R129 Stainless Exhausts

[Hartzpartz]

Has anyone had any experience of fitting stainless exhaust parts to their R129 SL?

Saw this on ebay and thought it may be a bit more "straight through" than the standard massive rear box.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI....m=150232065877&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=005

 

[television]

Stainless exhaust do sound different from the steel ones though the sound does deaden down after a few thousand miles

 

[BTB 500]

That's pretty expensive for a rear box ... might be a bit louder, but I doubt there'd be any actual power increase.

Removing the centre muffler would be much cheaper and easier.

 

[Hartzpartz]

Any (cheaper) alternatives available that you can recommend?

Has anyone removed the rear box all together in favour of a bit of pipe?

 

[television]

Any (cheaper) alternatives available that you can recommend?

Has anyone removed the rear box all together in favour of a bit of pipe?

Just trying to imagine a piece of copper pipe 3" in dia and tuned to a V8 I would love to know how that sounds

 

[BTB 500]

Any (cheaper) alternatives available that you can recommend?

Well yes, what I already suggested i.e. replacing the centre muffler with straight-through piping. This cost me £129 all-in, and isn't visible unless you crawl under the car with a torch (although it is declared to my insurers).

 

[Hartzpartz]

At least copper pipe would be easy to bend into shape.

Does removing the rear box improve the exhaust note or is it too loud?

 

[BTB 500]

Don't know anyone who's run without a rear box ... try it and let us know!

 

[stats007]

Removing it would be way too loud - using copper pipe for an exhaust system would be interesting .

 

[Mark300SL]

I remember pricing up the system on my SL because I thought I would one day have to replace it £1100 apparently and that was a few years ago!

Having had 3 or 4 systems hand made for my race CRX's I can heartily recommend these guys http://www.haywardandscott.com/

They will handmake any system for any car and the quality of the cars they have in make you feel at ease immediately. The build quality is second to none and you will be very hard pressed to find better workmanship anywhere. This is not a place that just adds tubing to bought in boxes, they dont actually have any boxes in stock (except their own popular premade full systems) - they normally make everything to suit the car they are working on
For certain very popular cars like Subarus & Porsches they have a few systems (premade on a perfect jig) to keep waiting times down

Well worth a call if you want a superb exhaust system with a lifetime warranty for very reasonable money.

Generally a full 3" specialist system for me for a Turbo car, including frontpipe would be about £750.

Their general price for an Exhaust without the turbo frontpipe is £550


Sorry if it sounds like an advert - I have no connection with them other than being a very very happy customer


Mark

 

[Hartzpartz]

Just to let you know, work is in progress on this one.

Rear box is now removed and a welder at work is fabricating a dummy rear box with straight through pipes.

I had to remove both box sections together as the flange bolts were a little rusty after 18 years (yes, the original exhaust is still fitted!).

I did start the car to see what it sounded like with just the cat section fitted. Needless to say, I had complaints from my neighbour and the wife said that wine glasses were rattling in the cupboards.

Watch this space and I'll let you know what it sounds like once reassembled.

 

[Indiepath]

And how did this go?

 

[BTB 500]

Might have been simpler to open up the existing rear box, remove the baffles, and weld it shut.

 

[Hartzpartz]

Sorry for the slow response guys!

The chap who was going to fabricate my new rear box from SS has let me down to the extent that I 've now refitted the original using new gsakets etc.

I'm pretty handy with a MIG welder myself but he is far better when it comes to stainless steel and more complex fabrication work. It just foreever to get him to do anything!

I will be pursuing this further as my SL sounded great without the rear box fitted.

I'll keep you posted and take photos when he eventually comes up with the goods!

PS You're right of course Bill, it would've been quicker to open up my original rear box and gut it. I really would like to keep it intact though, just in case I sell the car and someone wants the original fitted.