Stainless Exhaust system

[andrewh]

Just about to order a stainless steel exhaust system but not sure which system to buy. I am keeping standard manifolds. All comments much appreciated. Thx

[Dave K]

Classic fabs. I once bought a Double S stainless system and apart from it not fitting very well the rear silencer split at the weld and fibreglass wadding began coming out. I had only tested the car in the garage when that happened, they did exchange the rear silencer for me but I decided to sell and by the E-Type fabs exhaust system which is now the classic fabs system.

Dave

[abowie]

Hard to beat the Bell systems SNG sell for quality and value.

[andrewh]

thanks for the two replies, so far. I have been told to look at the bell system so will check that one out as well as Classic Fabs. cheers

[Heuer]

I bought my current system from PDGough http://www.pdgough.com/ They will make one to your specification (tube size, straight through, baffled, mild steel, stainless) based on their original patterns.

My advice is to get a mild steel system because it sounds so much better than s/s and stay with the cast manifolds - the tubular ones cause all sorts of problems (heat, noise, torque dip). People seem wary of mild steel but a decent system will last for years given you are unlikely to take your car out on salt covered roads. The mild steel system on my Lotus Elan is 18 years old and although there is a bit of surface rust on the silencer it is likely to last another 18 years before it needs replacement. If you are worried you could always fit s/s silencers but use mild steel resonators which will give you that crisp classic car sound. Stainless pipes sound horrible! Also be circumspect as to what filling is used in the silencers. Best option is rock wool for longevity and silencing.

It is very difficult to find someone who supplies mild steel systems for the E-Type because no one wants to get involved with chroming the resonators. Far easier just to polish the s/s.

Best sounding system will be:

1. cast manifolds
2. s/s or mild steel straight through silencers*
3. mild steel straight through resonators
4. standard size tubes throughout

* One of the reasons mild steel silencers fail is because the baffles rust and become loose/rattle. By specifying a 'straight through' system there are no baffles, merely a perforated tube.

[andrewh]

Thanks for your thoughts on the stainless versus mild steel system. I have been told before that Ss resonates but as most owners buy SS I thought it was not a problem. I must say that I though most of the decay in mild steel systems came from heat fatigue rather than salt.

I have a SS steel system on my Aston and must say that I have not found any noise resonating issues but. That runs standard manifolds. I suspect, as you say the problem comes with tubular stainless manifolds. I think I am a SS man though.

I will check out pd gough. Thanks once again.

[Heuer]

It is not that s/s resonates any more than mild steel, it just does so at a different frequency. Try tapping the s/s tail pipes with a screwdriver and do the same on some mild steel ones to hear the difference. Like any musical instrument the material affects the sound.

Or you could try a couple of these!