Excalibur Owners: Please Reply!

cobraduke · #1 (**permalink**) 07-21-2008, 02:38 PM

Apparently an Excalibur cobra enthusiast borrowed a three ring binder containing all the build info that Alice at Camalot Motors had preserved to make a personal copy and return it to her. It hasn't been returned (for months) and Alice does not know the name of the borrower (only her memory of his face). Probably lives in the area of Milwaukee (a guess). If anyone has or knows who might have this material, please contact her and get it returned as soon as possible. It needs to be accessable for everyone, whether Alice wants to be the contact person or wants to formally entrust it to a designated point of contact who will make it available to all. Here's hoping it turns up and is made public. What a shame for this to have gone missing.

Mike

tradingup · #2 (**permalink**) 07-23-2008, 12:27 PM

As I understand it from reading posts there were 3 configurations for Excal exhaust. First, like my 95 was headers to cats straight down to sidepipes on same side as header. Cobraduke's is like this. Second, like Flyboy's original was header to cats to pipes routed under engine, to resonators (or another cat) then to sidepipes on same side as header. This configuration can be seen in 95 currently for sale at Fastlane. Third had same system as Flyboy's except exhaust crossed under engine to exit sidepipe on opposite side of header. I assume from everybody's complaints that no configuration prevented cracked headers.

Any speculation about why such different systems? Is there any reason to think that straight down configuration (#1) might rob less horsepower than others?

flyboy1997 · #3 (**permalink**) 07-23-2008, 02:42 PM

Jim My Guess would be that they really did not care about HP as a Priority, I bet money on just getting by the Feds Emissions. I feel sure Yours had more HP with all the extra plumbing mine had, 215 was the # in my Excalibur Manual.
Wendell

cobraduke · #4 (**permalink**) 07-24-2008, 06:39 AM

Mine (header's directly to one high flow cat to side pipe on same side, straight shot) are after market. Probably done by previous owner as a result of the cracking and needing to pass California smog. As far as I can tell, there were only two factory configurations, one crossing under with the four cats and one looping forward, same side with four cats (?). I believe the four cats (two per side) were Ford parts as used with the 5.0 EFI motors and simplified the emissions certification. The plumping was unique to Excalibur to fit the chassis. I have photos of the cross over system, but none of the same side original system. I'd sure like to get some of those for the record as I think both systems had cracking problems due to the weight of the plumbing and cats hanging between the heads and the side pipes, vibration and solid side pipe mounting. This means as time passes, fewer and fewer will remain in place and the opportunity to document how the original systems looked will diminish.

I had to have the header on one side of mine welded for a crack at the collector between two pipes. It may have been due to vibration caused by the fairly stiff side pipe mounting or a faulty weld on the header. If it cracks again, I'll know.

Mike

tradingup · #5 (**permalink**) 07-24-2008, 08:22 AM

Mike,

This must mean that mine is aftermarket too since headers lead to cats, straight down to sidepipes. Just like pictures of your car.

Just got mine back after significant weld job.

If you want a picture of the looping configuration there is a nice one from the black 95 for sale at Fastlane.

cobraduke · #6 (**permalink**) 07-24-2008, 03:31 PM

Tradingup
I think you are right. I know some of the welding on the four hole flange to the cat on my car is really "after market". Looks like some one in high school shop did it. But it hasn't failed! I may be wrong, but I think both type factory systems uded the Ford 5.0 exhaust headers as part of the system, whereas mine has a a kit car set of tube headers that terminate in the square four hole flange. I have no info on the source of these, but my quess is that they could be Classic Roadster since the two cars are so similar. Perhaps what we both have is CR systems with cats?

Mike

cobraduke · #7 (**permalink**) 07-28-2008, 09:33 AM

The yellow demonstrator Excalibur II shown at Carlisle two years ago is apparently for sale on ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=290248918606

The photos show many of the details of this new version. Apparently the plans to produce them as a kit or roller or whatever are no longer being pursued as the listing says the body molds are for sale as well. A business opportunity?

Mike