Side Pipes

[Mickie J.]

Hi all just a steer really as putting a new exhaust system on the C3 early next year and torn between standard front to back Stainless or side pipes….. Side pipes can look and sound nice but hearing some not so good feedback so I thought I’d run it by you all for advice / views.

Cheers.

 

[teamzr1]

Going with headers and side exhaust will reduce the amount of unsprung weight, so better for performance
If right design would allow changing the type of internal muffler/sound without jacking the car up
Or if wanting to piss off people is taking the mufflers off

Only negative is depending on which type you choose is possible burning legs getting in/out

If going with a full dual front/rear exhaust for better performance is installing an X-pipe close to engine which creates better exhaust pulses that help pull out/ vacate the exhaust of cylinders, thereby the next firing of cylinders is all air/gas and creates better charge to cylinders producing better engine performance

 

[antijam]

I went for a tailor made headers back original pattern standard system on my '71 - no 'X' pipe.






I got the fitter to weld the original tips onto the boxes so from a glance the system looks stock.

My car was imported wearing side pipes but they were not for me. It soon got swapped back to stock - plus headers.

 

[teamzr1]

Sidepipes with headers just seemed to fit the design of C3 Corvettes

In the 1970s, my 1975

 

[Nassau65]

I’m a lover of side exhausts ( must be factory style 1969 versions on C3’s tho)
They sound good to my ears and of course look soo good.

 

[Nassau65]

Looks good to me

 

[Roscobbc]

I went for a tailor made headers back original pattern standard system on my '71 - no 'X' pipe.

View attachment 24989
View attachment 24991

View attachment 24990

I got the fitter to weld the original tips onto the boxes so from a glance the system looks stock.

My car was imported wearing side pipes but they were not for me. It soon got swapped back to stock - plus headers.

View attachment 24992

You really need to pull the exhaust wrap off those headers.......there's a great risk of them rusting-out - see Aaron's post over on USA forum - see his post #72 on https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums/c3-tech-performance/4749826-18-x-10-18-x-9-5-bs-dilemma-4.htm

 

[Nassau65]

I’ve never liked that fabric wrap on headers, to my eyes it just looks horrible. Yes, it does probably cut down on engine bay heat, but look wise no.

 

[antijam]

You really need to pull the exhaust wrap off those headers.......there's a great risk of them rusting-out........

Absolutely right Rosco. Fitting the stainless exhaust was one of the first jobs I did after buying the car and the the headers had already been fitted - and wrapped - by the PO. I subsequently had each header off later to remove the tatty wrap and refurbish them. See here and here.

 

[teamzr1]

You really need to pull the exhaust wrap off those headers.......there's a great risk of them rusting-out - see Aaron's post over on USA forum - see his post #72 on https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums/c3-tech-performance/4749826-18-x-10-18-x-9-5-bs-dilemma-4.htm

Good point

Also, when wrapped the welds are thicker than the pipe, so the heat temp is different and the pipes cool quicker than the weld causing
contraction rates are different, which causes the welds to crack from the pipe
This is worse if the exhaust is mild steel and not stainless steel
Could look for an exhaust where they coat the inside of the pipe to maintain heat inside and cooler outside

Instead, if heat wrapping the outside of exhaust, use thermal pad's underside of floor to deflect exhaust heat away from floor or console
They make thermal pads with self sticking glue to easy mount to underside of floor