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My 81 vette has side pipes and it is getting too loud even for me. They are quite old. I really dont want to replace the whole side pipe setup. It looks like I can cut the old mufflers out and put new ones in. I have looked around Summit, Jegs and so on. Nothing except a set of hooker mufflers. I dont want glasspacks. I dont need chrome. Any ideas on a way to go.
The pipes are one piece. They bolt to the stock iron headers, come down outside the car along the side. There is a cover over them. The mufflers are part of the pipe. I would have to cut them (mufflers) out and install new mufflers. My wife had them put on when she bought the car new in 80. We were not married at the time so I dont know if they are stock or aftermarket.
sounds like a gm offroad side exhaust muffler. sounds like mine are the same as yours, mufflers are pretty shot. mad has a stainless steel set for $700, a little pricey, but they run from the exhaust manifolds to the tips all in stainless. should last a lifetime.
81's didnt have side pipes. I think the last year they were factory was 73
the only years the offroad exhaust option was offered was 1968 and 1969, but fit the 1968 thru 1982 years. it was popular to buy the offroad exhaust from chevrolet and install.
Yeah...sounds like the OEM chambered exahaust pipes. They shouldn't be too loud with the cast iron exhaust manifolds. Do yourself a favor and just replace the donut shaped gasket which goes between the exhaust manifold and exhaust pipe. Those things can burn out in just a couple of years...and the nuts come loose too which will make it nearly as loud as open headers. I would do this quick fix first since the donuts only cost like $10 for two and you can replace them yourself. Be very careful with the nuts...you will need a swivel joint and a deep socket to get to a couple of them...especially the one by the starter.
If replacing the gasket doesn't do the trick, then it's not a total loss since you will have two new gaskets and will know how to easily remove the pipes so you can put something else in there....the actual chambered pipes come complete...you don't have to do any cutting...and they are $500 from Ecklers
Is an aftermarket that makes them in a few sizes. I don't know how loud they are.
I cut both ends off mine to take a look. The pipes are twin tubes seperated lengthwise with 2 plates with holes in them, making 3 side by side chambers. I didn't see any insulation in them.
I stuffed ceramic blanket in the first side chamber and it quieted it down. The exhaust goes down its own pipe past this open chamber, now stuffed with insulation chamber.
Cut off the front where the pipe goes in, stuff it and weld the plate back on.