Back in the late 50's when I was a kid we sometimes used lengths of fuel filler pipe salvaged from old gas tanks and welded them to the header pipe. The caps could be twisted off and on ... leaky, hell yes, but cheap and easy to use. Gaskets needed frequent replacement.
Kickstand Lakes? I havent heard that one before. Can I get a technical description and history lesson? Thanks, Hans
I have functional cut-outs on my coupe. I didn't install them until I bumped my SBC from @250 hp up to @375 hp and put in a more aggressive sounding cam. I didn't want it to sound like a stock small block with a bad exhaust!!
I run lakes headers only, I can take off the turnout, remove the baffles, and reinstall the turnouts in about 5 mins.
Back in '67, I had a '55 Chevy Nomad with a 283 and 4 speed. I had dumps made from gas tank fill tubes with gas caps. One twist and the exhaust was open.
I have had cut outs on the 55 for the past 12 years, I always open them when we are going to a gathering. Although out of respect for our neighbors I keep them closed normally. The 55 ssounds so mean with them open!
Kickstand pipes are short - maybe 18-24" - so they kind of look like a bicycle kickstand in the up position. Look REALLY close at his photo and you can see them.
Thanks guys, yeah I kinda gathered that's why they where called that, was really wondering more WHY people used the short VS the traditional full rocker lake pipe? Was the kickstand more hotrod and full length more Custom? Not sure ive seen the short style on a Full Custom before. Was it due to changes in frame type that made it hard to have a functional full lake pipe? Was it a East Cost -West Coast thing? I think they look really cool, more "business" than the flashy full lake pipe in my opinion...
These are real kool. Where can i get a set? Oh, and theres nothin wrong w/ fake lake pipes, but they have to be on the right car. Sure not on a hot rod.
I always run lakers straight (no muffler) my 56 Olds I trashed all the stock exhaust, hung the lakers then drove 6 nervous blocks to get them connected. the manager looked at me like I was nuts wanting to run with no mufflers. they didn't have a car on any of the 5 racks (8 am) told me "it's only a couple feet of pipe $50.00. he made me pay in advance. I walked down a couple block had a nice breakfast. came back and they weren't done yet. I watched them go thru over 40 feet of tubes. two guys working on it. kept bending it wrong and scrapping. place got busy they took one of the idiots off my car and I got out of there about 12:30. I really doubt they will ever do another for that price. Tommy Exhaust Specialities is still in the same place about 7th and Belmont downtown.
I'm redoing the whole exhaust system on the 49 this weekend. Currently has stock headers, glass packs. Going to Fenton headers, cutouts, lake pipes on the side, and smithy's out the back.
Heck, my dad had them on his Indian back in the 30's. I never got around to it on my GTO's in highschool, but we did get really good at unhooking the headers, and running around town with open exhaust. Always figured Dad couldn't get too mad at me.
going to buy a 50 ford sedan on saturday and the first thing it gets is a set of lake pipes no mufflers, I am not sure yet but I would like to run them on cutouts and keep the stock exhaust under there just in case.speedway motors sells the kits
I always used triangular 3-bolt dumps sticking out the front wheel well. Yeah, they take longer to R&R, but they look much more business-like than 2-bolt ones. Used to be able to buy them from the now defunct engine building/hot rod catalog (just can't remember the name at the moment), but they ran out and didn't get any more. Nobody else has them, so you just have to build them yourself - cheaper anyway and they go right where you want them.
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