I have hooker 3in with x pipe. Stainless. Believe it was supposed to be for an ls normally just had to cut one end of the x pipe down. Car is also big block.
I ran 3" pipes and gasspacks the pipes and mufflers rusted making holes so I went to 3" irrigation pipe which was great no rust at all . I solved the rust in the glasspacks by not using glasspacks. I made the pipes up myself but the complex bends near the axle were too difficult for me to do so I ran the pipes as side pipes. There was no problem with exhaust gas smell, and yes it was loud. Tired of the noise, I made the side pipes into long glasspacks which would blow their innards out if much throttle was applied but that was ok, it was like a fuse in reverse.
heres mine, I need to redo video, I pulled carb and put on Fitech, throttle response is tits now! this is 3inch all the way out, I bought pypes crossover mid section, summit chambered mufflers, and amazon turn downs. Clamped and welded myself.
Running full 3". I live 15 minutes from Pypes and a friend used to work there, so he got me their 3" stainless system for $200 (if I remember correctly). I used the X-pipe the way it came, but I really didn't like the way the tail pipes fit (at least for me), so we started pie cutting and adding pieces where needed, then tig welded together. For the price, I couldn't have bought the 3" mandrel bends in stainless, so it was a no brainer for me to start out with something that was at least half way done. Put all connections together with v band clamps.....I can take the entire system down in less than 5 minutes and its leak free. The average person could probably get away with using the tail pipes the way they were, but I wanted them tighter and tucked up a bit more.
Giggity - my set-up is exactly like yours just all 2.5" - also using the pypes center section with X tube. Sounds great w/ Magnaflows.
I've got a full 2.5 Flowmaster crossflow muffler system on mine. No clamps. I bought several sets of header flanges and welded them in so I could remove exhaust system in 4 pieces by removing 18 bolts. Center section with crossover, muffler, and 2 tailpipes. Easy to work on stuff under car. Mine's a cruiser now instead of a Hotrod. In the 90's , it had a wild 406 and I had a 3" Torque Tech system with Walker Super Turbo mufflers, great sound but they were 1.5 inches from the pavement.
It's not a kit... just something I put together. X pipe from summit racing, a pair of Dynomax Welded Ultra-Flo, a pair of 90 and 45 degree elbows, turndown tips and several exhaust clamp bands. All tied in to a set of Lemons Headers.
I bought a PYPES system 3" from the collectors to the tips, all stainless, started with their Street Mufflers, then switched to Flowmaster. Very good system, good quality, good fit. I have a '73 with a 377 SBC, Super T-10 4-speed etc. Just made serious upgrades for power, have not dynoed the new combination. CamQuest estimates it to be well over 500 hp and tq. Go for the 3" Engine Masters has also tested, check them out as well! Here's the '73 with the Pypes Street Flow Mufflers;