Sidepipes....going old school

[Beechy]

Originally Posted by NOT A TA

I like side pipes obviously, but, few cars have the right "look" in my opinion. I have a chrome set of faux header side pipes where only one of the tubes flows exhaust I ran for many years and a NOS set of Hooker headers/side pipes I'm installing during the current build. I'd like to get the Hookers chromed but I'm afraid to even ask how much at the chromer.

NOS........nice touch right there ❗️

[NOT A TA]

[QUOTE=Beechy;685736]

Originally Posted by NOT A TA

I like side pipes obviously, but, few cars have the right "look" in my opinion. I have a chrome set of faux header side pipes where only one of the tubes flows exhaust I ran for many years and a NOS set of Hooker headers/side pipes I'm installing during the current build. I'd like to get the Hookers chromed but I'm afraid to even ask how much at the chromer.


NOS........nice touch right there ❗️

Searched for a chrome set many many years without success and then a Firebird forum member contacted me saying he had the black version of the ones I wanted. So I paid the man.........

And they've still got the "Space age coating" !!!

[Beechy]

[QUOTE=NOT A TA;685746]

Originally Posted by Beechy

Searched for a chrome set many many years without success and then a Firebird forum member contacted me saying he had the black version of the ones I wanted. So I paid the man.........



And they've still got the "Space age coating" !!!

UhOh......having worked as a production engineer in a chrome plating plant, I'm thinking that the platers won't want to come within a mile of "silicone" cos it contaminates their solution (floats on the surface and ruins every job thereafter)....

[Panteracer]

Remember a guy who did black chrome on everything
His 67 Vette with black chrome sidepipes were awesome

Bob

[rustomatic]

Dig the pipes, Jim. I trust that you'll stay clear of the chrome things. There is a guy with a '68 California Special 'Stang with side pipes who does the NorCal Shelby track days, and they work nicely.

Do the crazy Aussie vehicle inspection regs permit such outlandish vehicular styling?

[Beechy]

Originally Posted by rustomatic

Dig the pipes, Jim. I trust that you'll stay clear of the chrome things. There is a guy with a '68 California Special 'Stang with side pipes who does the NorCal Shelby track days, and they work nicely.

Do the crazy Aussie vehicle inspection regs permit such outlandish vehicular styling?

Hey Paul.....the description "California Special" infers chrome-everything, right? That's not me, each to his own. I'm transitioning to a darker theme (away from the racecar recreation) anyhoo.
The image above was a soft install in raw steel.......I painted them today in charcoal exhaust-grade rattle can with an almost undetectable metallic. My rockers are sort of graphite colored so seeing this color staring at me from the Home Depot shelf was a bonus.
Now I just need to organize a few hours on the lift at work to complete the engine pipes. It's a daily driver so need to get it all welded up in one shot.
Pics ASAP

Yes, I'm pushing the "crazy Aussie vehicle regs" envelope here.....I'm claiming a gray area. The wording is.... "to be constructed so as not to be unsafe". There are trucks DOT'd here with similar exposure to hot pipes right in front of your knees when loading. Go figure.
Side outlet pipes are ok if "40mm beyond the last opening door or window"..... my quarter windows are Lexan screwed in place and sealed.
You can buy an ugly box Mercedes Jeep-looking thing with side outlet pipes UNDER the rear door right out of the showroom .....go figure a second time.

To be honest, I thought the car build would bring unwanted attention from authorities and I would have to sell it all too soon, but either they think I'm just another old fart playing the fool or, being left hand drive and on the ragged edge of legal, they don't know what questions to ask.
Coincidentally had a cop follow me for a half mile to Home Depot this morning and pulled up in the bay beside me......he asked whether it was the real race car or not.....told him it would be worth $300k more if it was. Guess he was checking me out, he just said "have a nice day" and moved on.
Usually they come to the passenger window looking for a driver, there's not even a seat there just a lunch box ..... AWKWAAAARD .

[rustomatic]

Congrats on tricking the Aussie rozzers, Jim! We knew you could do it. What's sad is that I only just realized that your C'mere-o (really enjoying misspelling that word today) was correct-hand drive at the lower half of the world. You just have to be different, don't you?

I do recall seeing loads of douchenozzles cruising Sunset in G-Wagens last time I was in Hollywood--they make the most of their under-door exhaust pipes betwixt the pretty red, yellow, and green lights that demarcate their movement in life, up and down the dipstick strip. I much prefer the Camaro from Better Off Dead.

I can attest to the quality and staying power of the Home Depot/Rustoleum high-heat paint. I put it all over my turbo piping (also heat wrapped, so most is not seen, short of the turbo flange/wastegate mount, which is kind of an un-wrappable diamond of pipe) and the down pipe that goes all the way to the rear diff area (in two parts divided by a v-band). It gets nice and smooth when it first burns, then just stays a dull blackish-gray. That said, I've only made five pounds of boost at around 2500 RPMs thus far, so there's learnin' to do still . . .

Originally Posted by Beechy

Hey Paul.....the description "California Special" infers chrome-everything, right? That's not me, each to his own. I'm transitioning to a darker theme (away from the racecar recreation) anyhoo.
The image above was a soft install in raw steel.......I painted them today in charcoal exhaust-grade rattle can with an almost undetectable metallic. My rockers are sort of graphite colored so seeing this color staring at me from the Home Depot shelf was a bonus.
Now I just need to organize a few hours on the lift at work to complete the engine pipes. It's a daily driver so need to get it all welded up in one shot.
Pics ASAP

Yes, I'm pushing the "crazy Aussie vehicle regs" envelope here.....I'm claiming a gray area. The wording is.... "to be constructed so as not to be unsafe". There are trucks DOT'd here with similar exposure to hot pipes right in front of your knees when loading. Go figure.
Side outlet pipes are ok if "40mm beyond the last opening door or window"..... my quarter windows are Lexan screwed in place and sealed.
You can buy an ugly box Mercedes Jeep-looking thing with side outlet pipes UNDER the rear door right out of the showroom .....go figure a second time.

To be honest, I thought the car build would bring unwanted attention from authorities and I would have to sell it all too soon, but either they think I'm just another old fart playing the fool or, being left hand drive and on the ragged edge of legal, they don't know what questions to ask.
Coincidentally had a cop follow me for a half mile to Home Depot this morning and pulled up in the bay beside me......he asked whether it was the real race car or not.....told him it would be worth $300k more if it was. Guess he was checking me out, he just said "have a nice day" and moved on.
Usually they come to the passenger window looking for a driver, there's not even a seat there just a lunch box ..... AWKWAAAARD .

[NOT A TA]

[QUOTE=Beechy;685787]

Originally Posted by NOT A TA

UhOh......having worked as a production engineer in a chrome plating plant, I'm thinking that the platers won't want to come within a mile of "silicone" cos it contaminates their solution (floats on the surface and ruins every job thereafter)....

Well, that probably ends the possibility for me. I wouldn't want to be the one to mess up someone's system and doubt there's an economical way to strip all traces of it inside & out.

[Beechy]

[QUOTE=NOT A TA;685865]

Originally Posted by Beechy

Well, that probably ends the possibility for me. I wouldn't want to be the one to mess up someone's system and doubt there's an economical way to strip all traces of it inside & out.

John...yes, you're correct....silicone (as you've prolly experienced in painting) is ubiquitous.
(Paul, Check me on the use of that word pls)


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