Exhausts - Us Imports Any Good?

[Derby Chris]

One of my back boxes has corroded off the pipe and is currently in a plastic bag in the garage.

I've been quoted £750 fitted to replace the back section of the exhaust (from the cat back) by my dealership, and none of the usual exhaust/tyre places can get an aftermarket equivalent part at all, so they'd be buying the Lexus part for £660 and fitting it.

I'm not convinced it could be successfully welded, and if the one box has gone, odds are the other is on its last legs too although no perforations yet.

Quick search on eBay reveals many US manufacturers claiming to produce the part in stainless for maybe £350 including shipping. I quite fancy saving £300, but has anyone got any experience of this? I don't fancy a two week wait then being left with an expensive pile of stainless steel that won't fit from a company on the other side of the world.

Any advice?

[madasahatter]

Mad motors in uk do this invidia cat back for about 700.00 Telephone 01422 832600

This is stainless steel, in answer to your question . Lexus is huge in america and parts will fit perfect. You get all fittings

as well. Downside is delivery and you may also incur customs fees on exhausts.

[is200 Newbie]

They fit well.... but ....due to them being stainless steel they don't absorb the exhaust noise that well - SS is thinner metal although corrosion properties are much better than mild steel (they don't rust)

There are a few points to consider.

Stainless welds don't last - that's ok if you know a garage who can re-weld broken welds or you have a welder yourself.

There's reports of SS cracking due to heat although on mine I have not experienced this.

If its a freeflow which it more than likely will be it will create a lot of noise. The back boxes as they are not baffled enough will create a drone at motorway speeds or any driving around 1500 to 2500 revs. Its a novelty at first but after a few months you will be sorry you bought it,

As its a naturally aspirated engine you need to consider keeping a bit of back pressure although this is a topic people agree to disagree on - some people think back pressure is good / some bad ... personally, having a SS exhaust fitted I am erring on the side it doesn't really matter although there must be reasoning for it as I would have expected quite a bit of development has been put into the manufacture of the OEM exhaust. My system is a stainless freeflow catback and while it got me out of a spot, like yourself unwilling to replace the middle and back section (at £2700) I had no other choice.

Having the choice again - I would not have fitted it and looked for an alternative. I am at the moment looking to replace mine but out of mild steel which will be a better match. I have only this morning measured up all the parts required as I want to give it a go myself.

If you have a look at the back section then you will see how easy it can be to put one together yourself if you are diy minded. I have been considering this for a few weeks now and it was only today I went under the car to get the measurements of piping and boxes I need. I also, saying about welds, noticed two welds with black soot round them and sure enough they were leaking. Now fixed with paste and clamps - its given me the drive now to make my own.

[milleplod]

Just to back up what's been said above about ss and noise - I fitted a very expensive ss system to my Hirsched 9-5 Aero. It sounded lovely at tickover, and as the revs rose. But....at a steady 55-80+ mph, it was annoyingly resonant, a drone that could be heard even when the radio was on loud. I took it off, sold it at a loss and went back to standard.

Had you thought of a system from a breaker? There must be plenty of low-miles IS250s being broken.

Pete

[madasahatter]

If you buy a resonated system they are not to bad. Where i live camerons do a stainless exhaust to your speck. If you have had a system where welds break then its been crap from the start.

I have had them on cars look loverly, sound oe no drone popping or banging its what i asked for and payed for.

Shop around loads of places make exhausts, it was just a thought if you go on to mad motors site they do lots for lexus cars.

I have been on utube and listened to lots of the systems, and at normal speed they sound ok. Im not one for loud last thing i need where i live.

[toffee_pie]

Just to back up what's been said above about ss and noise - I fitted a very expensive ss system to my Hirsched 9-5 Aero. It sounded lovely at tickover, and as the revs rose. But....at a steady 55-80+ mph, it was annoyingly resonant, a drone that could be heard even when the radio was on loud. I took it off, sold it at a loss and went back to standard.

Had you thought of a system from a breaker? There must be plenty of low-miles IS250s being broken.

Pete

why do you think there are plenty of low milage is250s in breaker yards? its probably one of the hardest to find i would imagine. Its not exactly a marque sold in the same volume as corsas and the like.

[madasahatter]

Trouble with secound hand you could get a good one, then again get same as you already have. As pete says loads in scrappers, problem is

breakers want new price for these cars. I was quoted for 4 wheels with bald tyres, more than brand new from a dealer delivered.

[milleplod]

Just to back up what's been said above about ss and noise - I fitted a very expensive ss system to my Hirsched 9-5 Aero. It sounded lovely at tickover, and as the revs rose. But....at a steady 55-80+ mph, it was annoyingly resonant, a drone that could be heard even when the radio was on loud. I took it off, sold it at a loss and went back to standard.

Had you thought of a system from a breaker? There must be plenty of low-miles IS250s being broken.

Pete

why do you think there are plenty of low milage is250s in breaker yards? its probably one of the hardest to find i would imagine. Its not exactly a marque sold in the same volume as corsas and the like.

'Plenty' is relative.....they're not hard to find in breaker's yards, are they?! Perhaps I shouldn't have added 'low-miles'!

Pete

[is200 Newbie]

Its the drivers discretion ultimately on whether they buy a part or not - the forum is here to give advice from people who have experiences in the faults other owners have or to give a good educated guess to resolve any issues.

