So my local shop only does 2.5'' exhaust. They also only do crush bends. And they charge a butt ton and a half to get anything done.

-Skip this story if you want. I just relocated not too long ago so my 'local' shops aren't the same and it's 2 hours back to where I use to get my exhaust done and there is no way I've driving that far without something on my turbo.

Anyways. I've been looking at mandrel bends online. Summit racing sells elbows and U-turns for ~$20 each. And then Lengths of pipe are around the same price. Looking for a good set, maybe a DIY kit for the 88-89 hatch. Looking at 2.5, possibly 3 inch. I found what seems to be a decent looking site that sells mandrel bent piping at a reasonable price.

$120 2.5''
$190 3''
$25 Shipping

LINK: http://www.mandrelexhaustsystems.com...EXHAUST/Detail

Now then. The kit comes with flanges and hangers to 'bolt' it together. Not sure how I feel about that. Just wondering if anyone has experience with these types of exhaust systems and if the price is reasonable. Pretty much looking to just do a straight pipe from the turbo to the back of the car. I may put a resonator at the end.

Just looking for some opinions. I've got a 2.25'' crush bent exhaust on the car now and it uses to stock cat so I know that's not going to fly when I put the turbo on. Thanks for anything.

 

I have done quite a few cars exhaust systems at local shops etc. Always seems to cost about $500 when said and done. I am picky on how it looks, mandrel bends, how the welds are. More times then not there is something you don't like about it in the end...


Last 5 years or so. Just easier to purchase a pre done kit. I have always like Thermals R&D 3" looks great, fits good, never had a weld issue on it. Have put them on quite a few Honda/Acuras few EF's. It's ready to be put on and go. $575 Shipped US.

 

That's the only thing I have found in 3 inch. I have a guy I work with that does a lot of welding and fabing but he's a jeep guy. So I was thinking of putting something like this together and getting him to weld it for me. All I need is something like this a 4-bolt Garret flange with a 3" 90 elbow on it. Then I can get the rest hooked up.

$575 might be a little over my budget right now. Thermal R&D is the best I have heard of though.

 

I actually just did a full 2.5" mild steel exhaust on my Lancer. It turned out really well, if you buy the piping most muffler shops will bend the piping for you. Then you can keep it to YOUR own specifications.

 

I would go with another Thermal kit. Decent and low restriction which I think would suit your needs for your boosted application.
I'm a bit wary for going to shops for a custom kit. Most shops do not have a mandrel bender. A standard bend isn't horrible, but if you are really out to get the most from your money, then you need that true mandrel bend. 3" turns into roughly 2-1/2" in the bends if you don't mandrel.

 

That's kind of the point of my post. I am avoiding the crush bends by buying an exhaust kit. I have a guy that can more than likely do the welding for me. But buying a pre-mandrel-bent ''kit'' and doing the fitment myself. Then having him weld it together with some flex pipe between the 'cat back' portion and the down pipe.

Thermal R&D $630+shipping

http://store.kteller.com/thermal_rd/.../i-226169.aspx

KTeller $200+shipping

http://store.kteller.com/kteller/kte.../i-403754.aspx

TruBendz $190+shipping

http://www.mandrelexhaustsystems.com...EXHAUST/Detail

The price for a Thermal is way over what I'm willing to spend on exhaust. I know I can find it cheaper, but it's still $550+ no matter where you go.

 

Where are you?

 

The ones you linked to are just bent pipes. I would go with the stainless steel and not that aluminized stuff.
The Mandrel Exhaust Systems one you linked to doesn't come with any flanges or hangers.

Are you planning to run a muffler? Neither pipe kit comes with one. You could cross your fingers for a cheap $50 or drop an easy $150 for a reputable brand.
I suppose you could skip on a muffler and just get a large resonator in there to clean up the sound.

 

I was going to go resonator. I have a muffler that would probably fit it, but I'm not really a fan of it. Noise isn't really an issue where I live. Tons of straight pipe diesels. The stainless on the KTeller site is $265 shipped to my area code for the 3" with flanges and hangers. Still $300 short of the Thermal R&D. I'm not counting them out. I've just trying to see if the savings will be worth it for me. Either way I still have to get a downpipe and fit it to the exhaust.

I live South of Ocala Florida. Just a hair. It's not 'red neck,' it's just actual southern folk. We have 3 places that do exhaust. The muffler man, the local shop (who does <2'') and the sketchy place that I'm a little too scared to go in to. But I know a couple good guys that I work with that do welding regularly so I might be able to get some help there.

Due to the local shops, I was thinking of buying the stuff myself and getting it done in a DIY fashion. Wish I lived closer to Orlando. Probably a lot easier to find decent shops.

 

Not sure how up for a drive you are, but there is a place in northern sanford, right off of I4, called Acme Surplus. They have all kinds of tubing. I picked up 6' of 1-5/8" stainless pipe for like $15. I could have gotten all 12' of it for like $20, but it wouldnt fit in the hatch... the one cut cost $5. So you could just buy some 3" bends, and then get 10-15' of tubing (for CHEAP) and then make it up and get it all welded. Just an option.

 

It's probably 45 minutes from me. I'll give them a call. Acme Surplus. The main issue with most places that do bends is that they do crush bending and not mandrel bends like I want. I think this is probably the last time I'll redo the exhaust on this car, so I'm definitely wanting it to be exactly what I want. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

They dont do bends there. Just straight pipe. But, if you can get 10-15ft of straight pipe for ~$30, then you can just get an assortment of random mandrel bends from somewhere else, and then cut them up to make it all work. I would think it would be cheaper that way.

