O.K. I just got my flowmaster kit FLO-17107 for my 68 chevelle. I am going to use summit super turbo mufflers. This will be hooking to a 383 with headers.

I want to know what has to be modified to get this installed? Cuts chops, welds etc. I am going to have a shop nearby do it.

The reason I ask is I had a bad experience this morning and I want to know before I go to the next 2 shops in the morning.

If you would like to know about the first shop I went to read on............

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I took the car to a shop called california muffler. www.californiamuffler.com/ (http://www.californiamuffler.com/)
real nice professional looking website so I gave it a shot.

Got to the place & guy says "let me put the car on the lift."

I tell him this should be a easy job there is nothing under there except for the headers and some glass packs bolted right on...

He starts to drive the car on the lift and almost has the front fall off. He backs up trys again and when the back wheels meet the ramp he hits the gas and the tires start spinning but not going up the ramp cause the floor was wet.

Smoke comes from the tires as I bang on the back of the car yelling STOP. At the same time his friend is yelling to stop.

His buddy comes over and says "get out Ill do it".

Im telling them "you know what I am about to take my car somewhere else" this is ridiculous.

Guy gets the car on the lift first shot.

He looks at my flowmaster kit and says "wow thats alot of pieces" Its gonna cost you a couple hundred dollars"

I said to him " I called last week and you told me 100-150. He says yeah But i thought it was a catback kit. This has alot of pieces.

I tell him this is for a 64-72 chevelle.

He then takes the "H" pipe and holds it up to the back of the headers and says "This doesnt even line up" Flowmaster always makes there H pipes wrong"

So I grab the other pipes that hook to the H pipe and then to the reducer & show him how it hooks up. He then says "Oh thats better but it still is gonna need alot of cuts!"

He keeps telling me that flowmaster kits always need lots of modifications and that dynomax and magnaflow dont. (Oh yeah i noticed he carries dynomax and magnaflow in stock)

I then tell him that all the pipes in the kit arent used I told him that they give you 2 sets of tailpipes straight and turndowns. He then looks at it and says " Oh so thats 2 less" But were still gonna have to make alot of cuts." "Flowmaster never makes there kits right"

I replied "You know what??? take my car down"

He says your gonna take it somewhere else? I say "Yep"

He says "well if thats what you want to do, but if you want it done right well do it but its gonna cost you a few hundred"

He then starts to lower my car and he tells me
" you better take your car off the lift"

I reply "I think that will be a good idea"

I got home and called 2 other shops that specialize in flowmaster and other brand name exhaust and they both sounded real knowledgeable so I am going to take it to get some estimates in the morning...

Thats why Im asking what needs to be modified so I can verifiy what the guy is telling me...

I installed an American Thunder Flowmaster Kit on my 70 Chevelle and I did not have to make one modification. I had to cut the pipe that goes from the H-pipe to the Header collectors but that was to be expected. It fit perfect!

Thats the only modification I have heard of from reading previous posts on TC.

I just wanted to make sure before some other guy who doesnt have a clue what he is doing tries to tell me the same thing.

I put on mine whith the car on jackstands and laying on my back.... cmt454's right., the only mod you have to do is trim the head pipes to fit your headers. I had it welded at a shop after I installed it and clamped it myself.

Also, I had to heat and squish the H-pipe a little bit. It would just rub my driveshaft when the suspension would droop over bumps. Maybe I could have installed the whole system a little too rearward, I don't know. Anything's possible!! smile.gif

Mykes, why not give 'er a go yourself? I put my american thunder kit on myself as well. Like everyone else said, all you need to cut is the H Pipe- Header tubing. Everything else fits like a charm. Then you have the reassurance that noone did a "smokey" in your car trying to get it on the rack.


Joe

I agree....the FLO-17107 kit is a dream to install, only requiring two "cuts". The connector pipes from the header collector to the inlet side of the pre-welded "H-pipe" assembly are easily made. Here's my suggestion on installing this kit, either on a lift or in a driveway on safe, tall jackstands (emphasis on the safe jackstands here!!!):

1. Raise car and install the mufflers & tailpipes using the supplied factory-style hangars. Keep all joints slip fit and do not tighten any clamps yet. Support the mufflers with a jackstand or similar.

2. Slip fit the large H-pipe assembly into the mufflers, and support it so it tucks up close to the floorboards, but not too close.

3. Now you'll see the only thing missing is a connector pipe from your header collectors to the inlet of this H-pipe. Working on one at a time, hold up one of the connector pipes from underneath and mark cut lines with a Sharpie. These connector pipes are designed to be cut to length, as the kit is meant to accomodate the length of different header termination points. See the pipes here:

http://www.72chevelless.com/072801-17.jpg

They're the pipes with the Flowmaster part # stickers still attached.

4. After the connector pipes are cut, slip fit them, check for clearances around your whole system, tack weld the connectors, collectors and remove the H-pipe assembly. Fully weld the connector pipes and header collectors to the front of the H-pipe. All other connections (mufflers, tail pipes) at the back of the system should be kept un-welded using the provided clamps (or better GM-style clamps avail at a parts store) so you can easily remove the system if necessary. Here's an underside shot of the whole system on my car:

http://www.72chevelless.com/081101-20.jpg

Oh, I forgot, the tailpipe "inserts" at the very back of the system need to be trimmed to length depending on your desired exit spot, and whether or not you like the factory GM cowbell chrome exhaust tips.

You did the right thing by passing on the helpful, friendly, knowledgible staff at the muffler shop. Find another shop, or do the install yourself. It shouldn't take much more than a half day. Hope this helps!