I just got the Cat back from the muffler shop 2.5 stainless w/ X pipe. I'm still holding back the urge to romp it until the motor gets well broken in. Don't ask how much it cost......I can't bring myself to type it. Rick
hey Rick??? Was this a kit that you bought and they installed, or did they bend this whole system for you? The reason I ask is because the bends look very nice in the photo's, like a nice mandrel bent system. Or was this system bent on a conventional exhaust pipe bender? And I'm with the other's here, we need a price and a sound clip :TU: :3gears:
The mufflers are Magnaflow. It is supposedly a quieter muffler. They sound great but I still haven't heard them at full throttle yet. I will soon though. :3gears: You guys probably know there is little or nothing "off the shelf" for the Wildcat. The system was custom mandrel bent out of 16ga 409 stainless. As far as the price..........it was more than $1k but less than $2k. :ball: I do have a digital clip of it during break-in with open headers. The front carb linkage was disconnected because it was not allowing the rear carb to drop low enough for idle. All that is resolved now. It sounded so fine idling, but the clip doesn't do that low rumble justice. I plan to get a clip of the sound with the finished system. I'll post it when I get it.....if I can figure it out. Rick
:TU: :TU: :TU: :TU: :TU: :TU: :TU: :TU: :TU: :TU: Dats COOL. I cannot find a mandrel bender in my area. Where did you find one? Ted
Ted: He is located on the north side of Houston. Apparently mandrel benders are far and few between. I was bitching that I had to drive from the south side, and they said they have people driving (or trailering in) from out of town often. They were supposed to put flanges in front of the mufflers so the "X" can come out to make it easier to pull the tanny if need be. So I may be going back over there. I have the TA shorty headers, which is what I think you are putting on the Black Cat. o No: If I take it back over there (or I can just call them) do you want me to ask if they can make you a set using mine as a pattern? I don't know if it would be cost effective but it's a thought. Rick
That is a Great Thought. Tom Miller might want most of that set up too. Please see if they can do that! :TU:
Aluminized will work just fine I don't need $tainle$$ $teel :ball: Do the shorty header's have the exhaust flange in the same spot as the factory manifold's? Are there 2 different style exhaust manifold's? Riviera different than what came on Wildcat?
They are VERY close. We bolted the original exhaust up for the drive to the muffler shop. They leaked but you might be able to make it fit if you worked at it. The factory flange may be a little smaller than the headers. I'm sure a muffler shop could easily weld a larger flange on the exhaust pipe to make it mate to the header. My original was a 2" system and the bends got very small. I'm calling the bender tomorrow about making a system for Ted with my car as a template. I'm guessing you have a '66 Wildcat based on your avitar? I don't know if '66 would be the same as '65. Do you want me to ask them about a non-stainless mandrel system for you. Rick
sure If your there and you don't mind, please do ask a price for me. I think 65-66 share the same frame/underbody, floorpans.
Romps Aw come on Bonehead, one or two little romps won't hurt anything, that's what I tell the MRS. all the time :laugh: :laugh:
Ahh, thats right! I'm with Tom about the stainless thing too... I like aluminized steel just fine. The 65-66 are the same; the Riv/ Wildcat manifolds are the same. The Shorties are close to cast iron factory manifolds on passenger side, on the drivers side the outlet is about 1.75" lower on the shorties.
