Anyone Seen These Side Pipes!?

[Macgyver]

These are side pipes w/ dress up collectors and just one actual inlet tube. The add says that they dont drain HP beacuse of this and that they have high flow mufflers. Chrome plated and everything. It seems liek the best of both worlds here! Having some sweet chrome side pipes that dont rob you of HP and probably the sound of chambered exhausts!

Someone please burst my bubble if Im not in reality. I already have the headers in the garage just waiting to get her up and running. But if these will actually match up and still boost HP like they say then Ill throws these on next pay check!

 

[Robin7TFour]

Mac, i have the sidepipes on my 74. mine came from JCWhitney. if you have standard long length headers ,be forewarned. the headers exit past where the sidepipe inlet is. you'll have to have a muffler shop custom fab a connector pipe.
i couldn't get anyone local to take on the challenge. i purchased(fromjcw) a pair of u-pipes and a pair of L pipes. i cut the u's into a j shaped pipe and then welded the 90deg L to that pipe. then welded the whole thing to the collector and to the inlet on the sidepipe.
keep in mind i never was trained in MIG welding,i learned on the fly. i would change a few proceedures.i think i'd get a set of engine-hugger headers next time. overall i am happy with the look and sound of the system i created. not too loud,but definately a good deep tone,for a fraction of the cost of the hooker sidepipes.

let me know if i can help more

Robin

 

[Macgyver]

what the hecks the matter with me!

http://www.jcwhitney.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?makeId=1000107&productId=934&catalogId=10101&langId=-1&modelId=1001133&storeId=10101

I dont know why i didnt paste the link. That was the whole purpose. Are these the same ones Robin? The collector is 3in on my headers so would I need a 3in diameter inlet? THe largest one they got is 2in inlet. I dont know what the diameter is on my current exhaust but what would be the maximum size pipes on regular dual exhuasts before you loose necessary backpressure? Id like to gain some HP but if thats not possible I dont want to loose any. The addition of headers is supposed to give you a reasonable gain but dont side pipes drain some.

Didi you feel any difference in accel or performance Robin? What exhaust did you have prior?

 

[Robin7TFour]

Mac, you'll have to reduce your collector down to 2 inch(i think). i can't say there was any increase/decrease on my engine output. my butt-dyno isn't working like it should. but on the cool-scale it really jumped up

Robin

 

[Sky65]

Mac,
I saw these on a car once in a garage. Just my opinion but they looked pretty hokey to me. I love the look and sound of side pipes but I would not spend the money on the JCW jobs. If you already have the headers and you do not want to spend the bucks to get a complete new side exhaust system, I would spend the money on a good under the car system and use the headers you have. I have Hooker sidepipes on my car and I used a set of chambered mufflers and made inserts for the sidetubes. It sounds great and runs waaaaay better than the Hooker inserts. Here is a link to the site where I found the mufflers. Email them. They will respond to questions but you have to buy from a speed shop. http://www.classicchambered.com/

Sky

 

[Macgyver]

Well the point was that they were only $220. If I wont be happy w/ the look or the performance then Im not interested. Im not cutting corners on the Vette becuase Im planning on having it forever. If I have to wait for the look I want then I must. But it just doesnt seem to right that the only ones out there are made by Hooker and cost $1200.

 

[Sky65]

Yeah, the Hookers not cheap. There are other companies that make sidepipes but I cannot remember where I saw them. Do a search on the net an maybe you will find some less expensive ones. If you are not satisfied with the sound or performance of the exhaust system you have, some quality mufflers could fix that for allot less.

 

[Jack]

I believe Doug Thorley Headers makes the side pipes-headers too ... at least they did ... and their's weren't cheap either.
JACK:gap

 

[Macgyver]

They look like the Hooker ones which in my opinion are very very sweet. I guess Ill never know for sure about their quality until I get them in my garage. I guess its worth the possible loss of $20 bucks on the return shipping fee. Ill probably drool very heavily over them once I rip open that box! In a capitalistic economy the buyers supposed to win so I will not support the high end market, or whatever....

 

[vmrod]

Let me know what happens Macgyver, I really, really wanted to go with the JCW sidepipe option too, but was concerned that dual 2" pipes might not give me the performance that I wanted. You sure can't beat the price!

