I finally got some time to do some work on the turds exhaust tonight so I thought I share...

 

I finally got the pipes that go over the rear welded as well...

 

Looks good...

 

how much $$$ did you make those mufflers for? I just got a pair of Magnaflow's and they look pretty much the same as those.

 

$8 for the fiberglass I put in them. The perforated metal I used inside was free from where I used to work but, would only cost about $1-2 from a sheet metal shop if you got the amount I used. The casing metal is from window cutouts from steel doors (I had some prior but what I used is galvanized & 14ga door metal that I had a friend grab for me)... you can get that free from a hollow metal (commercial door/frame shop) if you ask.. they just pitch or recycle the stuff and the ends are leftovers from my exhaust tubing.

 

I actually had some energy tonight and got the rear pipes & mufflers spotted in place tonight. Out of curiousity, I fired the car up and I have to say, the mufflers (although there are lots of exhaust leaks) are much more quiet & deep toned idling than I would have ever imagined. I like the sound but, I'm not too sure I like the look of the mufflers being right on the back bumper. It's a tough call because I don't want to weld them up just to cut them off. Maybe it's the primer grey & 2minute hack-job tips I put on there throwing me off..

 

excellent work.........and the mufflers look great right where they are.

 

man I think it looks good. The mufflers look fine

 

I was thinking maybe if you painted them black it would hide them a bit

 

it will look good with the mufflers painted.

today I got my magnaflows tack welded. going back out to finish welding them up. yours looks really similar except mine are polished stainless and ran the pipes under the axle. I'm going to put dual angle cut tips on mine. I'll try to get pics.

 

Thanks guys. I did plan on painting them back if I ever get a chance/energy to go buy som paint. I'd like to see your setup as well CheezX.
I guess the real thing that's bothering me is that the sides where the mufflers are are not symmetrical (I think I spelled that right?) because of the spare tire well and one tip is roughly 1½" further out (pass side) than the other. While it's not too obvious.. I know it's like that and I know it's going to bother me alot eventually.
I'd like to put some 4thgen square tips on the mufflers but size (depth) and where to get some are things I'm not sure about. Maybe those tips would help offset the probem some. I think 4thgen tips would look alot better than some stubby chrome slash cut tips.
My other thought is to make a dual in/out muffler using the cores of the two I made (basically 2 mufflers in one case) and having it in the standard location.
I'm thinking for now though, I'll probably weld it up as is, then weld in some flanges so I can take the exhaust apart in sections if I ever have to get to something or change the muffler setup.
I don't know.. it's getting to late in the evening to be making decisions.

 

Looks good. I just have one question, what is the diamater of the mufflers?

 

Looks great.. but just curious why you didnt have the twin pipes go down the same route as the single stock exhaust system. I didnt realise there was any room at all for a pipe to clear the diff and braces on the drivers side.

 

I would have tried to put the mufflers alittle father back, I have found that you get a better tone from them with more tail pipe. Looks good though. And yes black paint I think would help hide tham a bit better. Nice work, have you thought aobut making extra tranny braces for manuals and selling them? If I do what I want with mine (need the money first!) a dual exhaust would be the setup I would want. She is looking good, cant wait till it is done!

 

Jubba.. The mufflers are 5¾" x 14".. That is about the widest I could make them and still have them comfortably fit both sides.

Lars.. The pipe just squeaks by the tq. arm (like 1/16") on the drivers side with the car off the ground and I will be making a heat shield for the brake/fuel lines just as a precaution. I didn't use the factory route because I wanted to keep from having as many bends as I could and 2 2½" pipes didn't look like they would fit over the rear w/o modifing the trackbar brace.

88.. You are correct on the length of pipe off the end of the mufflers which is another reason I'm considering moving them to the factory location as in the drawing above. I have no intentions of mass producing x-members like mine simple because I don't have the time or equipment to do that (sawzall, welder & grinder). I would consider making one for someone though if it was sent to be but, just the same,, I couldn't gaurentee a speedy turnaround either.
Also.. I don't know if you meant further back towards the wheels or under the floorpans about 'further back' but, the mufflers as they are can't go back any further as they are right now. there's just not alot of room under the rear there..

 

The oher side... (My apologies to the dial-uppers)

 

oooh. it looks like clearance will be tight between the torque arm and brace on the left side when the car is at ride height.

I finished on mine. went for a drive today. I was worried about how it would sound at first but I like it better than the hooker aerochambers I had. deeper and smoother. sounds like open headers but quieter. same volume as the aerochambers, but still nicely over the legal limit :lala: cops here only bug the imports though.

I also found the car wasn't symmetrical so the mufflers are about 1/2" off center. not noticeable unless you measure. they're 4"x14" (supposed to be used as resonators on imports )

for the first time I didn't have to worry about bumps even with my 300 lb friend riding along! got about 5" clearance. the header collectors are the lowest point.

