I'm the proud new owner of a 79.

I have a few questions... Does the mid american dual exhaust bolt right on with no welding required?

Also I have been a fan of Flowmaster exaust in the past but I have read on here about noise level in compartment. I have seen names such as borla and dynomax mentioned. Is it just personal choice or do they work with vettes better?

Also does an open air cleaner draw as well as the stock closed one? I did put in an K@N

thanks for any help

 

Don't know, but welcome to the forum

 

Coach79,
Welcome.

Everything I have ever bought from MidAmerica has been very good. I believe their dual exhause kits are all bolt-on but you should probably call them and make sure - 800-500-1500 (madvet.com).

I had Flowmaster's on my '78 for only about a week. There was a noticeable performance boost but they were way too loud for me. Now I have some no-name turbo mufflers on there just to quiet it down but want too try Borlas next. I could also use some feedback on Borlas and Dynomax mufflers...

Alan G.
Vette Brakes & Products, Inc.
St. Petersburg, FL
alan@VbandP.com

 

Welcome aboard!!, You will find alot of good info here.

1) I THINK the M.A. Exhaust is ALMOST a bolt in setup, But IMHO you would be better off with going straight aftermarket even if you have to pay a shop to install it you will be better off.

2) Noise level in the cockpit is not going to KILL you but it sure as hell isn't quiet. But if you wanted a cadillac you would have bought one instead of a 30 year old car right? . There are TONS of tutorials and FAQs about reducing heat and noise in the cabin in various different ways. Check out Corvettefaq.com and do some perusing, there is a HUGE amount of info there

Borla, Dynomax, or what have you are usually MOSTLY personal choice but there are some setups that are proven for best bang for the buck.

3) Open air cleaners will, 9 times out of 10, always work better than the closed ones. A K&N is a good starting point.

What are the specs on your 79? IE which flavor engine, trans, options etc. Got any pics?

 

i just installed the under car chambered on my 71 and bolted right in although i prefed to have it welded... no clamps

 

Hey, Coach, welcome to the Forum! What do you coach?

I'm in the middle of putting Mid America duals on my '81. It's a little more complicated, because I'm also installing Dynomax headers at the same time. That means I had to cut off the downpipes on the duals, and then fab the pieces to make the connections to the collectors. But I am impressed with the pipes. Everything I've ever gotten from MA was good (sometimes painfully expensive, but good). Been doing business with them for a dozen years, and never a complaint.

For mufflers, I bought a set of "Monza" mufflers from MA. These are the ones that are basically just pipes, with little glass-pack-type mufflers in the twin tips. They were too loud. I enjoyed them, but my wife and I could not have a conversation in the car, even with the windows closed. Not that this was always a bad thing... ... but anyway, I swapped them out with turbo-type mufflers, and things are better.

Not sure about your '79, but my '81 has a "cold air" system that brings air into the breather throught ducts that draw cooler air from in front of the radiator, rather than the hot stuff in the engine compartment. For the minimal amount of restriction caused by the ducting, I think the cooler air is a better deal. I kinda doubt you could measure a real HP difference on a stock or near stock engine, tho.

Again, Welcome!

 

I'm thinking of going to dual exhaust as well. Welcome to the forum.

 

Welcome
Bought the mid-america duals for my 80.Since i added the headers, they were not a direct bolt up.I brought the system along with the Afterburner mufflers(made by Holley) to local muffler shop. He charged me $50.00 to completely install everything and welded it altogether.I was real pleased with the sound of the mufflers as they are not as loud as flowmasters,but sound great to me

 

thanks I'm glad to be in the "family" I found this site a few days ago and have logged many hours learing from everyone.

I'll take some pics this weekend and get them up.

My 79 is all stock and I want to do what I can to make it run better. The only thing that doesn't work on it is the windshield washer pump. The headlights stay up when I turn them off and take a while to go down. They take a few minutes to come up as well. I was told that it might need some new actuaters (sp)

I had flows on a 90 mustang and loved the sound but I may be looking for a deeper throaty sound for the Vette. Maybe not quite as load but I sure don't want quiet. It's way to quiet now.

