Correct exhaust for 68 bb L89 car

[dld2324]

Did the L78/89 cars have the chambered exhaust like the Zs or just standard single muffler. Or am I off completely? Please help!

[bertfam]

No, the chambered exhaust was 69 only.

All 68 SS models received the N10 dual exhaust (single muffler and two resonators). The RPO NF2 (deep tone muffler and no resonators) was a "no cost" option if you desired.

Ed

[Steve68]

My 68 L78 came with the deep tone muffler.  No resonators.......had a road side discussion with a county cop on this subject.  . I don't remember requesting it when I ordered the car.  I don't think it's on the order form either......I will pull it and take a look.  Will let you know if it is on the order form.

[lakeholme]

Steve,
Just curious... was the officer suggesting that the NF2 was above the legal decibel limit or just a general hassle of a muscle car owner?
I carry an envelope full of copies of state and local laws just for those occasions.

[Steve68]

Phillip

Well, since you asked here is the story.  My brother and I were actually on the way to the dealership to have some minor warranty work performed on the car.  The gas gauge didn't work when I picked it up from the dealer and they had to order the part.  I had only had the car for about a week.  We went into McLean to fill up with Sunoco 260 and we pulled out of the gas station to go to Lustine Chevrolet in Maryland.  There was a McDonald's across the street from the station and the cop was pulling out from there at the same time.  I saw him and was being very careful to be going below the speed limit.  There was one car between the police car and me.  He turned on his siren for a short burst and flashed his tree.  I pulled over to the side and to my surprise the car behind me went around and he pulled in behind me.  My brother asked me what I did.  I said nothing.  Officer walked up to the car and told me to start the engine...I did....he said step on it.....I did, lightly....engine goes rum......he said NO I mean step on it!..... I did and it produced a nice roar.  Officer said come back here as he started toward the rear....I said can I turn the car off?  He said yes.  I was polite and respectful at all times....I'm 18 and not looking or trouble.  We are standing behind the car and he said to me you have removed the muffler....I said no sir.....he said show me where it is then.....we are down on our knees......I don't see the muffler....confused and a little desperate I point out the duel exhaust pipes and exclaim that they must be coming from the muffler.  He gets real excited and said the pipes were resonators......."those are resonators son resonators".   He said he had a new Firebird and it had resonators......I thought, this isn't a Firebird.  He then said I had removed the muffler.....I told him I had not.  I told him I only lived about 2 miles from there and if he would follow me home he could talk to my Dad to verify i had not altered the vehicle.  He declined (later found out he was going off duty).  I stopped at a phone booth and called my Dad to tell him what had just happened.  My Mom told me later that Dad went to police substation were my Dad and the officer "had a frank discussion".  Anyway, back to the side of the road.  The officer decides he will look at another Camaro and if he can see the muffler then he will issue me a ticket.  I continue to the dealership.  Pull up to service.....what can we help you with today sir......you can show me where the muffler is on this car......tell service rep the story......he says you can't see it from behind the car.......we move to side and get down to see the muffler neatly tucked in behind the gas tank.  So, you tell me what you think it was Phil. .    That's the only time I ever got pulled over in the car.  Wow, it just seems like yesterday.  44 years ago.  Where did the time go!?

Steve

[lakeholme]

Steve, got your PM.  That's a great story! 
I drove an Implala SS in high school and every now and then I'd get pulled over and the cop would look the car over and never tell me why. No warning... no ticket....  I finally asked the police chief if there was a drug dealer or some other criminal with a similar car.  (His son was a classmate.) He laughed and said, "No, they're just looking at your car!  I'll tell them to lay off..."  Never got stopped again.
Nowadays, I find too many officers are not familiar with old cars and some laws that pertain to them, which explains the envelope.... 
Thanks for sharing!  Whenever I hear the words muffler and cop in the same sentence, I know a good story follows. 

[crobjones2]

When I drove my car, I always got pulled over for no front license plate(required here in Ca) - they just had a hard time seeing it due to the angle? - finally asked a CHP that became a friend - he said his buddies just wanted to look at the car

[rare396bronze]

Pulled original exhaust off my 68 l35 car years ago it did not have resonaters. Have copy off off original sales invoice & mso from gm. Has all options that came with car but nothing said about exhaust. Neat thing about this ss convertable was stripe delete car has -1 for paint code.

[firstgenaddict]

I had an original 68 Z system I sold with a 68 L35 RS/SS in the early 90's. It was taken off the first week the car was owned, it had resonators.
The 68 Z was delivered mid May 1968 and was bought by the local Mercury Marine dealer's son. It was immediately modified, 4.88's, headers, and, engine sent out to be balanced/blueprinted in ATL, maybe Nalley chev? Reported to be a wicked street racer. 

[dld2324]

So want this car to rumble like a BB should along with staying original so would a PRO Nf2 be the best route. Is that muffler a good deep tone? Does flowmaster or others produce that muffler to fit in original spot for a better sound? Sorry have not taken time to look into this. Thanks

[69Z28]

 I know this is a few months old but I was reading this post and was compelled to respond to it. I had the same thing as Steve68 happen to me back in 1974.

 I was stationed at Dover AFB Delaware and one sunday morning I had the wife and my 1 year old son in my 69 Z. Coming back from church we stopped at a Dairy Queen to get some ice cream for my son and a Delaware State Trooper pulls in behind us. I got out of the car and he asked me to get back in and rev the engine. I did as Steve68 did and just lightly touched the throttle. The trooper said 'NO' stomp on it. I mashed my foot right down on the floor for about 5 seconds and let off. I asked him why he wanted me to do that and he said that he "observed me going up the rode with my foot into it and it was pretty loud". I told him he was nuts, plus my car had the factory exhaust system on it. I just got out of church with my family in the car do you think I would do that with a baby in the car? He asked for my drivers license, which was issued to me in Atlanta Georgia. He didn't like that until I showed him my military ID and he said never mind. He got back into his car and left. I know these cars are noisy but come on. Sometimes the carbs can be as load as the exhaust, too. By the way, I wasn't doing what the cop said I was doing. It was around 11:30 am and there was quite a bit of traffic and there were loads of hot cars going up and down the road at that time. Could have been anyone.

[NoYenko]

My car is an early 69 (11A) L35 and I want to but on the correct factory exhaust. Would an early 396 only come with chambered exhaust or could have been made with the single muffler design? I don't have any original pipes, but it looks like it still has chambered exhaust hangers.
Secondly: I have heard the chambered exhaust is more restrictive than the single muffler design, has anyone installed Gardner's chambered system and seen a loss in performance over the single muffler?  With only 325hp I need all I can find. George