Mr D.

I'm thinking about getting a set of Chambered Exhaust for my 69 427. The Mid america set is $299.99, what do you guys think about this set and how do they fit? Thanks

Daytona69

I've got them on my '70 and have nothing but good things to say. They fit well and sound great. Not too tough an install, but a lift would have made it way better...lying on my back lining up the pipes was a royal PITA. The only thing that got in the way was the exhaust clamp right before the crossmember...it was designed for a 2" pipe and the new system is 2.5". I took it to a muffler shop and they fabbed up different clamps for me. :thumbs:

foundvettelifeisgood

Get the version for headers and get headers. I got the stock manifold version, then went to headers. Learn from my experience. :lol:

GDaina

Chambered exhaust sound like the C2 factory side pipes....too much of a wrapping sound...gimme hookers and JCL's

70 LS1

I have them on my 1970 and love the sound. The fit was good as stated above, but if you are looking for a lot of power, they can be restrictive. They are a 2.5" pipe, but inside the muffler, they are choked down to less than 2". I bought the header kit and it came with 2" clamps instead of 2.5". I ended up having them welded up so it wasn't a problem.

If you want I can post a sound clip of them with the LS1.

Jughead

GDaina is right, except mine have mellowed over the years. They started out as a loud Braaapp sound but are now very throaty.

Petes73

I also have headers with the chambered pipes. When first installed I thought they were a little to much, but I added a H-pipe and they sound very good now.

JRD77VET

I just got my Mid America chambered exhaust put on today :hurray:

One problem with fitment on my '77. The reverse switch was in the way. They are putting a lighted toggle switch on for the reverse lights. A small price to pay for great sound.

The car still needs inspection, I'll pick it up tomorrow. But boy does it sound GREAT :thumbs:

I was helping at the garage/race shop and Kurt told me they had it on the car. I started it up and it has a very nice rumble to it. I shut it off and grabbed my cell phone.

I called my wife and said Listen to this. I started the corvette and revved it a little and shut it off. Grabbed my phone off the floor and said What do you think of that?

She thought I started one of the Corvette Race cars :hurray:

The wife was overjoyed on how great the car sounded. :thumbs:

I'll let you know how it sounds when I actually drive the car.

:seeya Jeff

Mike73

I have them on my 73 LS4. They sound great !!!! :)

crf311

I just finished putting them on my 69 sb last weekend. They sound great. They are loud when you get on the gas and have a great tone when cruising. I put them on with headers. It did kill my gas mileage though , for some reason I can't keep my foot off of the gas pedal. :cool: :cheers:

JJ Deuce

I heard they had fit problems, so I spent $100 more and got the Allen's system thru Eckler's. They even threw in the stainless extensions for the rear.

marshrat99

Got a pair on my 79. Easy install and great fit. Love the sound.

Cali,68,L-79

This fall I'm considering those as well my only concern is restriction. I am going stock with manifolds and this has no mufflers which looks much better but not stock. Personally I don't car when it comes to the exhaust. What performance loss can I expect going from Hedman headers to 2" duals to the manifolds with chambered?

:confused:

GDaina

Depends on the engine mods...if you have a cam, heads, pisti\ons, expect a lot, but if the above are stock, not that great a drop, maybe 10-15 hp

kenko74

Installing a Chambered Exhaust
Some "lessons I learned:"
1. Wear gloves. The aluminized coating on the new pipes will rub off on everything you touch, making a huge mess. It's far easier to slip gloves on and off rather than to wash your hands every time you need to touch something.
2. The sections are not marked. Even though there's only three sections for each side (plus tips), you'll be amazed at the Chinese jigsaw puzzle possibilities. Carefully align them on the ground next to your old system to ensure you get each part where it's supposed to be.
3. Use a file and smooth all the pipe edges. It'll make them slip inside each other and turn much easier during alignment.
4. The center exhaust hanger bracket on the back of the tranny is designed to hold 2" pipes. So you'll need to change/modify it just a bit to allow the 2 1/2" pipes to align through the holes in the frame. This modification is important, because you don't want the pipes to touch the frame, or they'll rattle. You can buy a bracket designed for 2 1/2" pipes (Corvette Central part 323078 for $39.00, 1-800-345-4122), or do what I did: Remove it (2 bolts), get a good cutting wheel and cut 1/4" off along the top of the bracket, and elongate (deepen) the bolt slots also 1/4". This will allow the bracket to mount 1/4" higher, and will align the new pipes to hang perfectly through the center of the frame holes.
5. Turn all the U pipe clamps sideways before tightening, instead of having the nuts on the bottom/straight down. You'll inevitably scrape bottom once and a while, and if the bolts/nuts are pointed straight down, they'll bend or gouge the threads. Turning the brackets sideways will give you another 1/2" ground clearance, and save your clamps.
6. The stock turn downs that come with the kit are a bit ugly. I found some cool 2 1/2" chrome flared turn downs at a local muffler shop (cheap too, about $10 ea.), and had them install them (see next item).
7. Even though you think you did a great job, after installing, take the car to your local muffler shop and let them tweak and adjust the pipes so they are perfectly aligned. It's amazing what the right tools and experience can do. I stood behind and under the car and "directed" (a little left, little more, back, .....) I then had them tack weld each joint, so the pipes will stay aligned. They also installed and tack welded the tips on for me. Do this right away, and it'll be easy for the shop to adjust the pipes (before any corrosion sets in). Only cost me 1/2 hour labor.
8. Lastly, use a stainless steel hose clamp on the turn downs, to mount to the rear hanger bracket, instead of the stock U clamp. You'll be amazed how much cleaner the pipes look without a huge U clamp hangin' visibly in the rear.

It's really quite easy, and well worth it! Enjoy.
Dave

Ben's75

Since you're current setup (2" pipes) is already pretty restrictive, you might not see any drop. Thoughts?

Ben

V8yunkie

Here is a little mpeg of my 72 with chambereds and headers:
http://www.corvetteforum.de/userfile...e-Leerlauf.mpg

I realized that it makes a lot of a difference wether you combine them with headers or stock ram-type manifolds - with the headers the sound is quite loud.

BTW... the bracket in front of the crossmember (to attach to tranny) can be bought at ZIP or elswhere - just look for one for a 70-74 Bigblock. They had 2,5" standard.

Regards,
Thomas

First79vette

This post could not have come at a better time. :yesnod: I was teedering twix chambered like described or sidepipes :D looks like I'm going with chambered!

Mr D.

Thanks for all the great input on this subject. I had a set of sidepipes on my 1966 427 and they Rocked!!!! Sounds like the undercar set will do the same for me. I'm pushing about 430-450 hp so any drop from the system will be no problem to me. :yesnod:

foundvettelifeisgood

Cali--I suspect that you will be hugely disappointed going from headers to ram horns.

I went from stock exhaust to chambereds keeping the ram horns. Big difference in performance and sound.

Then, I went from ram horns to headers. This was yet another huge step in performance. I only wish I had dyno'd the car for each step. The difference was so significant that I felt stupid for not going with headers from the start.

I don't believe the common comment that chambered exhaust is restrictive. :bs It's certainly a better flow than stock.

Believe me that ram horns are the biggest restrictor going.