If you have a stock car and want to bolt on a touch of horsepower without blowing tons of money the most common upgrade is the addition of a new exhaust system. That was the case with our Gumout giveaway '65 Chevy Impala. In fact, the only additions to the stock 327-c.i.d. engine was an aluminum Edelbrock intake and carburetor combo. These modifications made it necessary for a new exhaust system to accommodate the engine.
In order for the engine of the '65 to breathe with ease, a pair of "block hugger" headers from The Speed Shop of Glendale, California, were installed along with a dual 2-inch exhaust system. For this, Flowmaster's Delta Flow Series mufflers were used. This series of mufflers produces less back pressure and allows the engine to gain extra horsepower. Flowmaster's Delta Flows also give vehicles a more aggressive sound in comparison to stock.
You may remember the Bolt-On Guide tech article in the January 2001 issue of lrm, in which Mike's Mufflers of El Monte, California, installed a custom exhaust on our project Chevy Blazer. The men at Mike's Mufflers did such a good job with the Blazer that it was natural for us to return to them for this Exhaust Upgrade. Mike's Mufflers has been in business for more than 25 years and they specialize in custom exhaust systems so this '65 was no problem for Mike and his staff. Now check out how the pros at Mike's Mufflers go with the flow.