Magnaflow stainless 2.5 kit and convertibles

70vert · Nov 2, 2006

hey, nice timing

I just got it done and haven't had a chance to post it yet. See here for some pics of the exhaust installed BELOW the pan:

http://web.mac.com/jbauder/iWeb/6970clutchpedals/Magnaflow%20Exhaust.html

Sorry, it was off the lift before I got there and all the bays were full. Maybe I'll get the car up one of these days and get better pics of the middle.

It seems that if you drop the bolt-in plate to make room, you are inducing too much leverage there and it could just pull the threaded boss out of the sheet metal. There was no room to angle the "X" to get up in there and get out of the way of the u-joint and/or driveshaft. I am satisfied that this is about as good as the install can get for now. It barely sits lower than the original "Y" pipe, though it is closer to the middle of the car. Doesn't scrape on speed bumps. I definitely wanted an X-pipe for balance and for a smoother sound and the X just doesn't have anywhere to go but under that plate.

I will say that I would love to have a custom "plate" fabbed up that would connect to each of the 3 bolt holes on either side, then enclose or sandwich the x-pipe. Then the X could go up a little higher, inside the "sandwich". Or the plate could be fabbed molded to the shape of the X and open on the top, but in a heavy gauge. Hey, Magnaflow should produce this new plate!

00redGT · Nov 2, 2006

Looks good...a little low, but not unreasonable. What ground clearance is that 4"? It's hard to tell with just photos and nothing to reference. Since you're running coil-overs, it's a little hard to compare how low your car sits to the ground.

Do you have any larger photos of your car from the side that you can post...just so I can get a look at how it sits? Plus, I'd like to see it anyway just because I also have a '70 vert.

Thanks for sharing!

70vert · Nov 3, 2006

it's between 5" and 6". I put my hand underneath the lowest part, didn't have a tape measure on me, and it's about that.

Here are some good "before" pictures showing ground clearance. These are before a 1-1.5" or so lowering of the front of the car on the coilovers. I plan to go maybe 1.5 lower on the rear, but proportionally that shouldn't affect it as much as the front, so I should still be fine.

http://homepage.mac.com/jbauder/PhotoAlbum76.html

Thoughts are still running through my head about having a contoured drop plate fabbed up. It is the "legs" behind the "X" that need to be accounted for, not the X so much. I would have to figure this out before I put in a 408, since that would be the final position, what with headers and all. Even a contoured plate should be plenty strong if it's made heavy enough.

68GT500KR_Vert · Nov 3, 2006

Well I bought the 3" Exhaust kit

I'm wondering how that's going to fit on my 68, I've seen others run it at the track. I need something that big to help the 514 SCJ engine exhale.

00redGT · Nov 4, 2006

70vert said:
it's between 5" and 6". I put my hand underneath the lowest part, didn't have a tape measure on me, and it's about that.

Here are some good "before" pictures showing ground clearance. These are before a 1-1.5" or so lowering of the front of the car on the coilovers. I plan to go maybe 1.5 lower on the rear, but proportionally that shouldn't affect it as much as the front, so I should still be fine.

Thanks. 5"-6" isn't bad at all. My 2000 GT that I sold had H&R Super Sport springs...which made my car about that far off the ground...if that. I can live with that. My only concern would be if I were to hit roadkill and get caught by the X.

I have a bunch of other things to knock out on my car first, before I do this. I might buy the kit now and store it. I can get a pretty good deal on it.

Brakes are first on my list.

70vert · Nov 9, 2006

actually, red, you were right on the money. It IS 4" at the lowest part, which is not the X but slightly behind before the pipes turn back up towards the muffler. Good eye there!

I had measured it in my garage, and wasn't thinking that I have the rear of the car up on a little riser so that when I back out of or come into the garage, nothing scrapes.

70vert · Nov 9, 2006

Edbert's solution, lifted from Reenmachine thread

(this is not a pic of the Magnaflow kit, but is pretty impressive work on a convertible with 2.5 pipes)

I have the Magnaflow kit and still have the X-pipe issue, but these pics are what I was more interested in: (hope you don't mind me going to the root directory of your link there)

and

where did you get that flexible exhaust tubing from? That's some inspired work there. What would have to happen with the Magnaflow kit is that the X happens just before the center plate, but you could angle it up, put that flexible tubing after it (maybe even before it too) and get it up and over the plate, and then you'd be good to go.

