1974 Buick Estate Wagon

Was factory dual exhaust an option in 74? I figured the spare tire well would be in the way.

I've seen a 76 with duals that the owner cutout the spare tire well so both tailpipes would be the same height.

Car looks great by the way!

 

Yes dual exhaust was an option in 74. My 74 Estate wagon has it. What GM did was to run two pipes all the way back but connect them together at the end with only one tailpipe exiting under the driver's side. Kind of like a really wide H pipe!

 

The 5th VIN digit is W which, I believe, is Stage 1, but in any case it has a 1970 360 hp 455 with dual exhaust and separate tailpipes to each side. When they did the paint I also had them re-do the vinyl top, seal the back quarter windows and windshield, and weld new metal in the spare tire well. The tailgate was sluggish until I pulled out some small seashells, cleaned/lubed the track and installed a new motor, but the tailgate window still grinds. I mounted the custom wheels because the factory wheels had rust. Here are a few additional pics...

 

Yes, fifth digit W is Stage 1 in 1974 so you have a rare bird. I know they only made about 300 Stage 1 Lesabre Convertibles in 74(bucket list car for me), who knows how many wagons. I knew it was an option on wagons also, just unsure on how the factory handled the exhaust setup.

I'm near Akron. Give me a holler if you ever bring your 74 up this way for a show/travel. Likewise I'll let you know if I'm in your neck of the woods or Columbus with my 75.

Thanks for bringing yours back to its former glory!

 

“701 Estate Wagons that had the Stage 1 455. That 701 number reflects production across all Buick plants so in total only 7% of all Estate Wagons produced that year had this engine. ”

This information was provided to me by the Buick Sloan Musuem. They can provide build sheets and or additional research for most early Buick’s for a fee. My 74 also has the Stage 1 engine ( not sure if it’s still original motor ) which is why I had them research this. I’ll try to post a picture of the tailpipe setup.

 

Ok. I'm down here in Dayton.

My wagon has received a few modifications over the years. I was considering bringing the 1974 engine up to 1970 hp when I found it already has the 1970 (non-Stage 1) casting and heads (instead of the 1974 Stage 1). The trans also has a higher stall and shift kit. The interior is in pretty good shape but I'm keeping my eyes open for an affordable replacement for the cracked dash and faded dash plates. The crack in the dash starts right where someone cut a hole to install a big, round tumor-looking speaker in the middle.

The pic of the tailpipe setup would be great, too, since mine could have been modified.

 

Took some pictures of my dual exhaust today. From what I can tell the mufflers have been replaced but the rear pipes look original. Chrome tip was probably added. You can see how the passenger side pipe does a 90 degree turn and then joins to the drivers side where that pipe comes to the back. Put a pic of the wagon as well!

 

That's the oddest dual exhaust I think I've ever seen. Two into one and the rear pipes go under the rear axle. There must be a reason these companies do this sort of thing. Probably saved two bucks doing it that way.

 

Well it’s Buick not a Ferrari!

 

Thanks for posting sinc76. That's not how I pictured the factory duals.

Thirsty: The clamshells have factory exhaust under the rear axle due to space constraints from the tailgate/3rd seat setup. Single systems run down the passenger side then turn to exit on driver side.

 

You're welcome. If someone has a 74 Fisher Buick body assembly manual, it might also show the exhaust layout. I have a 76 manual but I don't think dual exhaust was an option that year due to the single catalytic convertor.

 

The fifth digit of the VIn dictates the engine. It also lets you know the exhaust configuration