custom vs bought exhaust

[J_pasta]

What is the difference between buying a pre-manufactured exhaust system, vs a custom made exhaust from a exhaust shop?

just trying to see why and what reasons ?


I feel you can get a full system made for the price of the premade axle backs, and or similar prices but get what you want rather then what a company sells?

[kobeballer96]

Really? This is self explanatory

[J_pasta]

Originally Posted by kobeballer96

Really? This is self explanatory

Oh thanks, that answers my question perfectly. Im glad you took time out of your day to do nothing.

[Dackelone]

I guess it all depends on what you want. You could also build a car yourself as opposed to buying one "off the rack". ?


As for exhaust systems... I really LOVE my BMW Performance Exhaust. So many guys have put one one and never a negative comment. It's relatively quiet at part throttle but loud at WOT. Its the best of both worlds. No drone and it's a factory made part with ZERO fitment issues. Get one!

[Taskmaster]

Originally Posted by J_pasta

Oh thanks, that answers my question perfectly. Im glad you took time out of your day to do nothing.

I had to LOL at this answer:

But for me, I wouldn't buy a premade exhaust unless it met MY requirements.

Does it produce more power?
How much does it cost?
How does it sound?
How does it look?

If it can't do any of those properly, I would build a custom exhaust with the parts I selected. Wait...I'm already planning on doing that.

[BBursey]

The benefit of an off-the-shelf exhaust is that you can have some idea of how it'll sounds before making the purchase. To get a custom exhaust to sound exactly the way you want it, you'll need some experience, luck and / or a fabricator thats willing to work with you ($$).

Cheers,
Bryan

[Taskmaster]

Materials and labor are cheap, you'll soon find that exhaust are overpriced nonsense.

[Freon]

Stainless steel pipe is not really that cheap. A fraction of the price of an exhaust, sure, but it's not exactly cheap. Mandrel bending machines are very pricey, especially ones that can do long lengths of 3" and larger. You could be looking at $100k easily. Good tig welding machine, and a skilled welder to do the work ... It adds up fast. Mufflers and resonators are not cheap either. A good Magnaflow muffler is around $100 or more. Plus tips, flanges. You could easily have $350+ in just raw materials in a downpipe-back exhaust for our cars.

You can get a mild steel, crush bent, mig welded, unfinished tip, cheap muffler exhaust for cheaper, sure.

[BBursey]

And labour costs do depend on your location. Unfortunately, I live in a city where is seems no one will lift a finger for less than $100 / hr.

Cheers,
Bryan

[Taskmaster]

Originally Posted by Freon

Stainless steel pipe is not really that cheap. A fraction of the price of an exhaust, sure, but it's not exactly cheap. Mandrel bending machines are very pricey, especially ones that can do long lengths of 3" and larger. You could be looking at $100k easily. Good tig welding machine, and a skilled welder to do the work ... It adds up fast. Mufflers and resonators are not cheap either. A good Magnaflow muffler is around $100 or more. Plus tips, flanges. You could easily have $350+ in just raw materials in a downpipe-back exhaust for our cars.

You can get a mild steel, crush bent, mig welded, unfinished tip, cheap muffler exhaust for cheaper, sure.

Are you on drugs? Stainless is indeed cheap - $55 for a 4' section of stainless steel, and that's not even the cheapest way. I wouldn't be surprised if you can buy all the bends you need and the piping for less than $150. Welding? Any muffler shop can cut and weld, including Midas - Muffler, you only NEED one and a resonator can be again, had for 150ish (from Magnaflow). You don't need to buy a mandrel bender, a welder or anything else of the sort.

You're obviously one of those people who think 500-1000 for a muffler is somehow a "value."

http://www.jegs.com/c/Exhaust-Header...10263/10002/-1

[Kgolf31]

A custom exhaust can be fine tuned to increase gains in the RPM range. By reducing backpressure, and having a bigger diameter piping can help increase high RPM HP at the cost of low end torque.

Yada Yada..

[J_pasta]

Originally Posted by Freon

Stainless steel pipe is not really that cheap. A fraction of the price of an exhaust, sure, but it's not exactly cheap. Mandrel bending machines are very pricey, especially ones that can do long lengths of 3" and larger. You could be looking at $100k easily. Good tig welding machine, and a skilled welder to do the work ... It adds up fast. Mufflers and resonators are not cheap either. A good Magnaflow muffler is around $100 or more. Plus tips, flanges. You could easily have $350+ in just raw materials in a downpipe-back exhaust for our cars.

You can get a mild steel, crush bent, mig welded, unfinished tip, cheap muffler exhaust for cheaper, sure.

certainly not looking to do this myself, and buy the tools. more of a take it to a shop type custom.


And from what i have read, its more of a ease of purchase, and piece of mind for what you already know its going to do.