 

I get what you are saying. Yeah. I'll look into it either way.

I am definitely considering doing my own exhaust this way. I can definitely get it done for half the price of a thermal kit most likely. Which is a big savings.

 

$250 piping kit
$150-200 Labor of Welding
$100 Muffler and or Tip $40

To see where the money adds up...

Thermal Bling Bling ready to go

 

The only way I'd really do it is if I could get the welding for free. I've been asking around and checking out people's schedule. I won't be using a muffler or tip since it's stainless and it's for a turbo back.

 

I've seen quite a few custom exhausts not work out exactly as planned. It's something I've been thinking about as well, if it would be easier to just weld my own exhaust with my MIG and then BBQ paint the whole thing, or get a professional to do it... or last resort is to buy a full exhaust.

Remember, a full exhaust kit will have perfect fitment if you spend the right amount of coin.

 

I helped install a Corsa exhaust on a friends truck. It was a pile of pipes just like your pipe kits.
The interesting thing was that there were ZERO welds and flanges to deal with. It used Torca clamps. Everything held together just fine over years of abuse behind a supercharged 500 horse performance truck.
Maybe this is something you might be interested in instead of welding flanges.

The ends of the pipes just need to be expanded a little so the mating pipe can slip into it. Then cut a slot in the expanded end so it grabs like a collet when you put the clamp on it.

 

+1 on this. Even that high labor price won't guarantee that the piping/muffler will hang evenly. My number one qualm with custom exhausts for the EF chassis is the fact that it is so easy to tell when the fabrication job has been botched.

The last thing I want to do is drive around in an exhaust that doesn't only sound mediocre, but also looks mediocre. The DIY route is a great option for those with connections to a shop that welds stainless or the skills/tools to weld, but for the rest of those driveway/backyard tinkerers like me, I think pre-fab bolt on is best.

If straight pipe is what you want, then a system designed like the Buddy Club Spec 2 comes to mind.

 

$500+ for 10' of 3" tubing with some bends and a fart can at the end? Are you high??

 

post edited. I meant to say the design of the Spec 2, not the actual system itself. the OP doesn't want to run a muffler, so IMO a design that replicates the Spec 2 is the easiest (and cheapest) way to go.

 

It's a turbo back exhaust. It's literally for power at this point. I don't want to run the downpipe right out the bumper. I want the exhaust just to carry the exhaust out the back of the car so it doesn't burn/melt anything. I'll look into the couple mentioned systems though. Thanks.

 

i'm making good power with the 2.5" exhaust on my car. had 2.5" on my LS and now my GSR. granted i'd be over 300whp instead of in the 290's, but it's not that big of a deal to me.

but i'd stay away from the stainless piping unless there's someone in your area that can weld it. get the longest resonator you a can fit and go with the kteller. but one thing to remember is that if you want more power just have them tune for what ever your goal is. it"s not like NA where you have to squeeze power out of all the little modifications.

 

Very good information. I think some of the kits I'm looking at are expanded to fit over another pipe. The slot+the clamp seems like it would hold up. Definitely something to look into.

Replica exhausts usually are for stock car applications. Not saying you can't use them on a turbo application. BUT they are 2~2.5" usually. And I am really looking for a 3" system. I have been considering 2.5" since it will be fine for my goals. But after all the debate threads I've read, 3" seems like it is the way to go. A little more upfront, but generally good for a lifetime.

None the less, looking into things. That corsa exhaust system caught my eye. I'm a huge fan of dual exhaust... but I have a Honda and it would be purely for looks Checked out the website, depsite them carrying only Chevy stuff (from what I saw), very nice looking products.

I actually was thinking about this quite hard last evening.

Here I go, tangent rant incoming. I have 2.25" exhaust on my car right now. From that to a 2.5" mandrel bent exhaust is a huge upgrade in air flow space. Keeping that in mind, 3" prevents even more back pressure and increases flow. Sticking with my turbo application, ignoring NA all together, bigger is generally better. So I thought about it. Everyone says tune for your goal HP, not PSI. But if I make 250 HP at 10 PSI with my 2.25" crush bent exhaust, then I upgrade to a 3" exhaust at the same PSI with the same turbo, I will make more HP. Right? Here comes the part that gets me going. Let's pretend the absolute threshhold for a stock B16 block was 300 HP. If I bumped my set up to 12 PSI and made 280 HP with my crappy 2.25" exhaust, would my motor blow? It could make 350 Hp with a 3" free flowing exhaust, right? I'm not trying to say PSI is important, but there has to be a point where the modifications to the system change the HP output so much that there are more factors than just the HP you are making on the motor now. Then I starting thinking, maybe the back pressure prevents the Torque from being transfered therefore you could make 280 HP (300 still being the theory limit) with the worst exhaust and it would still be safe because the motor is only seeing so much pressure and the exhaust stocks it from ever entering the motor. But know that's not true, right? If you have too much backpressure, the exhaust can flow into the intake instead of out the exhaust. Which is super bad if I remember right. Blah blah blah, in the end I know 2.5" will work, but the upgrade to 3" is cheap enough to where I'm going to do it.

End rant. But! I will keep the SS thing in mind.

 

i used mandrel bends for my 2.5 with a magnaflow resonator and magnaflow muffler

 

LOL! Yeah - Corsa puts out amazing an amazing product... for American muscle.
I only posted the picture to give a visual for the clamping system they use with the slotted pipe.