any reviews on the 3" gbodyparts down pipe?

[cwmccray]

I paid a little north of 500 for the 3" mease pipe with a 3" dump and all the mounting hardware in 2003/2004... I never got to install it because my motor got toasted byt he previous owner and I didnt know it... turbo was shot, two pistons detonated, and the wrong oil pan on the engine!!!!!

The mease pipe looked amazing, and I was hooked on it because I bought Herb's (turboregal84) motor after his wreck (which was an amazing 12 sec set-up), and he had the t33c, mease pipe, ported out everything, original smc kit, and a few other odds and ends... I was trying to mirror his success, but college, then marriage, then baby put a few stops in those plans!!! lol


If the Gbody pipe is the same, then I should be able to expect the same performance right? like everyone is saying...EVERYTHING is harder with the bigger pipes... I have poston headers, and I dont remember 100%, but (I hope he chimes in), Herb also had the poston headers and his motor was awesome!!!!

I might still have a pic...
dang it... it is a different pipe... i dont know which one though???


here is the pic anyway!!!!

john

Looking at the picture, that would be a Zero to Sixty 3 inch down pipe. I got one some where in my collection of parts. I had it installed once. No exhaust, but the response was killer.... I found a donut gasket for the elbow. I also had Poston headers on the car.

 

[TurboRegal84]

John,

I had the Zero To Sixty pipe (which was actually made by Bob Simms/Keith Mease for Zero to Sixty)...I thought it was one of the best modifications I ever did to my car. It took some effort to get it from hitting anything but it really woke up the car. The newer style downpipes that eliminate the elbow are superior due to them making the bend after the turbo not as sharp which creates better flow.

 

[racemybuick]

THANKS HERB!!!


john

 

[Jerryl]

I have a Poston header on the passenger side with the 3"
D/P and there is no clearance problem with the header and
I also have the ATR uppipe. No fit problem except with the
heater box heat shield. So, with a 1987 turbo, ATR up pipe,
and the 3" D/P, the only clearance/fit pb. is with the heater
box heat shield on my car. A small pie cut in the D/P and
bend and reweld should solve it.
I plan on maybe some day doing this if I have time before
I give up on these cars.

That just goes to show every car is different. I can dig through my pics and see what I have at different angles. I have postons headers and a ATR up-pipe.

I had NO idea there would be that much variation between cars.
I would purchase another DP, under the condition that if any modification is needed, or if it does not fit, I would be able to return it.
I never asked about this, but that is what has been going on in my mind on this unit.

Well, obviously, something is off on my junk as there was about a 3/4 interference fit with the Poston headers.
So, it is more than likely a combination of the tollerances of the header and DP that creates the problem. (hmmmm)
In case you were wondering . . . . . The interference on "MY" car is in the area where the up-pipe bolts to the PS header.

.......... I plan on maybe some day doing this if I have time before I give up on these cars.

I am getting close . . . .

 

[tb3]

i could be ok with knocking a dent near the control arm if needed, but there should be plenty of room there for a 3" if you're body/engine mounts are in good shape. the tightest area (like already mentioned) is pass side header and heater box. but i don't see why it'd have to be tight/hitting the bottom of heater box. or the side of it for that matter either way, definetly not going to have a pipe rubbing up against my ac/heater box, so i'll probably pass on buying one at this point.

alot to be said (apperantly) for porting the stock elbow and installing a good aftermarket pipe like the zero to sixty.

jerryl, i also have poston headers. isn't there quite abit of extra meat around the flange area where uppipe connects, that you can grind off? i'm sure gbody parts would have no problem refunding you if they got the pipe back same as it was shipped

 

[6 to go]

My GBodyParts 3" clears the bottom of the heater box heat shield
and headers just fine, not close to the suspension - lots of
clearance. It just doesn't clear the forward/front side
of the heat shield. I plan on trying the other D/P on my 84
maybe next year, though.

 

[Jerryl]

i could be ok with knocking a dent near the control arm if needed, but there should be plenty of room there for a 3" if you're body/engine mounts are in good shape. the tightest area (like already mentioned) is pass side header and heater box. but i don't see why it'd have to be tight/hitting the bottom of heater box. or the side of it for that matter either way, definetly not going to have a pipe rubbing up against my ac/heater box, so i'll probably pass on buying one at this point.

alot to be said (apperantly) for porting the stock elbow and installing a good aftermarket pipe like the zero to sixty.

jerryl, i also have poston headers. isn't there quite abit of extra meat around the flange area where uppipe connects, that you can grind off? i'm sure gbody parts would have no problem refunding you if they got the pipe back same as it was shipped

As stated by other members.
There is plenty of room at the a-arm. Mine just slipped and dented the pipe.
I had the band clamp torqued to 65 ft-lb

There is plenty of room below the heater box.
The only 3 areas(On my car) it gets close are;
The area of the aluminum bend pipe to the AC accumulator/ heater box heat shield
The frame below the heater box
The up-pipe to Poston header Passenger side connection. I had to CAREFULLY grind the flange and ended up with about 1/16-1/8" clearance in that area.

Based on feedback in this thread, your set-up may fit just fine.
All of the reasons listed above is why I had contacted Big Wood Racing to get a "real set-up" for the HA cars.
There was a thread I posted in the HA section on this.
Hope this helps.

 

[racemybuick]

so...mixed about the 3" pipe is the general consensus? that 0-60 pipe was hot but pretty rare huh? I want the 3" dp sooooo bad, but 600 for the pipe, 900 for a turbo, another 500 for a converter, and then another 400+ for alky... this has got to be the most expensive investment i have ever had!!! I'd have to do one at a time i guess... Which one first???? I think turbo, then converter... hmmmm




john:biggrin:

 

[Boost231]

alky first. as far as the zero to sixty pipe. i hated that pipe.

 

[BRAD_PADGETT]

so...mixed about the 3" pipe is the general consensus? that 0-60 pipe was hot but pretty rare huh? I want the 3" dp sooooo bad, but 600 for the pipe, 900 for a turbo, another 500 for a converter, and then another 400+ for alky... this has got to be the most expensive investment i have ever had!!! I'd have to do one at a time i guess... Which one first???? I think turbo, then converter... hmmmm




john:biggrin:

The IMO the order would be, Alky, turbo, downpipe then converter. The major flaw of the 0-60 is that it uses the 2 inch turbo elbow. I would make the GBODY downpipe fit with a few placed dents(if needed). These dents will not impact the flow of a TA33C. My 2 cents. Brad