Crimson@69442

On a 68 442 were exhaust tips welded on or clamped from the factory?

BackInTheGame

Mine were welded. Looked original, but I'm the 3rd or 4th owner so I couldn't swear they came that way.

rallyredw31

welded 100%

BangScreech4-4-2

Huh. Mine were slip-fit when I got the car, but welded them when I went from 2" to 2.25" tailpipe.

Car is 53 years old, though.

BackInTheGame

Factory was 2.25". My trumpets were slip-fit, then tack-welded.

rallyredw31

The factory tail pipe was 2". The tips were straight not ballooned like todays aftermarkets. they slipped into the pipe and were spot welded. On originals I have seen 2-3 welds on each. All GM A body tails were 2" 68-71. That goes for Chevelle's, 442's, Buick GS, and GTO's.

BackInTheGame

Interesting. Thanks for that. I could have sworn I saw documentation of 2.25" OD pipes from the manifold back. I'll start digging to see if I can find that source.

joe_padavano

The factory muffler has a 2" outlet.

The only A-body that I've found with factory 2.25" tailpipes was the GTO. In the 1970s, before the large diameter aftermarket tailpipes were available, I would use those GTO pipes on my Oldsmobiles. At the time I was running the Walker Turbo mufflers with 2.5" inlet and outlet, and would need a 2.5 to 2.25 adapter at the outlet.

BackInTheGame

Thanks, Joe. Thanks, too, rallyredw31. I've been wrong before! I wonder where I got that 2.25"...

Yellowstatue

The factory left down pipe was 2 1/4" from the manifold to the muffler where it was swaged down to 2" to fit the muffler. I have NOS tailpipes 404665-6 with welded tips.

11971four4two

THE New Old Stock GM tailpipes I had , 1966 and 1971 had the tips from factory welded on