my Mk3 Ls400 exhaust a little more complex issue

[Malc]

OK so she sailed through the recent MOT ...  a tiny hole in the exhaust stuff at the mild steel end ....  took her into my indy to deal with this tiny hole as arranged

Tiny hole yes and duly welded up ....  then the frontpipe is getting tin mice effect at the bottom end, so that's a weld-up all round ......  and the nearside Catalytic Converter he can see the honeycomb through a bit larger hole in that toooooo .......... a little more challenging, so he welds a plate on to that and then ........  where the CC has a crease at the end that too is just about rusted through, only tiny BUT needs a little welding .....  probably condensation laying there over the years, maybe

Anyway, all welded and fixed, she hasn't got the pre-weld slight growl of the normal V8 anymore, just the  genteel Ls400 purr 😉

Wopping great bill for the 1.5 hrs of buggering about with the weld torch .....  £ 40 ......  blissful result ...  didn't want to look at the cost of a replacement CC for sure ( nearside stuff under there does tend to get more weathered it seems, the other side seems all good to go )

Malc

[Benaywood]

That’s exactly the sort of thing my last exhaust place warned me I might be dealing with (before charging me £80ish for my month long fix).. mine’s going to an exhaust guy this week. If his diagnosis is ££££££ could I get the details of your chap? I think you’re in Kent aren’t you?

be 

[Newbie1]

A place that has done a few LS400 exhausts (including resonator deletes) is EMP Performance at St Albans. I've not used them but have heard good things about them.

[Malc]

Ben hi, my guy is nr the old Manston airport ........  a very long way for you ( and an hour for me too and I live in Kent ! ) ................. he's looked after my cars now ( incl the Ls400s over the years ) since 2007

he's certainly no exhaust specialist ......  just a superb mechanic with good welding skills .............  he ' hoped ' he could fix the Cat when he started to deal with it, but it was by no means certain at all .....  lucky me he could this time around

He doesn't hold any exhaust parts ( nor any other parts )  at all, just orders stuff in when needed

I think as you live so far away you might be better off with a more local guy to you just in case the car has to be left while parts are sourced if a simple weld-fix can't be achieved

Not to be a " downer " at all, just practicalities

But of course happy to help if I can and                         Good Luck

Malc

[Benaywood]

I understand Malc, I’m actually from Kent originally and back to Herne Bay and Sandwich over the next few weeks but it would be tricky if I had to leave a car for a few days even with my enormous teachers holidays (soon to be no more!).  I’ll keep my fingers crossed that no nasty shocks come from ‘my guy’ soon..

[Cotswold Pete]

Ben,

Might be worth giving Infinity exhausts (just of M4 Junction 18) a call.  They can usually do most work while you wait.  I did a visit for them to look before I booked in, but reviews indicate they are pretty good at quoting over the phone.  They only do stainless work, and can rebuild cat boxes etc. They rebuilt my Y-piece in under an hour (I went for a 3 hour walk on bits of Cotswold way)

If you want to have a day out (or even a few days in Cotswolds) might be worth considering. 

Only down side is naff all public transport (as far as I know), but Dyrham House (Nat Trust) is a 40 min walk away (through some fields and under the M4), or if into golf there is a course about 1 mile down the road.

[Benaywood]

Thanks Pete, I'm going to try ARO close by but it's good to know about Infiniti.  I think I was a little worried by the 'bespoke' nature of the business and I imagined my poor old Lexus alongside far more jazzy and expensive things which might push prices up.. I'll get a quote over the next couple of days though and report back, if it's no good I'll enjoy a day out in the Cotswolds!!

[Malc]

26 minutes ago, Benaywood said:

my poor old Lexus alongside far more jazzy and expensive things

remember our Ls400s are quite a rarity and often garages etc like to work on them for the novelty aspect ....  not being run-o-t' mill stuff

Malc

[Benaywood]

You're right Malc, and I rarely see anything else I'd rather be sat in on a day to day basis.  And regarding my exhaust guy having a garage full of exotics, he can't look at mine earlier than Thurs as he's got a couple of motability buses that he's prioritised! 

[Benaywood]

Just to follow up this thread, I had great success with my exhaust and eventually and have just enjoyed a lovely journey down to Dorset with my exhaust just a distant whisper even during sport button blasts. ARO exhausts in Buckingham is actually one very good egg working out in the middle of nowhere and who’s got a lot of experience with our cars and really impressed me. He gave me a ballpark quote and I said if it goes over, just do it and we’ll discuss later.. he said, if it goes over then he’d have messed up and he wouldn’t charge! In the event, it sounds like there was a bit of welding and a fair bit of realigning the aftermarket exhaust that had been fitted a couple of years ago. All in it was £120 and I was very happy indeed, I’d thoroughly recommend and am booking in my wife’s Golf soon. Just got the wheels, service, cam belt, Battery, power steering leak, central locking to go...