I've been thinking about a new exhaust system ffor my 60 impala and one option would be a set of bellflower tips. After looking at numerous photos I'm a little confused as to what might be the 'corrrect' location for these. Sometimes I see that they are placed flush with the body panel and other times people have them extending outwards past the body panels. I am not referring to how far past the bumper they sit but how far to the sides. Any thoughts or benefits of choosing one over the other or is this just personal preference? If anyone has a photo off a 60 impala with bellflowers I'd love to see those as well. Thanks.
I've always thought they looked best directly under the fender. Not inboard or outboard of the fender.
Just looking at my 60 Elky for what would look right to me, and I grew up a short bicycle ride from Bellflower, the City of origin of the style, so I've been familiar with the style since it started. They should be about 30" long to go from the rear of the wheel opening to the rear of the car's body work. I like them to end at the end of the 1/4 on a car like this since the Bumper is up there above Valence and the pipes would look too long if they stick out as far as the bumper does. They should be DIRECTLY under the outboard tail lights when viewed from the rear. They should be parallel to the rocker panels when viewed from the side and from above. The only other acceptible angle would be if the car is a tail dragger, they can be mounted parallel to the road instead of the rocker, and isn't a '59 or '60 Chevy. The straight line styling of the Chevy body and fins mixed with angled pipes would look like shit. Yes, the 1/4 panel is angled up at the rear, Don't follow it. Mine are rusted out and if I decide to put Bellflowers on it I will cut and reshape the bottom of the 1/4 so it's level with the rockers just for that reason. Of course, these are all just my opinions, but do it different, don't ask how I like it...
I like them to follow the bottom of the quater panel. I've been wanting a set for my buick but I didn't like the price so this weekend I bought a set of used Harley pipes that I'm going to mount and use as bellflowers.
I just ran them along the edge of the quarter. I just had someone else hold them up to the car and I figured out where I thought they looked the best. Pretty simple.
Thanks for confirming what my guy told me was correct guys. I kept seeing some photos of the pipes sticking too far out the side and it just looked off but I had to ask in case I was missing something. DrJ, thanks for the detailed placement. I'll be sure to use it as a reference when the time comes. Now I just need to decide on what to put in between the header and the tips to keep the noise down a little so the neighbors don't complain. BombersSTL, that roof is really nice. Looks like a Jolly Rancher candy.
here is my '60 chevy (same rear bottom quarter as your impala) with bellflowers. i'd say that placement of them depends on the rear quarter of the car and flow & stance. Generally bellflowers work on a car that has a pocket in the rear quarter (body runs higher behind tire than the rockers.) that pocket's angle and amount of space will vary depending on the car. fill the gap with the pipes with a goal of matching rocker angle / height (depending on stance,) as well as matching angle of bottom rear quarter. from the rear, i'd not have the pipes extend further out than the bumper ever. I think well done bellflowers help front to rear flow of the car. -scott noteboom
Someone has suggested I should run Bellflower tips on my car. I had planned running straight cut tips, but when I went to pick the car up the exhaust guy had put slash cuts on it. I don't mind it, but it's a little bit too 'street machine' if you want to get fussy. My car would be considered a compact, so I don't have the length of the quarter panel that the cars pictured have. Thoughts?
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