99Silverbullet

I’m almost at the point in the restoration where I need to buy exhaust for the car. The car is a ‘65 coupe with a 396 tri-power with 115cc aluminum heads and a 4 speed transmission.

What headers and exhaust do you recommend?

I have used Dougs headers on other cars and also was thinking of using the stock 2 1/2 inch exhaust setup with the magnaflow muffler upgrade.

Thanks!

64tux

Go with hooker headers and side pipes. I love the extra chrome .

63Corvette

I concur

tuxnharley

I think you first need to define what your objective is. Simply put, are you going for appearance/bling, or maximizing performance and efficiency?

Side pipes look great, and will give you great noise right next to your ears- if that’s what you want for your driving conditions. Some folks think that gets old pretty fast. Also, side pipes are generally more restrictive and less efficient than under car systems due to the bends in the pipes needed to connect from the headers to the sides.

Most efficent/least restrictive is typically/long tube headers with under car exhaust like N-11 off road system. Definitely go for 2 1/2” collectors and pipes.

For headers I like McJacks out of the LA area. They build a quality product, metallic/ceramic coated on the ourside, and copper coated inside the tubes!

None of the above makes much difference under about 5000 rpm or so. That’s where the performance difference starts to show up. So if you’re typically below that this is all just for appearance anyway. If so, go with what you want for the appearance - or just stick with the Rams horn factory manifolds and save your money!

Mike C#2

I bought the Heddman coated headers for my 64 coupe that I am doing a big block swap in. They seemed to be the best "value" for my project. I bought the Pypes complete exhaust system less mufflers ( 2 1/2" mandrel bent with integrated x-pipe) and some Jones Full Boar stainless mufflers. I bought a 3' piece of polished stainless exhaust tube and will make my own slash cut tips is the plan.

I am not a side exhaust kind of guy and this whole setup was about $1000. Price wasn't the final concern, but with another $1000 earmarked for a radiator (DeWitts wound up closer to $1100 with 1.25" tube core and the dual fan setup) and $900 for brake calipers, it certainly was a consideraton...

bcwaller

I would recommend uncoated headers. Buy then, test fit and make sure you like them, that you can access your plugs, that they don't interfere with the steering box, etc. Then, once they are fitted and matched with the head pipe and everything else, then send them out for coating.

Jaguarmaven

I had sidepipes on my little 1250cc Bugeye Sprite. Couldn't hear after about 10 mins. And the ringing in my ears lasted for an hour after each ride. But they did look and sound cool.
But that was 25 years ago. Now I don't hear as well so I probably wouldn't know the difference anyway.

Best of luck...

Dan

1950 Ford F2 pickup
71 E Type
2006 Mustang GT
2016 A5
{looking for a C2 to fiddle with}

Avispa

Yeah, that...good advice on every point. Whose heads do you have? Are the exhaust ports in the stock location or are they raised? You may have additional fitment issues if the exhaust ports are raised, headers or manifolds. Do you have PS? If you do, you'll need to do some stud-rigging for the rearmost "tab" on the PS pump bracket (that uses a 5/16 x 3/8 NC stud through the forwardmost exhaust manifold bolt hole) if you're going to use headers. If you're going to use headers, give magnaflow mufflers more than a thought. N-11 mufflers work good but they're a 60 year old design.

99Silverbullet

Great advice, yep everytime i buy a full coated set, i have modify them in one way or another. Thanks

99Silverbullet

After reading all the post here is what i have..doing it for performance and sound. Car will be a power steering vintage air ac car, rather go with full length than shorties, exhaust ports are stock location.

The only reason i was going with a stock repro kit with magnaflow muffler is everyone says the corvette central kits fit with no issues.

Ill check out N11 and McJacks

64tux

Sidepipes don,t have to be loud! Depends on the mufler you put in them, or not put in them!

68hemi

I had a couple of sets of Hooker Headers and side exhaust on my early 70s cars. They are not nearly as loud as the factory exhaust and as said above you can run them with or without the muffler insert. It is easy to switch them out simply by removing the bolt (or maybe two) from the back section behind the header collector to slide the muffler out.

The chrome ones look good on the dark colored cars and the flat black ones look great on the lighter colored cars.

Tiros

I have the Heddmans too. Jet hotted after the fitting.
Cut the flanges off a set of stock side pipe tubes and welded a collector flange to em. Looks stock. Lined up real well, no tube work. It is a little loud but I like it that way.

reno stallion

Unfortunately stahl is no longer making headers there side pipes where tuned. I got the last set

Dr L-88

I have a set JUST like those. Had them on my 67 until I installed a set of my Bill Thomas L-88 headers / side pipes.

Avispa

Well then all you need to do is put a few 3/8 hole flat washers under the nut on a factory PS bracket stud so that the nut is in about the same place it would be if there were a factory exhaust manifold under it. That should put the bracket in the proper alignment.

99Silverbullet

What size headers are you using? Most i see is 2” primaries with 3” collector for a 396.

vettsplit 63

I didn't think CF allowed ****.... wow!!

99Silverbullet

Anyone? Thanks

427Hotrod

For a 396 I'd step down to a 1-3/4 or a 1-7/8. You don't need 2" unless you're really going to mega RPM.

JIM