Well, just picked up a very nice, '74, L-82, 4spd, that's truly a low owner, lower mileage survivor. Original exhaust, even. Would like to keep this car as close to stock as possible; less the horrible sounding exhaust. Any options if I want to keep the original look, return it to stock (NCRS, if needed) but still have a throaty sounding growl??

Thanks in advance.
Jim

 

Jim, I am having a little problem understanding your question, is the exhaust original? If you are trying to go the NCRS route then I suggest to leave the exhaust alone unless there are some really issues with the condition of the system Can you explain more. Jeff

 

Hi Jim,
If your exhaust system is actually the one that was on the car when it left St. Louis, try to save it, including ALL the hangers and clamps. Original exhaust components are very hard to find.
Corvette Central offers stock exhaust systems with magna-flow mufflers.
Perhaps that's what you're looking for.
Regards,
Alan

 

Thanks for responses. Here's more details. The car appears to have the original exhaust and everything else, L-82, 4spd. I'm interested in keeping it as stock as possible; or be able to return it to that condition relatively easily. Maybe I'm just picky; but, I want the car to have a throaty, growl. You know, sound like a sports car, but want to be true to the designers. Maybe I'm asking the impossible?
So, in essence, what to be able to mod the existing exhaust of the car while keeping the look and getting a better exhaust note. Does anyone have experience replacing the mufflers or ? with something else.
Thanks.
Jim

 

if your pipes are good just replace the mufflers with what ever brand you like .you can always put the factory mufflers back on.

 

Agree with Alan

 

I'm in the same boat. So the general consensus is that MagnaFlow Mufflers will give it that sound? Or would Dynomax be a better choice? Or am I opening a can of worms here???

 

The stock GM mufflers on a '74 are pretty 'quiet', not a sporty muscle car sound at all. Try the magnaflows.

 

If you need to replace the pipes and mufflers, do as Alan71 suggested and first remove all the clamps, brackets, hangers, etc. and save them. Take digital photos of the present setup so you can put it back just the way you found it. Have all the metal parts you removed (and want to reuse) shot/media blasted to get rid of corrosion; then wipe with lacquer thinner/solvent and paint them with a good quality paint. For metal items, I would suggest VHT hi-temp ceramic paints. You can get them in several 'metal' colors. When painted, you bake them to convert the coating to durable ceramic finish that will last many years.

Buy stock configuration exhaust pipes with aluminized coating or stainless steel pipes. The aluminized pipes will last a long time and look more like original tubing. I believe than Magnaflow has stock configuration mufflers for C3 applications and their systems sound pretty good.

While doing all of that, you should recoat your cast iron exhaust manifolds at the same time. Remove them and take them with your metal pieces to have them shot/media blasted, as well. Again, wipe down with solvent to get rid of blasting debris and prep for paint. But, for the manifolds, buy some Seymour "Cast Blast" cast iron colored ceramic paint. Shoot two covering coats and let it dry completely, then assemble them back on the engine being careful to not damage the new paint. When the engine is run, the exhaust heat will cure the ceramic paint just like the VHT. The Cast Blast coating looks exactly like bare cast iron...but it will never rust again. Great stuff.

Good luck!

 

Hi Jim,
If indeed your exhaust is the original, the mufflers may be welded to the exhaust pipes, (through at least 72 they were), so you can't change the mufflers without giving-up an important 'originality' detail.
You'd be better taking the entire system off and putting another on in order to gain the sound you'd like, but save the exhaust.
Remember, there's a big difference in the sound of a high performance engine, and the sound a car makes with just loud or bad mufflers.
Regards,
Alan

 

with Alan.