I was wondering what others' experience with these has been. My car has a set of black ones that are pretty much rusted away. I like the look of the chrome and would like to put 'em on after the car is done and I have a hot smallblock in it. What kind of performance do these give you compared to regular headers and 2 1/2" exhaust with some good mufflers? How loud are these, and how restrictive are the available baffles for them? Anyone have a set for sale? Thanks-Nick

 

I have heard they are the most restrictive side pipes out there!
(Not the headers, but the inserts in their side pipes)
Maybe even more so than stock?
Recall someone here playing with these on a DYNO.
Maybe they can chime in?

 

I have a set I ordered directly from Jet Hot. Haven't heard them yet due to the car not being finished. The guy who built my engine told me that they are the least restrictive side pipes. If you think about it they're 4 inch pipes. I'm still debating whether to run the mufflers or not. If you get a set from Jet Hot one word needs to be mentioned: take a wire wheel to the inside of the actual side pipe and remove the coating. If not they are a bear to fit. I actually have one of them stuck and need to take the entire side pipe/header off the car to re fit it.

 

I would not expect much difference in performance between the headers and pipes with good mufflers and the side pipes.

There will be a noticable difference in sound from the passenger compartment between the two. With the pipes and mufflers, you will actually be able to have a conversation at cruising speed.

 

I have a set of the black headers and pipes on my '63. You will need to run some type of muffler in them. I ran mine without for a day or so and it was unbearable. Not even close to being legal for the sound police. Do not spend the money for the hooker mufflers. They are very restrictive and very heavy. There are several alternatives. Since I like the sound of the chambered pipes that were on the car before, I think I will eventually use them inside the 4" pipes. just weld a 4" circular piece to each end and away we go. Classic

 

Put em on the 79 with the ZZ/502.....worked GREAT- tons of HP and torque without the Hooker glasspack inserts. Lost 95 H.P. WITH the inserts on the dyno runs!
Switched to JCL spiral baffles- problem solved.
:yesnod: :chevy :chevy :yesnod:

 

I was talking about you in an earlier post.... :jester

What are you running on your Mid yr these days?
Did you ever make the move to JCL spiral baffles?

 

I have no tech to add to the discussion but I do know that with a wide ratio trans and a 4.10 gear there is only one thing I enjoy in life more than the sounds made while running the car up through the gears. ;)

I had never heard anything about the pipes being restrictive but now that I think about it the sidepipes are very heavy, there must be a heck of a lot of somthing in there!

Andy

 

Still running factory manifolds and factory side exhausts............just got the car back from a near 'rebodying' and paint job (that's another story)- took almost a year @#$**!!!
I'd eventually like to add Stahl or Tubular Automotive headers (Hedmans are nice, but only 1 3/4 primaries) along with JCL baffles- under the factory covers.

 

I have 2 1/2 glasspack inserts from Dawson Racing in California. they cost me 250.00 and sound very sweet. The original glasspacks that come with the Hooker sidepipes are 1 7/8 and the power difference is incredible. you can contact them at 909-928-0969. Hope this helps.

 

Anybody have the website for JCL? :seeya

 

MassVette,

Who is Tubular Automomtive, and do they have headers for small blocks and side pipes?

 

Hookers work for me:-)
Um, what exactly are "inserts"???

 

http://www.spiralturbobaffles.com/index-2.html

JCL (Jim), runs STS (Spiral Turbo Specialties) and sells Spiral Baffles.
:cheers:

 

They make headers for Cobra kits and custom installs.....been in business since the '60's--the first guys to make 360 degree ('snakes nest') headers for street and racing; located in Rockland, MA.
Stahl or Hedman make headers for s/b side pipe Corvettes.

 

Thanks! :seeya

 

...i dunno...i'd appreciate hearing the ME's view about this but, from what i've seen on this forum, the "consensus" is that stock side pipes are "restrictive"...since no one has ever produced the data to show that, i'd be a little skeptical about that...i'd appreciate opposing views

...exhaust backpressur is one thing but i suggest that exhaust scavenging is more important and perhaps more easily addressable - install tuned headers (they are tuned to scavenge) and avoid large primary pipes for a small block (i don't care how "hot" you think your precious mouse is, you can't generate the r's to take advantage of large primaries - buy a big block motor instead, you'll be a lot happier)

...i just bought the hedman side pipe headers for the sb and they are not tuned...that's interesting..if you listen to SWCDuke, he feels the stock ram's head exhaust manifolds are tough to beat....for a good exhaust system for the street, i think the best way to go is no side pipes, correctly tuned headers and a "low restriction" 2.5" undercarriage exhaust system...whihc does kind of raise the issue of whether the undercarraige chambered exhaust is any different from the stock side pipes - it may be better if you can installed the shorter chambered version :confused: