I have been reading and reading and reading about all the different systems you can buy from dynomax and jegs and something about borla?? i dont n... But what i need to know is what is the best system for me to buy thats under 200$$ Also where i can get the hardware to hang it all and everything..... Also headers.....I need to buy some cheap headers that are good quality and will fit nicely with the exhaust system im going to purchase......any suggestions will help....thanks

Look at this system Jegs (http://www.jegs.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ProductDisplay?prrfnbr=118272&prmenbr=361)
The system for the 1973-1977 Chevelle/ El Camino will work if you modify the transmission cross member. Looks pretty complete except for exhaust hangers.
Look here for a header Jegs (http://www.jegs.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ProductDisplay?prrfnbr=1283&prmenbr=361)
The price for a ceramic coated header is reasonable.

but what do you mean modify the crossmember? and is jegs the best and easiest system to use..ive never done anything with a car in my life i just turned 16

The Jegs exhaust kit looks is very complete and should fit easily. It is much cheaper than a local exhaust shop would charge and since it is mandrel bent it is better than most local exhaust shops. A cross-member is a piece of metal (most likely stamped steel) that connects between the frame rails. A transmission cross-member also holds the rear of the transmission up. Since the exhaust pipes go from the front of the car to the rear they have to pass over, thru or under the transmission cross member. In your case the exhaust has to pass under the crossmember but the cross member has to have clearance (commonly called a hump) or the exhaust pipe will be too low. The factory exhaust is single and you want dual exhaust, you have to modify the crossmember for a second hump. This requires fabrication and welding, skills that you don't seem to have. You can also buy a "double hump" cross member but they are somewhat expensive. You have to get some experienced help or go to a professional. Sorry there is no cheap way to get a performance exhaust system. It's going to cost you between $500.00 (if you do it yourself) and up to $1000.00 (pay someone) to get headers and dual exhaust.

couldnt i buy that cross member from rick for 100 dollars get the headers and system from jegs and then be on my way?

Yes. I think when I do mine, I will have a local exhaust shop bend the pipes for me.

79Suzy, if someone is willing to sell you a modified or new dual exhaust crossmember for $100.00 it is probably a good deal. You can buy the exhaust kit and headers and get someone with experience to help you.
Tommy, at least in my area most exhaust shops do not use mandrel benders. I would not bother with an exhaust system that isn.t mandrel bent.

I also am a member of maliburacing.com. It's kind of ironic, but a lot of posts there parrallel a lot of posts here on ECC at the same time. A member there just very recently purchased and installad the Jegs crossmember and the exhaust system in question here (great pics were taken). He said the exhaust system was a pain in the butt to install because it didn't line up quite right and as a result he still has to take it to a shop to have an extension added in...the dimensions are off and also the hangars didn't line up correctly. He said that the crossmember is adequate but it slightly hits the floor on the drivers side...but, this can be corrected by using one of my favorite tools...a big f'ing hammer. I am still a pickin and a choosen parts for my Elky. I bought one of Ricks (Iceman) crossmembers. His crossmember was first brought to my attention by another member of ECC here and I went looking for Rick at maliburacing.com. Rick and I had emailed each other back and forth a few times when I was getting ready to purchase his crossmember. He makes these in his garage to fund the car he's building...he's not a corporation...he's like most of us, just an enthusiast. Him and his wife are doing this thing. Best bet guys...better get one soon...he's gonna raise the price up...his cost is going up due to a sizable increase in steel prices. He's got enough steel in his garage now to make a few more and then the price goes up! He's currently offering the members at maliburacing.com a discount for a group buy (he's also offering a discount on the extension too for those that need it). This is only going to last until the steel he has on hand runs out. I do not represent Rick here on ECC but maybe if you talk real nice to him he'll give you the same discount and yeah that's right I'm a sweet talker. I did get mine at the discount price. His crossmember is worth every penny I spent and a whole lot more if you look at the alternative...the G-force. Ricks is just as good if not better! And Jegs doesn't even compare to his. Get em while their hot...and cheap, even if you don't get the discount! (whew) Anyway...back to the exhaust...I'm going with Hooker headers. I'm an old guy, and I've installed a few sets of headers of different brands in mine time. If I'm putting headers on MY car, I don't even consider another brand. I'll have 2 1/2" pipes custom bent that'll exit behind the rear tires. I know probably 10-15 independent muffler shops that can do it for me (mandrel bent) in my area, so the price will be competetive...I figure $200 minus mufflers. Mrapii, sorry to say bro, this time I gotta disagree with you...79Suzy forget about the Jegs exhaust system, yeah it's cheap but your gonna get what you pay for...which is gonna be a cheap, hard to fit exhaust system and a major headache! Yeah you can probably get a muffler shop to correct the mistakes, but it's gonna add to the price.

Thanks for the heads-up elcaminofactory. I've dealt with Jegs a lot and bought several of their branded products and have never been disappointed. I surprised about your evaluation of the exhaust system but I guess everyone has a dud now and then. My recommendations reflect my experience. Several years ago I needed a quick exhaust system real fast and I gave the premier exhaust system in my area the job. They bent and installed a $450.00 piece of crap. Never again. I have mail ordered two exhaust systems since then and have been very happy (both by Flowmaster). I like to do my own work if at all possible and then I can blame myself if it's not upto my standards.

We have a few great shops around here. Besides I have never had much luck with those "ready made systems". I already have a good set of mufflers & tail pipes so when I do put in some street headers I will just need them connected to half of my current exhaust.

I heated my crossmember up with a torch and bent it with a hammer. I was sure not to "kink" it so that no strength would be lost. You cant bend it to look like the other side but it is enough to run the exhaust underneath without being to close to the ground. I know its ghetto but it worked.

