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Btw the pipes will fit any c3. Many will advertise them for the 63-74 because 74 is the last year vehicle they can legally advertise them for being that a person has to remove cats to install them illegally on a 75 (most states do not enforce this federal law.)
As someone else who lives in a place that’s against you working on your own car, I understand your pain.
I’m sure they’re against the sound of the side pipes in the parking garage too, but there’s nothing in my lease that says I can’t have them lol.
My long term goal is to get a house with a climate controlled garage to work on the car in, but until the housing market changes I’m lucky my parents live fairly close to my apartment. I’m able to drive the car back and forth to do any major projects that require jacking the car up in the air, which included tearing the engine apart, and yes, installing side pipes.
My advice would be to find a space to work on the car. Whether at a friend’s or relative’s house, or somewhere else. Because sooner or later any car as old as as a C3 will have issues, that require you getting further into the car than you would be able to in a condo.
About $1500 from Summit Doug's ceramic headers and pipes set up with free shipping, had about $1700 into these with inserts... simple install in a day
This is THE COOLEST looking 80 I've ever seen and I'm usually not a fan of aftermarket wheels on C3's and not a fan of white Vette's even though I have one mysely. I'd drive that 80 'till the wheels fell off!
This is THE COOLEST looking 80 I've ever seen and I'm usually not a fan of aftermarket wheels on C3's and not a fan of white Vette's even though I have one mysely. I'd drive that 80 'till the wheels fell off!
thank you, I removed the pipes and wheels, brought back to original and just sold last week, it was a great car.
Why stop at the '75 model? '77 is the last year of the flat rear window, which is removable or can be converted to removable on the later years. '78 and later is the larger bubble rear window.
Why stop at the '75 model? '77 is the last year of the flat rear window, which is removable or can be converted to removable on the later years. '78 and later is the larger bubble rear window.
Some people live in California, even if they don't put it on their profile.
Could be. I wonder though does California really check that closely on 50-year-old cars? Especially if they have antique plates? I don’t read hot rod magazines anymore but when I did, it seemed like 90% of the cars came from California! Maybe everybody had a brother-in-law at the Inspection station?
+1 on going with stainless pipes if ya can swing it. The chromies do rust unless you are really fastidious about taking care of them. I estimate chrome ones have been on for at least 25 years, and they are pitted down in between the head pipes.
And who knows? This one might be available for the right price…
I don’t have the Billy Boat pipes but if I were buying pipes again I’d get them. They are double wall so you don’t need a heat shield. However, I have found it’s no problem getting in and out of my car without touching the pipes.
The sound of sidepipes is one thing, the look is something else. They are a great looking add on and recall the original Chevrolet supplied Factory side pipes offered with the 1967 L88 car, (less than 20 sets) and the Kustom Sidepipes delivered with the car at the dealer for racing an L88 optioned car. Anyone could order the L88 parts "a la carte" for their Corvette and go racing so a number of sets were made for walk up customers. The GM part numbers are searchable, and the pipes while not as symmetrical as the Hooker versions made later were very similar. Racecars never had heat shields and while there are times when I wish I had them, the slight "spring" I get from occasionally touching the pipe with my leg is worth the look. You only really get seriously burned once. Ha.
Any Corvette convertible from 1968-69 looks incredible with the pipes that recall the times when the C3's eliminated the Cobra on the tracks and went after the 911's....
As a history session is not complete without pictures, here is a history primer for where they came from. Like most things Corvette, the racetrack is the inspiration.
This was the 1967 L88 Corvette that DeLorenzo ran in late 1967 with the very early 1968 body on it. The body may have come from GM engineering, it has the early forward mirror location, but still carrying the 1967 rear view mirror on the door. Very cool. Note the exhausts that are 1967 4 into one in the original style. These pipes would need to be custom made by you or a shop to duplicate today... L88 1st design.
The next photo shows a "standard" period fit of Kustom pipes on a racing L88, not the 4 exit tubes are not "square" or parallel with the ground, the best spotter's way to see if the sidepipes are "original" Chevrolet. See how the inner tubes are visible from a level view, a hooker is two above two and does not have this characteristic.....remember these are all 427 sidepipes. It is rumored and I believe it may be true there were small block Kustom pipes made for the original ZR1 cars of 1971. I have never seen a set though.
The Hooker sidepipes on a 1969 Corvette...still a great look, though racers never used chrome...
or on a restored car...Racing sidepipes in white, but see the different routing of the pipes compared with original Kustoms....
Last edited by international blue; Jun 13, 2024 at 11:18 AM.
