Beta (VX) Stainless Exhaust

[RickyJ]

My VX Coupe is due an MOT in the near future and as I've at least one leak from the exhaust (which they'll no doubt spot!) have been thinking about getting it replaced from the manifold back with a stainless system. I've got a CSC manifold which will go on once I've sorted out the engine mountings properly.

I'm looking for somewhere in the South (UK) that will make a stainless system up on the car. Has anyone had a stainless system made up and are there any places I should be wary of? or better still anybody you Guys can recommend?? Also any idea of cost would be helpful.

Thanks
Richard

[Pope1]

I'm also interested in the same (for what that's worth :lol: ) so please let me know if you find out anything independently of the forum. In my case, I will need someone who can supply suitable boxes only - getting my car to them might be a little tricky.

Ta.

[rossocorsa]

be very careful with stainless exhausts in general as in most things you get what you pay for, many cheaper systems are made of thinner steel than the mild steel equivalent to take advantage of the corrosion resistance and corners can be cut on the internal structure as well. This can lead to very unpleasant noises. I had a dedra system made up by pd goughs some years ago and it was fantastic good as new 50,000 miles later but they are very expensive systems and you could probably find something a bit cheaper but as I said be wary of anything very cheap

[Pope1]

You're absolutely right about that. I'm planning to take my time on this one.

The other thing I've found with the one I have on my Golf is that it expands much more than the stock one when it gets hot. Have a look at the photo below. It's actually a composite of two photos, one taken when the exhaust was cold, the other after a run where the turbo had been earning it's keep. Yes, it really is that much longer! It was a bugger to get it fitted properly too as it kept moving when it got hot.

http://home.caribsurf.com/chrysalis/images/milltek!.jpg

[andybeta]

You could do alot worse than give Don Pembleton Stainless Steel Exhaust Specialist, Huthwaite near Mansfield, a call on 01623 552262 or email at
www.sales@stainless-exhaust.com.

They do a good job and are a fair bit cheaper than Goughs. They have impressive bending machines. I have a Goughs half system on my HPE since removed. It's ok. But went to Don recently when I wanted to replace it with a 2 1/2 inch stainless system with manifold.

Andrew

[Sir Lancialot]

Hi Ricky,
I have just had my VX centre section made in top quality stainless by a stainless specialist in Sutton-in-Ashfield. They had a good mild steel one to copy off and it fits perfectly and the price although not cheap, still probably cheaper than Gough's. You can look on their web site: stainless-exhaust.com and see for your self. With a lifetime guarantee, i am very pleased with it. :lol:

[Sir Lancialot]

Hi again,
I've just recommended the same people as Andy, so that must be a good sign!! :wink:

[RickyJ]

Thanks Steve/Andrew for the suggestions.

I've just spoken to Don about a rough price - He can supply the centre and rear sections for £363 +VAT on a mail order basis working from a pattern. Obviously something custom made to the car is preferable but it's a fair way (for me) to go.

There's a place in Bristol http://www.longlife.co.uk that a bloke I work with has used - He has a MK1 Escort 1300e and they did everything apart from the manifold for £249 which seems a bit cheap to me, even for a fairly basic 2 box exhaust like the Excort has. From whats been said I think it's worth getting somebody who knows the cars, or at least has worked on them before, to do the job.

As with so many things with Lancia it seems like a minefield out there!

[Pope1]

Richard,

Please explain about Don's quote. I take it that "from pattern" means that he's made some before and will just make another one exactly the same. Why would you need to take the car to him for a custom job and how would it be better? Wouldn't his "from pattern" one be similar to buying a stock one in terms of pipe lengths, bends etc? Sorry if I'm being dense.

[RickyJ]

Chris

When I spoke to him he said they can make up an exhaust from a pattern, and ship it out to me, although he didn't say whether the pattern was an old system that they copy or maybe they work from a Plan/drawing?!?. The quote he gave me was for a stainless version with same bore/shape as the standard exhaust but omits the small front silencer (basically straight pipe from the down pipe to centre box)

The advantage from my point of view is firstly the Exhaust will fit properly on the car - I've put (regular steel) silencers on my old VX and always found it tricky getting a decent seal and the long pipe under the car was always a bit "saggy" and never quite sat properly snug up in the underside of the car. The other point is that they can build what you want -Don told me that on Andy's Car they built it using 2-1/2" pipe and redesigned the centre to rear silencer joint so that the joint isn't right on the centre silencer (which is a weak point in the system) Also the rear box doesn't loop over the rear suspension arms and is therefore the exhaust has a more "straight-through" route.

I got the impression from talking to him that it's not neccessarily a great deal more to have something built on the car - They have to make the exhaust from scratch anyway and it's probably as easy to make it up on the car and have a reference point while they're doing it.

Not sure what I'm going to do yet..Will probably bodge my current one up to get thru it's MOT and then get something long term sorted in the next couple of months - You normally find once you start patching them up they've not got much life left in them.

[andybeta]

Don has a std coupe vx system that he uses as a pattern. His work is top quality. If you go the mail order route then the one he sends you should, if going by previous ones he's done, fit like a glove. You shouldn't be bruising your knuckles, cursing and swearing. You gets what you pay for.

Mine was a bespoke 2 box straight through system which he fitted to my car in his workshop. It also included a stainless manifold to my own spec with a lambda sensor boss and heat shield. If you're talkng about going cheaper then I guess you will not be looking at getting him to make you one and fit it to your car as the cost may deter you.

Andrew

[Pope1]

Chris
You normally find once you start patching them up they've not got much life left in them.

Absolutely! Did that with the last mid silencer as a temporary measure until I could import a replacement but it only lasted a very short time. Mind you, if the rear box is too restrictive, as I suspect it is, that may have contributed to the issues. Strangely, one thing that does seem to fit well on mine is the joint between the rear box and the middle one.