just wondering what they sound like, is it loud? are you now a cop magnet, what size motor you are running, i slammed my wagon and am considering different exhaust possibilities........... less than two inches of ground clearance on the current exhaust system.
my wifes 64 catalina (see intro for pics) has lake pipes hooked up with no muffers.it has 350 pontiac motor.its loud,the cars been like that for four years. that cars been every where vagas,LA,long beach,holly wood,Ventura,paso,beverly hills,every were in the bay area,sacarmento,gilroy,antiaca.ect and we've only got 1 modified exhaust ticket going to the no love party at west coast chopers!we've been lucky.ALL my cars have striat pipes.
My 55 Pontiac has pipes and I run with them open quite often. Never been hastled. I'm running a 400 SBC in it.
There have been full length lakes on my 53 Vickie since it was originally built 30+ years ago. Engine is a very rumpy-lumpy flathead and Ive driven with them open many a time with no hassles. Funny, but its not as loud as my SS-396 Chebby going thru Cherry Bombs.
I'm runnin' lakes on mine with a 350...... I put a "T" in my exhaust to run them and put the caps on when I don't want to run them..... yeah, they're pretty loud, but I haven't had any trouble with the law.....yet!!!
This guy's are loud,but thinly ground on the bottom. I like the sparks flying off them though.....Sparky
I have run working lakes on both V6 & V8 cars and they are not too loud. they are just right! I wouldnt worry about tickets, it's really no that loud.
All the lakes pipes I've ever seen have been 2" dia. Pipes come in several different lengths, with 80" being the longest I've seen. The pipe functions like a trombone; it really deepens the tone while adding quite a 'rap' to the exhaust note. Sounds cool as hell - not like those nasty raspy two-chamber flows the Mustang crowd seems to favor. Once you get used to the sound on yer car, you can literally 'drive around' the noise by feathering the throttle at the umm...appropriate times. I'm planning on 80" pipes teed into a stocker type system so's that the best of both worlds can be had with some wingnut twisting.
Mine aren't hooked up but they act as ground out bars, only about "2 from the road, the chassis is "1/2 higher
I've had them on my 57 chevy truck for 4 years, no tickets or problems with the law. It gets a little loud at 70mph for 3 hours but no other complaints. I tend to agree, you drive around the noise when needed by feathering the gas.
i've got 'em on my Hudson, its got a tired buick 350 but it sounds great, not too loud. had a cop pull up next to me the other night and give me the thumbs up, wish all cops were like that
This is the same type of set up I have been running on my '59 Caddy for the last 6 years. You can put the caps on and be quiet if you have to....but I've only run the caps for about a half hour total in those last 6 years...and I've put on about 150,000 miles with 'em open...(I put about 100,000 on her in the previous 3 years I had it on the road...yeah, I like to drive my shit). They aren't too loud...just right! I've only ever recieved a ticket for them one time...about 2 years ago...a state cop with an attitude...and he can STILL kiss my ass. Just make sure that your passengers don't burn their legs on 'em. You know they're there, but your passengers might not. I used to go with this girl that liked to wear alot of skirts...burned her leg pretty badly on the passenger side lake pipe one day. She only did it once though!
Thanks for all the info guys. I got my woman trained already from riding the chopper, the exhaust spits up high and its pointy to add to the pain factor! Lakers it is............
Got them hooked up on my wagon... Ever since I built the car,,, I have duals hooked up through regular flowmaster mufflers, and have the ability to cap the lakes off... I think I did once in the three years I've had the car on the road.. Taken a few 6 to 7 hour road trips and other than a bit of "noese" at highway speeds it's not bad at all.. Had a decently built small block in it up until last summer, then dropped in a really built stroker motor this past fall.. Still sounds great,, and rips like crazy now!!!
I hooked these up last summer. I can't say that they sound great but they are loud. My little 283 sounds better through the duals and out the back.
A friend of mine is running lake pipoes on his '55 Ford. It's got a mild 312 Y-block. He ran full exhaust through Smithy's, then put stainless tips on. The tips have a flare at the end so he can plug them off. The lake pipes are plumbed in before the Smithy's, and he runs caps on them. All you need is a 9/16 wrench, and you can uncork the lakers, then cork up the duals to run everything through the lake pipes. It's not all that loud (compared to my Chevy 261 running through Smithy's, 1 7/8" exhaust and 18" echo cans!). In fact it sounds pretty tough.
After hearing all of this, I am DEFINATELY gonna hook mine up on the 48 when I get to the exhaust shop. Right now they are just for show, but thats the way I bought the car. Robert
Well, I got 'em frenched into the rockers of my '58 Cad ambulance. Yeah, friggin' loud. But that's with 500 cubes of cammed Cadillac pushing through 2" lakes; nice and crisp, especially at speed when you chop the throttle.
The Jalopy Journal