Any advice on having high flow cats or just running straights?

 

Most of these cars take a while for the headlights to work.Check for vacuum leaks before you spring for new actuators.Remember those lines are over 25 years old.Cats or not depends on your local emission laws.If you can get inspected w/o them i would do it

 

Well, technically, it'd be illegal to not have a cat on that car. But if you live in a state without inspection, you can do whatever your conscience will allow . If you go with a cat, I would suggest a "Products For Power" unit. Much better technology than the original GM unit, much better flow. About $150-$175. The increase in torque when I changed out my cat was astounding. Probably due in part to clogging over the years, as well as the technology. But clearly, a straight pipe is going to improve your performance over the original cat. Lots.

 

I put on the complete system from Dynamax (from Mid-America) has high flow cat, s/s pipes, mufflers, all bolt on. Made a big difference since my cat was really clogged. I like the sound, not real load when driving normal, but sounds great when you get on it. I was very happy with Mid-America's price and service.

 

i have flowmasters on mine their the 50 serious the lower u go the louder it becomes

 

Gator, I coach Football and track in the Dallas area

 

I have 50 series Flowmasters on my car. They will not sound the same as on your Mustang due to the Mustang having a tail pipe. The longer tail pipe will cancel some of the noise. The Vettes come right out of the muffler. The guy who made my exhaust told me not to go with the 40s. They are quite loud on a Vette. I am happy with the 50s. Some like it real loud with the 40s. I can carry on a conversation OK with the 50s but it is quite loud when it is turning 6500 rpm. Try to listen to a few systems before you purchase one.

 

welcome to the forum coach! Enjoy your new ride!! I have had mine for over about and year and 4 months and I still feel like im in the honeymoon stage with my car I still stare at in on the driveway as if it just arrived. You find a wealth of knowledge here from the regulars as well as some pretty cool rides that peeps have too!

 

The stock air cleaner setup on a '79 is excellent. It brings in cold air through a duct over the radiator. Leave it as is!

With regards to exhaust, I would only recommend going with a kit setup (like MidAmerica) if you cannot find a reasonable price from a muffler shop in your area. Here in S. Texas, if you speak a little Spanish (or at least some Tex-Mex) you can get a very good system installed for much less. The pre-bent systems are a pain in the royal you-know-what to install...especially when you're on your back cursing at the pipes!

 

Coach... your in good shape with regard to inspection in Frisco... law states that we are exempt after 25 years. My 80 became exempt with the last inspection so I went for the true duals. Kwik Kar at Lebanon and Legacy knows my car well and informed me of this when I first brought it to them (100% stock) last April. Ask for Ron or Phil...

Also, whatever you do... DON'T throw anything away (well except for a rusty exhaust). I've recouped A LOT of money selling the original parts on ebay (emissions, air pump, fan, and several original interrior components). There is serious demand. For example, I removed my tach filter about a month ago when I put a digital MSD ignition on. It sat on my bench until last weekend when I was going to trash it. Just posted it on ebay for the heck of it... bidding is now at $21...plus the buyer pays shipping. What a deal...That will almost pay for the K&N I put on it.

Here is the link... unbelievable... didn't know this until after I had thrown away the intake ducts, valve covers, etc... live and learn...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...RK%3AMESE%3AIT

Ed

 

Welcolme to the world of C3s

 

You could do it bolt up. Before I switched to side pipes, I converted to a true dual with dual cats with Flowmasters.. Sounded real good.. I switched to the sidepipes which are a bit louder, but mainly because they dump out behind the door as opposed to the rear exit.

I agree with getting welds as I am not a big fan of clamps. You should be able to find a local guy to do it ffor $100 or so.

Post sosme pics!! Welcome