I have an '84 T/A modded like it says in my sig. I had some #6872 TPI Edelbrock headers that I put on, already installed, with the AIR tubes cut off and sealed, since I thought that building a hot Vortec 350 with stock manifolds was worthless. Now that I got the motor in and running as of tomorrow, I was going to make a pipe but noticed that modifying the stocker was worthless and the bends are too difficult. So now I have a few questions...

Edelbrock distributors like Summit sell the y-pipe, but it's special order and over $200 for the pipe itself, and they don't sell one that fits TPI cars AND has a 4 bolt cat like mine.

I could have a custom one made here in town, but how much would I be looking at as far as having it fabbed? Sounds expensive and I keep getting that 'we don't know' crap when it comes to an estimate.

Do you think they'd give me a hard time when they realized I gutted my cat, but left it there? I'm also running NO egr and NO emissions equipment whatsoever.

Someone help me PLEEEASE since I wanna get my car running soon! I'm going through speed withdrawal!

 

Find a good exhaust shop...ask around the local speed shops, dragstrips etc.....you're better off going to a independently owned shop instead of a chain.....look for guys that advertise specializing in custom exhaust.....

If it helps, I've had my exhaust guy do custom Y pipe's for me before, from the headers ( collectors were bolted on that was it ) to the cat ( mine was gutted as well ) for $70-90.......


HTH
Chris
85 IROC

 

I just did the exact same thing this weekend....need from collectors to cat...I'm taking it in Tomorrow to get a custom one fabricated, I know the guy and he said it shouldnt be a problem and I'm sure he's not the only one in the world that can make a short little peice of custom exhaust work....
I agree with CTANDC, find a custom place, not a chain exhaust place, I've always had hassles with those kinds of places when it comes to cat-deletion and stuff like that. I'd agree it will probly run anywhere from $60 - $110, depending on the place, but hey, it's gotta be done right??

 

A shop that can do mandrel bends of 3" pipe will probably be a shop that specializes in performance exhaust, and the cost will probably be high. My experience here is that both the chain and independants charge an arm and a leg.

I'd go for the factory made piece - it's hard to compete with computer-controlled, mandrel-bent, high-volume run pipe doing it custom-fit, one-off.

If you do go for a custom-fabricated piece, get a guarenteed price written estimate, and don't pay a dime more when they try to double the price after it's done.

 

Get this.......



Click on that pic.

Take that to the local shop and have them bend to it.

BTW, mandrel bends aren't as valuable as people think.

AJ

 

Why mandrel bent? It's just another advertising ploy.....ever seen a custom non-manderel pipe dyno'd against a comparable mandel bent pipe?...ME either...... Get a 3" pipe bent and welded up by any good exhaust shop......I KNOW I've had this done on more than a few cars, and it was high flowing enough so support one car DEEP into the 12's, and the guy who bought it hooked up a Fogger setup and was well into the 11's when the rearend busted.....



Just my 2 cents

Chris
85 IROC

 

Well I'm busy getting it tuned in the driveway now, exhaustless (nice and louuudd... ), so I'll be taking it to the exhaust shop tomorrow to get one put on...what are those high-flow pipes normally sized at, 2 1/2" to the collector, then 3" into the cat? I'm not too concerned about mandrel bends as the cat is hollowed and that smooth air will be turbulated (is that a word?) as soon as it gets to the cat. I think I'll be OK unless the pipe is kinked or narfled or something like that. Car sounds healthy though, I'm happy about that!

So what sizes are the pipes?

 

The size of the pipes going to the cat is up to you. It would make sense to use whatever size collector that's on the headers.

Sometimes that's not possible due to a 3" collector, but they sell reducers. Just look at www.Jegs.com or www.Summitracing.com for them.

Actually using them would also decrease labor cost since the muffler shop wouldn't have to fab up a flanged pipe. All they'd have to do is weld to the collectors and to the 'y'collector that I showed you, and bend bend bend, albeit not in that order.

AJ