The Camaro Club (UK)

So i have a straight through exhaust, need to do some mods on it to fit the e-cut outs and thinking, while i'm there, may look into putting in some hedman headers (anyone know some good priced ones for a SB 350?). I've read a couple of things about people putting in x pipes, apparently better for the exhaust flow and it also should give a better sound. have been trawling youtube and not really hearing a difference. Mainly mustangs having x pipes fitted, wonder why that is. So what are your guys' thoughts on x pipes? worth it? anyone got em?

Cheers!

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Hi Ray, I'm running an X pipe system on mine & would recommend it highly. I run 1 3/4" primary headers into a 3" X pipe, which then drops down to 2 1/2" system to the tail pipes. In tests carried out they give an increase in power pretty much right through the rev range. If you like the "heavy" V8 rumble over & above a performance gain though, these might not be for you, as they tend to alter the "tone" of the engine & take away "lumpy/flappy" sound. However they do make it scream at higher revs & sound more harsh, more like a 2nd world war fighter plane or circuit race car.

Here's mine with the X pipe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtaIsSJaaDc


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6hoFnQz ... re=related


Here's a link with some info on it that might help


http://www.drgas.com/

cheers...Nige





http://www.drgas.com/

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Too much power...not enough hands!!

Pretty much as Nigel said. I've also got Hedman 1 3/4" headers into a custom 2.5" stainless system that was a true dual set-up for about a year.
About 6 months ago I then had an H pipe fitted to the system about 3 ft down from the header collectors and it has softened the low rev sound and increased power a little.
I used to have a 20 bhp gain with the electric cutouts open, compared to when they were closed, but that has now reduced to about 5 bhp difference at the last rolling road test I did.

Definately fit an X-pipe or H-link if you can..

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“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.”

Thanks for the info and vids!

Sounds like a lot of thumbs up for an x pipe! i'm more for the car being a cruiser and i LOVE v8 rumbling, but i've always had underpowered cars so this is my first beast as it were, so i wana make sure it's got enough power where i can do something to improve it, those articles reckon a good +5hp and equal increase in torque from x pipes. Not noticed too much of a sound difference on the youtube vids for when the engines idle, definitely notice the sound difference at higher revs, a lot more agressive. This is how mine sounds: (change the vid to 480p as otherwise the sound is a bit low quality).



would love for this type of sound: (skip to abut 0:20)




Do you think a hedman headers combo with x pipe will give a good v8 sound then?

Here is a pic of the current exhaust: (no clue what those mufflers are. Kinda look like moroso straight through's)

Cheers!

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Hi Ray, from the pic your mufflers look like Cherry Bombs from what I can see in the pic, (long red & tubular?) The cheapest & most horrible muffler on the planet IMHO. A lot of American car owners fit them 'cos they 're relatively easy to fit, don't take up a lot of space & sound loud & powerful (to the untrained ear )

A gain of 5hp is not to be sneezed at, but you must remember that it could be more depending on the engines spec, as every little bit helps to make a whole. To be honest & please don't take this the wrong way, if you like the sound of the V8 rumble & don't really care too much about gaining free horsepower then stick with 2 un-connected pipes, as either an X pipe or H pipe system will damp out the V8 sound somewhat & make it sound smoother rather than lumpy/heavy.

You may be wasting time trying to get your car to sound like one you've heard on "the tube", as a whole bunch of things will make a car sound different, such as cam, compression, header, exhaust design/size, mufflers, etc etc.

Personally, I don't want a loud, booming exhaust, especially if it costs power to sound good, I like the fact that mine's quite quiet to drive. On a run it's easy livin, as it doesn't give me a headache, droning on under the car The difference being, that once the revs come up, with the X pipe, it just screams.

cheers .....Nige

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Too much power...not enough hands!!

Yep, look like cherry bombs to me.

(The under axle route for the exhaust isn't ideal either.. )

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“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.”

Hiya,

ye i think they are cherry bombs. It's what was on there from the previous owner so i'm not sure where to take it from now really. The headers are standard GM as are the downpipes but it's been hacked and welded from there onwards. It's a 2" system so i'm looking into options now. Most likely going to go with something that has an x pipe and a more driveable sound (i.e not loud) and as i have electric cut outs, i can open these up when i want that rumble

Going to keep researching, yes, exhaust was actually resting against the rear diff so may look at a custom system that will lift over the axle and go around this.

In the meantime, need to finish up the wiring, opened a new thread as i need some help on this... as always

Cheers guys and i'll update you when i know what i'll end up doing with the exhaust

Ray

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If they still exist, then Pipecraft in Ilford do custom systems, all I did was take my mufflers along with me, and they did the rest. Highly recommended, they put an H-pipe in too.

Definitely ditch the cherry bombs, and get proper mufflers in the proper place As for H or X-pipe, the alleged optimum place is near the tail end of the gearbox......or wherever fits best - lol

Flowmaster, Borla......the choice is huge

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'68 Camaro

completely agree that X pipes are the way to go

now have them on Butch and Camilla

you can hear what Butch sounds like on the sounds off parts of this site!

Butch has a early Dr Gas system- now copied by all and sundry- I think we have a magnaflow x pipe on Camilla.

The x pipes smooth out the flow- give more horsepower for less noise- the Dr Gas system merges the gases over one another - that is why Butch sort of drops the 8th cylindar at high rpm- and sounds like a V10!
also agree that over axle is the way to go out back- also try to get the exit pipes 3 feet apart at back.
happy new year all

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Kind Regards
TopCat
Secretary
Classic Camaro Club
Member of The Association of American Car Clubs UK
Email :tboles@strathnoon.co.uk Websites: http://www.classiccamaroclubuk.com and:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdhLJtR_ZY4

Thanks everyone for your input! Really value your opinions so it's great to read that there is a consistent opinion and overall winner here

The Cherry bombs are as popular as Bin Laden here, so they're up for sale sooon

TopCat, when you say about keeping the exit pipes 3 feet apart, what would be the reason for this? power/ heat, something like that ?

Thanks for the info on Pipercraft in Ilford, will look them up and see if they are about. I know there used to be a place called Top Gear that did powerflow custom exhausts around London too, and there is place in Birmingham that does custom systems too, including X pipes etc.

Ordering some Hedman headers in the morning with 3" collector, 8 week wait tho but it's cool, i got other things to do before then

Those will go into the 2.5" electric cut outs, which will pipe into the x pipe, then not sure about the cat, but into a back box, which is yet to be chosen. Then, don't know weather to have the exit pipe there before the axle, seen it a couple of times looks pretty cool! or route it over the axle.

Good times ahead can't wait to put up a vid of however it turns out!!

Thanks again,

Ray

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