Electric cutouts installed on my '76

No pics yet, I'll get them up soon. Hopefully a video with that as well. Just in case any of you are on the fence about them, they're amazing. I got QTPs as recommended by the shop that installed them. EXTREMELY loud! Gotta love it. When I started my car at the school parking lot today I set off atleast 20 car alarms.  My car has the original numbers matching 350. Stock exhaust (except for the cutouts of course). I run them open all the time, except when I'm leaving for school in the morning. I've noticed better gas mileage and I've been able to lower my idle alot, compared to running through the pipes. Overall, it's the best money I've spent on the car since I got it.
I'd like to thank '73 Shark for his PMs regarding them and recommending them to me.

Heres the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-k-JNeISlw

Your welcome.  Glad it worked out for you.  Can't wait to see the pics. 

Hi Dj Envy, that has got to be so cool!. I saw your post about them and I think that it would be so much fun to have them. Enjoy your (LOUD) ride. PG.

Hey DJ Envy,

what are these "electric cutouts" ?
I think I missed the topic about....

   Are these "electric cutouts" what we used to call "dumps?"  I missed it too.

Yes, they're also known as dumps. The old ones installed way back when were manual. You had to go under the car and uncap them yourself.

Here's some of the discussion: http://www.corvetteforums.com/m_54195/mpage_1/key_/tm.htm
 
Dj Envy:  Still awaiting pics.

DjEnvy,
please post a video soon if you can.I want to check the sound on a c3. I don't always like the c3 sound with free flowing exhausts, because often is not as deep as I like.
 
If  the sound is ok on your vette , I could replace my catalytic converters with those cutouts, I think...
 
who sells them?

You can buy them online on ebay or other websites.
 
I can get pictures up, but a video will have to wait, I'm sorry. My starter just crapped out on me today when I tried to leave my brother's school. Hoping to have it fixed by Saturday, but I doubt it.

Here's one that I showed Dj Envy: http://http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180242786365&ssPageName=MERC_VIC_RCRX_Pr2_PcY_BIN_IT&refitem=170202335393&itemcount=2&refwidgetloc=closed_view_item&usedrule1=CrossSell_LogicX&refwidgettype=cross_promot_widget&_trksid=p284.m183&_trkparms=algo%3DCRX%26its%3DS%252BI%26itu%3DUCI%252BSI%26otn%3D2
 
There's another version that has a slide valve instead of a butterfly valve.
 
If you want a deep sound, you might try leaving the cats on and removing the mufflers.  I've heard small block Chevys in pickups that have done that and it's deep.  Probably not real good at highway speeds tho.

   They are cool.  Good f/ the street racer in an "all-out" wide-open throttle, from a traffic light situation,-even cooler. LOL  (You know the deal, that your low and mid-range power is gone w/ the dumps.) 
   In the early and mid-70s, ( probably this doesn't exist anymore) the NHRA had the "Optional" Stock class; You could run, ie: E Stock (E/S) or run E Optional (E/O), the Optional being that you could either run open head pipes or street slicks (the ones w/ the two lines in the tread.) either or.  It really was more than it sounds like, as you could go for more power and less traction or vise-versa. With bigger gears and jets-f/ open head pipes-it made a big difference if you had the right combo down, and vise-versa w/ the street slicks and a complete exhaust system, suspension adjustments made it work.  You really had to know your car well.  I had a good friend who had an all stock '69 SS 396 Chevelle.  He ran a 12.99 et. at National Speedway and set the class record that day f/ the "E/O" class.
  
   Dumps were popular way-back, and obviously still are.  "COOL!"

73shark,
so do you say to keep the cats and remove the mufflers?( I have flowmaster 40)
this means that the cats give a deep sound...
 
Actually I was there to remove the cats to have the exhausts free flowing ( they may be clogged, don't know...) and improve gas mileage.

The SBC engines I heard w/ just cats and no mufflers had a very deep sound.  If your cats are clogging up, then you need to replace or remove as that will kill power and fuel economy. 
 
You can check vacuum and see if exhaust is clogging or check back pressure at the oxygen sensor ports.

I'll do a video tomorrow, I promise. Got the new starter installed.
 
I honestly can't say that I've felt a loss in torque. She seems to handle very similar to them closed or before they were installed. Only difference I've noticed is that I don't have to push the pedal as far to get to the same speed. I used to have to go the pump every 5 days. I'm still on the same tank and it's been 7 days. Trust me, I do floor it as well.  I'd say my engine is definitely breathing better and handling better than before.

73shark
i don't have a vacuum gage to check if cats are clogged. I may go to my mech ...
I don't think that my cats are clogged because I hear distinctly the engine sound at exhausts. I hear my exhausts quite free flowing , and I have optimal gas mileage too, far better than other c3 I know.
 
But I'll remove cats asap, regardless of the sound. there's no need to keep them. I'll surely improve the performance and mileage and have less heat just under the passengers' seats.
 
I have a "problem " possibly depending on the cats.
 
When I shift from 4th to 3rd speed at quite high rpm ( for example before cornering) , I hear from exhausts : "pam-pam-pam...." . This happens everytime that I downshift and also when I release the gas pedal at high speed
 


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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-k-JNeISlw
A bit short, camera ran out of memory. Sorry about my friend talking, lol.

Hey Dj Envy,
what a sound !
 
are your cutouts similar to these?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/QTP-Dual-2-5-Electric-Exhaust-Cut-Out-USED-No-Reserve_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ42610QQihZ012QQitemZ220236233248QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW
 
I don't know if I can go for them because I have checked my car's papers ( the italian Title) and I have seen that car has " emission devices". So If I remove the cats , I may have troubles with the police or problems at the mandatory car check every year.
 
Anyway , yesterday I went to the exhausts shop and opened the cats , removed the mesh  filter inside and fitted everything back. So cats are there but not working.
I found that one of the cats was already empty : probably cracked and everything pushed out through the exhaust. Now I understand why the sound was different at the 2 exhausts.
Now I'm OK in this way. If I'll have the chance to fit a pair of cutouts, it will be great
 
for PG .
 yes my starter miss the bracket.
It seems to me that it has been removed when headers installed...
 that bracket should be connected to the starter on one side . And on the other? on the block or on the exhaust manifold? I think I'll manufacture a custom bracket with an iron piece
 
 


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Yep, those are the exact cutouts I have :)
 
 
If I were you I would have the splits put as close to the manifolds or headers as possible. That way you can still pass emissions with them closed as the exhaust will still go through the Cats or mufflers.

If you don't mine me asking, but how much did those cutouts cost?

$650 including installation.