[brusk]

I can tell you by experience that if you are going to do a proper stainless exhaust setup with all TIG welds, proper flanges and quality resonator and muffler you won't save enough money to cover your time to do it. I've built several exhaust systems for cars now and the parts aren't as cheap as you think unless you can get them locally. Shipping adds up quick.

Your only going to pick up 5-10 HP for an exhaust system on these cars, it's really all about shedding some weight and getting the sound you like.

Originally Posted by TheAxiom

Any muffler shop can cut and weld, including Midas

Seriously? Lets buy nice piping and take it to a bunch of shops that can't weld worth shit with a MIG that typically isn't even setup or maintained properly and they are not using stainless wire. If you going that cheap you mights as well just have them expand it and clamp it on.

[flinchy]

Originally Posted by Kgolf31

A custom exhaust can be fine tuned to increase gains in the RPM range. By reducing backpressure, and having a bigger diameter piping can help increase high RPM HP at the cost of low end torque.

Yada Yada..

lucky on our turbo cars, you GAIN low end torque with the additional spool

personally i want to learn how to tig weld so i can DIY manifold/exhaust.

either way, spending $1k on a muffler alone is pretty insane when you can get custom ones for a couple hundred bucks, let alone off the shelf ones welded on for less...

just depends whether you're willing to trial and error for the sound you want!

[brusk]

Originally Posted by flinchy

lucky on our turbo cars, you GAIN low end torque with the additional spool

personally i want to learn how to tig weld so i can DIY manifold/exhaust.

either way, spending $1k on a muffler alone is pretty insane when you can get custom ones for a couple hundred bucks, let alone off the shelf ones welded on for less...

just depends whether you're willing to trial and error for the sound you want!

Yeah 1K for just a muffler is ridiculous. But if you really love that sound like alot of people like the PE then there's isn't much of a choice. Not sure on these cars but you'd be surprised how muffler placement, single vs dual piping, x pipes, number and type of resonators can make a difference.

TIG welding isn't that bad but it's nice to watch somebody else in person first as youtube videos are pretty hard to follow. Welding stainless is pretty easy and you can go back and clean up your welds easier. Aluminum is the bitch and can be very unforgiving. Biggest thing is prep and making sure your cuts line up perfect, taking your time and having a proper system of clamps to hold everything properly is key.

[flinchy]

Originally Posted by brusk

Yeah 1K for just a muffler is ridiculous. But if you really love that sound like alot of people like the PE then there's isn't much of a choice. Not sure on these cars but you'd be surprised how muffler placement, single vs dual piping, x pipes, number and type of resonators can make a difference.

TIG welding isn't that bad but it's nice to watch somebody else in person first as youtube videos are pretty hard to follow. Welding stainless is pretty easy and you can go back and clean up your welds easier. Aluminum is the bitch and can be very unforgiving. Biggest thing is prep and making sure your cuts line up perfect, taking your time and having a proper system of clamps to hold everything properly is key.

Yeah i had a chat with a guy who made his own manifold after learning to weld on progressively thinner and thinner aluminium, then moving to SS which is significantly easier

for basically first time, it looked pretty close to perfect.

and like you said.. spending several times longer prepping than welding is totally normal haha

fortunately i hate the PE sound, so no worries for me :P

[tracer bullet]

Originally Posted by TheAxiom

You don't need to buy a mandrel bender, a welder or anything else of the sort.

He's talking about the shop needing these items, and since you are benefiting from them, part of what you pay goes into that. He's not suggesting the OP go buy them. You might try some reading comprehension before you go trying to imply other people are idiots.

Originally Posted by flinchy

just depends whether you're willing to trial and error for the sound you want!

This is exactly what it's about. What's your time worth, do you feel like gambling, and at what point do you say "good enough"? There's something to knowing what your'e getting before hand, buying it, installing it, and calling it a day. Spend that extra time on the patio grilling and having a beer as opposed to multiple trips to a shop and even then taking a chance it doesn't end up how you want.

I'm a DIY guy, and even though my time is in fact worth something it's hard to not be involved, so I tend to do the latter. I can't blame anyone for doing the former.

[edisapimp]

Originally Posted by TheAxiom

Are you on drugs? Stainless is indeed cheap - $55 for a 4' section of stainless steel, and that's not even the cheapest way. I wouldn't be surprised if you can buy all the bends you need and the piping for less than $150. Welding? Any muffler shop can cut and weld, including Midas - Muffler, you only NEED one and a resonator can be again, had for 150ish (from Magnaflow). You don't need to buy a mandrel bender, a welder or anything else of the sort.

You're obviously one of those people who think 500-1000 for a muffler is somehow a "value."

http://www.jegs.com/c/Exhaust-Header...10263/10002/-1

You're annoying. You're *obviously* one of those people who don't like the fact that people can buy whatever the hell they want for whatever the hell reason they want. Are you poor?

