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For maximum ground clearance,... For maximum ground clearance, the intermediate pipes needed to be tucked in as close to the driveshaft tunnel as possible. Eggen suggests having a minimum of 1/4 inch of clearance between the piping and any other portion of the car. The trajectory of the X-pipe, once it was welded up, pointed toward the rear tires. To correct this, Eggen welded a 45-degree bend to each side to move the piping closer to the driveshaft and farther upward for additional ground clearance.
| THE COST SO FAR |
| Description: |
PHR Issue: |
Price: |
| '65 Olds Cutlass |
January 2010 |
$7,500 |
| DSE four-link suspension |
January 2010 |
$2,345 |
| DSE front suspension |
February 2010 |
$3,982 |
| Baer front and rear brakes |
March 2010 |
$2,670 |
| DSE brake booster |
March 2010 |
$375 |
| DSE steering kit |
April 2010 |
$399 |
| Strange S60 rearend |
May 2010 |
$2,295 |
| SAM 461 big-block |
June 2010 |
$8,504 |
| Hurst five-speed trans |
July 2010 |
$4,190 |
| Clutch pedal/linkage |
August 2010 |
$289 |
| Custom Hooker exhaust |
October 2010 |
$718 |
| Total: |
$33,267 |
| WHERE THE MONEY WENT |
| Item: |
PN: |
Price: |
| Hooker Aero Chamber mufflers |
21530-2HKR |
$362 |
| X-pipe |
53623-FLT |
$110 |
| J-bends (2) |
12399HKR |
$80 |
| U-bends (2) |
12380HKR |
$60 |
| 3-inch tubing (10 feet) |
15700-HKR |
$86 |
| Custom hangers |
N/A |
$20 |
| Total: |
$718 |
 To swing the intermediate...  To swing the intermediate pipe outward and into the muffler inlet, Eggen tacked short 45-degree sections of tubing onto both the I-pipe and muffler. Then, a piece of straight tubing was used to connect them together.  When building a custom exhaust,...  When building a custom exhaust, the fewer the bends and cuts the better. Nevertheless, aiming the X-pipe outlets straight at the mufflers-which were mocked in position on stands-required welding a second stub of pipe onto each outlet. Rotating the tubes helps fine-tune the angles needed for efficient routing, and Eggen marks the pipes with a Sharpie to gauge how much they need to be moved.  As Eggen lays out the exhaust...  As Eggen lays out the exhaust system, he holds off on completely welding everything up until moving the entire X/I-pipe assembly onto a worktable. It's much easier to break a tack weld in case you have to correct a mistake, and looking at the entire X/I-pipe on the table makes it easier to eliminate the gaps between each tube. Gaps tend to shift the exhaust pipes in different directions, and a small gap near the front of the car can result in a pipe that's off by several inches in the rear of the car. After throwing down the final welds to the X/I-pipe assembly, it was bolted in place.
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