Been seeing some C4s with side pipes. QUESTIONS? Who makes them,?how much,? are mufflers used,? how do they sound?

 

The only thing I know about them is they aren't made anymore.

 

They aren't real sidepipes if it's the Side Effects you're seeing.

If I remember right, they make a U-Turn near the rear axle and run along the rocker back towards the front and then through the pipe out the side near the rear wheel.

 

They look nice, but must be very restrictive.

 

VetteJeff has some for sale right now on the forum

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1832939

 

Those sure look sweet.....but they can't be to good for performance!

 

Those look really heavy and restrictive.

 

I believe thats the first time I've seen pics of what the actual pipes look like. Whats the diameter on those? Thats pretty expensive just for the side pipe look.

 

Right MOJO...I looked at the Power Effects side pipes for a long time for my 2nd ZR1. In the end I decided against them because I remembered I didn't like the noise in my ears from the custom made sidepipes on my old '70 LT-1.



Instead I got the Power effects regular twin pipes setup...fit, ease of installing, and quality were excellent Sound control was great... Loud enuff to make a statement in the "open" setting but I adjusted sound with the dial to "quiet" when the right seat governor rode with me.
Sure wish they were still in business. I'd have them on BEAST2 instead of the BBs.

 

Wow, i never realized how restrictive those are. But, they do look sweet!

 

I talked to Joe and he said they will be selling those systems again in the next 3 or 4 months

 

IBTL, and those things are trash.

 

Joe? What company has the production rights now? They used to be made by Power Effects but I heard a while back that the company that has those rights is now in Grand Haven, Michigan near where I live.
I could visit the shop and take some pics if you could PM me with the info.
Waaaaaaay back in the mid 90s I saw them on a black C4 vert at a local Corvette club show. That vert won its class due in part to how good those pipes looked.
Pic of them on a copper 87:

 

The guy's name is Joe and he is from Power Effects and they are on the net,I called the number they had on the website(1-877-376-9739)We spoke several times and he assured me that they be stocking full kits with in the next couple of months.Our last conversation was June 10th,Im looking to pick up some spare covers,I believe he is being truthful.Call him and tell him Ray gave you there number.Let me know what he says.....Ray

 

Check out my page.I have a Vette with that set-up bought her a couple of months ago.

 

I won't debate the pros/cons of the price but they are made from steel castings versus mandrel-bent alum pipe. Steel costs more...as do the fiberglass covers not required for these other expensive, brand-name exhausts....magnaflow, borla, flowmaster, dynomax, etc...

IMO, it's relative.

As for the size, they are equivalent to a 2.75" cat-back. That's equivalent to the LT size...and much bigger than an L98 tail section. Unless Lawrence-Keech (PowerEffects.com) flat out lied about dyno results, swapping an OEM cat-back for sidepipes will produce gains. (Consider how restrictive OEM mufflers are.)

Based on what I could find for flow/sizing/etc...I estimate these sidepipes as being reasonable to use on any car up to 300rwhp. Above that, you'll start losing some measurable loss due to the exhaust system. If I converted my 383 from a TPI intake to an HSR, I'd probably give serious consideration to swapping exhaust systems. Otherwise, mine satisfies me even on a higher-powered TPI motor.

If I didn't have to "cut" 3 new gaskets to r/r that first coupler piece, I'd probably spend the time/money to do a before/after on the dyno to see what it's really costing. When I pulled my center converter, I was ready to leave that coupler out and see what (if any gain) I could feel. But, they fooled me and "only" cut out the converter and welded in the new one (w/o needing to disconnect anything.) Duh...

Joe's been singing that tune about putting them back into production since 2003....10yrs ago. I would be interesting if they finally are. I considered the retooling costs would be too high for the number of units they could sell to $5k-value C4 owners.

Having a source for new covers...if it ever became necessary...would be nice though.

 

I would like a source for covers,Im now trying to figure out if I want to up the horsepower in my C4(friend has a c5 that aggravates me to no end,seeing how my 1995 Z28 LT1 powered car spanks him all day long,yeah it has tons of work into it).So a 330 horse(at the crank) engine is all that system will support huh?I call Joe from Power Effects about once a month to check on their progress,would be nice if they could work that system out with some better flow numbers,It looks like it may be 300 RWHP and a shot of laughing gas coupled with some header dumps for those high horse power bursts. I was looking at my C4 and one could always notch that lower frame rail and run a side pipe from front to rear(similar to what the Dodge Vipers ran when they first came out) while still allowing use of the Power Effects covers. From what I'm hearing a C4 with 54,274 miles is not worth keeping stock any how, I bought mine cause it was always my dream car as a kid.

 

If you don't want to lose a single horsepower then don't put these sidepipes on a car with 400 hp (or more). If you don't need to have every 1/10th at the track, these are far from an ignorant classification of "trash". They are well-made and will last for years. They are the best design I've seen to address the laws of the country -- where OEM converter are never supposed to be removed or relocated. That means ANY law-biding company seeking to make sidepipes for the C4 could not have done any better. If any member has a better LEGAL way -- jump in and describe it.

Ground clearance was taken into consideration. I've had WAY more problem with front spoiler hitting in the past several years than the sidepipes. I've never broken a cover.

Using rectangular and shallow tubing -- with the cross-section of nearly 3" pipe is only restrictive in terms of bends. And...as I mentioned, this system is more free-flowing than factory setups.

As I've seen everything from LT1's running headers, no cats, and factory muffers to L98's running noisy-azz flowmasters behind headers, these are a much better option. They're reliable, eye-catching, sound perfect, and don't stop up your exhaust when mounted behind legally-configured converters.

Anyone racing 1/4m track dumps converters and runs true duals. For that scenario, it's not what you want. These are for looks...and function. BTW...they are "real" sidepipes too in they carry actual exhaust out the side.

If you want to do an engine simulation to find out how much power these would steal from a build, model a 500cfm exhaust versus one in the 800-1000cfm range. The later is what you want for racing. You'll see the former isn't going hurt much for a street setup. So, asking about what they'll "support" is a relative question. My side-pipe-equipped 383 is still head/shoulders above any stock L98 or LT1 in this forum. So, I'm happy with what the system provides in looks, sound, and performance.

If you wanted to try and engineer electronic dumps near the inlet "splitter" ... or somehow out the headers, you could have the best of both worlds. Another good thing about this design is you won't burn your calves...like it was possible on C3s.

 

Yeah I myself like that look very much and you don't need every single ounce of power when running cornering car as opposed to a 1/4 car.I think I may build a stout 355ci engine in the future and run a big shot of laughing gas and figure out how to add dumps into the equation. My pipes are in excellent shape save for a little road rash at the back by the outlet on the pass side.So Im sticking with them.Im sure even if Power Effects doesn't produce them any more I may just sit back and wait for a set of covers to end up on Ebay or something,if not the covers should be easy enough to repair if needed.

 

Pic of them on a copper 87:
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These look really out of place on a C4. I think the early C3's were the only Corvettes that looked good with factory side pipes.