OP: Two letters R and D.

Take your chances with something you (or Midas) makes from whatever is laying around or they got from the nearby construction site, or go with a proven performer.

The exhaust manufacturers aren't in business because of the number of suckers that are willing to pay such exorbitant prices for their products.

:rollseyes:

[Taskmaster]

Originally Posted by edisapimp

You're annoying. You're *obviously* one of those people who don't like the fact that people can buy whatever the hell they want for whatever the hell reason they want. Are you poor?

OP: Two letters R and D.

Take your chances with something you (or Midas) makes from whatever is laying around or they got from the nearby construction site, or go with a proven performer.

The exhaust manufacturers aren't in business because of the number of suckers that are willing to pay such exorbitant prices for their products.

:rollseyes:

Obviously an idiot who believe he has "money" driving a preowned 1 series. Why would I envy you or anyone else on this board when there are people who are truely wealthy I could resent?

Most of these companies that produce these products don't R&D: they make a guess, mock up some JIGs and mass produce a product. Raw material cost are cheap, labor equally as so - many products (after the design phase) are manufactured in Asia, and shipped over.

This bottom feeder here believes that a name brand automatically offers a substantial boost in what you're able to manufacture yourself, or believes that 304 stainless steel at one shop is different than the 304 grade stainless of another.

[Freon]

Originally Posted by TheAxiom

Are you on drugs? Stainless is indeed cheap - $55 for a 4' section of stainless steel, and that's not even the cheapest way. I wouldn't be surprised if you can buy all the bends you need and the piping for less than $150. Welding? Any muffler shop can cut and weld, including Midas - Muffler, you only NEED one and a resonator can be again, had for 150ish (from Magnaflow). You don't need to buy a mandrel bender, a welder or anything else of the sort.

You're obviously one of those people who think 500-1000 for a muffler is somehow a "value."

I think $55 for 4' is pretty expensive, and that's just one of the raw materials you will need. You'll need several pieces like that to make an exhaust, especially when over 1/2 is dual pipe. Cost of materials will add up quick. $350-500 just in materials isn't too crazy. Flanges, hangers, hardware, prebent pipe. Add in labor and I think you see why a full exhaust (downpipe back) can be $1000+.

Midas is not going to make you a back-purged, TIG welded custom exhaust for $150 in labor. They'll slap something together with a MIG. It might work fine, I suppose. Nothing necessarily wrong with that. You can get an exhaust for a lot of cars off ebay for $250 or less.

I don't think $500+ for a rear muffler alone is reasonable. This "you must be" routine is extremely childish.

[Taskmaster]

Originally Posted by tracer bullet

He's talking about the shop needing these items, and since you are benefiting from them, part of what you pay goes into that. He's not suggesting the OP go buy them. You might try some reading comprehension before you go trying to imply other people are idiots.



This is exactly what it's about. What's your time worth, do you feel like gambling, and at what point do you say "good enough"? There's something to knowing what your'e getting before hand, buying it, installing it, and calling it a day. Spend that extra time on the patio grilling and having a beer as opposed to multiple trips to a shop and even then taking a chance it doesn't end up how you want.

I'm a DIY guy, and even though my time is in fact worth something it's hard to not be involved, so I tend to do the latter. I can't blame anyone for doing the former.

Apparently, it's a mistake the OP and I both made - could it be that it was just poorly worded? It's silly, you really are paying a huge mark up JUST for the name and nothing more.

[Taskmaster]

Originally Posted by Freon

I think $55 for 4' is pretty expensive, and that's just one of the raw materials you will need. You'll need several pieces like that to make an exhaust, especially when over 1/2 is dual pipe. Cost of materials will add up quick. $350-500 just in materials isn't too crazy. Flanges, hangers, hardware, prebent pipe. Add in labor and I think you see why a catback can be $1000+.

Midas is not going to make you a back-purged, TIG welded custom exhaust for $150 in labor. They'll slap something together with a MIG. It might work fine, I suppose. Nothing necessarily wrong with that. You can get an exhaust for a lot of cars off ebay for $250.

I don't think $500+ for a rear muffler alone is reasonable. This "you must be" routine is extremely childish.

Why would you use dual pipes when a single pipe is more surface area, lighter and flows better? So when piping itself is under $100 (including bends) where does that leave the rest of the cost? Mufflers? Well, Borla and Magnaflow both offer highflow and fairly quiet options for under $150. Hangers can be done by ANY competent exhaust shop, I've seen it done a million times over - What else is there?

So where are you going with this?

You're obviously a brand snob who doesn't know what the hell he's talking about, and thinks that everyone one the internet is just as uninformed as he is. It's getting old - quick.