I have lived with a stainless exhaust for nearly 2 years and put up with if for this time as I did not want to spend the small part of a deposit for a new house to get an OEM one as no matter how nice the car is I will not spend that sort of money on an exhaust. Why wont Lexus release this as a pattern part to the 3rd party manufacturers - answer, its a very good revenue stream for them considering a majority of their users are business and will have no issue in spending this money on this part - it may be a part covered on a warranty plan and if that's the case the warranty, if it can be taken out after a certain age, is a very wise move but too late for me.

Like Pete said above - the drone from them is bad. Its a novelty at first as you think everyone's looking at your car ... little do you know its the noise they are noticing and if you have passengers then its even worse, embarrassing !.

I had mine up to temp this morning as I had putty repaired a few welds and needed it hot to set - its a common, very common, issue with stainless exhausts that they do not weld very well. May be good for a few years or so but you WILL have problems. Ask others with SS exhausts (look on other forums) - Ask an experienced welder! Anyway, when I was under the car measuring up I noticed the pipes were hot, yet the boxes were cold. They will not get up to temp quick enough to dispel any noise which I think Pete will back me up on - especially now in the cold weather and this is why they are noisy on start up - the boxes cannot absorb the noise. Once up to temp they they are good apart from the drone as I said before at around 2k revs - which is 70mph. Its from the boxes.

Replace the boxes with a mild steel replacement (for which there are quite a few universal ones out there) and you will be fine. You will need to mod the pipe (add an extension or an adapter) and make sure the box hangers are located in the correct position.

If it was my choice again, I would not bother - hence my final decision to get rid of this one. You can ask for a quiet SS exhaust but it will be as quiet as it can be made in SS but that will be loud compared to one manufactured in mild steel. If you can get the option for one manufactured in mild steel (a normal 3rd party manuf'd one) then chose that option. At the end of the day its your choice but in this instance I would gain as much info from people with these fitted as you can as every manufacturer of a stainless one will say theirs is best / quietest / cheapest - the cost doesn't matter if you are quibbling about £50 or so between them as you are looking for the quietest one.

[jackcramerr]

Hmm...

Why do exhaust fall off only in the UK (and maybe europe). How to slow the process ?

[madasahatter]

At the end of the day its the water that rots from inside out. Dont know if shorter journeys speed up the rotting, as not getting up to temperature.

Winter weather gritting salt also has a bearing on life also. Do you live in speed bump heaven or hell, all these things dont help.

At the end of the day if it lasts 7 years or more is not that bad really. We expect things to last for ever, then moan when they break.

In the year of cortina excort etc if they lasted 2 years that was it. But somebody above hit the nail on the head,why not have a patent exhaust??

I have bought wheel centres and a few odds and bods lately from the far east. Brand new for pennys and then been informed the item is no

longer available. I have recieved them all but the listings have gone.

All i would say find somebody to make you one up in mild or stainless steel. And yes it can be as quiet as stock i have had them myself.

[jackcramerr]

I see..OK.

I have seen very old cars in other countries with stock exhaust with no rust. So salt and water does it.

I guess one tip I would like to share is people should crawl under their car when the sun is out and they have a few minutes to spare. If one suspects a weak or broken hanger they should get it fixed. last year I evaded 290 pound (non oem) charge on one of my car when I noticed the tail pipe hanger was corroded. surely it broke few days later. I made a clamp by buying parts from b&q. Now I am sure other hangers will go the same way but I can evade the expense if I keep at it till the whole car falls off. I suspect cracks and holes emarge after hanger gives in.... just my assumption.

[johnatg]

There's no inherent reason why stainless exhausts should be noisier than mild steel ones - it's just that stainless ones are often made from much thinner steel than mild steel ones. Likewise with welds - thick stainless can be welded (by an expert) just as well as mild steel.

My MX-5 has a Jackson Racing stainless exhaust - MoT testers often say it is the best exhaust (and the most neatly welded) they have ever seen. It has been on the car for the best part of 15 years. Expensive (for a MX-5 exhaust - not in comparison with Lexus ones!).

A good stainless exhaust fabricator can make an exhaust to your spec - including the noise it makes. Quieter than standard, just like stock or 'sporty' - up to you and price (although finding a good fabricator may not be easy).

If you are anywhere near Macclesfield I can recommend JP Exhausts - I've had various bits and pieces made there - always excellent workmanship. I've often seen Ferraris and such in there having custom exhausts made - usually people wanting quieter than standard 'cos stock Ferrari exhausts are LOUD!

[Derby Chris]

Thanks for the advice all. I think its going to be the Lexus part as I'd rather pod out that have the hassle/risk. Know any who wants to buy a kidney, one careful owner?

[ewan's dad]

Sorry about being late to the conversation, same thing happened to me, looks like the only place garages can get the part from is Lexus. No point shopping around it will be around £600.

For the record, I took mine to a local garage and he welded it for me, said that this the second he has done (guess they just reach an age).

The weld was straightforward (so he said) and I have done 30k miles in six months and passed an MOT 6 weeks ago.

I am not going to say it will last forever but £30 is not a bad remedy when the option is to buy a new system that may not work and end up cluttering your garage or back on e-bay.

You may struggle to get a chain type garage to do it as they tend not to be allowed to weld as they can not get their work easily covered by corporate insurance. Finding an old-boy is your best bet.

[madasahatter]

Is that a cat back system for 600.00 if so thats not a bad price.