Opinions please! Would you install sidepipes?

[Gary Wilkerson]

I've pretty much confirmed my 66 BB has the original engine, tranny, rear and what appears to be the correct waterpump, alternator etc..
I have confirmed from discussing with prior owners the car had aftermarket hooker sidepipes on it.
The tabs were removed which fasten the rocker panels to accomadate the pipes.

My quandry is; I realy like the looks and sound of factory side exhaust.

If I cut the fibergalss and install aftermarket or NOS pipes; am I hurting the value of the car considering the rocker panel tabs have already been removed?

Or, is side exhaust desirable enough that I probably would not harm the value?

BTW, I don't intend on judging the car. I like it fairly correct but it's for pleaseure and driving.

Thanks Gary

[Joe L.]

Re: Opinions please! Would you install sidepipes?

Gary-----

My opinion is, as always on this subject, ABSOLUTELY NOT!

[Ed Jennings]

Re: Opinions please! Would you install sidepipes?

The side pipes look really nice and sound really nice for a short time. If you intend to do any cruising with the car, try riding with someone in a sidepipe car out on the highway for more than a few minuets and be sure the racket wouldn't become annoying to you. You might find the car more enjoyable without them.

[Jim T.]

Re: Opinions please! Would you install sidepipes?

A friend bought a real nice 66 Corvette last year and the first thing he did was detail the frame and associated parts. The second thing was buy new side pipes and install them. His 66 is a 327/300 powerglide. He likes side pipes like you and does not participate in NCRS events. He has a 72 with Hooker side pipes and likes it. I installed the 69 factory style sidepipes on my 70 and left them on for many years. When I removed them, the mufflers were just shells, like nothing on the inside. I still have the system minus the mufflers stashed in the attic in case I want to put them on again. I installed them because I wanted side pipes. Try them out if you can afford them and when you want to go back to under the car exhaust stash them in the attic. Many of us don't do things we wished we would of tried.

[Warren L.]

correct motor paint

I had a guy with a 65 tell me he doesn't drive the car much anymore cause of the noise of the sidepipes, they make his ears ring.

Think your differential enters into it as well. My truck has a 400 motor with a 410 rear, it is pretty quiet for the most part, however when you are on the highway at 3000 rpm it gets loud, around town at less than 2000 rpm it is quiet.

Still love the sound of sidepipes when they pass by,

Warren

[Warren L.]

sidepipes

I had a guy with a 65 tell me he doesn't drive the car much anymore cause of the noise of the sidepipes, they make his ears ring.

Think your differential enters into it as well. My truck has a 400 motor with a 410 rear, it is pretty quiet for the most part, however when you are on the highway at 3000 rpm it gets loud, around town at less than 2000 rpm it is quiet.

Still love the sound of sidepipes when they pass by,

Warren

[Gary Wilkerson]

Re: Opinions please! Would you install sidepipes?

Joe,

Do you have that opinion becuase of originality/value or because side exhaust, as some have noted, maybe to much for pleasure driving?

Gary

[Donald T.]

Re: Opinions please! Would you install sidepipes?

I love the side pipes on my 65. I think it adds a lot to the overall appearance of the car. They are loud though and the previous advice of riding around in one for a while is very good. It's all personal preference. I will admit that the noise can get old if you do drive it a lot, especially on long trips. But there is nothing like pulling up along side one of those little tuner cars, and let those side pipes sing!

[Joe L.]

Re: Opinions please! Would you install sidepipes?

Gary-----

I don't like side exhaust, original to a car or otherwise. If I ever purchased a car with side exhaust (as unlikely as that might be) or if I won such a car in a drawing (also, as unlikely as that might be), the very first thing that I would do is to remove it and replace it with undercar exhaust EVEN IF THE SIDE EXHAUST WAS ORIGINAL TO THE CAR.

[Dave F.]

Re: Opinions please! Would you install sidepipes?

