H-pipe on my '66 is further towards the back of the car, prolly about 4-6" behind the front frame rail ends, or a little further back than where your pipes end in these pics, seems to work fine there and it looks like you'd be able to get away with a straight shot if you had a pipe even with the back of the frame rails, or a little further back, and still have drive shaft clearance since the DS shouldn't have much up/down travel right behind the u-joint. Brake cables look like they'd clear fine too.

Last edited by McStang (8/20/2013 8:22 PM)

How about a skid plate?  My daughters vw beetle convertible is extremely low to the ground. They had so many problems with people scraping the bottom and ripping stuff off the car, that vw got wise and installed a skid plate that covered everything from under the car starting near the front bumper all the way under the seat.  

I live on a rock road with these headers sticking down. I hear a rock once in a while, but other that that I haven't heard any other scrapes. Haven't hit any blown semi tires or roadkill though.;

I'd come forward with it and make it straight.    Looks like there's room under the trans mount.   

Greg Z

Know you like lowered cars but, you could raise front end one inch? Huh!
Howard

Mine on the Mach seems to be in about the same place, only straight across. I have less ground clearance than you... But my Sub Frame connectors are the lowest point under the car. I don't have an E-Brake cable however...

MustangSteve wrote:

I'm thinking 4" is more clearance than I had before.  But then, I might lower it some more once I get all the parts on it.

 
Plus sitting in it will add ??? weight.....jj

Presumably, the rear diff will lift along with the wheels so it shouldn't be a concern. I had a bad experience once with long tubes which sat too low. I was camping and pulled out of the campsite and the header hit a tree root which was sticking out of the ground. That, in turn, pushed up on the headers, and tilted the engine just enough for the 'too close' fan to catch the radiator. Boy, wasn't that fun. Had to drive to the neares podunk town. Of course, the autoparts store laughed at me but said that his buddy owned a pick-and-pull. Since it was closed, he said to climb the fence and he'd give his buddy the money. I ended up getting a radiator that wouldn't fit on the outside so I had to literally strap it to the outside of the grill. Looked like hell, but it got me home.

Anyway, scraping the exhaust gets old to me quick. That said, I just checked the exhaust on my current '65 and the Magnaflow exhaust is 4" minimum clear and I've never scraped it. I'd just keep yours as is. 

IF it were anyone else cept MS. I'd say ride it like it is, untill road testing proves otherwise.

Tubo

I think it is going to the BASH as it is.  All highway driving, and some of you stated you only have 4" ground clearance also.  I do not like the way it looks, but that won't keep it from working for now. 

Yeah, Tubo... You know me well enough to know it will eventually get changed...

Today I got the alternator, power steering pump amd the new AC compressor installed on the engine.  I think tomorrow I will be doing the exhaust back to and including the mufflers.  I am going to make some custome muffler hangers that use the Fox Mustang rubber gizmos.  Then the tailpipes will be hung using some 2007 tailpipe hangers that fit the rear framerails perfectly.  Goal is an exhaust system that is flexible somewhat, to reduce vibrations.

I am installing 2-1/2" Dynomax VT mufflers, guaranteed not to drone, and pre-tested on Don's 66.  They have the exact STOCK quietness when cruising along or mildly accelerating that I was wanting, but the valve opens up to straight through when you get on it.  I would install a stock muffler on the car if anyone made one that would fit.  I was going to use the 2007 GT factory takeoff mufflers, but they are too thick and would sit too low.

I think it will be ok.  You could de-humpify it to gain an inch and still have plenty of H to work.  If you really like cutting, patching, and re-welding you could go with an oval shape to reduce the vertical cross-section but I would leave it as is.  Think of it as an early warning system for more severe impacts.