Dual Exhaust out of a magazine

Maintenance/Repairs
21

The info i scarcely remembered was out of a YearOne catalog. I didn’t know ford already had 390 before the gm 396. I do remember that catalog saying that was ford’s answer to gm’s 390. I REALLY appreciate that clarification!!!

When I inherited this truck from my dad, I knew little of it. When I tried to find parts, or trim specific to Explorer, I told my dad I couldn’t find much. He explained that when he bought that truck brand new at the dealer, 1969 F100 introduced the Explorer package. It had one-of-a-kind wheel covers he fell in love with and had lost 3 out of 4 over the years. I tried to find them and found only one set in Bangor, Maine on ebay. I bought them right away. Never have seen another set yet. People come up and ask what year it is. The wheel covers throw them off. The Explorers had really neat seat covers/patterns. I’ve seen other explorers online that had cool original covers. My dads truck is yellow or Ford’s Tuscon Gold, with Black/Gold cloth and vinyl combination, which I would like to repair or reproduce. Knowing there aren’t many '69 Explorers out there, I want to put this truck back to original condition, with the exception of the motor. A few minor upgrades to the 360, and that’s a maybe.

I really was thinking of a 5.4L triton going in it, but dismissed it with all the information I obtained. I’m not sure if it has a C4 or a C6 but I am toying with the idea of somehow gearing it differently so the motor isn’t screaming at today’s speed limits. Then again, with how LITTLE I drive it, I may just leave it ALL alone and back to original.

@Caddyman: I do agree when I stop and think about what you said. Horsepower seems, ludicrous, in a PICK UP truck, no traction! The more I think about it, I want to enjoy it as my dad did back in his glory days.

@keith: I agree with late model ignition. I would like to add some modern touches to it to make it run more efficiently. I also want to add PS, PB, AC, and while doing so, make it look factory. The power brakes and steering won’t be a problem since some of those trucks had it. My father-in-law has a '76 with a 390 and ALL of those goodies. I was also recommended to consider VintageAir for my AC needs. I DON’T want a under dash unit!!

I cannot express enough thanks for all the advice and knowledge you all have imparted to me!!

Thanks and God Bless!
JP3
P.S. BTW, how does 3" single all the way back compare to duals of 2 and some-odd inch? Advantages? Disadvantages? Caddyman peaked my intrest in 3" single.

22

The benefit of a 3" single is cost and weight…It will flow equal to a set of 2" duals…What it lacks is “coolness”…There is something about having 2 chrome extensions coming out just below the rear bumper…That and the sound…Dual glass-packs on a V8 produce a unique and pleasant sound no single exhaust can match…I would avoid tubing headers…You get a lot of noise and heat under the hood…If you can find a set of stock 390-428 manifolds…But the boost is hardly worth the effort… Virtually all ford big blocks had C-6 automatics, especially in trucks…

23

Check around with different exhaust shops. I’ve found that usually if you can find a small family owned shop the work/materials are just as good at a fraction the cost of a national chain. I think my extent of exhaust work has been changing 2 mufflers and found each time it would have been well worth the money/time saved to have just taken it to a shop.

24

It’s still on the original exhaust 42 years after it left the manufacturer? Wow. That has to be some kind of record.

Have you considered lakepipes? They look great on these trucks. And they hook up pretty easily with flex pipe.

25

I do all my own exhausts. The others who talked about rust are right. If it weren’t for the fact that exhausts never come off easily, exhausts would be simple. A couple bolts, and the rubber hangars make it pretty forgiving as far as fitment. But getting the old exhaust off is a long, laborious process that involves a lot of swearing.

That said, you’re a plumber. I imagine it’d be somewhat like loosening a pipe fitting that hasn’t been touched since it was installed in 1955. Only worse :wink:

The good news is that you can try to do the work yourself, and if you get stuck, toss the dual exhaust in the back of the truck and take it down to the local muffler shop. They’ll be happy to slap it on for you.

26

This is all golden.
@Caddyman: I had an '81 silverado with duals and it did sound great. As far as looks go, that’s not my goal with the exhaust. If I went with duals, I’d want them to follow the factory routing, but both sides and exit under the rear quarters and possibly not see the tips at all. If it was a 3" single, same thing, factory routing. Can a 3" single with flowmaster chambers still have pretty good sound, or is that all the difference, duals and singles and no comparison. Thank you.

@thesamemountainbike: sometimes my projects can’t be completed without swearing, and not realizing your 70yr old dad is standing in the garage and hearing it. Or denting your moms garage refrigerator with a wrench you threw. That was all 15 years ago. What vehicle do you have that has original exhaust? That’s great. You hit the nail on the head about plumbing. That’s the worst part, you can’t take one thing apart without the whole thing falling apart. I try to forsee that to warn the customer. I have considered trying so far and if I fail, take it to a shop.

I think I’ve been doing this wrong. Do I click on a name to respond to a post here?

@shadowfax: I once had a smartass tire guy give me a smartass answer to this question: “If I buy the tires from Tirerack.com could you put them on for me and I’ll pay your labor.” He replied, “If you took an egg to McDonalds, do you think they’d cook it for you?” That really pissed me off. Hung up on him. I understand where he’s coming from but that was unprofessional. I’m not sure if a muffler shop would frown upon exhaust of unknown origin being handed to them to put on. Then again, others have brought up a good point about QUALITY and that muffler shops tend to have better quality. I’d buy 4" PVC from Home Depot before I buy it from Wal-Mart. :slight_smile:

Thanks again, you guys are the best!

JP3