DIY 3-Inch Dual Exhaust Install - Shout At The Devil

There comes a point in just about every build when you will need to relinquish the reins and enlist the talent of another person. Usually, these points are engine machining, paint, interior, and exhaust. Because these tasks take either specialty tools or skills to accomplish, it’s pretty easy to understand why so many seek help. This issue is sort of a thing of the past when speaking about exhaust. Thanks to Hooker Headers, a division of Holley Performance, we were able to install a complete, 3-inch, mandrel-bent stainless system under a ’70 Camaro without touching a welder or using anything more than typical handtools.

The system we are talking about is Hooker’s new ’70-’81 GM F-Body exhaust system (PN 42502HKR). It was developed for direct fitment to Hooker’s LS swap headers, but we’ve come to find out it will fit most long-tube headers as well. We were able to hook it to a set of headers that, quite frankly, look like they were built in the late ’70s.
The system is offered in two diameters, 21/2 and 3 inches, and includes high-quality band clamps and EO-style hangers. The tubes are stainless and are bent with a mandrel instead of a muffler shop-style compression bender. Compression-bent systems typically feature severe restrictions that, in turn, rob significant horsepower from your engine. The Hooker system comes with a set of TIG-welded 304 stainless steel absorption mufflers that feature composite stainless steel and high-temp E-glass packing in a straight-through design.
Another killer feature is the high-efficiency stamped x-shaped crossover that will equalize the system, increase torque, and smooth out the exhaust note. The fitment was spot on, with no clearance issues to report, and the OE quality hangers will keep the system in place but isolated from the body.
By the end of the day, we had a beefy-looking set of tubes tucked up nicely under the car. Once fired, the motor has a mellow tone down at idle, but you still hear the cam thumping away. Once you get into the throttle and she hits three grand, the tailpipes come alive and words like cackle, snappy, and crisp all come to mind.