Massaging FIA sidepipes

[oldguy668]

I picked up my FIA sidepipes at FFR on Thursday. The first set was two right sides with the mounting tabs welded on 180 degrees out of position. No big deal since I try to visit FFR now and then anyway. These pipes are basically a straight tube that is butt-welded where the muffler section is inserted, so there are two circumferential welds about 30 inches apart. I'm looking for suggestions on how to handle finishing the welds.

I can leave them as is (not my preferred option) and paint the pipes satin black

I can try to flatten the welds (what grit and what tool)

I can try to take off the highest spots and leave a weld bump around the pipe.

[CraigS]

Not sure how period correct look you are going for but just taking off the high spots would probably be most accurate. I am sure the originals were cranked out as quickly as possible and they weren't building show cars.

[oldguy668]

I'm leaving it up to 2FAST4U to build the accurate replica. Mine is more of a restomod. I'm trying to duplicate what someone would have done to it if they bought it 10 years old and "fixed it up".

[skullandbones]

I like leaving the bump weld and cleaning the high spots and any weld spatter. Suggest using BBQ flat black: it really last and can be spot painted without showing (low maintenance). Do you have any pics of the unfinished product?

WEK.

[fact5racer]

I pity the guy that lives in Istanbul, Turkey that opened his box to find two lefts! Probably so frustrated he jumped the border to join ISIS!

[Erik W. Treves]

FWIW, I left mine as is and painted them with BBQ paint. My driver's side J-pipe was "a bit off"...lol...

[retropt]

I left mine as is and there are being ceramic coated as I write this.

[oldguy668]

Here's what they look like. Sorry about the crappy Iphone pics

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[Erik W. Treves]

mine looked like the first pic, so I just painted them.

[oldguy668]

Erik, I think the biggest grapes are on the bottoms, so I guess I'll just hit them with John Deere exhaust paint. It's the best stuff I've used so far. Thanks for responding.