1939 Ford exhaust options

Dan39Deluxe

Dan39Deluxe

Member
Hello,
I've got my car mostly back together, it's a 1939 Ford Deluxe Fordor. The plan was to put the original exhaust back on, but after trying to separate the Y pipe and the Crossover pipe I found out both those pieces are in real bad shape and should be replaced.


I've been trying to find someone that sells the Y pipe and Crossover pipes but all I've found so far is people selling expensive kits for the whole system that are built after you order, so months of delay.


I already have the cab back on the car, the engine is back in.


Is it possible/common to build a custom dual exhaust and install it with the body/engine already on the frame?


Any one know of a good kit that works well for this car?


I guess I'm just trying to get an experts opinion on how screwed I am here.
 
Dan39Deluxe said:
Hello,
I've got my car mostly back together, it's a 1939 Ford Deluxe Fordor. The plan was to put the original exhaust back on, but after trying to separate the Y pipe and the Crossover pipe I found out both those pieces are in real bad shape and should be replaced.


I've been trying to find someone that sells the Y pipe and Crossover pipes but all I've found so far is people selling expensive kits for the whole system that are built after you order, so months of delay.


I already have the cab back on the car, the engine is back in.


Is it possible/common to build a custom dual exhaust and install it with the body/engine already on the frame?


Any one know of a good kit that works well for this car?


I guess I'm just trying to get an experts opinion on how screwed I am here.
Click to expand...
Gosh, you are not screwed at all. No worries.
I may have NOS cross over and front exhaust pipes. There ARE places that sell pieces (repop). I've never been pleased with repop front exhaust pipes as they always need a little "tweaking" to fit properly. That's why, for my restorations, I use only NOS.
 
Kube said:
Gosh, you are not screwed at all. No worries.
I may have NOS cross over and front exhaust pipes. There ARE places that sell pieces (repop). I've never been pleased with repop front exhaust pipes as they always need a little "tweaking" to fit properly. That's why, for my restorations, I use only NOS.
Click to expand...


that would be awesome! Let me know if you can find them I'd buy them off you.
 
Dan, I think it depends on whether you want to restore to the original single exhaust or you want to put on duals. As Mike said above, you can't go wrong with the NOS pipes assuming that the rest of the system (muffler to tailpipe is in good shape.)


When I got my '39 Deluxe Fordor, the entire exhaust system was shot...manifolds included. You can definitely replace the whole system with the body on and the engine in. I have this affinity for duals....can't help it and have been this way for 70 years!!


I went with Fenton cast iron headers and built an entirely new system all the way back. If I were to do it again, I'd probably go with Red's Headers and pipes....less fitment issues, I think.


I'm blessed to have a lift in my garage, so welding and putting things together is doable. If I had to do it lying on my back, I'd be saving up for a trip to the muffler shop.


Just my opinion and best of luck to you with your '39....love that year and model!!
 
RKS.PA said:
Dan, I think it depends on whether you want to restore to the original single exhaust or you want to put on duals. As Mike said above, you can't go wrong with the NOS pipes assuming that the rest of the system (muffler to tailpipe is in good shape.)


When I got my '39 Deluxe Fordor, the entire exhaust system was shot...manifolds included. You can definitely replace the whole system with the body on and the engine in. I have this affinity for duals....can't help it and have been this way for 70 years!!


I went with Fenton cast iron headers and built an entirely new system all the way back. If I were to do it again, I'd probably go with Red's Headers and pipes....less fitment issues, I think.


I'm blessed to have a lift in my garage, so welding and putting things together is doable. If I had to do it lying on my back, I'd be saving up for a trip to the muffler shop.


Just my opinion and best of luck to you with your '39....love that year and model!!
Click to expand...


Thanks for the info RKS,
I would prefer duals as well. But I don't have a lift I'd be doing everything on my back.



But if it's possible I'd like to do it as long as it wouldn't mean moving too much like the already installed break/fuel lines.



Essentially the job is put the pieces up, mark them, take them off and weld them right? Annoying but doable on ur back? You don't need to weld anything while under the car do you?
 
