Side Exhaust?

90blueSC

Registered User
I've been spending a lot of time thinking about what the ideal exhaust set up for my SC would be, and lately i've been considering a side-exit system. It makes pretty good sense to me, becuase the car is so long at the mid section, and you can't appreciate the aesthetic value of the dual exhaust on the SC anyway becuase you can barely see the tips under the rear bumper cover. I recently disassembled my system right after the cats just to see what it sounded like, and I was actually quite surprised at how well it sounded. I would like to put long tube headers to a resonator with a single outlet and then have the tip come out the side where the pipe goes around the drive shaft (I think it's on the driver's side), right in front of the rear wheel. Does anybody have any input on this idea? Has it been done before? Is it legal (besides the lack of cats)?
 
Side pipes?

I kind of contemplated something along those lines myself, thought it might sound good and look, well different than the rest, the main problem I can see is these 'Bird are looowww. things might start dragin' over driveways and all. Are you talking about something on the lines of what the NASCAR race machine use? I'd like to come up with a true dual exh. from what I'm reading that is part of this blown hd gasket thing. to much backpressure in the stock system, maybe I misunderstood it, tho. anyway I like yer idea, it sounds good to me! Keep me posted on what you come up with, and I'll do the same,erhm, as soon as the weather break up here in cold country, (Ct) L8tr, and safe journeys, Frank H.
 
side exhaust

if they made something like they do for the mustangs... where the side exhaust exits through the rocker panel i think it would look great... otherwise you'll proablly run into ground clearance problems and scrapage
 
I have side exhaust that exits the front of the back tires.

I have a resonator and 2 mufflers, but the stock gas tank is not there.

I do not have tips because I have not figured out a way to make the look and operate right yet.

Sounding good is based on your opinion. SC need to be as queit as possible, using mufflers and a resonator to sound good, in my opinion.

Not alot a room to add mufflers and less you get rid of that useless gas tank like I did.
 
I also thought about that for my cougar, but that idea soon came to an end after I found out how much ground clearance it had after a 2" drop. I would barely get a 1" pipe under there, the only way I could figure would be to gut into the bottom creating a channel, but then you would lose alot of structural strength.
 
It would look cool

Hello,
A couple of years ago I was going to try that kind of setup and had decided to use the wide track style Boom Tubes which are very flat and wide which would fit very nice under my 2" drop.
I was also going to use the oval style exhaust tubing because of clearance issues.
Check out this company Spin Tech Mufflers
I just never got around to finishing but I'll get back to it someday :)..
Good luck,
D Rainer
 
Thanks for all the info. In regard to clearance, my car isn't lowered, so that wouldn't be a huge problem. I do plan on lowering it some day though, so that is a concern. I looked up those exhaust peices and I think i'll do something like that with flat components. I also found a tip on ebay that's really wide, but only about an inch high. I also noticed that about three inches in from the rear wheel well on the ground effects plastic piece, there's a kind of indent inside. It's hard to describe but it's almost as if it was made to cut out completely for a side exhaust tip. I was also wondering if anybody knows if these are legal or not. A few people told me that they weren't, but there's so many cars that have them that it makes me wonder. One person told me that the exhaust must exit behind the seating area of the car. Any more input, and especially pictures, would be appreciated. Thanks.
 
Go here to find out what I had to do...I had it on my XR7...the post will give you somewhat of an idea on what I had to do.

Just like kuhnga said...if sounding quiet is what your tryin to do..dont go for it unless you have removed your gas tank...I just had a 3" glass pack on mine..but I wanted mine loud:D


Stephen
 
thanks

All the info you guys gave has been great. I checked out the other thread, and that system on the Cougar is pretty much exactly what I think I'm gonna get. I'm just not sure about the glass pack. I was thinking I'd use one flowmaster muffler instead, and hopefully achieve the sound I'm looking for. I'm getting rid of the cats, so I'll just have the one flowmaster. I want it to sound basically like a loud V-8. Kind of like a mustang, but not identical. I'm also thinking about using a camaro tip, or something similar just to give it a real nice look. When I get it installed, I'll try to post some pictures.
 
Of Glass Packs & States

Before you buy a glass pack, you should take a look down through it. Most of them used to be necked down where the inner & outer tubes come together. So a 2.5" I/O actually flowed less than you'd think.

As far as what's "Legal", that all depends on what state you live in. Counties also have laws concerning exhaust systems. So don't let somebody else make decisions for you. Take the initiative & find out for yourself, what's illegal in YOUR area.

68COUGAR
 
I was told, by the DMV, that as long as it exits the car and has the emissions stuff on it, its no problem...in Colorado

Stephen
 
CO & TX

That's all well & good, but the guy lives in PA!

However, that proves that different states have different laws. Also, I wouldn't trust what some person says either. You may be getting that persons "interpetation" of what some other uninformed person got from somebody that sounded like they knew what they were talking about! I'd get a hard copy of the law & read that. Laws are a matter of public record. Try your Secretary of States website. You may be able to DL the law directly from them.

68COUGAR
 
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No cats, one flowmaster, and a short exhaust path will sound worse than I could even describe. It will not sound like a loud V8, it will sound like a really loud 4-banger ricer POS. And that's based on hearing SC's with cats, it would be even worse without. The flowmaster stuff doesn't sound good on the SC without a resonator. You might be able to get away with using a Borla in that configuration, those generally have good sound.

BTW that little indentation in the underside of the ground FX is probably the clearance for the jack point. If you put the side exhaust through there, it might make it very difficult to jack the car and/or get it on a frame hoist.
 
side exhaust

Does anyone know if there is a company out there that makes the side exit rocker panels for the thunderbirds?
 
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