I will be able to get my hands on a digital camera early next week.

 

I await pix of you setup to see how you did yours.

I have 4thgen z28 tips on the way (should be here tuesday)... I guess I'll find out if I'm keeping my mufflers where they are then....

 

hey dead bird, what exactly are you useing to weld up those pipes? right now, im haveing some real problems with my new exhaust system (i bought flow tech headers + y-pipe and a new cat back). i cant quite get the long pipe to loop over the axel, even when the car is on ramps. if it was on a hydrolic lift it would be simple.... i was thinking of cutting the pipe and then welding it after i loop the back part around the axel. right now i could run down to canadian tire and pick up a cheap arc welder for like... 200 dollars. but im not sure if an arc welder would blow a hole through it or not. what do you think i should do?

 

Psyte.. I'm using my trusty cambel-hausfield 120v flux-core welder. I paid $200 for it about 6-7 years ago at Wal-mart and have yet to have a complaint about it (except the always live wire..). They are still rougly $200 I think and I believe the new models have a live wire only when the trigger is pulled. I'd say using an arc welder on such thin stuff would be a major PITA and wouldn't make a very clean weld (easily) either.. this, I know to be true.
I already knew my exhaust was going to have to be chopped to get it back off, weather I had it on a lift or not, so I added flanges on the back part which, if ever I have to take it back off for some reason, I'll be able to unbolt it instead of having to hack & reweld it. Welding in tight spots bites.. especially around the gas tank...

 

i didnt know wal-mart sold welder's. ill have to check that out, although you were probly talkin american $$ so thats gona be around 400 dollars for me. im guessing its a mig welder? good thing i know someone who can get me a 10% wal-mart discount

by the way, nice job on the exhaust system. i wish mine looked that nice

 

Thanks man.. I appreciate it. I just wish I was done with it though.. I'm sick of laying under the car... I still have to weld the flanges and where the pipe turns up to start heading over the rear, grind/clean the welds, treat the welds & tubing, paint, mufflers, tips... it never ends!

You were right.. I was talking US$$.
Unfortunatly.. the $200 (usd ) welder is a wire feed flux-core only welder.. I don't think it can be converted to use gas. That's the way mine is at least... the next model up was the mig/flux welder ($100 more).

 

Thats looks great man!!!

Good luck with the rest of it..

 

deadbird - I think the system turned out great!! You could probably make a killing if you marketed that exhaust system. I know a few people that would buy it.

Mike (1bad91Z)

 

Thanks much 1Bad.. I know the dual subject come up alot and if someone were to start making a reasonable dual kit for our cars, you're probably right. Unfortunatly.. I doubt that someone would be me. While it's sort of fun doing something like this.. I think I'd go insane if I had to make another one like it

I took the past 2 days off to get some actual work on the car done for once since work has been a nightmare as of the past month & a half. But, I installed some 1" drop spinrgs yesterday and undercoated part of the underside of the bird. Today I finished the undercoating and am getting pretty close to finishing off the exhaust.. here's the I-pipes installed (look at the squeaky clean underside )

 

And here's the pass side muffler installed.. I got my 4thgen tips last night as well.. it appears they're goiing to just barely fit under the bumper...

 

Sharp pics, I don't think the H pipe was the greatiest idea, and X would flow better, but it doesn't look like you have the room. And what I ment about putting the mufflers father back was around where the cats go. But now I can see that you have very little room even there. Nice looking car, when you are done with yours let me know, mine is next!! LOL LOL LOL J/K

 

OK picture finally. The front part looks really similar to deadbird's setup. still need to put tips on.

 

my car is so dirty compared to yours

 

the lowest part is at the header collector flanges (hedman full lengths)

 

I definitely agree. Painting the mufflers would look better, but it looks great, probably the best new idea I've seen. Good job.


Tim:rockon:

 

Hey CheezX.. That looks pretty good. I like the looks of those muffers alot. I can't say I (personally) would be all that comfortable with the pipe going under the rear but, it apparently works. Good work

88Bravo.. you think you're funny huh ?
I'm sure you're probably right about the x-pipe but, I doubt my little micky mouse 305 will be to upset by the h-pipe. I serously doubt I'm pushing enough power to even justify duals in the 1st place but hey.. I've only spent $140 total on making it so.. it's still cheaper than most 3" cat back systems.

I just got done with it a little while ago and took it for a spin.. I have to say I am in love with the sound. Drove it to the gas station & filled up with gas & some Stabil. I really don't know what to think of the drop springs though.. it seem so damm low.. I don't know if I like it that low...

Anyways... here's a few more pics to litter up this post

 

My junk little Kodak takes really awful dark pics so I lightened them up as best I could w/o making them look to crappy...

