"Original Sound" Side Exhaust
 

All,

Its been so long since I have heard an "Original Sound" Set of Side Pipes on a 427!!! However, I know they were not as loud as the exhaust that I'm running currently. I would like to reduce the exhaust note (noise) on my Big Block 67. I'm not sure if I have Off Road Side Exhausts or if Off Road Side Exhausts are even that Loud. I would like to get some suggestions before I waste $800.00 bucks plus shipping for a small reduction in the noise that I'm generating!!!!!LOL!!!

I would like suggestions......Please be kind.......I'm a long time Side Exhaust Advocate, But I have to say......Mine are Loud!!!!

Thanks,

Dcamick23
:cheers:

Hey Doug - I know you and I have chatted about what's available out there for Side Pipes but not sure if I ever sent you the video that's on Gardners Exhaust website.
Back when I contacted them, due to the nearly new Sweet Thunder pipes on my 65 396 sounding awful, I listened to a couple of their videos and they put me in touch with the two Bigblock Vette owners who bought their pipes.
Here's the YouTube Video of the one guy with the 67 Bigblock and Gardners Side Pipes. Their pipes are on the pricey side but the sound seems good.
One other thing to mention, it appears that Allens Pipes are no longer in business. Paragon used to sell their products but are now looking for another vendor for side pipes.
Mike T - Prescott AZ

As Always, Thanks Mike!!

Hi Mick, put side exhaust on my car in 2007. Stainless Works is where I ordered them, been very happy with. Not really that loud.

Herlinger corvette installed them for me he’s been a corrvette specialist for years and has heard a lot of side exhausts. He said those were pretty quite and sounded good. Louie M knows Herlinger as well. He had a shop in Mountain View CA. I’m sure others will weigh in on this.

And one thing about Dave Herlinger he’s honest, if those side pipes sounde like s—t he’d have told me, that’s the way he was.

There was a good thread on this maybe 6 months or so ago. The guy ended up finding a solution that he claimed really reduced the noise levels. Sorry, I can't remember the poster, but hopefully someone else on here will.

Yes, There’s been numerous threads regarding side mounted exhaust pipe sound….. much of it is personal preference, some guys like the raspy sound, other guys like the muffled glass-pack-like sound, one guys too loud, is another guys too quiet, LOL. And then there’s others that don’t like the sidepipe sound at all, and they want to add additional pipes/crossovers??? Search the forum, you’ll find a huge amount of information, there are many different internal configurations, diameters, baffles, packing, it’s just a matter of listening to some soundbites, digesting all the opinions/inputs from other members, and then just make an “initial“ choice. Based on how many owners in the last several years are after the “original“ sound, you’ll find a number of manufacturers trying to duplicate the GM internals,e.g., HighFlo Performance, Gardners, etc. Good luck :cheers:

That post could have been from me. I purchased a 66 that has a ZZ4 350 with side pipes. They were extremely loud and I set out to "quiet" them down to what I felt was an acceptable exhaust note. I posted a video of the car at idle and 1500 RPM after I had inline resonators along with Car Chemistry Exhaust Inserts installed. It still was not to my liking so I just took one more step toward a cure. Last week I had two 12" glass packs installed and FINALLY I am driving with a smile. You can still hear the deep throated pronounced exhaust, which is great and when I'm cruising it is pleasant in the cabin. The resonators and glass packs were purchased through Summit Racing and they had a 3 1/2" outside diameter.

Tux, did those glass packs have any noticeable impact on performance?

We have a new vendor for the side exhaust kits now, and they are ready to ship

Black Tux,
Do you have pictures of these modifications? I'm curious where they added the resonators or glasspacks.
Thanks

‘Member that old saying It’s Not to Loud You’re to Old! Well I’m to Old That’s to Loud! :)

Hard to tell from just an idle sound clip. Do you know what size internal core they use? At least with the original GM style chamber sections - small, restrictive core provides better sound control, mellower sound, at expense of flow and restriction - large core provides less restriction, more power, but louder and harsher sound. It’s kind of like a physics law, it’s just the way it is. Only variation is probably engine compression and camshaft. Milder engine = mellower sound, and doesn’t seem as loud. High compression with big cam = harsher exhaust note and louder (especially if you’re revving out to 6500 rpm or more.

agree, some of the makers will wrap fiberglass or stainless packing around the internal pipe if you request, and that mellows it out a bit (even with large internal/core pipes), They’ve offered me a half a wrap, or a full wrap, or no wrap/packing whatsoever, buyers preference.

IMO if you are going to have side pipes you need the large interior diameter pipes which are LOUD as opposed to the power robbing original type quitter pipes with the 1 5/8” interior pipe exhaust path. MOST of us buy a performance car for PERFORMANCE and anything else is a waste of money in this regard. If you want quite AND performance put an under car exhaust system on it. There are many muffler choices to fine tune it to your individual listening pleasure. :thumbs:

Here is the picture of the side pipes post installation. From front to back; one 12" glass pack followed by two 18" resonators.
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...3754fd731f.jpg

I have '4' midyears with Side Exhaust. Three out of the '4' have GM pipes. Are those GM pipes restrictive due to the small id, yes. Do they sound mellow with a slight rumble, yes again. The 4th midyear with a 454 had a set of Sweet Thunder pipes and while I didn't put a lot of miles on it, they sounded lousy and not because they were loud, the sound was just 'off'. I started a thread some time ago complete with pics of the interior baffling on those Sweet Thunder pipes and for what might be called 'loud sound' they made, the id of the pipes were identical to the GM pipes so unlikely they performed any better than the GM pipes. I grew up just two doors down from the last owner of Half Moon Bay Raceway and have heard a lot of cars with side pipes over the years, GM and aftermarket, open headers and so on and to me...there's good loud and not-so-good loud.
Heard this morning from Mike Warren that Paragon does have a new vendor for side exhaust and it's Hi Flo Performance. It seem the guy who started Hi Flo in 2017 used to work at Sweet Thunder. I've looked at their website but not finding all the info I am looking for so might have to email to find out more. Maybe they'll put me in touch with some of their customers like Gardners did so I can get some 'real-time' feedback on how their pipes sound.
Mike T - Prescott AZ

Dan - to answer your question, no I don't know what the id is of their Gardner side pipes. I suspect it's probably the same small id as the factory pipes, ~ 1 3/4 - 1 7/8. They mention the perforated baffles but no pics to show whether they are the small baffles or the large versions that were in my Sweet Thunder pipes.
When I get ready to buy a set of side pipes, I will wind up contacting both of them and asking those questions.
Mike T - Prescott AZ

I agree with Mike T, there are some very poor designs out there, flow restrictive and excessively loud (about all they’re good for is cutting up and reusing the head pipes and chrome tips).

I just downloaded this picture, seems they’re trying to match the original configuration as much as possible? ( but not cheap…. we all remember when we could buy them from GM for Less than $200)

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...c428b1246.jpeg

The last of the original GM/Walker made, side pipes, bought up by one of our Corvette Brothers, smart move/wise investment :thumbs:


https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...b953a153b.jpeg

Side Pipe Heaven!!!!
Marshal