Little Known Car Facts #2 Lake Pipes (Lakes Pipes)

[Greg Myers]

Was thinkin' about this : "And she purrs like a kitten till the lake pipes roar "

what are "Lakes Pipes" / "Lake Pipes" really ?

So I looked it up and found this : http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/kustoms-history-question-lakes-pipes.128765/

Edited August 30, 2014 by Greg Myers

[Greg Myers]

So how does one put them on a '32 Deuce coupe ?

[Ace-Garageguy]

Love that black roadster with the Moon caps. She'd be perfect if it wasn't for the square-cornered pipe-fitting roll-bar.

[clovis]

And if that ain't enough to flip your lid, there is one more thing, I've got the pink slip, daddy.

Edited August 30, 2014 by clovis

[southpier]

JC Whitney used to sell a "cut-out" kit with a choke rod control. probably still do.

[rmvw guy]

I always thought they were called "cut-outs" or "plugs" unless they went down the sides of the car and out. Then came headers with side pipes like the yellow Deuce.

Lake pipes always seemed to come with all the early AMT kits. I always associate them with fender skirts and giving your car a custom low look. A big time custom look of the late '50s. I remember fake lake pipes that didn't even connect to the exhaust. These were found in the JC Whitney catalog. If they have anything to do with the lakes, I would only guess it was due to the sound they would make when opened and driving by a lake. The dry lakes? Maybe the "cut-outs". I always liked the "cut-outs" and put them on all my early models until headers became popular.

Thanks for posting this subject it got me going a little.

Edited August 30, 2014 by rmvw guy

[Agent G]

SCTA rules required cars running on the lakes, and later the salt flats, to have exhaust pipes that vented to the rear. Guys just formed tubing and extended the pipes from the manifolds out the back, or down the side of the car. This eventually morphed into what you see in period customs as "lake pipes".

Cut outs are as old as the car itself. Someone, somewhere decided bypassing the muffler gave better performance and, most likely, sounded cooler. My '62 Pontiac 421 SD had them from the factory.

G

Edited August 30, 2014 by Agent G

[Greg Myers]

My '62 Pontiac 421 SD had them from the factory.

Yes they did.

[rmvw guy]

Factory cut-outs who knew? Very Cool! Great information about the SCTA's role in all this too. Now I want some cut-outs for my VW. My muffler came loose once from a little connector and gave me some fun one night.

Edited August 31, 2014 by rmvw guy

[c. jackson]

super duty pontiacs were badass. a 421 catalina would smoke a 64 goat. i've heard the exhaust, wow!

[Greg Myers]

Some old post are still here