Header/Sidepipes vs headers true duals
Intermediate
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 42
Likes: 1
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 1,165
Likes: 93
From: Bellmore NY
Hands down the BEST addition to my car was the hooker side pipes and Classic Chambered vette pack mufflers.
This and MSD distributor are the only modifications to my car [other than 3.55 rear and converting M21 to M20 and wheels], and car has gone 13.4 @104
This and MSD distributor are the only modifications to my car [other than 3.55 rear and converting M21 to M20 and wheels], and car has gone 13.4 @104
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 1,194
Likes: 109
From: Las Vegas NV
I put doug's sidepipes on my '79 earlier in the year. No regrets. I burned my leg a little once but I got used to it quickly. The pipes get noticed in look and sound, no question about that...
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 6,284
Likes: 1,171
From: Hermosa
Hooker headers bought directly from Jet Hot with ceramic coating. At that time they only had the silver color. Looks like you can get many different colors now.
http://www.jet-hot.com/gallery/
Heat shields are Dean's heat shields.
http://www.steelshields.com/
I have the turbo spiral inserts.
http://www.spiralturbobaffles.com/corvette.html
I put all of this on the stock motor and had it that way for a couple years before I rebuilt the engine. It was a vast improvement over the stock exhaust system. Carb and timing tuning is needed to get the max benefit.
Side pipe tubes are just chromed 4" side pipes.
Get out you wallet if you go this route though. I see prices have gone up since I did it.
http://www.jet-hot.com/gallery/
Heat shields are Dean's heat shields.
http://www.steelshields.com/
I have the turbo spiral inserts.
http://www.spiralturbobaffles.com/corvette.html
I put all of this on the stock motor and had it that way for a couple years before I rebuilt the engine. It was a vast improvement over the stock exhaust system. Carb and timing tuning is needed to get the max benefit.
Side pipe tubes are just chromed 4" side pipes.
Get out you wallet if you go this route though. I see prices have gone up since I did it.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 7,444
Likes: 970
From: Tennessee/Rhode Island
Racer
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 271
Likes: 97
From: NJ
2020 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2015 C3 of the Year Winner
Thank you guys for the compliments. The wheels are American Racing VN425 17 x 8 with 245/45/17 Goodyear tires. I am running sweet thunder 1 3/4" inserts that duplicate the mid year chambered side pipes.
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Race Director
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 11,150
Likes: 890
From: South Western Ontario
Requiring backpressure is a myth. You opened up the exhaust to get more flow and never properly re-tuned the carburetor and timing to match.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 182,997
Likes: 88
From: Lakeland, FL
Cruise-In IV-V-VI-VII-VIII Veteran
St. Jude Donor '03, '06, '17
I love the looks of side pipes and installed them on all my C3's.. IMHO, they compliment the lines of the car.. They also sound great with the maxflow mufflers..
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 11,009
Likes: 166
From: Milford Michigan
Not true. Open the exhaust too much on a gas engine & you'll lose bottom-end & midrange. The pipe & muffler flowpath diameter must be just right to maintain flow velocity.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 1,165
Likes: 93
From: Bellmore NY
Another FYI, I ran my car with open side pipe headers, and it had ZERO bottom end. The moment I put on the rest of the exhaust with the Classic Chambered vette packs, it was night and day.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 823
Likes: 57
From: Austin TX
This is one reason the stock dual system in the earlier models performed so well. It did a good job of quieting the car, but also outperformed all the glasspack-type mufflers, including side pipes. There was an article in the '70s (I think) in one of the auto rags about this. They did dyno tests, and chambered stock Vette mufflers were near the top of the list for torque and horsepower. If memory serves, the large Corvair muffler was better, but not by much. A crossover pipe also improves the torque/noise ratio.
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,992
Likes: 56
From: Antioch IL
I love my side pipes using Hooker stainless steel. I had reverse flow originally and felt they were too quiet and a loss of power. I am currently running Glass packs and sounds nice and the performance is back.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 11,150
Likes: 890
From: South Western Ontario
Designing the piping to get the desired velocity isn't the same as picking a pipe that causes a restriction to the exhaust flow. For example, you could do some engineering and pick a certain header pipe diameter and length to get the desired flow and scavenging you want. Then, you could find that pipe may have some restriction, but the restriction is an undesirable result of the pipe you picked, not part of the reason you picked that pipe.
I NEVER posted to just make a exhaust with huge pipes that has no engineering behind it. I posted that having flow restriction in your piping is NOT how you make more low end torque. If you believe crap like that, then go weld a washer over your tailpipe since that "must" increase your low end torque.
I posted that the bog mentioned in this thread was due to a lack of properly tuning the car after changing the exhaust, which is EXACTLY why the engine would bog.
Watch this video and find any place where he talks about purposely adding flow restriction to the exhaust to improve the low end torque.
Last edited by lionelhutz; Dec 6, 2015 at 11:58 PM.