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Please educate me on side exhaust

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  • Greg L.
    Extremely Frequent Poster
    • March 1, 2006
    • 2291

    Please educate me on side exhaust

    I'm currently looking for a nice C2 or 68-69 Tri-Power car and would like some info on side exhaust. I'm mostly interested in what years of the C2 era had them and if they ran the whole year or just partial and also how to tell if it's original to the car. Could it also be ordered on base engine cars, auto, etc?

    I'm good with the C3, none in 68 and available in 69 from at least Dec 68.

    Thanks
  • Greg C.
    Expired
    • April 30, 1995
    • 120

    #2
    Re: Please educate me on side exhaust

    65-67 for the side pipes

    Comment

    • Mike E.
      Very Frequent User
      • June 24, 2012
      • 920

      #3
      Re: Please educate me on side exhaust

      Greg ---


      From what I understand you will never see a body made by AO Smith that was came from the factory with N14 Side Exhaust System. They lacked the tooling to do the prep work required for installing side exhaust. So no orders for side pipe equipped cars were routed to that body plant. Which was about half of all Corvettes produced during those years.

      Bodies made by AO Smith can be identified by the trim tag, provided it has not been tampered with. The body number will be prefixed with an "A-" as shown below.



      I guess there are a few other subtle ways to identify a Smith body some might require you to take things apart. There are also a few things the factory did to install the pipes that are difficult to do after the body has been built. Those I'm not sure I have the knowledge to explain those.


      Mike
      Last edited by Mike E.; March 14, 2013, 07:32 AM.

      Comment

      • Reba W.
        Very Frequent User
        • June 30, 1985
        • 937

        #4
        Re: Please educate me on side exhaust

        N14 was not available at the beginning of 1969 production. The 1968-69 JG gives the earliest date that it has been found on an original car, sometime in December 1968 I believe. It also lists the things judges look for in determining originality. Paul may chime in with more.

        Comment

        • Wayne M.
          Expired
          • March 1, 1980
          • 6414

          #5
          Re: Please educate me on side exhaust

          Originally posted by Mike Eby (55078)
          ....you will never see a body made by AO Smith that was came from the factory with N14 Side Exhaust System. They lacked the tooling to do the prep work required for installing side exhaust. .....
          Following up on Mike's post, here is the rectangular notch cut into the bottom channel of the birdcage (door sill), supposedly to allow the U-clip to be installed higher than the factory hole for regular exhaust cars.

          This pic is of an original late '66. Many, many other N14 features to identify; anything amiss is like tossing red meat to the C2 black hat lions .
          Attached Files

          Comment

          • Paul O.
            Frequent User
            • August 31, 1990
            • 1716

            #6
            Re: Please educate me on side exhaust

            Reba at Altoon, Pa meet we had a 1969 that now is the earliest we have seen but can not remember its build date. Oct or Nov rings a bell but not sure. The owner also had documented paper work verified by the NCRS as original. Items to check are as follows

            1. Documented paper work is the best.
            1a. Documented paper work
            2. Fiberglass trimmed just aft of the front wheel well opening bottom of fender and in the rear wheel well at the end of the frame a section of fiberglass is removed.
            3. Spacer installed at the transmission mount to makeup the difference of the missing exhaust hanger bracket.
            4. Aluminum foiled covered insulation above the muffler in the bird cage u-channel also a foam block installed at the aft frame rail where the fiberglass was removed rear wheel well.
            5. Rear fenders are designed for the deleted exhaust tip opening look for variations that do not look like factory production.
            6. Check at the transmission cross member and rear frame for indications of bolts for grounding straps and muffler hangers being installed.

            Again the documents are the best evidence but if one or more of the above list if not typical should raise a red flag. Also look at some original cars that will give you product knowledge you need to know this before you can make an informed decision. I have seen many GM side exhaust replacement rear fenders at swap meets so a very good fiberglass person can make a very good fake just be aware. I may have missed a item or two but others may chime in.

            Comment

            • John D.
              Very Frequent User
              • June 30, 1991
              • 875

              #7
              Re: Please educate me on side exhaust

              Had a chance to have a close look at a real N14 body hanging in the air at a judging school years ago. Once you see a real N14 bircage with the notches die cut at St. Louis (like the pic above) all the restoration notches just do not look right.

              Comment

              • Bob R.
                Extremely Frequent Poster
                • June 30, 2002
                • 1595

                #8
                Re: Please educate me on side exhaust

                In addition to the comment above the side exhaust cars never had a fastener install on the center cross member for grounding wires. The two holes are much smaller and there are no thread markings on them. I think the hiole is about 3/16" in diameter.

