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The worst burn I got was during the summer when I was driving in shorts and flip-flops.
Car was fully warm and I stopped to get gas. While the gas was pumping, I went to check the oil. Popped the hood, and as I went to reach for the dipstick I also stepped forward and touched the front of my ankle area to one of the RUNNER pipes that comes right out from the engine.
That move came with a lot of hurt and I had a scar for years.
Never burned my leg after that, and every time someone gets out of the car I say "watch the pipes!"
One guy burned the palm of his HAND really badly getting out because for some reason he rolled out of the car and reached his hand down expecting to grab car body but instead grabbed hot pipe right after we were doing some spirited driving. He had a bubble on his palm. I felt bad. He forgave me.
I have Hooker sidepipes on the car for over 20 years. Finally got burned in the same way last year. Went into garage to check something under the hood and touched calf to feeder pipe.
I put the Hooker style side pipes on my 72 back in the 90s and loved them. Never got burnt but was always cognizant of them. Always helped my girlfriend in and out of the car. The current rebuild of the 72 will also use the same type but I'll get them coated and will probably use one of the Cobra-style heat shields (coated to match/ blend) as well as I and the wife are a little less flexible now.
The cabin will have the thermal insulation under the carpet and the tunnel will have both the rigid insulation shield and the collar in it. I may also add some of the thermal insulation on the engine bay side of the floor by the metal heat shields as some here have done successfully.
For the owner installing mods and getting injured, I'm fine with that and will only offer a "tsk, tsk". When it comes to exposing others to injury I'm much less fine. Call me a Nervous Nelly. I'd be very concerned for children who don't have that awareness or the leg length to step out far enough from the sill to lift themselves out.
What about a moron at a car show who burns themselves on my side pipes? Whose fault is that?
Not mine. Same as someone burning themselves getting out of my Vette.
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (performance mods)
2019 C3 of Year Winner (performance mods)
2016 C3 of Year Finalist
In Massachusetts???? Better have a lawyer handy for those that like to sue..because thats how this state rolls!!!!
Your car, no warnings, no signs, you bringbit to a show which is common knowledge people look at cars.....i would stand there with a super soaker tellingbthem to back off until they cooled down....
In Massachusetts???? Better have a lawyer handy for those that like to sue..because thats how this state rolls!!!!
Your car, no warnings, no signs, you bringbit to a show which is common knowledge people look at cars.....i would stand there with a super soaker tellingbthem to back off until they cooled down....
For those running side pipes, how often do your burn your ankle on the pipes? Do you get accustomed to getting out of the car without touching the pipes?
Do headers exhausted through side pipes help with the heat in the footwells? My big block car with stock manifold/exhaust gets almost unbearably hot. I am trying to figure out if the heat barrier/insulation will be enough to keep the heat out or will add side pipes be an additional big improvement.
Rick
Switching to side pipes makes a great reduction in cockpit heating. I've installed side pipes on two cars; a 69 BB Coupe with Kooks side pipes, and a 68 with Hedman headers and the 69 stock sidepipes.
For the stock exhaust.....look how close the exhaust pipes run beside the transmission tunnel, along side the transmission. Specially, the exhaust driver's side exhaust pipe, stock exhaust, is actually only a few inches from your foot. I remember driving my 68 with the stock underbody exhaust, my right foot could get uncomfortably hot. There's no burn-your-leg problem with the factory side pipes. With side pipe headers....yes, but on the positive side, no one burns their leg more than once!
Sidepipes make it easy to work on the transmission, the shift levers, the differential, the rear suspension. Can be very conveniendly.
I have Hooker sidepipes on the car for over 20 years. Finally got burned in the same way last year. Went into garage to check something under the hood and touched calf to feeder pipe.
Looks just like my leg after riding my Harley with shorts and tennis shoes, instead of jeans and boots. Good thing is you (should) only make stupid mistakes once. My factory side pipes with insulated covers will not burn anybody
Looks just like my leg after riding my Harley with shorts and tennis shoes, instead of jeans and boots. Good thing is you (should) only make stupid mistakes once. My factory side pipes with insulated covers will not burn anybody
This burn could be very dangerous for someone with poor circulation in their legs, for instance, someone with Type 1 diabetes.
One time I got my ******* caught in the emergency brake...it's a long story.... Had there been a label to warn me of such events it would have never happened, I should sue.
One time I got my ******* caught in the emergency brake...it's a long story.... Had there been a label to warn me of such events it would have never happened, I should sue.