Can anyone shed any light on this one?

[Jon]

Why did he do that with the exhaust?

Custom exhaust running through the frame.

http://bakersfield.craigslist.org/cto/4255727341.html

[Otto Skorzeny]

That's like in-floor heating on a house.  Heat up the frame and the whole car warms up without that pesky blower making noise and blowing hot air on your feet.

[Fins]

The word, 'dumbass' comes to mind.

[Otto Skorzeny]

That idiot has completely ruined the structural integrity of that frame.

[Jon]

I'm wondering if maybe the end goal was the slam the car down to the point where it was riding on the frame. But he never got that far.

[62 driver]

Side pipes and on the frame!

[guidematic]

Not at all a new idea. Hollman and Moody did that on their stock cars back in the 60's. Ever wonder how and why the exhaust came out through the rocker panel?

Mike

[Otto Skorzeny]

Guide, did those galaxies have holes cut in the frame or did the pipe run between the rocker and the frame.  Did the headers exit through a wheel opening and then head down the side of the car?

[guidematic]

From what I have seen, the frame rail itself was the pipe. The exhaust entered the frame rail at the front and was carried through the frame to the exit just ahead of the wheel.

the intent was to be able to clean up the bottom of the car a bit and prevent the pipe from hanging too low as to hit the ground, be bent and thus restricted. In 1964 NASCAR banned it. This was the result.

Mike

[Otto Skorzeny]

The 63 method makes a lot more sense than that hot rod job.  In that case you don't cut completely through the frame.  The only holes are one on the inside up front and one on the outside in the back.  That leaves the structural integrity intact.  I'm sure they beefed up the frame in those areas as well.

[Carfreak]

I believe Lincoln Mark II had exhaust run through the frame.

[guidematic]

Could be where H-M got the idea from.

Mike

[Otto Skorzeny]

I believe Lincoln Mark II had exhaust run through the frame.

It did. 

[Kubla]

exhaust going through the frame would be really bad for longevity, serious rust issues

[guidematic]

No issues in a race car. But in a road car, especially in those days, yes there would be some serious long term issues with corrosion.

I have a small die cast model of a Mk II (Franklin Mint). I looked at it, and the exhaust runs between the frame and the rocker panels.

Mike