                Comment

                • Patrick B.
                  Extremely Frequent Poster
                  • August 31, 1985
                  • 1995

                  #9
                  Re: Please educate me on side exhaust

                  Originally posted by Paul Oslansky (18046)
                  Reba at Altoon, Pa meet we had a 1969 that now is the earliest we have seen but can not remember its build date. Oct or Nov rings a bell but not sure. The owner also had documented paper work verified by the NCRS as original. Items to check are as follows

                  1. Documented paper work is the best.
                  1a. Documented paper work
                  2. Fiberglass trimmed just aft of the front wheel well opening bottom of fender and in the rear wheel well at the end of the frame a section of fiberglass is removed.
                  3. Spacer installed at the transmission mount to makeup the difference of the missing exhaust hanger bracket.
                  4. Aluminum foiled covered insulation above the muffler in the bird cage u-channel also a foam block installed at the aft frame rail where the fiberglass was removed rear wheel well.
                  5. Rear fenders are designed for the deleted exhaust tip opening look for variations that do not look like factory production.
                  6. Check at the transmission cross member and rear frame for indications of bolts for grounding straps and muffler hangers being installed.

                  Again the documents are the best evidence but if one or more of the above list if not typical should raise a red flag. Also look at some original cars that will give you product knowledge you need to know this before you can make an informed decision. I have seen many GM side exhaust replacement rear fenders at swap meets so a very good fiberglass person can make a very good fake just be aware. I may have missed a item or two but others may chime in.
                  Did 67's also have a transmission spacer the thickness of the missing exhaust pipe bracket?

                  Comment

                  • Terry M.
                    Beyond Control Poster
                    • September 30, 1980
                    • 15600

                    #10
                    Re: Please educate me on side exhaust

                    Originally posted by Patrick Boyd (9110)
                    Did 67's also have a transmission spacer the thickness of the missing exhaust pipe bracket?
                    My understanding is that spacer is a C3 only "feature," but someone who knows a lot more about 1967s than I do should comment on that.
                    Terry

                    Comment

                    • Gene M.
                      Extremely Frequent Poster
                      • April 1, 1985
                      • 4232

                      #11
                      Re: Please educate me on side exhaust

                      Originally posted by Patrick Boyd (9110)
                      Did 67's also have a transmission spacer the thickness of the missing exhaust pipe bracket?
                      No spacer on mid years

                      Comment

                      • Patrick B.
                        Extremely Frequent Poster
                        • August 31, 1985
                        • 1995

                        #12
                        Re: Please educate me on side exhaust

                        Originally posted by Gene Manno (8571)
                        No spacer on mid years
                        Thanks Gene. I was worried that I had lost a rare part when I took by 67 apart years ago.

                        Comment

                        • Greg L.
                          Extremely Frequent Poster
                          • March 1, 2006
                          • 2291

                          #13
                          Re: Please educate me on side exhaust

                          Thanks guys, that helps. So am I correct to note that the 63 & 64 didnt have side exhaust?

                          If that's the case was this exhaust use used from day one of 65 production until the end of 67?

                          I've heard of the AO Smith cars but being a C3 guy I never paid much attention to them until now, so no AO Smith bodied cars with side exhaust.

                          I think a need to add to my library, what would be good reading to get me up to speed so to speak to help me in buying a mid year?

                          Hey Wayne is that pic from one of your cars?

                          Comment

                          • Wayne M.
                            Expired
                            • March 1, 1980
                            • 6414

                            #14
                            Re: Please educate me on side exhaust

                            Originally posted by Greg Linton (45455)
                            ...was this exhaust use used from day one of 65 production until the end of 67?
                            General consensus (per '65 TIM&JG) is that N14 became available sometime around '65 VIN 10,000; "cars before VIN 9000 should be examined with great scrutiny".

                            I've heard of the AO Smith cars but being a C3 guy I never paid much attention to them until now, so no AO Smith bodied cars with side exhaust.

                            I think a need to add to my library, what would be good reading to get me up to speed so to speak to help me in buying a mid year?

                            Hey Wayne is that pic from one of your cars?
                            No, its from an original '66 L72 owned by a good friend about a mile from where I live. BTW, drop by if you're in the neighborhood. Probably the '65 NCRS Tech Manual is a good start for your library.

                            Comment

                            • Patrick T.
                              Expired
                              • September 30, 1999
                              • 1286

                              #15
                              Re: Please educate me on side exhaust

                              Originally posted by John Daly (19684)
                              Had a chance to have a close look at a real N14 body hanging in the air at a judging school years ago. Once you see a real N14 bircage with the notches die cut at St. Louis (like the pic above) all the restoration notches just do not look right.
                              Here are the notches on my '67. I think they would be tough to duplicate.

                              View Raw Image" height="373" width="206.72289156626505">

                              Comment

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