As I read more of the blogs here and there in this site, I get a feeling sometimes that though G-Body's are similar or almost the same, they are not identical twins in every respect. My mind is a few weeks in front of the build, and while the Olds 350 engine is being finished up and before I wedge it into a 1980 El Camino, I would love to hear from anyone, some of the things I need to watch out for in running duals from the factory cast iron headers to the back bumper. First of all tube headers were eliminated because of so many clearance issues. Like some, there is an exact limit of my budget, and needing to buy different starters or collectors, tinging the pipes in several locations just doesn't seem the best way. Allso U have had a lifetime of failed header gaskets and collector gaskets. Welding sounds so much better!
I can see that it is tight from front to rear and that it may be difficult to have true dual exhausts noting that the G Body duals from the factory came after the Cat Converter. I have spent hours searching for a bolt on system and mostly what I find is cat-back pipes, and some from tube headers. I will probably have to have a muffler shop fabricate mine (There goes the budget!) Any information with a source would be really great! BTW...SBC duals do not fit a 350 OLDS. I would love to hear from Cutlass folks if there is a difference between the El Camino routing and a Cutlass. My idea is to see if I can find some of the parts at a recycler, like crossmembers etc.
I read about the cross member for dual exhaust which is not large enough. That seems odd when you spend so much to have dual exhausts smaller dia than recommended. I will be removing the Catalytic Converter, o2 sensor, and large muffler after the differential. I have in mind 2.5" pipes and factory spec turbo mufflers on each pipe, and I have the 442 Bell Tips just to give a hint that this is not a Chevy.
Anyway...as I pull the 3.8 Buick I plan to make room in as many ways as i can. I'm not a welder or a fabricator, but I know it can be done with the right info. I bolted on the entire dual exhaust system on my 77 CS, but I am sure I will not be so lucky on this one.
80 Cutlass Supreme is just like a 80 El Camino or no?
I can see that it is tight from front to rear and that it may be difficult to have true dual exhausts noting that the G Body duals from the factory came after the Cat Converter. I have spent hours searching for a bolt on system and mostly what I find is cat-back pipes, and some from tube headers. I will probably have to have a muffler shop fabricate mine (There goes the budget!) Any information with a source would be really great! BTW...SBC duals do not fit a 350 OLDS. I would love to hear from Cutlass folks if there is a difference between the El Camino routing and a Cutlass. My idea is to see if I can find some of the parts at a recycler, like crossmembers etc.
I read about the cross member for dual exhaust which is not large enough. That seems odd when you spend so much to have dual exhausts smaller dia than recommended. I will be removing the Catalytic Converter, o2 sensor, and large muffler after the differential. I have in mind 2.5" pipes and factory spec turbo mufflers on each pipe, and I have the 442 Bell Tips just to give a hint that this is not a Chevy.
Anyway...as I pull the 3.8 Buick I plan to make room in as many ways as i can. I'm not a welder or a fabricator, but I know it can be done with the right info. I bolted on the entire dual exhaust system on my 77 CS, but I am sure I will not be so lucky on this one.
80 Cutlass Supreme is just like a 80 El Camino or no?