[Shiny]

Where can I find pictures of 70 Tempest/LeMans tail pipes when the car had dual exhaust? How far below and beyond the rear valance did they hang?

Can tail pipes be bought separate from systems? Ames doesn't list these and if they did, they don't have photos in their catalog.

The pipes are currently 2.25" and I'm not looking for perfect reproductions like Gardner. I just want to see what they looked like. Every photo of a 70 Tempest I can find has a different look, either simple pipes or chrome tips. I can try to match what l like but thought I'd ask for photos of "stock".

I need to find something clamp-on and will probably need to replace the rear hangers.

Quick searches online suggest 2.5" dominates the aftermarket but I'd rather find a 2.25" pipe and avoid an adapter.

Tnx

Mike

[Shiny]

I want it to end up something like this, but don't need the chrome tips.

Is this close to "stock"?



The tailpipe hangers on this car aren't stock but seems they are in a stock location?



If I'm lucky, I might get away with a straight clamp-on pipe and just have to cut them to length. Dreaming.

[Shiny]

Is this a stock look?



I'd be happy with it.

[BB70]

Kinda rare to see em done right. They should look like this when there's no cutout in the valance or bumpers, or no special factory tips.

[Shiny]

Thanks BB70!

No, that is not something I've seen in any photos.

The chance of finding those as off-the-shelf bolt-on tailpipes in 2.25" dia has to be near zero.

I am fine with the look of what I shared, even if it's not stock-appearing. I could probably find an angled pipe and get creative but I don't think I like it enough to spend the effort.

Mike

[Scarebird]

shoot me a msg with your email and can send the factory dimensions.

[Shiny]

Thanks for the generous offer!

At this point I don't need to get it right but was curious what right looked like.

This is just another diversion from body work on the PS quarter I've been avoiding for 20 years.

Bumper came off, found rear valance was bent. Blame was easily assigned to the hideously over-sized exhaust tips somebody liked more than me. They needed to go anyway and I want to straighten the valance before I put it back on.

Hopefully I can just cut the tailpipes, replace the hangers, and clamp on straight pipe sections that will end up below the valance this time.

But I'd still like to see photos of the tailpipes from both rear and underside views of a 70 Tempest or LeMans with factory dual exhaust.

Onward.

Mike

[BB70]

If you have any good exhaust shops that still have bend cards, they could fix you up in OE looking 2.25 tail pipes. Its a detail that makes a big difference imo.

John

[Shiny]

Thanks again!

Body work and paint would also be a detail that makes a difference!!

Just being realistic... if I can drive my beater on the street before they take my license away I'll be happy.

[Scarebird]

[Shiny]

Thank you Scarebird!

The vertical clearance to the valance is clear enough (although the reference on the tailpipe is not). It also looks like the pipes end "approximately" at the bottom of the valance and don't protrude. The appearance is probably close to that orange LeMans image I uploaded earlier, although the pipes seem to protrude farther and have chrome or polished stainless tips. Those do look like they had angled cuts like the stock pipes.

My pipes are hung lower than stock right now, probably to accommodate a straight shot out the back.

If I can raise them and use repro rear hangers, I can try to match this.

Any chance you know or can guess at the turndown angle? I won't spend money for a custom pipe but I can cut a stock bent section. My guess is the angle is shallow, like 20 or 30 degrees max.

If I can't raise the pipes, then I expect to use a straight shot out the back.

Mike

[Scarebird]

Best I could do would be to print out the sheet and assuming the radius terminates where the pipe illustration does you can measure the angle. Same thing would apply to the cut.

[Shiny]

After cutting off the tips, I loosened the rear hanger to see if I could lift the tailpipe into a "stock" position. It was solid so is staying where it is for now.



Next question was whether I could get away with a straight extension pipe.

The drawing Scarebird shared (thanks again) gave me a target: top of pipe wants to end at 4-7/8" below the top of the frame.

I strapped a stick to extend the pipe and measured from top of frame:



Amazingly, the pipe is pointed pretty close to where it needs to be so I will order some clamp-on extension pipes.



Progress!

Mike

[SD455DJ]

Mike,

Here are my tailpipes on my '70 Tempest. I think they are the old Torq-Tech 2.5"mandrel pipes with the non-GTO turn downs. They use the factory hanger locations. I hope this helps.

Dennis

[Shiny]

Thanks Dennis

Yours look like the tail pipes ride high at the frame like stock, then turn down before they reach the valance with tips cut parallel to the ground. This probably lets them use a stock rear hanger design.

Many of the aftermarket systems I find on Summit appear to be "universal" for 68-72 a-bodies and either exit straight back or to turn-downs like yours.

None of them match the stock design that Scarebird shared, which end at the lip of the valance and are cut at an angle that visually follows the valance line.

I have no idea where mine came from but they hang lower on the frame than stock and/or yours.

The Flowmaster system (1st) looks like it rides low at the frame and has options for either straight tips or turn-downs. The Hooker-branded system (middle) might ride higher at the frame and has turn-down tips. The Pypes system (3rd) looks more like what is on mine with straight tips.

All interesting!

Like many Tempest/LeMans parts, it is easier to find "correct" looking exhaust parts for a GTO. I guess the manufacturers know who can justify spending money on their cars!

Mike

[OG68]

Inline Tube sells a 2 1/4" tail pipe with turn down. . Picture shows a GTO dual tip exhaust but description indicates a turn down at the valance.
The set I received from them had the correct angle cut.

https://www.inlinetube.com/products/plx70t2

[Shiny]

Originally Posted by OG68

Inline Tube sells a 2 1/4" tail pipe with turn down. . Picture shows a GTO dual tip exhaust but description indicates a turn down at the valance.
The set I received from them had the correct angle cut.

https://www.inlinetube.com/products/plx70t2

Thanks for sharing this. Good to know there is a source for these!

Wonder why they chose not to illustrate?

[Shiny]

Thanks again for all the help.

I made a declaration of "good enough" for now.

I found cheap 18" clamp-on pipe sections at Autozone. I had to cut an inch off the bells to clear the welded hangers and that was it.

They clear the valance by about 1/4", which is a significant improvement.

On the someday list is having a shop replace the glass packs with mufflers. I can have them weld these tips on and slot and weld small bends to bring them an inch lower as suggested by HWYSTR455. Then I could trim them to match the stock design but for now, they look better than what I cut off.

Most importantly, they don't hit the rear valance that I'm still working to straighten out.

Here's the creative clearance solution that was used to fit the oversized tips:



Roughly straightened, now with a little clearance:



Looks better to me now and I can move on the next issue:





Mike

[Shiny]

Out of curiosity I superimposed a bent pipe onto the "as it sits" image to see what it would take to put the tip in something close to a stock position.

The answer is a 7 degree bend and a 30 degree cut will drop the tip to something close to the location in Scarebird's drawing.

Maybe someday I'll yank them off and find a way to bend them. Maybe a muffler shop would do it ??

[Scarebird]

For that shallow of bend, cut 3 degrees then rotate 180 degrees and reweld. A compression bender will just squish it. It you have a chopsaw you can fit an abasive blade and go. Same with the end cut.