Sidepipes are they from the factory
- Thread starter 71VERT
- Start date
The easiest and most foolproof way to tell a factory 69 side exhaust car is to check the rear quarter panels and the rear valence.
Many don't know that factory side exhaust cars used a different rear quarter panel...one that does not have the "half opening" for the rear exhaust. On underneath exhausts, the opening for the tail pipes is created by a half hole in the valence, and a half hole in the quarter panel.
Factory side pipe cars DO NOT have the half cut out in the quarter panel. If you look under your car, and see where the quarter panel has been filled, you've got an "add on" side pipe car. Chuck
Many don't know that factory side exhaust cars used a different rear quarter panel...one that does not have the "half opening" for the rear exhaust. On underneath exhausts, the opening for the tail pipes is created by a half hole in the valence, and a half hole in the quarter panel.
Factory side pipe cars DO NOT have the half cut out in the quarter panel. If you look under your car, and see where the quarter panel has been filled, you've got an "add on" side pipe car. Chuck
Tom73
Well-known member
Not the best picture here but on the lower right you can see the cut-out for the under car exhaust. The valance panel has a "wing" on it to fill in that space. On a factory side pipe car, that quarter panel wraps on around to match up with the line running up and down.
tom...
tom...
- Thread starter
- #4
I don't have any good pix. Looked at your Eckler's link, and yes, that is the entire rear quarter panel that I'm talking about. Don't know about different part numbers, and don't know if both styles are available.
It's hard to 'splain.
On a factory side exhaust car, if you look at the rear of the car, the line created by the seam of the rear quarter and the valence is straight.
If you look at the rear of an underneath exhaust there is an opening for the exhaust pipe. That opening is half in the valence panel, and half in the quarter panel. SO...the quarter panels are different and the valence panels are different. The valence panel can easily be replaced.
The quarter panel for an underneath exhaust car has the opening moulded and reinforced in the quarter panel...it's made that way, not cut out.
The quarter panel for a side pipe car has no "cut out". It's moulded without the half opening and doesn't have the reinforcement lip which forms the edge of the opening for the tail pipe. Wish I had a pic. I usually don't post pics on this site because it's too tough to do...size constraints, etc. Chuck
It's hard to 'splain.
On a factory side exhaust car, if you look at the rear of the car, the line created by the seam of the rear quarter and the valence is straight.If you look at the rear of an underneath exhaust there is an opening for the exhaust pipe. That opening is half in the valence panel, and half in the quarter panel. SO...the quarter panels are different and the valence panels are different. The valence panel can easily be replaced.
The quarter panel for an underneath exhaust car has the opening moulded and reinforced in the quarter panel...it's made that way, not cut out.
The quarter panel for a side pipe car has no "cut out". It's moulded without the half opening and doesn't have the reinforcement lip which forms the edge of the opening for the tail pipe. Wish I had a pic. I usually don't post pics on this site because it's too tough to do...size constraints, etc. Chuck
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