Sidepipes or not to Sidepipe ?
Thread Starter
4th Gear
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
From: lincolndale New York
Sidepipes or not to Sidepipe ?
Just threw a 427 Big block in my '77 vette. Now I'm at a crossroads with the exhaust. Do I go with shorty headers and side pipes or do I go with Hooker sidemounts ? Or do I go with headers and run the exhaust straight back with an oem system ?
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 1,908
Likes: 129
From: Fredericksburg Virginia
Personal preference, entirely.
I LOOOOOOVE my sidepipes The Corvette is one of those cars that just looks awesome with them, especially if the car is a little lower.
That said, they are louder. The exhaust exits right by your ear, basically, and you're only getting 1/2 of the engine, so it is fairly percussive. You can put quieter inserts in the sidetubes to the detriment of horsepower. Or you can put STS or SweetThunder inserts in there and have it be LOUD AND PROUD!
The decision is probably like the owner of a Harley deciding between straight pipes or a muffler. I take my wife to the movies and to lunch in my car, and take it on the occasional Club Cruise. Nothing where I'm on the interstate for hours. My wife is a fairly conservative person that doesn't like to draw attention, but she herself thinks the sidepipes "makes" the car. Just finishes it.
If I had to be 100% honest, my sidepipes is one of the reasons I haven't bothered to fix my stereo. Partly because I'd have to turn it up so loud to overcome the sidepipe sound. Partly because the engine sound is SO DARN AWESOME all by itself.
Take away from that whatever you choose. I love my sidepipes and plan on keeping them forevermore.
I LOOOOOOVE my sidepipes The Corvette is one of those cars that just looks awesome with them, especially if the car is a little lower.
That said, they are louder. The exhaust exits right by your ear, basically, and you're only getting 1/2 of the engine, so it is fairly percussive. You can put quieter inserts in the sidetubes to the detriment of horsepower. Or you can put STS or SweetThunder inserts in there and have it be LOUD AND PROUD!
The decision is probably like the owner of a Harley deciding between straight pipes or a muffler. I take my wife to the movies and to lunch in my car, and take it on the occasional Club Cruise. Nothing where I'm on the interstate for hours. My wife is a fairly conservative person that doesn't like to draw attention, but she herself thinks the sidepipes "makes" the car. Just finishes it.
If I had to be 100% honest, my sidepipes is one of the reasons I haven't bothered to fix my stereo. Partly because I'd have to turn it up so loud to overcome the sidepipe sound. Partly because the engine sound is SO DARN AWESOME all by itself.
Take away from that whatever you choose. I love my sidepipes and plan on keeping them forevermore.
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 1,704
Likes: 27
I created a poll about this last year:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-g...or-the-c3.html
I decided to go with Hooker stainless sidepipes with STS baffles. If I had to do it all over again I would in a heartbeat. I was on the fence too but the poll convinced me to enter the dark side
I get TONS of compliments on the way it sounds, and I can't hardly walk past the car now without stopping for a minute and admiring those pipes. I say do it, but everyone is different. Sidepipes aren't for everyone. I did burn my leg once while wearing shorts but I guess I learned from it because it hasn't happened since then. Oh, I'll post up a sound clip later, my work blocks youtube so I'll do it when I get home...
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-g...or-the-c3.html
I decided to go with Hooker stainless sidepipes with STS baffles. If I had to do it all over again I would in a heartbeat. I was on the fence too but the poll convinced me to enter the dark side
I get TONS of compliments on the way it sounds, and I can't hardly walk past the car now without stopping for a minute and admiring those pipes. I say do it, but everyone is different. Sidepipes aren't for everyone. I did burn my leg once while wearing shorts but I guess I learned from it because it hasn't happened since then. Oh, I'll post up a sound clip later, my work blocks youtube so I'll do it when I get home...
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 1,908
Likes: 129
From: Fredericksburg Virginia
Regarding the burns, I LIGHTLY BRUSHED my 8 year old daughter's leg against the sidepipe. Like, brushed. Lightly. And she had her ballet leotard on. I always had her stand straight up in the seat and I picked her up and over the sidepipes...never let her exit by herself. Even with all my extra effort, something strange happend and her leg moved unexpectedly.
Just the slightest hint of redness and a little bit of discomfort when she got home. I told her not to make a big deal out of it...said if Mommy heard I'd burned her that I'd have to sell the car. She hops inside and what is the first thing she did? Run to the drawer and get a ziplock, then filled it with ice and sat on the couch nursing her "burn". Fudge.
I'd been talking about SteelShields for a while, and this ended up being the event that earned me the $400 purchase. They are AWESOME and, in my opinion, a required purchase for anyone with sidepipes.
Just the slightest hint of redness and a little bit of discomfort when she got home. I told her not to make a big deal out of it...said if Mommy heard I'd burned her that I'd have to sell the car. She hops inside and what is the first thing she did? Run to the drawer and get a ziplock, then filled it with ice and sat on the couch nursing her "burn". Fudge.
I'd been talking about SteelShields for a while, and this ended up being the event that earned me the $400 purchase. They are AWESOME and, in my opinion, a required purchase for anyone with sidepipes.
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That's what helped me make my mind up.
Advanced
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 97
Likes: 0
From: Colusa Ca
Hooker headers and 4 inch side pipes and classic chambered vett pack. sounds incredible. looks great too. check out the you tube video of a 76 set up like that. two weeks mine will have the classic chambered vett pack. ill post a you tube of mine soon as its done.
Paul
Paul
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 2,590
Likes: 403
From: Nashville TN
St. Jude Donor '09
Yet another vote for Hooker sidepipes AND Corey's avatar. Go stainless, they are not that much more. I like the sound and I like'm a little on the loud side. The exhaust smell would be my biggest complaint, but oh well. Would not ever take them off.
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 1,704
Likes: 27
Look into converting to E85. I put in a couple of gallons when I had an empty tank just to see what it was like afterwards I diluted it with a full take of reg gas). On the E85, It ran like poo since I imagine that the carb needed rejetting at the least. But the one thing I did notice was the smell. There was none to very little smell. And you didn't come home smelling like exhaust. I plan on making a complete switch the E85 as soon as I find out all that is required.
Had a 1976 L-82, 4-sp
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 5,338
Likes: 1,213
From: Some days your the dog and some days your the hydrant.
Royal Canadian Navy
Get the sidepipes. They look good on any vette. Also, if you care about loved ones and I'm sure you do, get heat shields if they will be riding with you.