 

[69autoXr]

The JCW style side pipes were on my car when I got it, shortly thereafter they were in the trash. Good sidepipes (performance and looks) aren't cheap, unfortunately. You should also check into Stahl headers and sidpipes. A buddy of mine had Stahl's on his car for years, and IMO they sound way better than any Hooker's, but they don't have the four into one look. But they make more power than Hookers.

 

[BeaterShark]

IMHO, that is the equivelant of putting a "Type R" badge on a Civic HF (or whatever the base model is these days).

You could get this for about the same price:
http://store.summitracing.com/product.asp?d=8&s=88&p=5315&searchtype=ecat

and it doesn't have the fake stuff on it.

Either setup will require some work to get them connected to the exhaust manifold/header or special side exhaust header (best route).
The headers are:
Headman 68280

You can also get the Black Hooker setup for about $800 complete or less if you look around.

 

[Robin7TFour]

i guess i won't be parking my low-budget corvette near you folks, cause you'll be laughing and pointing at my car

 

[BeaterShark]

i guess i won't be parking my low-budget corvette near you folks, cause you'll be laughing and pointing at my car

It has nothing to do with low budget. I'm sure many people laugh at my car with the way-overdue-for-a-repaint original paint, primer hood, no rocker panels, etc.

It is the 3 fake collector tubes there just to make it look like something else and not have any function what so ever. In fact, if they had left them off, it would be cheaper to make and wouldn't be so cheesy.

Sorry if I offended anybody, but that is my opinion.


Edit: I orignally used the work "ricer" and have changed it to "cheesy". I did this as I believe many people get more offended when the work "ricer" is used.

 

[vmrod]

well...throw me in with Robin74. I just thought that it looked like the hooker headers for a fraction of the price. Perhaps something fairly easy to hook up to original manifolds and definetly not as loud.

Besides...so what if it looked ricey. I guess it goes back to the topic of 'modified' vs 'original'. There was also a topic of putting a 'Sting Ray' tag on a 1977-1982 vette. (similiar to the red sticker on the civic)

 

[BeaterShark]

well...throw me in with Robin74. I just thought that it looked like the hooker headers for a fraction of the price. Perhaps something fairly easy to hook up to original manifolds and definetly not as loud.

That is exactly what putting a TypeR badge on a regualy Civic gets you: the look that you have something better.

Besides...so what if it looked ricey. I guess it goes back to the topic of 'modified' vs 'original'. There was also a topic of putting a 'Sting Ray' tag on a 1977-1982 vette. (similiar to the red sticker on the civic)

If you don't care, then no big deal, just ignore the people that call it cheesy.

This is different than putting "Stingray" (was the thread really for "Sting Ray"?) badges on the side of a '77+ shark. It's more along the lines of putting a "L-88" badge on SB 'vette.

 

[vmrod]

chessy, faeux, ...., I think it looks good. Spinner center caps were a hit with lots of people too. They simulated real spinners for a fraction of the cost. Simulated woodgrain....vinyl instead of leather....Besides I don't care at all whether or not people think it's cheesy or cool. Its only my opnion that counts for my car. I don't care for spinners, woodgrain, or vinyl, but lots of people do.

I don't mind if you laugh at my car or even me for that matter. If you laugh hard enough, I may even join in. I like a good laugh, even if someone jests me. Lots of people and tastes in the world. Glad we are all different.

 

[Robin7TFour]

Greetings , if you don't like seeing the three short blank pipes. there is a simple fix. slip three lengths of pipe into the dummies. run them long enough so anyone who's really concerned about the 'authenticity' of your sides,will have to lay on the ground to see.
BTW, i drove for 3 months with the sidepipes non-functional.till i got the pieces to do the install.looked too good
magic,the art of misdirection

the Amazing Bubba

 

[NitroG]

I agree with Beatershark. JCWhitney parts don't belong on a corvette. JMHO.

 

[Robin7TFour]

Hello, this thread is amazing. i never suspected it to draw so much interest. personally JCW parts are just as good as going to autozone,pep boys,ramchargers and many other parts stores. how many corvette owners shop strictiy at the GM dealer? i doubt that many do.
and yes, i do take it personally. i am proud of my personal accomplishments on this vehicle.but it appears that if i don't spend lots of bucks or buy what everyone else has,then mine isn't as good.
the polarization of this subject makes me sad