Im so confused about Sidepipes!!

[HighlyFanatic]

Hi guys again! Okay...i think i got it figured out. (For a 1980 L82, or i guess it'll work on 1981 L81 vettes too). I picked Hooker for simplicity. You buy headers, muffler, 65" side-exhaust, then get it jet-coated.

Headers: Im not sure how to pick one...will it work on L82 and L81 engines
http://www.holley.com/HiOctn/ProdLine/Products/ES/ESHHSCH/Sidemnt.html

Mufflers: From what i hear hooker mufflers are really quiet though.
http://www.holley.com/HiOctn/ProdLine/Products/ES/ESHHA/SideTube.html

Side-Exhaust: http://www.holley.com/HiOctn/ProdLine/Products/ES/ESHHA/Sidemnt.htm

Is that the right combination setup above??

l dont have any neighbours and a throaty, mean growl is the sound im gunning for. Loud doesnt matter
If mufflers make em wimpy, then forget it.

Thoughts fellas

 

[69MyWay]

Your biggest obsticle will be the emissions systems on the car. The sidepipes will bypass the stock exhaust/CAT and AIR injection for the manifolds. You may or may not get away with this where you are.

As far as mufflers--that is personal choice. Are you after the look and rumble, or the pure performance? It sounds like pure performance is going to get you kicked out of the neighborhood!

The best choice is the one you like the best, regardless of what others think. I installed the regular prone to rust and fuss hooker muffler inserts, and am most likely loosing gobs of hp, but wanted to keep peace with my neighbors. In fact, my car is loud, but not so loud that we can't enjoy the stereo, and still talk to each other. My 90 vette with Flowmasters is actually louder!

As far as headers go, you are pretty much stuck with the Hookers as they mate up to the hooker leg pipes.

My headers are ceramic coated, and my pipes are chrome. I have less the 500 miles on the car, and the passenger pipe is peeling already! The chrome is terrible on these things. I will go with a pair of ceramic coats on both of them when it is time to replace.

I have heard good and bad stories of Jett Hott. I found a local place that does the same work. It took them a week in a half, and about $300, but they did a sweet job on my headers.

Trial fit them first though as you may have to dent or ding them to clear certain things--then get them coated.




Have fun, that is what it is all about anyway!


BTW, if you have emissions requirments, I would look into the C4 side effects system and see if there is anyway in the world to mod it up on a late model C3. Now that would be cool, since the late model C3 had no chrome on it anyway.

 

[Scott81]

What 69 said.

Also, the first link you have there if you look at the Corvette section the first 3 will work, they are all small block. The bad thing about buying from Hooker, Summit, others is that the ceramic coated ones are only done on the outside from what I hear. Jet-Hot coated the inside as well and you can buy direct from them at a cost of around 1000-1100 I believe.

There is also a place called Tech Line Coatings and Performance Coatings that will coat headers for you if you want to buy the painted ones from some place like Summit. I'm disappointed with Jet-hots customer service but that's my experience, the coating job they did is fine.

You said you wanted a nice mean growl, well get these Spiral Turbo Baffles , see the sounds file in my signature for an example, although a computer can't do them justice. Like 69 said the hooker mufflers are prone to rust and will kill HP, but I've asked my neighbors how they feel about my car (with STS baffles) and they all said it's not a bother....but I don't drive like a maniac in the neighborhood. Once you open it up they are loud but normal driving seems fine to me and I have yet to even get a glance from the local cops.

 

[HighlyFanatic]

As far as mufflers--that is personal choice. Are you after the look and rumble, or the pure performance?

Look & rumble, performance is secondary

BTW, if you have emissions requirments

i have no emissions requirements up here

so are Chrome coatings no good? i was thinking of coating it sterling silver or chrome

 

[HighlyFanatic]

scott i like the way ur 81 sounds......purr's nicely

 

[Scott81]

scott i like the way ur 81 sounds......purr's nicely

Thanks! Chrome coatings are fine, and I like what 69 has done with coated headers and chrome pipes, it looks really nice I think. I even gave some thought to black coated headers and chrome pipes, how's that for being confused? Just keep in mind that chrome heades will turn blue from heat, and they are high maintenance if you take the car out in bad weather you need to really keep them clean or they'll rust and get pitted. No matter what you get sidepipes are cool, even the factory style ones!

 

[1DOWN6TOGO]

i have supercompetition sidemounts from hooker, i ordered them through summit. they are coated inside AND out. they are incredible. the problem is the sidepipes. the chrome pipes from hooker suk. they stained after i fired them up. i've got 600 miles on them and they haven't stained anymore. so i think there may be a way to avoid that problem during installation. i did the system myself. it was much cheaper than everyone keeps quoting. i spent less than $900. as long as you can pull ur engine, you can mount them urself easily with a friend helping place them from underneath. i will look into getting my pipes ceramic coated as well some day. it depends on what you like. if you want shine then ceramic won't do you any good. but you can always by covers for ur pipes through any catalog, like mid-america. as far as sound goes. my 383 stroker gives a loud sound all of the time. it has a good deep bass at around 1500- 2000 rpm, but it kinda sounds airy at idle. that's probably because of the glasspack mufflers. but i would expect straight out would be even more "airy" due to all of that space and low exhaust pressure.
i definitely recommend the hooker system. it's affordable and it'll show the kids around town who has real taste in muscle.

 

[HighlyFanatic]

whats the advantage of coated (by coated i think you mean ceramic) to chrome and vice-versa?

 

[1DOWN6TOGO]

chrome is only good for looks. and even then, when you put a couple hundred degrees through it, it'll turn ugly eventually.
i don't know everything about ceramic. except it has high heat resistance, and durability to all of the elements around an engine compartment. disadvantages/ get's nicks and scratches easier than chrome. painted of course is most durable. but paint has the least heat resistance. stainless would be the way to go. except heat transfers TOO well through it, and you'd heat up everything around. this means peeling off ur paintjob in days and ur girl's skin instantly. (does anyone seem to notice how it's always the girls that are dumb enough to burn themselves.... i mean, it's a rough generalization.... but i've had mine for weeks and had 3 girls burnt compared to one really stupid guy)