MY 1968 GT RESTORATION

[CobraJoe]

Got the rear  bumper mounted this morning finally:

[CobraJoe]

My buddy came buy and helped me start building the exhaust system. I used a system for a 66-67 Fairlane without a rear sway bar and cut it up and pieced it back together to make it work. He's extremely talented with pipe as he builds boat towers and railings for a living. This is what we got done after 5 hours, (the TIG welding on the stainless took longer than anything else, but I didn't want to MIG it) I think it's going to work out pretty good:

 

 

We tacked the muffler in place to get an idea as to how we are going to have to cut up the tailpipes. I think we are still going to need to shorten it up a little on the "S" pipe to the muffler. Hopefully next week he can help me again, he makes it look sooo easy,

[CobraJoe]

So I spent a good part of last night and all of today, sanding and buffing:








It's not perfect, but it's an exhaust system on a street car....

[CobraJoe]

Then I tacked it back together and got it in place so we can start on the tail pipes

[lalessi1]

I don't post much on this thread, I have run out of superlatives and jealousy gets in my way. I LOVE THIS CAR... Now if it was just an FE! (lol)

[CobraJoe]

Thank you Lynn, I really wanted to build a Big Block FE Car , but I also wanted a car that we could drive anywhere without worrying about overheating while sitting in traffic, etc...
Trust me, I almost purchased a 428 Torino, just for the drivetrain, I looked at the car twice, but couldn't bring myself to do it

[RICH MUISE]

I'm with Lynn, hard to keep coming up with non-redundant praise.

[CobraJoe]

Been trying to enjoy the nice weather lately, so haven't spent much time in the garage. Even though, I managed to get a little more work done this week.
I cut up the stock muffler hanger so that I could utilize the existing holes on the body



I sand blasted and painted it and attached the universal hanger to it



I think it will work out okay, just need to wait on one more from my buddy in PA as my car was a single exhaust originally, not duals.

[CobraJoe]

My buddy came but yesterday to help cutup and fit the rest of the exhaust system.
The tailpipes were very time consuming as we had to drop the exhaust every time we modified them. At one point, we actually had to pull the shocks, disconnect the swaybar and raise the car to lower the suspension enough to get the tail pipes over the leaf spring.
We ended up cutting them in 3 pieces, adding a 1-1/2" piece in the middle of the bend, rotating it enough to fit by the sway bar and then tack the turnouts back on. Every change involved putting the car back together to make sure we had the proper clearance. Once it was determined to be okay, everything had to come back apart and get finished welded, then reassembled.
In the end, it turned out pretty good, especially for a system that was designed to fit this year/model Fairlane Torino.

[CobraJoe]

After that, it was time to find a spot for the cutouts that wouldn't hang down and be visible.
Once we got it all marked out, we dropped the exhaust again (the tailpipes can stay in now, they will be the only pipe clamped, that way, the exhaust can still be dropped to do any future clutch/transmission work) and made out the holes for the cutouts:

[CobraJoe]

Hopefully, I can get it all finished welded this week and back installed. I still need to wait for the other exhaust hanger from PA; that won't be here until Tuesday.

Once that's done, than I can move on to tailpipe hangers, I'd like to make something using the existing holes.

I'd like to utilize the stock hangers, but the one I took off is dry rotted and new ones from Waldon's are 10-12 weeks out.

[RICH MUISE]

Very nice job. Short of crazy headers, that's gotta be the most involved under-car exhaust I've seen. The in and out against reminded me of when I made my hard-arm wiper system for my '57. Every small change meant the whole set-up was coming back out again.

[CobraJoe]

Yeah, it's crazy, but as you found out, it's the only way to make it look/work right.

[mustang6984]

Looks very nice Joe. Gonna be a true head-turner! You'll have a hard time leaving a gas station...people will be constantly wanting to chat!

[CobraJoe]

Thanks, it may not be a '57 Fairlane, but at least it's still a Fairlane!