MiguelsC2

CCentrals are mandrel bent. I am running the N-11 welded system

larrywalk

Just searched CC's website and found that they're all push bent, not mandrel bent in which a circular cross section is maintained. I called them also and they confirmed that they're all push bent, not mandrel bent.

I do know that Stainless Works sells the mandrel bent pipes, but looking for other vendors. Will call Allen's next.

MikeM

The guys in New Jersey. They make muscle car exhaust systems as original right down to the last wrinkle. They started making Corvette exhaust a year or so ago.

Their name escapes me at the moment. I have one of their systems on a '70 BB Nova and it fit and looked perfect.

I just remembered: http://www.gardnerexhaust.com/

larrywalk

Thanks Mike, I'll call them next. Just talked to Allen's - they don't do mandrel-bent either... For now, Stainless Works is the only one.

larrywalk

Gardner exhaust doesn't do mandrel bent either, but they sounded very interested and helpful for those wanting a correct system.

MikeM

My mistake. I read your post too fast. I was thinking you wanted the pipes with the wrinkles in the inside radius of the bends instead of stretching the pipe in the outside radius and squeezing the diameter of the pipe.

The Gardener exhaust is made like original OEM. Not like typical muffler shops.

MiguelsC2

My mistake. Are mandrel bent tubes, where they fill the pipe with sand and cap it? Then they bend and no wrinkles occur?

PS.I do like the way CCentrals are oval in certain sections for increased ground clearance.

toddalin

No, they put a mandrel inside prior to bending, then remove it afterwards. The mandrel keeps the pipe from collapsing/wrinkling at the bend.

NOM61

They use something like this:

http://www.muffler-tech.com/ntop.gif

DT

Chambered

I wouldn't worry about a good muffler shop compression bend. If you are using 2.5" pipes, you will not lose much flow vs. mandrel-bent. 99.999% of muffler shops CANNOT do mandrel bends because nobody has the equipment. What are you going to lose with compression bends - 3 HP? I wouldn't worry about it.