Gas tank relocation

[bob Tarpey]

SOMEONE posted the how to do it thread, SOMEWHERE on the web, but I can't find it. Help! It's driving me crazy! Oh, thanks.

 

[MiradaMegacab]

Hey Bob, what car are you trying to do this on?

On a Mirada, just loosen the straps and slide the tank over one rib. The fill tube is long enough.

 

[My imp]

My Imp has the infamous "Mexican Mirada" exhaust (I'm told), PO installed block hugger headers, dual lead pipes, dual cat.'s, x-over pipe, then above the diff it goes into a single 3" pipe, makes a 90 degree on the passenger side, into a resonator, & out the rt. rear. The whole system is a work of art! Completely welded, not a clamp to be had! I'd hate to have to replace that system as-is! But when it goes, I also want to move the tank over a rib. Is that safe to have that much of the tank hanging like that? I would feel better welding in a bracket to move the strap over 1 rib. I assume the other J body trunk floors are the same, in that the there's no place to weld the factory strap bracket to w/o modification.

 

[kkritsilas]

Hi,

My Cordoba came with headers and a full dual exhaust as well. It is fairly rusty, so it may not have much time left before it needs to be replaced. I would like to know if there is any disadvantage to having the exhaust coming out of the side of the car, just ahead of the rear wheels, but behind the door opering. Local laws say that the exhaust must be behind the door openings, so this would be in compliance with that. I have seen other cars at some of the local car shows have that sort of setup, and they do not get pulled over by the cops. Is this a bad idea for our cars (not just J bodies, but F and M bodies as well)?

Kostas

 

[My imp]

Cuda AAR ring a bell?

 

[slant6billy]

I was thinking AAR too. It is my favorite Cuda (yes, over a hemi). As for that before the rear tire exit exhaust..... legal yes / mostly. Keep in mind the AAR did not have cats, so there was less, much less water vapor out the exhaust. Also, your rear tires may see some of that heat. My last F had exhaust before the wheels and had some metal issues right in that area. A few of my friends with trucks have similar corrosion at the point of exhaust exit in front of the wheels. The gasoline now has more crap too, that corrodes of course. Now perhaps you can put an extension chrome tip a good length out from the car (a little gray on legal). I might suggest Laker pipes / side pipes- the Laker look better. I even saw a Catted Zoomie somewhere, but that had 4 pipes either side under the door- not legal.

 

[My imp]

The old Thrush aluminum side pipes! They exited directly down toward the ground. I wish I still had a set! Have you seen the cheesy stuff Summit calls side pipes?

 

[kkritsilas]

The car that I had seen the side exit exhausts was a friend of a friend's resto modded '55 Chevy shoebox. Car is essentially a modern Corvette mechanically, including the transverse lear spring independent rear suspension and LS9. The exhaust was almost completely hidden underneath the rocker panels, but pointed about 45 deg. towards the ground. Seems like a good way to go to avoid the whole gas tank relocation idea and the long piece of pipe over the rear axle. I hadn't considered the exhaust gas corrosion aspect, or the heating of the rear tires, but that I am less concerned about, as the car would be moving most of the time, and the airflow from the car moving should keep the heating of the tires down. Maybe best idea is to run the exhaust inside the rocker panels, but turned down, not out?

I am shoing my ignorance here, but I didn't know the AAR 'Cudas had side exhaust. I have only seen AAR 'Cudas inagazines, and never noticed. There are 'Cudas at the local shows, but they are all big blocks, Hemi "tribute" cars, or 340 six packs.

I have seen Laker pipes on some of the 40s-50s traditional hot rods, and they look great on them. I don't know if they would work well with our body types though. The traditional Thrush side pipes might work better, but I haven't seen them in a long time, and even then, they looked a little bid on the "heavy" side. Used to see a lot of side pipes on 1960s-early 1970s Corvettes.

Kostas

Kostas

 

[Mr.Lopar]

my cousin has the exhaust exiting infront of the rear tires on his 455 powered buick regal without issues
my father has his exhaust exiting right after the rear tire so he didn't have to move the tank over, and I essensitally ran mine the same way but with stainless tips that run the length of the bottom of the quarter panel and stick out a lil past the bumper. I didn't have to move my tank over, but I did anyways just so it was more centered in the car (I like everything to look cemetrical)

 

[My imp]

Lots of options. I want to put a set of side pipes up against the Imp just to see how they'd look. Jasperjacko says not to get too ghetto with the car. Could be right, I won't know till I see what it looks like. A guy had (real) AMX with side pipes. The cars both share that "bustle back" look. It looks cool as hell with side pipes on it. I can only imagine how the Imp would look. Without buying a set, the only thing I can think of to mock a side up is to use PVC pipe painted silver & photograph from a distance. I won't have to move the tank either!

 

[5wndwcpe]

Challenger T/A's had them as well.

 

[mirada80]

I've got full duals on my '80 Mirada, and they drop out just behind the back wheels, works decent, doesn't hit anything but a bit of a tight fit. If you went with 3" it may not work.