REELAV8R

My 77 has the hooker header side pipes with the STS inserts and the center tube is opened 1". To be sure, it is loud, much louder when you get up to 6000+ RPM.
Yesterday I thought it was time for me to test drive one of the C7 corvettes. It's the only model I have had an interest in since the C3's. Usually around here you can't test drive a new one, at least not without a substantial deposit. At the Chevy dealer they had a used 2017 1LT stingray for sale.
I was chatting with the salesman about my 77 (which I drove in) and comparing notes with the 77 he used to own back when it was still new, and he suggested I test drive the 17.
It was an amazingly powerful and comfortable car with all the latest in high tech gadgetry, except the HUD. I can see why people buy them and love them. I wanted one when I was done. Yet it still lacked something.

The 77 is at 10.6:1 CR and has a 108 LSA cam and provides a good lumpy kind of idle. It also looks really good with the chrome side pipes against the black body. It's all oldschool and cannot hold a candle to the comfort, ride, fuel economy, or performance of the 17 stingray. But the feeling you get when you mash the pedal and get the roar out of those side pipes cannot be duplicated by the 2017 I drove. I guess the word for it might be visceral, it's a more visceral experience.
I don't know if folks who drive the new Corvettes get the same response, but everywhere I go people give thumbs up, lean out the window to yell how they love my car, ask questions about it etc. etc.
I don't get those responses when I drive the Challenger or the Mustang, both of which are still nice rides.

Could be it's just old and somewhat of an uncommon sight vs newer muscle cars.

But I think really it's the look and the sound of side pipes.

They have ruined me in regards to the exhaust note I like to hear in a muscle/sports car now.

crawfish333

If you want loud pipes, there are plenty of aftermarket options out there for the C7. Not sure of whether the car you were driving was equipped with performance exhaust, but for me it is plenty loud enough when I want it to be and I turn it off for traveling cross country so I do not have not hear the drone. If you want response, punch the C7 and look at the speedometer and tachometer. You will be surprised at how fast you are accelerating.

I love the C3s and its sounds like yours has plenty of power. The C7 is pretty fast as well but it is a less violent and smoother power delivery, but the power is getting to the highway. It does get pretty loud though at times with the performance exhaust engaged.

Scrrem

I started with Corvettes in the C4/ZR-1 world, love the car for it's speed and handling and will never sell it. I recently purchased a 69 BB coupe with Hooker side pipes and wasn't sure about the Hooker's at first. After driving it a few months, I get at least 2 thumbs up whenever I take it out. I never get the driving the ZR-1.
Rich

SuperBuickGuy

I hear you (well, figuratively anyway) about sidepipes. The new Corvettes are 100% pure awesome with awesome sauce on top.... but I'd rather my knuckle-dragging, side-piped, manual steering, solid-cammed, carb'd 427 with extra special manual brakes and a 4 speed over the C7.

I wouldn't kick the C7 out of the garage (unless, of course I needed to park my C3 there) then the C7 gets wet.... point is they're totally different cars with different uses. If driving to work was the need, the C3 stays parked; OTOH, something to put a smile on my face as I sweat in traffic and wonder why the world has gotten so quiet - C3 all the way baby.

raydog9379

You'd get a couple thumbs up on the ZR-1 from many of us, but 80% of the population out there wouldn't notice anything different than a typical C4 and 19% would notice a ZR-1 logo but not know what that means. Then when ricer boy pulls up thinking he's hot sh%t, you blow his doors off without even trying.

terrys6t8roadster

Not to change the subject ,but the first ZR1 I saw I was 2 cars behind it and pulling a horse trailor on the freeway, so there was no chance of me catching up, but I did and was impressed with the massive rear rubber out back and then saw the ZR1 and off it went. At the corvette coral at Road America there was one and he showed off his car with a smile. T

TimAT

I feel the same about the sidepipes. My 69 BB has them too. I have the STS baffles and started by opening the caps, then opened them some more. All was fine until I watched a video of an L-88 that was obviously running with nothing in the pipes. Pulled the baffles and ran like that for a long time. Loud as it gets. I'm back to the baffles now, and it's still loud. But that's fine. I can live with it and smile the whole time.

REELAV8R

For me it's not the volume of the pipes, it's the sound. Volume is some of that, but if you just put in a short straight pipe it would be very loud and raspy. Cut outs are like that, super loud.
Some aftermarket, in fact many of them, drone. I will not tolerate drone. It makes your ears feel plugged and is super annoying to me.

The noise I'm talking about is the sound of the two individual pipes from a gen 1 SBC or BBC. That's the sound. And it is enhanced by the side pipes with the right inserts. STS is not the only one that sounds good to me.

An LS engine is different. The exhaust usually has and X pipe or H pipe. This changes the sound completely. I understand the purpose of such things but the classic sound is lost.

Initially I had the pipes with the stock CR of 7.6:1 (measured) Then I upped the CR to 9.9:1 and the sound got louder and better. Now I have 10.6:1 and it's better and louder and crisper sounding. Like there might just be something of interest under the hood.

I can only imagine that a BBC would sound even more throaty. I've not ran across one to listen to, and sound clips don't really do exhaust justice.

Richard Daugird

I have a set waiting for when I install my fresh SBC.

TimAT

I agree-- the drone is like flying a twin with the props out of sync.

I have a sound clip- best representation I've gotten is playing thru a car audio system with the volume and bass turned way up. Not spot on, but close.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_MM...ew?usp=sharing

REELAV8R

Sounds pretty good at idle. Would love to hear it when throttled. Oddly in the clip it sounds just like my SBC. Probably not in person though.

mrvette

Age 73 here,getting old or summfin, I guess, my 350 has headers, duals H pipe and Magnaflow muffs I can see though they are oval though.....and so it's a pleasant gurgle when cruising normally....

TimAT

That's about 15 minutes after the first start on that engine. Just enough to get it to idle. And it will be a little different, cam is a 4-7 firing order swap. Once I get the tune figured out, I'll post some more.

TimAT

Oh, the things I can think of here!!

Makonut

I think the word you are searching for is character. The new ones are nice but they have no soul.

rajin cajin

I put the hooker inserts in the side pipes of my 72. Motor is out presently and will probably pull the inserts completely out. Entirely to quiet, robs power, and the sound just does not fit the look of the car. May drill some holes in the plates to open the baffles up and let some air flow. I have a C6 and previously a C5. Love all the cars but get 10 x more thumbs up in the 72. I'm ruined also.

sunflower 1972

SuperBuickGuy

when I first fired my old C3 with open sidepipes, I literally couldn't think because it was so loud. I've run open stacks, but the sidepipes work like a megaphone... and it is loud.

resdoggie

"I love my Hooker's"! With the max flow inserts it sounds just plain raw! However, my wife's '13 CTS-V coupe has the Corsa Sport mufflers which also sounds fantastic but nowhere near as loud and not the same rumble you get from the gen 1 sbc.

REELAV8R

I can say with some confidence that I will never remove the side pipes for something more civil. Heck, as I get older and deafer I might have to make it louder just to off set for the loss of hearing.

The new vettes are very pretty to look at and a great ride...hmm kinda like something else I can think of, but I'm not sure if it will keep me interested long term.