Cow

I'm looking into getting a custom exhaust made with an Apex`i N1 muffler attached. I have a friend who works at Meineke and he can get it done for $50(!). Does anyone know if Meineke shops have the capability to mandrel bend the piping or will it be crush bent?

garados

iTrader: (3)

The Mienike out here in New Mexico can do quasi-mandrel bends.

Cow

Quasi-mandrel? Is that like ghetto, half-assed mandrel? lol. Please clarify

I'm probably going to call ours tomorrow..

slowerthanu

If they are only charging 50 dollars than you are not getting mandrel bent, these machines alone are more than 100,000 dollars and I have never heard of a midas or a meineke having one.

Cow

Well I'm getting it for cheap because I know the guy who owns the place.. I don't know how much it is normally.
Also, what kind of place would have a mandrel bending machine? How much would the work cost there?

Jesse H

It'll be crush bent. But if you use larger than stock piping, gains will be noticed.

GTM

Not only does a mandrel bending machine cost upwards of $75,000, the smallest one out there probably occupies a space bigger than any Meineke out there.

Normal price for this work is between $115 and $175.

RedStarGsr

i beg to differ. a local performance shop that does exhausts mainly has a mandrel bender and i got my exhaust done there. it's pretty big, but could fit in most garages ( just takes up a lot of space ). As far as the price goes that should be about right, i got my custom exhaust (mandrel bent) for around that price ( minus the ''special deal'' hehe ). if you are getitng a good deal, maybe just use 2.5" piping, and get the crush bent. hey what works, works.

PnX-R

I don't know about you guys but.. I got my custom exhaust done at a local shop for $75.. Not sure if it's mandrel bent though.. But I was watching the guy bend the pipe with a machine though.. He'd stick the pipe over a pipe that was already attached to the machine. And then turned a couple of ***** and levers and the machine would spin the metal up and down. All while the guy would hold the pipe and made sure that he was getting the right length bent. So is that mandrel bent piping??..

garados

iTrader: (3)

Yes, it is a ghetto half-assed mandrel bend. It's doesn't crush bend, but it doesn't mandrel bend. It's in between.

NotRiTe20

Don't worry about it. I have a custom exhaust and it's not mandrel bent. You won't notice any difference big enough to spend the extra money on the mandrel bends. I think more than likely you are trying to do this cheap so keep it cheap and you will be happy.

PnX-R

That's what I was going to say... You wanted a cheap exhaust, so get cheap pipes for it..