GM Shuts Down and C8 Hi-Tech Exhaust

March 20, 2020 Off By Mike Vietro

Our team met this morning to discuss how we are going to move ahead in this situation with the COVID-19 outbreak. We have decided to remain open for business to help our valued customers.

Detroit automakers Ford, General Motors, FCA agree to close all US plants.

General Motors confirmed Wednesday it will begin a “systematic orderly suspension of manufacturing operations in North America due to market conditions and to deep clean facilities and continue to protect people.”

Its suspension of production will last until at least March 30, the company said. After that, production status will be evaluated week-to-week.

“GM and the UAW have always put the health and safety of the people entering GM plants first,” said GM CEO Mary Barra. “We have been taking extraordinary precautions around the world to keep our plant environments safe and recent developments in North America make it clear this is the right thing to do now.”

GM will suspend operations in a cadence to ensure an orderly production halt, with each facility receiving specific instructions from manufacturing leadership.

The engineering genius of the C8’s exhaust

We have all heard how Hi-Tech the C8 Corvette is with the new mid-engine design, but who thinks about the exhaust? That would be the Corvette development team and Tenneco, Inc.

Tenneco, Inc. was tasked with providing the exhaust, from the catalytic converter back, for the C8 Corvette Stingray. The plus and minus of a mid-engine design are that the overall length of the exhaust system is much shorter. The shorter the overall length of the exhaust system, the less power is lost expelling the used gasses. However, it has less time to cool off, so it’s hotter when it reaches the muffler and exhaust tips.

The standard C8 exhaust unit is equipped with two newly developed valves with enhanced heat resistance designed to work in concert with the vehicle’s Active Fuel Management system to support the engine’s cylinder deactivation function for optimum efficiency and lower emissions. That means one valve per exhaust bank to limit exhaust flow when operated in four-cylinder mode. While the engine does not need backpressure, exhaust tubing can be too large for an application. When only four cylinders are firing, the exhaust velocity can slow down in a large tube, lowering efficiency. It’s counterintuitive but closing down the exhaust can actually improve exhaust gas velocity and flow.

On the Z51 equipped performance exhaust, two more valves allow the engine’s spent gasses to take a less restrictive path through the muffler to the outboard pair of exhaust tips, freeing up an additional five horsepower.

In addition to the valves, the muffler is covered in multiple layers of heat shielding. The first layer appears to be fiber-based, while the outer layer looks to be a thin metallic sheet that’s been diamond-pleated to add rigidity. The insulation there is critical since the muffler is directly below the C8’s trunk.

Inbound NOW!

2020 3LT C8 Corvette!

Shadow Gray Metallic with Moreno Red interior.

Loaded with 3LT Trim Level, GT2 Bucket Seats, Z51 Performance Package, Magnetic Ride Control, Carbon Fiber Interior Trim, Front Lift with Memory, 19” Front, 20” Rear Trident Spoke Wheels, Transparent Roof Panel, Engine Appearance Package, Edge Red Brake Calipers

Priced to sell at: $115,900

Trades accepted. Excellent financing.

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1956-1962 Corvette Hardtops – Priced from $4,888.
1963-1967 Corvette Hardtops – Priced from $2,000.
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1957 Corvette Fuel Injection Unit – taken off of a ’57 Corvette engine, completely rebuilt and is ready to use. Part #7014520. Price $5,500 OBO (make us an offer).

1969 L88 Holley 4bbl carburetor – Completely rebuilt (by Jerry Luck) and ready to install. 3955205 R4296 932. Price: $4,500 $3,500.

One pair of factory aluminum cylinder heads for big-block Chevy. Pt.#3919842. These heads were original equipment on ’68 & ’69 L88 and L89 engines. Both heads in excellent condition. $4,500 $3,900 for the pair.