I'm thinking about replacing the exhaust system in my 55 Tbird and am looking for some advice.  Currently, I have stock 57 iron exhaust manifolds with NPD pipes and mufflers existing through the bumpers.  The diameter of the NPD pipes is small, probably 1 3/4".    The entire system is made up of a number of slip together sections. The pipes rattle and pop as they heat up and cool off.

What I would like are a quality set of headers and a custom made fully welded exhaust system with a crossover pipe. It would be great if the pipes could exit through the bumpers.  My question is, what diameter pipes can I use and still get them to fit through the frame and the bumpers?  If the bumpers are the problem, I could live with dummy exhaust tubes.  Advice?


71% of original size (was 710x19) - Click to enlarge