Side Pipes
From Day one, I never cared for
the side pipes provided in the kit. I didn't care for the constant
radius bends in the pipes just prior to the collector, and after driving the
car for a summer, the noise level was not tolerable. I had to
constantly wear ear plugs to keep the drone of the pipes out of my brain.
So I ordered up a new set of pipes and mufflers so that I could build my
own. Above are the parts although I could not use the mufflers
pictures above because the slip joints were already welded in. I
didn't want another weld to cover up so I ordered another set of mufflers
from Brian.
The first step was to grind all
the existing welds smooth. This took a combination of grinders, Dremel
bits, and sanding disks.
Here are some of the tools used.
Next step was to quiet the pipes
down. I bought this restrictor baffle from Summit Racing.
The restrictor is welded in
right after the collector and prior to the muffler. This is a bit of a
crap shoot because I have no idea what this restrictor is going to do to the
sound and the performance of the car. If it turns out to be too
restrictive, I'll cut them out and replace them again.
With the collector pipe bolted
on, I positioned the muffler and the tail pipe into place, tack welded them,
and then took them over to the bench for final welding and grinding.
Here's a shot of the support
bracket I welded on to the tail pipe. I was able to make this
significantly smaller than on the standard pipes and the whole assembly fit
perfect to the car.
I had these pipes ceramic coated
and put back on the car. Initial sound tests are good. The noise
level is down to a tolerable level but the car still has a deep thumping
sound. I haven't had an opportunity to drive the car yet so I don't
know how much the performance has been compromised. More to come on
this.
Other things I did to the car
while I had it down for changes include fixing a minor coolant leak, new
filters all around, fluid top offs on the tranny and rear end, some minor
cosmetic fixes to the paint, and a complete wax and polish.
I think I'm ready to go for
another driving season!!!
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