 

*drool* looks great!

take some pics of the whole car with the exhaust

 

I try to be a funny guy!! what are the chances of you getiing a sound clip?

 

LoL Cheez... a few cans of black el cheapo paint and your underside would look as good as mine
I'd take pics of the whole car but.. compared to yours... mine looks like crap (it's not finished by a long shot)
One thing I did notice is the antenna on the rear ¼... that looks really sharp w/o being obviously different. Did you move that yourself ? I considered doing the same thing myself but couldn't decide... I like it though.

88.. I thought it was pretty funny too... it's all in good fun.
Right now I don't have any way to record a sound clip but.. I may head out to Best Buy or somewhere tomorrow to look into a mic. (I need cd-r's anyways). I'll try to get a sound clip as soon as I can though.

I have also decided I really dislike the drop springs... I'm sorry I wasted my time to put them in.

 

what is wrong with the drop springs? Too low? Wrong look? Are you going to take them out/ sell them?

 

My car looks better in the pics. actually it's a salvage title. It came from the junkyard Hopefully one day nobody will be able to tell(not even me)

I got the car like that. I thought it was the stock location? It doesn't look like it was ever moved. I do remember seeing other birds with the antenna on the front pass. fender though.

 

Way too low for my taste. I don't know if the WS6 springs sit abnormally high but, the car dropped well over an inch from the height it was sitting. I don't like how it looks at all. If Summit will not take them back (as of today, Sunday, they are only 4 days old).. I guess I'll have to sell them. I may just end up buying stock replacements for a base model bird of camaro, stock height but softer ride than WS6 springs. Either way.. I'm really not looking forward to changing springs again..

At least your car is all one color. It looks like mine originally did except I had the Formula wheels that curved outwards.
Stock antenna location is the front pass. side fender through all years.

 

Man, those duals kick ***!! I'd buy a set for my Z28 if i had some money, lol

 

Looks to me like the fourthgen tips fixed the misalignment you were talking about. Am I seeing that right? Looks great by the way. Glad to hear how much you like the sound too!

 

Thanks guys.. Mike.. yes ( you aren't delusional ).... although I had to move the drivers side muffler toward the outside a minor amount, the tips make up for that and the system came out balanced looking........ 1" drop spriings for sale (kidding for now) lol

 

Not to sound like a dik, but those pics of them on the car, makes them look like rice mufflers, like the big fart cannons. I'd say maybe painting them black may help some.

 

Even if you were trying Mark (which I know you weren't) .. it wouldn't actually bother me but... I did paint the mufflers black and the tips came black.... (I don't have my camera here so I can't take another pic)

 

Don't let mark get to you, he is just jelouse that his car doesn't look that nice!!! LOL. The only problem I could see about the the mufflers, is that alot of people that know anything about our cars would think that you had the one pipe split into two, not knowing the true art work that went in the exhaust.

 

Yea 88.. I know no one really will be the wiser except for me and the few on the board that have seen this post, which, doesn't really concern me much but.. the one thing that is somewhat uniquely different, is the sound/tone (at least IMO).
Mark doesn't bother me.. aside from being a post ***** , he's a descent guy but.. for Mark... here's a different shot of the mufflers...

 

Great work best looking and thought out dual system I have seen on a third gen you need to do a tech article on it so those of us who are up for the challenge can try to repeat it on our own cars.

 

The biggest part that makes the dual setup the most possible is the fact of the tranny cross member. If it was lighter and stronger then the org I would buy it just for that.

deadbird, have you thought about sending some of your ideas to any companies? The cross member and the dual exhaust should sell with out a problem!:hail:

 

How hard is it to get the pipes over the rear axle? If you can do it, why can almost nobody else?

 

This may answer you three at the same time.

There are a few reasons I can think of that keeps anyone from making a 'bolt on' dual exhaust kit for our f-bodies.

1) I would doubt (at least by the way mine is made) that a c.a.r.b. exemption would be granted limiting who would buy it.

2) Making the 'system' is not the challange, the fact that it could not be 'universal' keeps it from being popular.

No manufacturer makes a header 'exactly' like the other thus, a dual exhaust manufacturer would have to make a dual system for every type header available. On top of that, they would have to take into account for auto or standard and who makes a tranny x-member...making the system extremely costly (since it would almost have to be made on a custom basis such as I did mine) which.. not judging since I fit the bill as well... 3rdgen owners are tight with thier $$

3) No one on this board would pay for it.

Half the time I can't believe what I've seen some people pay for a dual system that dumps at the axle and think it's a reasonable price. To each their own on that I guess though.

Simply put... a dual kit for our cars it's too much of a hassle when following the known factory route (regardless of header choice or keeping the factory mainfolds) is the path of least resistance and most profitable for any manufacturer. The only system I could see being an exception would be Willie's which, would still cost an extrordinary(sp?) amount as a kit.