I've got real lakes on my 428 powered '62 Galaxy. I LOVE the sound! Put your foot in the throttle, and it sounds like a big-block ski boat going down the street. Cops don't bug me about it either...bigger concerns to worry about in my town. I've got 'em running through cut-outs, that I can switch to mufflers. Only problem is, at idle the cut-out butterflys rattle pretty loud. The pipes don't 'blue' either. Anyway, like '40StudeDude said, lakes pipes in the 50's on street cars, were all about 'looks'. For just one example of many, take a look at the book "KUSTOMLAND - The Custom Car Photography of James Potter 1955-1959" and most of the custom cars of that era had non-functional lakes pipes, at least here in So. Cal. It seems to me, there was a '56 F-100 in the 50's with dual pipes running along the top of each running board...I think AMT made a model of it. I know the Rod & Custom 'Dream Truck' had dual pipes on each side where the running boards would have been, as the body was channeled and the running boards were removed. But, I think 40StudeDude's idea sounds the best: "However, here's my take on it...since you're removing the gas filler/cap, that means there's body work involved...so...slice your running board the width of the pipe, set the pipe up flush with the top of the board...that way you retain the board and have the "show" of chromed Lakes Pipes...if you're going to build a "custom", then do some custom mods..." By all means don't just bolt 'em on and leave the inlet end open! I see that all the time, and it looks so 'cheasy'! Just weld a curved piece of pipe to it, so it runs up under the frame, so it looks like it's actually connected.
How bout running them on top of the running boards, tight to the rockers. Then have the pipe follow the fender line up and straight back... Might look kinda kool...
Go to the top of the class, that is THE correct formula. I can only assume this by the frequency I see these 'elements' used in unison. And it's not confined to the US. Biggest laugh a mate and I had a few years back was when following a 61 Chev with a Betty Boop mural on a continental kit and 'lost in the 50's ' on the rear window!
Hook them up through the glass packs. Speedway has a kit with the u turns. Side pipe hook-up kit 930-7402 only 49.99 plus shipping. You need a couple reducers adapters but not too hard to do. I hooked mine up and really like the sound.
fake pipes won't burn you..............fake boobs will! That said, I vote for hooking em up. Christmas Trees need decorations, cars do not.
I understood em, just boggled me when I found out the headlights don't articulate... plus the peezin-off of people potential of real ones could be unlimited.. lol
Most Lakes Pipes back in the "show car" era were not functional...they were for looks only As were many of the "show cars" in that era. Nobody would recommend that.
For me, the only way to run them on an a Effie (functional or not) is up through the running boards and under the bed rails to the tailgate.
Make em real. I dont see the point either in "just for looks". You can have your cake and eat it too. Hook them up and reroute them through your regular exhaust when you want to.
Most Lakes Pipes through the years have not been functional. They are mostly a Kustom "thing" & are strictly cosmetic. When you hook them up, they discolor & look like crap. That said, I'd run Lakes Pipes or running boards, not both. Just my humble opinion!
Since when have customs ever been about ANYTHING "real"? A fake blower on a hot rod...now that I never understood. Dummie lakes on a custom= just bling. Visuals....that being what customs are. Besides, who wants to hear a low-compression, stock-cammed motor through 2" of sidepipe anyway. I say if its a custom, hang 'em on there, and do it for looks...thats what customs were/are for, besides, its easier.
I guess I'm in the middle on this ,1st do what you want it's yours , 2nd I put dummy spots and dummy pipes in the same group as dummy blowers , if you choose to run the pipes choose carefully , I dig the 60's show car theme if done with taste , please do not fall into the whole "lost in the 50's" thing that X38 was talking about ,I always joked about marketing a shrink wrapped one size fits all kit containing dummy spots ,lake pipes ,fuzzy dice and 59 caddy tail lights , with a few lost in the 50's and boop type decals , hey X38 you forgot to mention the continental kit with the drive in scene with your own car parked in front and "your names" drive in on the sing
haha...Are you SURE your not attending car shows in Jersey, instead of Colorado? that describes just about every "custom" around here! I admit, I give more leeway to customs on silliyness/non-functionality... its true...I find them frivolous by nature, anyway.
I have functional lakes on mine and cut outs on my wife's Buick and neither have blued! What am I doing wrong?? I want them to discolor and look like shit. I think if they are on the vehicle they should be hooked up but I can see where you are going with the "show car" look. Put them on and hook them up later if you want. Maybe get ones with the caps so if you do run them you can cover up the black funk. BloodyKnuckles
Add me to those who say NO. The trick thing on the Effies in the late 60's early 60's was to, have a chrome pipe come out at the bottom front corner of the bed, go up behind the front stanchion and then make a 90 and go back just below the bed rail to the back of the bed. That would be authentic but to have something poking out the side of the truck is as big a zit as fake Buick portholes. If you have to hang that stuff on the truck hang it on it so it is authentic to the way it was done back when and not just stuck on because you think you need it on the truck but don't really have a place to put it.
I've seen quite a few with the cover art of AG on the trunk lid too. A guy here had a little one on his dash with 'Mels Dinner' The car burnt down then he rebuilt it and got the spelling right. In the process he also moved the AG art to the trunk lid. There was also a thread recently on single vs. triple outlet pipes. Replies were similar to this one although triple outlets are mega o/t bling. When you see fuzzy dice in Camrys, it says something. Ditto blue dots and Caddy tails.
I agree, with the second paragraph this would be a good solution and a good look for your truck. Don't hook them up they'll turn to crap and look real bad.............. Remember - "Image is everything" A.A. CRUISER
In High School, no one hooked up their Lakes because we didn't have access to a welder. Now I run them or just "Dumps" with the Electric-cut-outs. You have the best of both worlds: Glass Packs, then open Lakes when you hit the Cruise-In driveway!! Tom
I gotta disagree. I think when you run them, they discolor and look REAL, which makes them look a shit-ton cooler than fakes. Just my humble opinion. Do you think that chrome zoomies look like crap if they're blued? I don't. I think they look like someone drives the car they're on. That's way cooler to me than pristine shine.
good thread.. i also considered lakes pipes for my Electra but thought they looked better on cars without the rocker panel moulding and mine has the moulding.. any opinions?
If they are going to be fake, at least run a cheater pipe over to the exhaust so that they LOOK functional. It always bugs me to look into a wheel well and see the intake side of the lakes pipe just hanging out in the breeze. Just a short piece of exhaust tubing notched around the exhaust would at least make it LOOK functional, and more finished. I have functional cut outs on my coupe, and I do open them fairly often. The worse part is finding gaskets that work, plus they are the lowest part of the exhaust system, so they are really rusty inside from all the condensation.
If I had to guess, I would say that at least 50%+ of the lakes pipes installed on vehicles since they were dreamed up were not functional.
Wow, you guys really bought this one back from the dead!!! But just for anyone who hasn't seen it, this was my (non-functional) solution; Dummy lakes rule at least as much as looked up ones! Paul
its your Dime so do what you Like! I would run like a 18 wheeler up the Back of the Cab that way you can make them work Just my 3.5 cents
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