Lagondaforum

Subject: Fish Tail Exhaust Tailpipe Ends?

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I've always thought fishtail exhaust pipe ends look rather good on pre-war cars but I have not seen many, if any, on Lagondas. Then reading my book "Lagonda in the 1930s", a compendium of contemporaneous reports and tests from the Autocar, they mention a fishtail tail pipe. So, thoughts on these? Seems I could fit one to my 16/80 without offending the purists.

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Subject: Re: Fish Tail Exhaust Tailpipe Ends?

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Richard,

It's your car so my advice is do whatever you want. Over the years people will have fitted white wall tyres, fishtail pipes, rear racks for cases, extra lights, roof racks, towbars, furry dice and Colonel Bogey horns.

Having bought the Lagonda you've clearly got exceptional taste so I'm sure if you modify your car it won't offend anyone.

Others may not agree with me however...

David

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Subject: Re: Fish Tail Exhaust Tailpipe Ends?

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Tactfully put David... however I was surprised to read they were fitted by Lagonda back in '33

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Subject: Re: Fish Tail Exhaust Tailpipe Ends?

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I dare say that if the customer wanted them, the factory would fit them. AML would do the same today.

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Subject: Re: Fish Tail Exhaust Tailpipe Ends?

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One suspects that these were what we would term today "aftermarket accessories". I do like originality, but to my mind, as such, I'd have no qualms about fitting one. After all, period, but not factory, spot lights might have been fitted by the original owner.
As I bought it, my V12 came with the remnants of the original downpipes, flexible tubing, a very long straight section of aluminium tubing, finishing in copper silencers with fishtails.
Believe it or not, the aluminium was fine. What did for it was almighty explosions, followed by discovery that the rectangular section copper silencers were now nearly circular, with holes where the copper had split.
Although the copper silencers clearly had some age to them, they appeared to have been hand (although well made) made so I doubt they were original. I had a stainless system made up, finished with fishtails...and the fishtails appear to have been a stock item as opposed to something specifically made for my car.
Incidentally, I have seen fishtail exhausts where the fishtail internally consists of a row of tubes. I'm not sure what benefit that might provide.
Laurence

Subject: Re: Fish Tail Exhaust Tailpipe Ends?

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Richard, did you have some fishtails in mind? From where?

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Subject: Re: Fish Tail Exhaust Tailpipe Ends?

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No not really, I was just wondering.

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