2067
« on: June 15, 2013, 12:07:14 AM »
Jerry is correct-it would be VERY difficult to duplicate a production N10 Z/28 dual exhaust system. In fact if you had a complete NOS service system it would not be the same as production.
The first consideration is when the car was built. When chambered was recalled the Z/28 was changed over to the ’68 deep-tone muffler without resonators. Around April ’69 they went to the same muffler/resonator system used on the L48. This system had the head pipes welded to the resonators and the RH tailpipe welded to the muffler.
Mid-May ’69 they changed to “bright metal” tailpipes. Just got a big surprise here from Warren Malkin, a guy that has probably seen more original stuff than all of us combined. He has now examined several OE exhaust May-June cars and the LH tail pipe is NOT of the 2-piece construction as the right. What may have happened is the source had an excess supply of the standard LH tailpipe at the change and Chevy had a choice-scrap them or make them work. What it appears they did was to polish about 1/3 of the pipe and apply chrome over it-no nickel. There is an obvious difference in the finish between the pipes. At some point the LH tail pipe did change over to the 2-piece construction.
By the way big blocks did not use the interim “deep-tone” Z/28 system. The recall states L34 and L78 cars were to use the same system as the L48, meaning resonators. The famous undercarriage road test photos of ZL1 #3 shows the single muffler/dual resonator system-if you can imagine that.
Last month I pitched in to help install a Gardner system on a ’69. Very well made, carefully packaged, quality product.