Thanks for the compliment! The frame was a LOT of work; hole-filling, spot weld smoothing...it took way more time than I'd intended. But it looks a lot less like "junk", than it did before that effort.

1. You're right, 2.5"
2. You're also right, hangars inside the wheel well, so yes, rear of the SE exhaust outlet. No clearance issues...but I did have to be VERY precise about where the pipe's final location is; the space between the frame and the front of tire -especially at full rebound, is tight. Really tight.
3. Yes and no on ground clearance issues: Yes, It's bottomed out several times on the exhaust, however, that only happened; A. With the blown shocks that came with the car, B. at an auto-x event that had a big "jump" in the middle of a straight. So, when about catching air and bad shocks, it did scrape the exhaust. New shocks solved that. It's never bottomed on the street.
4. The right side dips down a bit lower to clear the fuel lines, IIRC...but the actual tail pipes that you see, are at the same elevation. I totally agree that crafty pipe shaping (oval, boxed, whatever works) would help fitment.
5. Sound...it's pretty good. I wanted good QUALITY sound, and I wanted it loud, b/c sound is part of the experience, in the Kart. Indeed, when you hammer the throttle, it's like a bomb going off. Initially, I had the two sides totally separate. It sounded awesome but was a bit too loud. Even w/a cabin, at about 2500-3500, at WOT, it would be ******* LOUD. Below/above those RPM's it was good. Just right, w/luscious, V8 music. I added a cross over (H-pipe) and it reduced the db significantly, especially at that 2500-3500 range at WOT. Really calmed it down there a lot. Unfortuantely, it's also changed the quality of the sound for the worse (IMO). It went from '80's Mustang 5.0, to C7 w/aftermarket exhaust. Some may like that change/sound....I don't. Anyway, in it's current state, the sound volume is about perfect; docile/smooth/mellow at low throttle openings....LOUD as you get on it. The volume corresponds with the thrust/experience. The sound quality is "eh" to me. If you like an axle back C7? You'd like this. If you prefer the sound of an '80's 'Stang? Not so much, then.

The mufflers are the "resonators" out of that Dodge Magnum exhaust I bought, so they are just like Dynomax bullets; straight through, perforated tube, glass packed mufflers.

 

Do you have any "in-car(t)" vids -- since installing the sidepipes (as they sit)? I remember an early vid -- 2-3 years ago? Back then, you didn't have side routing.

For a SHORT period back in 2001 or 2, I ran cat-less. I didn't like the sound AT ALL. Like you said, the midrange was pretty obnoxious. Installation of cats (with glass packs AND targa tips already on it) made all the difference. I just looked at prices last week. Wholly crap, spun cats are getting high! You know...just like bacon, milk, and (apparently) car bodies! LOL

 

I've only made one vid. My audio recording equipment isn't very good, but this was sort of...the sound of the exhaust when it was duals, no crossover, but with the side pipes. So, just like in the pics above but w/no "H".




One thing that the vid totally fails to capture is the nice, stereophonic sound of the V8 with two separated exhausts. I love it. My bro and I had a CJ5 w/a 304 when we were kids. Had outside the frame headers, side muffs and turn outs right ahead of the rear wheels...sounded like a boss and provided a stereo V8 experience. I was hoping for that w/the kart and mostly got it, but that diminished greatly when I put the H in.

 

Thanks Tom. I remember that vid from 3 yrs ago. As I did then, I watched it on my TV with sound system. Seeing the snow almost makes ya COLD (knowing you're "open air"! LOL

I agree there are some good/bad ranges (rpms) in "sound quality". It definitely has a "Mad Max" flavor to it!

So you know, Spintech(.com) has some prefab "squished" (oval) pipes you could use -- if you decide to relocate the outlets further forward. There's one you can cut in half -- to make two under-the-frame outlets (aka frame clearance tubes). Or...some oval lengths to traverse to the side(s). The also have "side exit pipes". Take a look if you decide to reposition some day.

 

Right on. I will have a look. As you know...the Kart is "never done", so I may mess around w/that some day.

I'll throw out there that the (what I call, the...) "packy-ness" of the sound, when it wakes up? That '77 chevy truck w/glass packs sound? That didn't actually exist or sound like that in person. The mic pulled that sound out of the actual sound which was more bassy and "roaring" than how it sounds in that vid. Anyway, when the salt gets off the roads here, I'll make another vid of how it sounds now.