SNAT 500 C8... wtf is the deal with its exhaust?!

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Brangeta
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SNAT 500 C8... wtf is the deal with its exhaust?!

Post by Brangeta »

Alright guys, let's see if you guys can figure this out. What is the deal with the exhaust on the Callaway SuperNatural 500 C8?

Image

It looks like a 3" pipe going into the muffler... and out... and into a Y... and one side goes back into the muffler for some odd reason and out the other side... and then the other one goes back into a muffler for some odd reason... and out the other side.

1) What's the deal here? Am I missing something? Why do both sides get double-muffled? I'm not an exhaust expert, but I find this very odd!

2) Anybody recognize what might be the brand of the mufflers?

3) Does it sound unusual compared to your Callaway SuperNatural cars?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvirQtLwfqM
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Re: SNAT 500 C8... wtf is the deal with its exhaust?!

Post by Luigi »

Brangeta,

Anyway that the first can could be a Catalytic Converter?

I can't quite see if there is any Catalytic further forward. It would make sense that you would go through a Catalytic first then to mufflers but honestly it doesn't make sense to me for a Catalytic to be that far back.

Your guess is as good as mine.

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Re: SNAT 500 C8... wtf is the deal with its exhaust?!

Post by Brangeta »

I don't think it can be. The cats are normally located at the very front. The car is a '96, so it should have this awkward layout:
Image

If it was a '93-'95, it would have this more simple layout:
Image

Instead it has this:
Image

I have a pic of the 3 page invoice, and it specifically says the exhaust was "special non-emissions exhaust" that cost $2,386.

I emailed Best of Show Automotive (who is still trying to sell it) and they said they'd send me some pics they took. I love that company! :thumb1

I also emailed Bob, who is the only person I have ever made contact with who has said they had prototype Callaway exhaust on their Camaro. We'll see if he had that same setup. He told me this story 2 years ago:
Here is a story you might enjoy reading. Back around 1998 I had installed my third Callaway engine. I had first installed their SN400 motor and about 6 months later upgraded it to an SN435. Then I had a valve go and had the car carted back to Callaway. Instead of just fixing the problem I had the motor replaced with their SN450 Corvette motor. Well, a month or so later I had the car dynoed and it wasn't making the advertised power. Callaway claimed it was due to the exhaust system but I didn't buy it and kept pressing them for a resolution. They took the car back and thoroughly checked it but couldn't find anything wrong. Fast forward to a month after I sold it. The new owner took the car to his shop for some minor work and it was discovered that there was a motor issue. Must have been the issue that was robbing me of power but was "overlooked" by Callaway. The issue was fixed and the new owner picked up an additional 80-90hp. Here's the cool part of this. When I was working with Callaway's chief engineer at the time, Mike Zoner, about the power issue, he really tried to do all that he could for me. Because he suspected my catback was robbing me of power he showed me a 1-off stainless steel catback he had designed for the Camaro/Firebird. It was a revolutionary design. Just about no back pressure but fairly quiet. I mean, really quiet. It was a gorgeous looking catback, too. Not a "rough" prototype. Callaway had decided not to market this catback because of the high costs to produce it.. It was estimated that they'd have to sell them for $2,500. each! Yep, you read that right. After explaining this to me, he asked if I would like it. Free! I jumped at the opportunity and to this day I have NEVER seen/heard a catback that made that much power while being quiet.
Oddly enough... it actually seems to correlate directly with what is going on here. So that means his car... which is currently for sale somewhere... or was... and has a $2400 exhaust on it... unless the owner after him changed it... which they probably did... because they changed just about everything else... :sleep
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Re: SNAT 500 C8... wtf is the deal with its exhaust?!

Post by Luigi »

Then it is perhaps double muffled if it is that quiet.

Image

I still see no cats there so I can't see how it could be a catback. It is definitely an off-road version. :jsmile

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Re: SNAT 500 C8... wtf is the deal with its exhaust?!

Post by Brangeta »

Oh gosh... it was obviously scrapped for what looks like a $521.31 Flowmaster muffler and exhaust tips.

Old pics Bob sent me years ago: (looks like it has the funny dual muffler thing like the C8 above--it could be used as just a cat-back, no reason it couldn't work with cats)
Image
Image

Recent pic the current owner had on their ebay ad: :pale
Image

pic I got off Flowmaster's site:
Image

Image
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Re: SNAT 500 C8... wtf is the deal with its exhaust?!

Post by Callaway Chris »

Doh!!! :beye
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Re: SNAT 500 C8... wtf is the deal with its exhaust?!

Post by Brangeta »

Chris, can you ask Mike Zoner if he remembers what type of mufflers were used for that special $2400 exhaust? I'm not ready to make the C8 section of my Camaro website yet, but for future reference, it'd be great to know so I can add that detail!
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Re: SNAT 500 C8... wtf is the deal with its exhaust?!

Post by Brangeta »

Woot! Best of Show Automotive came through. I love those guys! Here's some more images!

What a clean setup. I've never seen exhaust that beautiful on a Camaro. The welds are beautiful and the pipes are polished looking.

Image
Image
Image
Image
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Re: SNAT 500 C8... wtf is the deal with its exhaust?!

Post by Luigi »

Those camaro exhausts remind me of this .... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtOoQFa5ug8

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Re: SNAT 500 C8... wtf is the deal with its exhaust?!

Post by Brangeta »

:haha So true. But it seems to work! I've never seen anything like it, but it seems to work! Normally you'd expect a 500 hp LT1 without cats to blow your ears out. Those mufflers are definitely doing their job!
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