You really don't have to worry about the exhaust system until the car is pretty well built and road ready. Any good muffler shop can bend, build up a system that fits your car and/or your needs.
If you are building an everyday driver, NOS is not really needed, in fact, a variation of a stock system could be cost effective and get the job done.
A lot of the EFV8 guys like dual exhausts with un-chambered mufflers, some prefer headers with glass packed mufflers. Dual exhaust systems can be very noisy and for the most part do nothing but drain your pocket book. Headers for the most part are an ego trip for the driver, on a unmodified engine they do very little other than broadcast the message to 'look at me'.
During the sixty-nine years I have had my '36 coupe I have had many exhaust system variations, dual's with steel packs 'Smitty's', and dual's glass-pack's. When I out grew the noise phase of my life I went to custom bent/built 2" pipes, stock manifolds, from the engine to the rear bumper with stock type mufflers on both sides. The silence is golden.
The engine in my car is a well built 59AB that has surprised a lot of people throughout the years.
 
blucar said:
You really don't have to worry about the exhaust system until the car is pretty well built and road ready. Any good muffler shop can bend, build up a system that fits your car and/or your needs.
If you are building an everyday driver, NOS is not really needed, in fact, a variation of a stock system could be cost effective and get the job done.
A lot of the EFV8 guys like dual exhausts with un-chambered mufflers, some prefer headers with glass packed mufflers. Dual exhaust systems can be very noisy and for the most part do nothing but drain your pocket book. Headers for the most part are an ego trip for the driver, on a unmodified engine they do very little other than broadcast the message to 'look at me'.
During the sixty-nine years I have had my '36 coupe I have had many exhaust system variations, dual's with steel packs 'Smitty's', and dual's glass-pack's. When I out grew the noise phase of my life I went to custom bent/built 2" pipes, stock manifolds, from the engine to the rear bumper with stock type mufflers on both sides. The silence is golden.
The engine in my car is a well built 59AB that has surprised a lot of people throughout the years.
Click to expand...



thanks for the info blucar.
I'm thinking having a muffler shop do this job for me is gonna be outside my comfortable price range. So if possible I'm wanting to do everything I can myself.
Mines mostly a stock rebuilt engine except I got the cylinders bored out to basically the 100HP version which is 3.16 I think.
So coming out of the engine should still be the small 1.5 inch exhaust ports going into the manifolds right?
So what your saying is anything I do for custom dual exhaust will not give me better performance right?


So I guess I'm not that concerned about the better sound from dual exhaust. But if it's actually simpler to run dual exhaust then find either a NOS or reproduction cross over/Y pipe then I'd just do that.

I've looked for reproduction's and can't find anyone making them that sell just the crossover or Y pipe for the 39 passenger.
I guess I'll wait to hear back from Kube if he finds/wants to sell his NOS ones but I'm not really sure which route I'll go just yet.
 
blucar is correct, Stock manifolds on a slightly or unmodified car is the way to go. I have this setup on my 40 with aluminized pipes and wore out steel packs for over 30 years. Have not fallen off yet. the only issue is finding a good shop to bend the pipes
 
slowforty said:
blucar is correct, Stock manifolds on a slightly or unmodified car is the way to go. I have this setup on my 40 with aluminized pipes and wore out steel packs for over 30 years. Have not fallen off yet. the only issue is finding a good shop to bend the pipes
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did you make a crossover and Y pipe or did you get them to bend you duals?
 
If you look closely at the attached pic of the engine in my '36 you can see the left header pipe that was custom bent to attach to the front of the left manifold, circle around the steering gear and then avoid the peddle assembly and through the frame to the muffler.
 

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Dan39Deluxe said:
Thanks for the info RKS,
I would prefer duals as well. But I don't have a lift I'd be doing everything on my back.



But if it's possible I'd like to do it as long as it wouldn't mean moving too much like the already installed break/fuel lines.



Essentially the job is put the pieces up, mark them, take them off and weld them right? Annoying but doable on ur back? You don't need to weld anything while under the car do you?
Click to expand...

Get the headers and complete kit from Red's. Very close fit, minor trimming.

Bill
 
Stock exhaust manifolds are horrible things, I made 3 into 1 extractors and it was like I had been driving around with the hand brake on a couple clicks and there is no longer a hot bit of cast iron hard up agents the thinnest part of the block
 
I've seen more than one test and stock manifolds are equal to any header for a stock type car. If you are looking for more power, spend your money somewhere else. Can't beat the sound of duals though.
 
You being in Maine, your are not that far from Tubular Automotive in Weymouth MA. If you want a stock or modified system, they are the guys that can do it. They been at it for years, and are the best there is. They mandrel bent 2" heavy gauge tail pipes for my '40 coupe.
 
I got my exhaust from Waldrons for my 39 deluxe and it fit reasonably good but as Kube pointed out it did need some tweaking. Had to wait two months for it.
 
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