I had a '65 coupe (in 1970), 396 with sidepipes, and loved the sound and the looks. However, in summer, the car was like a sauna inside, very loud at highway speed, and never did hear the radio If I still owned that car, I would leave it just the way it was. I just wouldn't drive it as much as I did back then, which was every day.

[Clem Z.]

joe my dealer said that side pipes were

the best thing that ever happen to corvettes because no one complained about squeeks and rattles after that. he ordered every one with side pipes.

[Joe M.]

Re: Opinions please! Would you install sidepipes?

Absolutely agree with Joe L, except opposite opinion. Love sidepipes! Don't understand why an under the car exhaust was even used. Try to do any work under the car with regular exhaust and you will be converted. Redid my SWC with aluminized undercar pipes and after a year I couldn't stand it any longer. Went for a 2hr cruise on a 95degree day and you could roast a hot dog on the console. Don't get that with sidepipes. Installed the side exhaust and felt whole again. Loud is good. If you feather the throttle the sound is fine. You can control the sound for effect with the throttle. If you stop on a metal bridge you think the car stalled as the sound goes thru and is not reflected back up. Did a 110 mile commute a couple times a week without irritation. Hearing still intact.
Do what feels good, not much time left. Worst case scenario is you sell the car and the buyer sells the sidepipes for a profit even after installing the correct exhaust system.
A question: I bought my sidepipes new from Briggs Chevy in South Amboy NJ, circa 1971. Briggs sponsored a lot of racing efforts. The guy asked if I wanted the offroad mufflers, I said 'sure'. Recently read somewhere that there were no offroad sidepipes. Is that true? Mine are louder than other sidepipe cars. Always failed state inspection and had to see the head guy and convinced him to pass them. His words were, "Joe, I'll pass you, but don't drive this car down my street at 2 in the morning". Rattling house windows let my wife to be and her neighbors know I was comming....something about static on the tv was also mentioned. Had offroad mufflers on my 62 along with 4:11s and was pulled over several time by an unnamed shore community. The gears put the sound over the top. I run 3:36 in the SWC.
Without covers, several close friends have burn scars just below their calves. When cash is low, you buy the pipes first and then the covers.

[Jim T.]

Re: Opinions please! Would you install sidepipes?

In summer of 1975 with new 69 style side exhaust on my 70 I drove from Dallas to San Diego,back to Dallas, and them to Virginia Beach. With the new system the side exhaust noise was very bearable, especially with the air conditioning on.

[Ralph E.]

Re: Opinions please! Would you install sidepipes?

My own opinion...If you want side pipes put them on. It's your car! I have side pipes and wouldn't have it any other way. They are NOT nearly as loud as people say. My opinion is people who have cars without side pipes just assume they are noisy in the car. Their NOT!

[Howell Jaynes]

Re: Opinions please! Would you install sidepipes?

I've converted two C3 Corvettes to side pipes. One was a 68 SB (factory sidepipes) and the other a 69 BB (Hooker headers). I have a 1970 BB now and the complete NOS factory side covers ready for installation. OK. They're noiser. But personally I don't care. In both cases, sidepipes have diminished passenger heating problems. The standard exhaust lines, being are extremely hot, run under the passenger compartment and add a tremendous heat load. They also cause thermal stress to the transmission and differential. I can see a heat damage to fiberglass in my 68 Corvette caused by the underbody exhaust that was stock. I like the sidepipes also because you can easily work on/clean the transmission and differential areas without interference. The factory sidepipes weigh a great deal less than the factory underbody exhaust. The stock underbody exhaust system rusts and looks awful. Also, the stock underbody exhaust requires use of those rear valence bezels that are corrode. The chief problem to converting to factory sidepipes is the rear exhaust valance panel. The exhaust openings in the standard factory system have to be closed out. I had a fiberglass technician close out the valance pane exhaust holes on one car and for the other car I used factory panels from an original factory sidepipe car.