VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1912-1928 Exhaust system

I bought and installed a new exhaust system for my 26 about 3 1/2 years ago. Since then I have certainly put less than 3,000 miles on it.

I was out riding around today and just before I came home I could detect and exhaust leak. There was a muffler shop along the way so I pulled in. The muffler on my car had rusted/rotted away where it meets the tail pipe. Fortunately thay had another that would fit. It was slightly larger in diameter but not by much.

I told them I should be concerned about back pressure before silence and they told me it would be ok. $50.00, parts and labor, got me a brand new muffler.

My thought is that the one I had should have lasted far longer than it did. The tech also showed me how the inside of my old one was completely gone.

I showed them the heat tube and asked if they could reproduce that. They said they could. I told them that to the best of my knowledge these exhaust systems were only available from one source and no one was happy with them.

They said if they had a pattern, and I offered to let them use mine, they could make them for sale to us Chevy nuts.

Now, I'm sure if this shop can do it, so can others. The thought is there, for what it's worth.

It must be a big difference in life between the ordinary steel and the stainless. I bought a complete set stainless (near to double price of ordinary steel) for my 1931 from Kepich Exhaust www.kepichexhaust.com and have run 20.000 miles since 1994. The system has no problems of leakage, rust etc., but (I think) may give some more or different noice compared to the use of ordinary steel parts.

I will ask if they also can offer to pre 1929.

Here is what Kepich had to offer as to the early 4-cyliders:

Early Chevrolets with the stove pipe hot air assemblies are $325 aluminized , $525 stainless.

Greetings from John Kepich email: kepichexhaust@yahoo.com

:vcca: