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BulldogDriver

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Posts posted by BulldogDriver

    Perfect exhaust set up for '63 401 nailhead???

    in Buick Riviera

    Posted

    I agree with Bernie. I didn’t go with Waldons because they use 409 SS and not 316 SS. 409 will rust. Classic Exhausts is the vendor I used. I did have to take 4 of the pipes to a local muffler shop and had them flare the header pipe a bit, cut the resonator eliminators 1 1/2” shorter, and adjust one of the long pipes to fit properly. Gave the shop $50 to fix the issues. I did use Waldons hangers and other than opening holes for the muffler hanger they were spot on. All things considering it fits very well and looks pretty close to original from the photos I’ve seen. 
     

    The biggest problem I see is finding NOS exhaust parts. I want to drive this beast again before I get too old too appreciate it. As with all things this old, especially Buicks, parts are rare and reproduction parts can be somewhat inferior to OEM. My exhaust wasn’t original and i don’t remember what it originally sound like, lost two 65’s in a fire back in 1980 that were original and don’t remember their sound,  so if it is too loud thats a trade off I’ll have to live with.  What I replaced on my car was not original by any stretch of the imagination. 
     

    I’ve a 36 Cadillac Fleetwood and there is no factory service manual for it. They only did one for the regular Cadillac. Will have to fabricate the whole thing from scratch, luckily I have the header pipe to get it started. At least someone is repoing for our cars.

     

    My story and 2 cents.

     

    Ray

    Who is our moderator?

    in Buick Riviera

    Posted

    I tried that earlier. Couldn’t tell who was our Mod from the list. He hasn’t  visited the site since May 11, 2013. Even looked at the Admins and had the same results. 
     

    Anyway my reason for looking for our Mod is that a topic I had posted a lot of info to a topic that had disappeared. I wanted to reference what I had posted for another topic elsewhere. i was hoping to find out what happened to the thread and get it posted again.

     

    Ray

     

    1st generation exhaust hangers

    in Buick Riviera

    Posted · Edited by BulldogDriver (see edit history)

    Ed,

     

    I recently installed Waldon’s hangers when I put a Classic Exhaust system on my 63. The one hanger you’re  dealing with is  for the exhaust pipe coming out at the rear. Mine, is like the one you say is not original to our Rivieras. The hangers on mine are for a GS exhaust which is what I installed. If I remember correctly one of the members gave Waldon a set so they could reproduce them to be as original. Read this somewhere on the forum.   Attached is a photo of the bracket. FYI, all stainless on mine in case that matters.

     

    Just an observation, I see you used flanged locking nuts on the rubber side. If I was doing it your way I’d use the widest flat washers to distribute the load across as much of the rubber as possible. That is what Waldon did on their hangers. Your original rivets looked to be wide heads. 
     

    Ray
     

     

     

    B4DDF392-B11E-46A2-938A-7A8C90A8ABA6.jpeg.eedfa9291955d0150b1b7b0e4a2e6e20.jpeg

     

    1965 Gran Sport exhaust

    in Buick Riviera

    Posted

    Tom, 

     

    As I haven’t driven is yet, I don’t know if not being flattened will be an issue. Others have installed this vendor’s system and they haven’t mentioned it being a problem. Hope it’s not.
     

    I wonder if the tooling cost to make that piece might have been a factor in leaving the size of the pipe the same as a non GS car. Buick might have thought it didn’t justify a retooling for the number they projected to make.
     

    Photo from the back is not an issue. Will have it posted tomorrow.

     

    Ray

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