need help/answers/pictures re:dual exhaust on '75/'76 CC

Hi all!!

I have a 1976 Superior Cadillac Hearse that is in need shortly of new exhaust.
It is MY car and I would like it to suit MY tastes. I would like a performance dual exhaust, something that isn't super loud but does have a decent throaty rumble. I will be keeping the exhaust manifolds. Currently the car has standard single exhaust with the large and HOT catylitic converter.
I took my car the other day to a muffler shop that has been recommended by more than a few people. Ran into a few problems. (other than it would be very expensive!!)
1.) since it came with cat. conv. when new they insist they HAVE to re-install cat. conv. BUT they can use modern high-flow that will be cooler and will not cost any HP, but they cost about $175/each.
2.) tail pipe from rear axle back, passenger side has space between gas tank and frame, plenty of room for current pipe. Drivers side has NO room between tank and frame AND has gas tank filler tube.

Would like any help anyone has to offer. Something I would like to know is does ANYBODY have a '75/'76 Superior Cadillac with dual exhaust??? and if so could you please share some detailed photo's?? Were there cars that came NEW with dual exhaust?? did they use a smaller gas tank?? I just want to enjoy my car my way and this is one thing that would make me a bit happy!! I will try to post a few pictures.

Thanks,
Dana Bennett.
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go with a 2 1/2 or 3 inch single pipe and the high flow cat and muffler. you get the noise you want and the performance at half the price. that way you can buy you a new fuel tank also

LOL!! Thanks Ed!! , but I'd just really like a dual exhaust system, just something difficult to explain, but if I can not then yes, I will just do the single like you suggest.
oh, and I DO actually have another tank for this, that one got damaged by accident during transit to me and Danny made good and sent me a very good used tank, I just have not installed it yet!!
Dana.

Dana Bennett said:

LOL!! Thanks Ed!! , but I'd just really like a dual exhaust system, just something difficult to explain, but if I can not then yes, I will just do the single like you suggest.
oh, and I DO actually have another tank for this, that one got damaged by accident during transit to me and Danny made good and sent me a very good used tank, I just have not installed it yet!!
Dana.

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That was a while back for sure. When was it Dana?

Hi Danny!!

that was spring of 2000. I bought the car because I really liked it and wanted to have a coach to attend my first PCS meet in Kingston, Ontario with, which of course I did!!! You had someone ( a sister I think??) who was going to be in the area anyways, drop off the tank (I wasn't home so I didn't get to meet them) and I had it shortly after I got the car I believe!! Just as is with everybody else there is always so much to do that I never got to changing the tank. Easy job to do I'm sure but I figured since it wasn't leaking I was ok for the time being and I just never got back to it. I'll get to it!! hahahaaa!!
have you seen/had any '75/'76 coaches with dual exhaust??

Dana.

Dana Bennett said:

Hi Danny!!

that was spring of 2000. I bought the car because I really liked it and wanted to have a coach to attend my first PCS meet in Kingston, Ontario with, which of course I did!!! You had someone ( a sister I think??) who was going to be in the area anyways, drop off the tank (I wasn't home so I didn't get to meet them) and I had it shortly after I got the car I believe!! Just as is with everybody else there is always so much to do that I never got to changing the tank. Easy job to do I'm sure but I figured since it wasn't leaking I was ok for the time being and I just never got back to it. I'll get to it!! hahahaaa!!
have you seen/had any '75/'76 coaches with dual exhaust??

Dana.

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Has been awhile. I don't remember how we got the tank to you at this point. As you already know not easy to put dual's on hearses of this vintage because of fuel tank off set. I have no real opinion other than running down both sides like normal until you get to back then run over and put both on same side till you pass tank then run one back over to other side so come out but I don't like all the weird routing.

as you can see the tool box well extends down also were you would want to put the muffler. now they make a single in duel out muffler. as Danny said run the pipes along side of each other and cross the left one over behind the tank.