Well I guess that's one way to do it.

I heated my crossmember up with a torch and bent it with a hammer. I was sure not to "kink" it so that no strength would be lost. You cant bend it to look like the other side but it is enough to run the exhaust underneath without being to close to the ground. I know its ghetto but it worked.

Heres a better, cleaner looking way.
http://elcaminocentral.com/albums/albun47/52modxmember_med.jpg

About 30 minutes worth of work with a proper tools :D

I thought about that but tried the other first. If it didnt work i had another to work on. Didnt want to notch it to start with and loose a little bit of strength. Yeah yeah i know, just a little, but a little nonetheless. Im sure the cross member's wall are thick enough to handle a little notch but i decided againts it. Plus its just a little hump and i think it looks a little cleaner then a square notch. If you heat it up and lay a 3in. pipe over it then hammer it, it creates a smooth dent that doesnt look to bad.

Theres no strenght lost by doing the notch if you box it back in. Acrually, the notched section on mine is stronger than the rest of the X-member.

Hey Furious why don't you post a picture.

I gave mine to a friend with a malibu, since mine wont be driven any time soon :-( , but i may have a pic of one off his other malibu. It was done kind of like that. Ill check.

hmm i think what im going to do is just take my car to the shop and get it done...it wont be mandrel bent but who cares...when i get the money ill upgrade...my friend told me his friend could do my whole system (including flowmaster mufflers) for 150$ installed and everything...but i would like to see a picture of the bent method...

Also Acauth has talked me out of having headers but i have one small problem...i dont have manifolds that will fit my 79 elky...does any1 know some1 where i could get some for cheap? new or used..

Almost bought Jeg's dual exhaust kit to go with the headers I picked up last month--but truck freight was gonna add another $90, so I thought I'd try a couple local calls. Local shop could get me the same DynoMax kit (part# 89017), price was a couple bucks higher, but there's no shipping cost. Then the guy read the fine print--78-87 G-Body, *except El Camino. One note above said someone had trouble making the kit fit, that's why. The catalog doesn't say that, and the person I was talking with on the phone didn't say that either.

So I'm back to having a local shop bend up the tail pipes. There's a couple good places here. If nothing else works, I could always just go with turn outs ahead of the rear wheels. But I'm kinda partial to the sound of long straight pipes, grew up on '60s glass packs.

I think you could have used that Dynomax kit with only a small mod to the tailpipe.

since we are on the subject of exhaust..I just picked up a pair of shortie headers for my elco..I really dont want to have to make the modifications for a dual exhaust. I was thinking about running a 2 1/2 inch y pipe in the stock configurations to 3 inch pipe to flowmaster muffler and then a single outlet pipe 3 inches. I saw a guy on the freeway here with a huge 3 inch single outlet and the car sounded great..I know there is no substitution for true duals but would this be a good alternative?

Yes ''crash'', this would be a good alternative. It won't give you the same performance increase, but it will probably be close. You don't fly airplanes for a living do you? :lol:

hey thats an idea...flying planes..hmmm..na it will never work.lol i can just see myself right now buzzin towers...since i am thinking about going with a big single exhaust system, what sort of muffler should i go with. I was thinking a flowmaster 50 series or maybe a 70 series..im gonna be running just headers and pipes and mufflers and i really dont want it to be extremely loud..Im looking for a mellow sound with a little hurrumf..I have a vette with 2 delta flow mufflers along with hooker headers and it sounds monsterous..I dont want another beast lol..anyone have any suggestions..I thought about maybe even a turbo muffler.

I am a big, big fan of Dynamax super turbos. I them on all my cars, even the family mini van. :)

do dynomax mufflers have a nice sound to them??

I used Dynomax mufflers on my 1962 Corvette and they sound good. I have used Flowmasters on other cars and I prefer the deeper tone of the 40 series although they resonate more than the Dynomax mufflers.

The 86 is starting to show some signs of rust and a split.

I went by a local shop (not with the car) and asked about
options. In the end the best suggestion for me since wasn't
wanting to get real involved but upgrade a little from the
stock. Was too, Go with a Firebird/Camaro single in dual out
muffler. They felt Flowmasters would be too loud. I can't
remember the manufacturer name. This would still fit up
between the gas and axle. Since its the Org system they
may want to replace the pipe all the way back. Does anyone
know of a site or sites that offer this muffler configuration
to compare. See what companies manufacture the vertical
style muffler.

Seems cost est was around $300. I thought this was a
bargain since just spent 2K on a stainless Corsa pace car
setup with X pipe and Tigershark tips for the vette.

I like the low growl of the turbos with out being loud.

BlueEl don't waste your money on the exhaust system that shop recommended. If they can't (won't) bend up a dual exhaust for your El Camino and they tell you Flowmasters are too loud it doesn't look like the kind of shop that has performance wired. Go somewhere else.

I got true duals with H pipe and flowmasters. The shop built it from the headers back and only charged $300. $300 is unreal for a single pipe ran with a muffler. Just my opinion.

Hummmmm sounds like I will be doing a little more muffler shop
checking.

yeah 300 is a bit high for a single exhaust..I wouldnt even fool with that camaro/firebird muffler..Its a crossflow design..those are pretty expensive in itself..if anything go with a single pipe set up with a turbo or a flowmaster muffler..with 2 1/2 or 3 inch pipes..Thats the rout i think i gonna go..Also if anyone here has ever been to p.a.w.. in northridge they have a killer elco on display that has a set up that is in the same place as the stock pipes...dont know if its two separate pipes going into a dual in dual out muffler..but it looks clean..the two tail pipes come out together on the right side...