1980 Pontiac LeMans Station Wagon - G-T-faux (stuck with it, and can't shake it... like a bad case of herpes)

[motorheadmike]

Pulled the trigger on some more parts.***sigh*** It never ends...

My shifter options for the 4L60E were a cobbled up 1970s Firebird 3 speed shifter or the stock shifter from our donor Camaro... yeah... umm... no. Or something shiny and new!

Oh, and I elected that I didn't want to live with a shitty 2.25" dual exhaust system (even with the complications of running electric cut outs) - so here comes 3" duals with an X-pipe and Violator (seriously) mufflers; the price couldn't be beat.

 

[motorheadmike]

I think I might have a problem...



The weather pack connector pack is for under-hood/under-chassis wiring efforts. The rebuilt calipers are to replace the used units that I had planned on using. And the coil-over springs are a new direction from the original plan to use Matrix springs; being perfectly flat on the base will make things assemble more positively, and they are smaller and lighter.

 

[motorheadmike]

Ran State-side yesterday morning to fetch my Summit orders. Everything seems to be in order except some sketchy build quality in one of the Pypes mufflers, which has incomplete welds inside it (this should qualify for an exchange based on their Limited Lifetime warranty...).

Another slightly disappointing thing with these Violator mufflers is that they aren't built as advertised.

Here they show very few louvers:


Yet when they come out of the box they look like this inside (not my picture... I hate instagram):


For those not in the know "chambered" mufflers like the Violators (http://www.classicchambered.com/classic/faq.html) flow very poorly compared to a perforated muffler like this (ie. Magnaflow):


But, I knew what I was getting myself into - I was just hoping for fewer louvers inside. Regardless this 3" exhaust will still flow as well as a 2.5" system with a perforated muffler; I have large-body Magnaflow perforated mufflers on body my Buick and TBSS and love them. I simply wanted a different/classic sound with the Violators and have run a chambered exhaust (3" single glasspack) in the past on my now long-dead '91 Z28 (305, ported heads/TPI intake, big roller cam, headers...).

[youtube]GSXiNpl-FEg[/youtube]

Other than that the craftsmanship of the Pypes system is fair-to-good overall; but does not include quality clamps or the necessary hangers to install an MCSS exhaust on a car without the rear frame rail hangers - those you will have to source yourself. The good news is that I just still happen to have a pair in my MCSS. I don't know where else you are going to find a 3" stainless steel exhaust system with an X-pipe for $480 shipped?

Add in dual 3" cats and an X-pipe (and all the sound deadener), and this should prove to be very livable.

 

[ssbrewskyaz]

The problem I had with the Pypes pipes I purchased was the Left rear tailpipe is custom bent as one would expect. However, when it comes to the right side, now that's a different story. The Right tailpipe is butt welded together right after the axle bend in plain view of God and everyone. I call Pypes thinking I got a blem or second or something but the guy says, Nope, that's the way we do it. Yer freakin kiddin me right? I asked for a refund on the tailpipes and they offered me thirty-five bucks. I told the guy, I bet I can't buy a set from you for that price. Nuff said, So their tailpipes are collecting dust and I bought some different pieces. Some days you eat bear, some days the bear eats on you. ...

Scott,

:arrow: :arrow: :shock: :arrow: 😱 :arrow:

 

[motorheadmike]

Funny... both of mine are butt-welded. :shock:

 

[motorheadmike]

Been very busy with life as of late...

But one of my side interests is putting a trailer hitch on this thing, more specifically a Class III style hitch with a 2" receiver. Does such a thing exist or am I about to build my own (all searches have been fruitless)? I don't plan on running the car with more than a utility trailer or a "basket" on the rear - but each of those could put a few hundred pounds of tongue weight on the hitch ball.

 

[clean8485]

I'm thinking that you'll probably end up making your own. At least you'll be able to make it fit the way you want.

 

[pontiacgp]

I have a hidden hitch on my GP and it's good for 300 lbs tongue weight and 3500 gross weight. It's a class II with a 1-1/4" receiver tube. I upgraded the mounting bolts from the stock one using a larger diameter bolts and retapping the nut on the end of the shock and just opening the hole in the flange....

 

[Blake442]

I've got a class III hitch on my wagon.
I'm headed out to work on it in a few minutes and I'll see what info I can grab off of it for you.
Somebody had one for sale on my local CL a few months back.
I should've just bought it since this seems to come up on a fairly regular basis...

 

[ssn696]

I have one from 30 years ago that I never threw away...now I have a wagon to put it on again! However, it's loosely bolted on, so I can easily pull it down and make detailed measurements for you if no one else comes up with a ready-made product. It is a Class III with 2x2 receiver. Bolts onto the bumper shock mount flanges and you must drill a couple holes in your frame rails.