Side exchaust on a midyear

[IH2LOSE]

does any body have any photos of an original side exchaust car with the covers off.I am trying to determine if mine was a true side exchuast car and all looks well But I been told that the aim only exspains it and we all know a picture is worth a thousand words

 

[skyman]

A picture with the covers off will not show you much. There are quite a few ways to determine if a car was originally equipped with sidepipes. Check out a copy of the NCRS judging manual for a 65-67 car and it will detail those items. Some are obvious but several are not.

 

[richscorvettes]

There are a few things to look for as signs that side exhaust was original to the car. There should be a small cutout on the rocker panels which allows clearance for the side pipe. There should be two holes in the lower portion of the inner fender panel which was used for the riveted on bracket for the pipe. There should be no weatherstrip on the splash shield just above where the pipe from the manifold runs under it. You probably won't be able to tell if the rear valence panel is original but you might be able to see if there were any muffler hangers on the rear. The rocker panel mouldings were also different.

Of course if your car was converted at some point to add the side exhaust these things might have been done during the conversion so it could be hard to tell for sure.

Rich Lagasse

 

[midyear]

Larry,

Here is a pic of the rocker panel of a side pipe car, notice the notched cut outs in the steel rocker panel behind the fiberglass, these were to allow the larger clip nuts to fit, slice in fiberglass is correct as well. most who convert cars to side exhaust dont spend the effort needed to duplicate this. clips in this pic are incorrect.

 

[JohnZ]

There will also be no evidence of self-tapping screws and star washers ever having been driven into the two holes in the front side of the trans crossmember where the radio ground straps attach on an under-car exhaust car (assuming it has a radio), and there will be no evidence of the long welded-on rocker molding supports on the underside of the sills (factory sidepipe cars used unique birdcages that didn't have those supports welded on at all; converted cars either have them cut off or just bent back out of the way).

 

[IH2LOSE]

Dennis so the scalops or 1/2 moons on the fiberglass is correct from the factory to slide the clips on?
And then the slots in the metal behind it also is correct?

I am going out to the garage to see what I can see on mine with the covers on.

My cross member is correct but what your showing I dont ever remember seeing on my car

 

[IH2LOSE]

and there will be no evidence of the long welded-on rocker molding supports on the underside of the sills (factory sidepipe cars used unique birdcages that didn't have those supports welded on at all; converted cars either have them cut off or just bent back out of the way).

John I dont under stand what you are describing to me

 

[IH2LOSE]

Pictures from my car


this picture if from the front of the car looking to the rear I am standing right under the transmition.Is this the hole that should have screw threads in it if it had underside exhaust originally

This is from the passenger side looking up (the car is on a lift) at the exchaust exit area is this the correct shape of the cut to allow the pipe to exit

this last picture is still from the passenger side looking up just behind the front tire is this a correct cut?

Thanks Again for your input

 

[JohnZ]

Cuts look legit, and those are the holes I mentioned that should show no threads in them or evidence of a star washer.

If you look in the Assembly Manual, in Section 1-Bolt/Weld, Sheet A4, you'll see the rocker molding support brackets welded to the bottom of the sill that were used on under-car exhaust cars to attach the bottom of the wide rocker molding; those were left off (never welded on) at the factory on sidepipe cars, and they were either cut off or bent back on converted cars. Better yet, here's a photo that shows them in place on a non-sidepipe car (the skinny brackets hanging down from the sill).

 

[IH2LOSE]

Thank you depending on weather this week end I plan on taking off work on saturday and rolling out the lift and car and pressure washing the bottom of It If I do I will remove my side covers so not to damage them and grt up around the rockers.Ill take pictures and share them on what it looks like under the covers

 

[IH2LOSE]

From rich

but you might be able to see if there were any muffler hangers on the rear.

Ok does some one have a picture of this location? And again Im just looking for the threads in the screw hole?

 

[JohnZ]

Yup, here's a couple of pics - this is the right rear muffler hanger installed - pic of the holes in the next post down:

 

[JohnZ]

Here are the two holes (looking rearward on the driver's side) in the bottom of the rear frame rail for the muffler hanger:

 

[IH2LOSE]

As always thanks

Ok I found the two hole.if it had the muffler hangers did they use nuts and bolts or a self tapping screw,it a clean hole no threads in it and there is no markings on the bottom But I cant see up inside to see if it had evedance of a nut or washer on it.What type of fastner did they use to attach the muffler clamp?

 

[JohnZ]

They used loose nuts and bolts - the frame just has ordinary clearance holes for the two bolts.

 

[IH2LOSE]

Ok I definatley have the notches behind the clips and they are all so perfectly cut I dont think somebody did it.Did all midyears come with the notches?

Also the little tangs shown in the below picture

How and where are they attached.I have looked allover the bird gage (the steel peice the notches are in behind the clips ) and there are absolutely no signs of cutting or welded peices. How easy is it to find if they were cut off or bent around

I have to get a good picture of the slices in the fiberglass they dont look like the ones dennis had posted.

 

[JL66REDCPE]

Larry -- your car has the tabs for the rocker mouldings. They are the metal tangs hanging down at the door sill. Therefore it did not have side exhaust from the factory.

 

[IH2LOSE]

John thats not my car pictured that is a photo john z had posted.I posted that picture again to show the tabs Do you know how they attached and if they were cut off where the remnits of the cuts would be I ran my hand all along the the bird gage and it is perfect no cuts or weld or anything just a smooth surface.If some one has a picture of how one looks after they were cut off I could use it to better under stand where they would of been attached.Or a bottom picture showing how they attach.

Again thats not my car in the picture. Allthought I wanted to I have never gone frame off

 

[JL66REDCPE]

Larry - sorry about that -- didnt mean to scare you. I thought it was your 66.

I believe most folks trying to make the side exhaust look factory would chisel the tabs off where they are welded to the sill and then grind any remaining traces smooth. Others will just bend them out of the way or cut the tangs below the sill. In the latter two examples you would have either seen them or felt them.

I didnt read if you had a St Louis body or an A O Smith body. If it is an A O Smith body I dont think it would have come with factory sidepipes.

 

[IH2LOSE]

The area where the notches are is that the spot those tangs are welded to?

If yes I am confident that there never was any thing welded to it .

I am trying to find where the tangs were welded to
A picture of my trim tag

And just so I better understand if it was a ao smith car they never had side pipes ? I never knew that