Great pics and great idea!

00redGT · Nov 9, 2006

70vert said:
actually, red, you were right on the money. It IS 4" at the lowest part, which is not the X but slightly behind before the pipes turn back up towards the muffler. Good eye there!
QUOTE]

Oh, and the pictures of the exhaust with the flex tubing...that' something I've never seen. One thing to think about...does the roughness of the flex tubing on the inside negate any power gains from having an X-Pipe? I guess being an engineer makes me think of little details like this.

Also, before anyone says so, I know there's no real power difference between the X and H pipes (couple horsepower extra with the X). The sound is the main difference.

By the way, since I'm new to my car...can a basic 2.5" H-pipe fit through there without custom exhaust work? What if I bought the Magnaflow kit and stuck and H-pipe in there instead of an X? Stock was what...2...2 1/4???

70vert · Nov 9, 2006

I thought that about the flex tubing, doesn't seem to be great for flow, but I wonder what it really looks like in there, if it's very rough or not.

I like the flow. It is NICE when I open it up on at mid to high RPM, very racy. Not unbalanced, lopey, sound. That is an OK sound too, but my "trans-am style convertible" needs a racey sound.

Stock must have been 2, it certainly seems smaller than 2 1/4". And there was only one pipe in mine, not 2, so . . . let's just say I've got some gains in flow. But I am certainly restricted at the intake until I put the 408 in. But I got a great deal and I had to go with it. $350 for the kit, only $170 for install, and I can always rework parts of it to fit better.

H should be fine, as you will have more room to get the pipes together after the X, but you might still need some custom bending to get it up in there and away from the u-joint and driveshaft. But there's room, obviously, from Edbert's pictures.

00redGT said:
Oh, and the pictures of the exhaust with the flex tubing...that' something I've never seen. One thing to think about...does the roughness of the flex tubing on the inside negate any power gains from having an X-Pipe? I guess being an engineer makes me think of little details like this.

Also, before anyone says so, I know there's no real power difference between the X and H pipes (couple horsepower extra with the X). The sound is the main difference.

By the way, since I'm new to my car...can a basic 2.5" H-pipe fit through there without custom exhaust work? What if I bought the Magnaflow kit and stuck and H-pipe in there instead of an X? Stock was what...2...2 1/4???

00redGT · Nov 9, 2006

70vert said:
But I got a great deal and I had to go with it. $350 for the kit, only $170 for install, and I can always rework parts of it to fit better.

I also can get the kit shipped to my door for $350. That's why I'm pretty sure I'm going to get it, even if it needs modified. I had Magnaflow on my '00 and loved it (and had many compliments on it). It was not quite as loud as I wanted it, but my car had 4 cats. My '70 has none, so the loudness should be just right.

My plan is to drop a 351 in mine...this kit with a 351 should sound mean, but not crazy loud.

Edbert · Nov 10, 2006

Hey guys, sorry for being late to the party here...

The flex tubing is NOT a good solution for the long term. I installed that stuff just so I could start the old girl in my garage/driveway and not have the neighbors or police come running or my eardrums bleed. I wouldn't be worried about chafing, the tubes are made of pretty cheap metals, and that plate is quality 1960's amurrrican steel, not the more moderm j-a-p-crap tin they use on cars these days. The reason I would not recommend it is because it is so cheap, I got it at Autozone for just a few bucks. It is only there to last long enough to have a custom hookup completed by a competant pro. Considering all the custom stuff I've seen done this shouln't be too hard, there's some room to work inside there and that is even with a 3-inch driveshaft. Those pictures have an AOD in there, I'd think a T5/TKO would have even more room to work with. They were also taken to illustrate the fuel line not the exhaust, so they are not done with the best angles.

Here's the page they came from:
http://www.edbert.net/fuelline.htm

Magnaflow stainless 2.5 kit and convertibles

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