Dana, I've put custom bent dual exhaust on every coach I've owned. Its not complicated or expensive if you can find an old-school exhaust shop willing to do the job you want. If NY does yearly emissions inspections then don't eliminate the catalytic convertor(s).
I'll try to post some pix tonight for you.

Dwayne Brooks said:

Dana, I've put custom bent dual exhaust on every coach I've owned. Its not complicated or expensive if you can find an old-school exhaust shop willing to do the job you want. If NY does yearly emissions inspections then don't eliminate the catalytic convertor(s).
I'll try to post some pix tonight for you.

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Should have thought of Dwayne. He has done it all and some of it twice.

They are correct on the catalytic converter. The fine for removing it is quite stiff, so most muffler shops will not remove them for that reason. My 1978 Superior ambulance has the original exhaust on it, and it doesn't have a catalytic converter installed. I don't know if it is because it was originally delivered to a hospital in Canada, and Canada didn't require them at that time, or what the reason is. I spoke to the muffler shop and they said that they could install a new exhaust system, but they would need to have a photographic documentation to show that it wasn't installed when they started the repair, and that there is no evidence of it ever being there. I do know that some pick up trucks had a high enough GVW that catalytic converters were not required on them when new, even though cars did have them.
As for the duals, I believe that it is a possibility, but finding a shop that is willing to do the work is the difficult part. Today, with larger pipes available, duals are more for looks than they are for performance. I believe that Robert Shepard's Criterion has a dual exhaust system, and the shop that did it was somewhere in California.

Dwayne Brooks said:

Dana, I've put custom bent dual exhaust on every coach I've owned. Its not complicated or expensive if you can find an old-school exhaust shop willing to do the job you want. If NY does yearly emissions inspections then don't eliminate the catalytic convertor(s).
I'll try to post some pix tonight for you.

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Dwayne,
here in upstate/western NY (outside of the City of New York) they do annual inspections for safety and emissions, when a vehicle is over some many years (it may be 25) they are exempt from the emissions inspection but still subject to safety inspection. I did ask about this at that particular shop and he said it didn't matter, he still HAD to install them, but whatever I did after it left his shop was beyond his control.
Dana.

Dana, too bad you are not here in the south. We have two very good shops in our area that can do small miracles with exhaust. They will bend till it works.

On my 77 I went with oversized pipe and a sport cat. Noticeable difference in pep. I wanted quiet so I had to go with an aluminized muffler, the rest of the system was stainless.

I have a local exhaust shop who will run dual exhaust on any coach I bring in, any way I want. The trick for you is to find a similar shop. Even my 1991 Buick-Eagle hearse has custom-bent duals out the back with glasspacks and no catalytic convertors. The most I ever paid was $400 and that was on the 1966 Superior hightop ambulance. They laughed and joked around that the price was so high because it took 200 feet of pipe when I picked it up!

The trick for you is finding the right shop, that's what I meant by "old school exhaust shop" which interpets into "no reciept, no questions, no problem". Duals on your coach is no problem, there's plenty of room to tuck them up and exit any way you want with whatever mufflers you want. I prefer to have the tailpipes hug the framerails and tip out the corners of the rear bumper. Since you are exempt from exhaust laws, do it the way you want from the manifolds back and enjoy making that big block make some noise

Thanks Dwayne,

Would you be able to post an underneath shot that shows from the rear axel to the tips?? and I don't know of any shop like that around here that I would trust with my car, but I will look!!

I'm kinda worried about how pipes would fit from the rear axle and along the bottom outer quarter panels, had hoped someone would post and underneath shot of a '75/'76 with dual exhaust, does anyone know of one???

I'm thinking even though I would love a custom fuel tank that would allow proper placement of the pipes that THAT would really be out of what I could/should afford to spend on exhaust. I will still do what I can for duals (without cats) before I will think about standard single exhaust.

Dana.