Tommy6905

I have a stock 76 l48(that I know of) with all smog removed. Have always loved the look of a vette with side pipes.

Car currently has dual exhaust(no cats). i like the look of both the factory style and aftermarket side exhaust, but my question is besides possibly burning my leg what's the cons? I'm not looking to gain hp, although that would be nice. I also don't want to hurt hp either. I know this topic has been beat to death, but I see some posts saying they hurt power and some say theirs no difference.

Thanks in advance

MelWff

with aftermarket style Hooker, etc. the only other con is noise, the less restrictive the more power and the more noise. I have run glass packs, STS baffles, sweet thunder, and reverse flow. At this point in my life I value quiet more than power so i now have reverse flow but there is significant reduction in power in the upper rpm range. On a low horse power engine such as yours the noise produced may be less due to the nature of the engine, low compression and tame cam.

Tommy6905

thanks Mel appreciate the input

imariver

I have Ceramic coated side pipes, they are a lot cooler, but then again, the skin on your legs is very tender too, so yes, there is the risk of a slight burn, even with Ceramic coated. Another thing is, they require constant cleaning. The individual pipes will get very hot, so anything that gets on them, has a tendency to get "baked" on. And with the Ceramic coating, you have to be careful how you clean them. I have the "middle-of-the-road" inserts and with a mild L-48, I didn't see any significant gain in HP. But the sound is just what I was hoping for, not too loud unless you to go to WOT, otherwise I consider it to be the perfect sound . . . for me anyway. I have a "Quick Jack" lift, so, (because of the sidepipes) I have to be careful how they are placed under the car.
For me, the WOW factor off-sets the P.I.T.A. issues.

resdoggie

I like my stainless steel pipes. They turned a light golden colour from heat but it doesn't bother me.

Tommy6905

thank you sir

Tommy6905

thank you appreciate the input

The13Bats

I think hooker style side pipes just make a vette a vette, like a 4 speed,

Its a sports car so i want to hear it,

Burns are a concern but i wrap mine in fiberglass header wrap, looks like hell, lol but lends to me a road race look,

Getting in and out isnt as easy as when i was 30 years younger but, its worth it,

When i need new ones i will go stainless or ceramic, but still wrap the tubes,

While i do like the hooker style best, i have seen some very refined less beastly corvettes with the factory style that look great on them,

wendellp601

I have Hooker side pipes on my '77.
I wrapped the inserts before installing them into the side pipes. I can put my bare hand on the side pipe in the area where the insert is after driving the car for 30 minutes.

Black_Magic

No leg burn with Factory Pipes



Add a crossover to mellow out the sound

The13Bats

Yeah, and you have a rather stunning car that looks better to me with refined factory pipes,
Hookers on yours would to me look like a ball cap on a guy in a tux with tails....

Stock on my car would look like a slik top hat on a pig....