As always I come to the experts.  I am looking to put a new exhaust in my '81.  This car is not original and will be a keeper for me and my daughter.  As you may remember, my daughter is the only 1 of my 3 kids (other 2 are boys) that have shown an interest in restoring the vette and has threatened her loving father with certain death if he ever thinks of selling.

|UPDATED|6/24/2013 11:47:01 AM (AZT)|/UPDATED|

To bad you weren't looking last year for a header/true duals with cats. I sold mine last year on Craigslist. Plus your close by me.

I had Flowtech ceramic long tube headers and 2.5" stainless true duals w/cats and IMCO stainless mufflers. Mufflerman in Kenmore did the exhaust for me. All custom bent. The IMCO mufflers had that Flowmaster muffler sound. It wasn't cheap. I think it was around $1k. 

I tried the dual exhaust system from Mid America. It didn't fit. I had another muffler shop try to fix it, but it wound up in the scrap pile.

If you look on my link below there should be some pics of my exhaust before I did my sidepipes.

***There is one pic of the header/full duals left. I must have deleted the rest***


|UPDATED|12/1/2012 10:11:53 AM (AZT)|/UPDATED|

Take a look at Sanderson Headers http://www,sandersonheaders,com...they make some of the finest headers you can buy.  They have very thick flanges...far more so than most.  You have your choices of several finishes as well...ceramic, chrome, cast iron.  

I have a set of Hedman long tube 1 5/8" into 3" collectors with their HTC coating. Very happy with them. I'm running 2.5" full dual mandrel bent pipes with a crossover into Magnaflow polished stainless mufflers. I get alot of compliments on the sound of the Magnaflows; very smooth and deep sound. I see Magnaflow makes a universal 2.5" cat that I'm planning on adding a pair of this year as the enviros are cracking down around here lately.

For NY the inspection stations are supposed to look to see if the emission devices are present , there is no way to test for emission function other then visually. It has been my experience with my 1980 that I have gotten a safety only  inspection which what is done with older cars just like back in the day. 

|UPDATED|12/2/2012 8:45:33 AM (AZT)|/UPDATED|

Thanks guys, great advise. 

The shop that I would take my Vette to do the work(mufflerman) will only do the exhaust with cats.  I don't want to spend $250 on a set of cats that I don't need.  So...looks like I'll be looking for a bolt on kit since I don't weld.  Still looking at the Corvette central dual exhaust with headers and magnaflo mufflers.  If you have any thougts let me know.

Guv-ment/EPA regulations have made it next to impossible for muffler shops to do much anymore. ANY modification to the exhaust that would effect tailpipe emissions,even if it improves them, is frowned upon. Shops could, at the very least loose their operating license, and possibly face time in the cross-bar hotel.....

I installed the full dual exhaust kit from.Corvette Central for the '78 I used to own. It went on without any issues and performance increased...at least by my seat of the pants dyno.

David,
 Mufflerman got busted a few years back for not putting catalytic converters on older "hotrods" that originally came from the factory with them. The fine was pretty stiff from what I heard. If you don't mind me asking, what was the price quote they gave you? It had to be over $1k.

Sarge