Well, after a long jaunt up to, and around the Highlands over Crimbo and New Year (yes, including the infamous Tomintoul Road) my mild steel exhaust finally gave up the ghost and, from Perth, back home to Falkirk, she was sounding like a WWI Sopwith Camel!!
The car's a Dec' '92 (K) RR Classic and I was wondering about the wisdom of going for a stainless exhaust ...
... and, if so, what are the merits of going for stainless manifolds, as well?
Any advice? Yes? No? And, if yes, what make would you advise?
I'd echo the above post. If you're planning on keeping the car then definitely fit one. I fitted one to my P38 over 2 years ago and it's still immaculate (though the tailpipes are painted matt black as I hate the bling of the polished steel). The last Land Rover mild steel one I had fitted lasted just 2 years and was more expensive - it's a 'no-brainer' really. I bought mine from Rimmer Brothers:
Much as I'd love to move up to a P38, I like the simplicity of the Classic and I'm in one of those 'Catch 22' situations where I've renewed so much of the vehicle it's worth more to me than I'd ever get on the open market. I will have to renew the lower tailgate over the next year and posiible a bit of work on the rear arches, though.
Any advice on whether to go the full hog for the stainless manifolds as well. I know you should wrap them because of the excess heat but would they improve the efficiency by a lot more than keeping the old ones?
Personally, I'd contact "Double-S", their systems are (in my personal opinion) better than the ones Rimmer's offer. As to tubular manifolds, you might gain 3 or 4 bhp on a non-cat engine, but the jury's out on wrapping them. by all means wrap mild steel ones, but stainless ones can be prone to cracking if wrapped - due to the build-up of heat. If you have the facilities to fit yourself, contact double-s for a price, or try the likes of GEMM 4x4 in Larbert. If you don't want to fit it yourself but don't want to pay a "dealer", e-mail me and I'll give you a name and number for a bloke your side of Edinburgh that would probably fit it for you for a reasonable ammount. Badger. (From Falkirk originally, now up near Elgin)
I have an 88 Classic with full Rimmer SS system. Installed it about 7 or so years ago. _I_ wrapped the manifolds in heat tape. I say 'I' cos the bloke installing the system refused to do it and I can understand why. It's horrible hairy stuff that seems to be made of very itchy hard fibreglass - like loft insulation but less forgiving. It also cost £100 from Rimmer for both mainfolds and reduced the clearence between the O/S manifold and chassis such that they touched at multiples of 800 rpm making the driver's footwell vibrate - cured by a lot of persuasion from a cold chisel and club hammer. The system sounds absolutley marvellous
- those that understand V8s at work listen for my arrival and departure. But I can't hear it when I'm driving :-( It has a very deep rumble that rises to a fairly tasty crackle when provoked - so I'm told ;-)
Both mainfolds cracked where the individual headers combine into one under the front footwells - i.e. before the Y pipe. Rimmer supplied replacements and didn't want to see the broken ones first because of the tape. I did return them after fitting the new ones.
I did not tape the new manifolds and was wracked with fears of melting wiring looms and some very hot plasticcy smells (which have gone). I did re-route the starter motor feed and alternator feed to avoid the unwrapped manifold. The starter motor feed passed between two branches of the wrapped manifold and showed no signs of damage.
You really notice the absence of the tape in terms of underbonnet temps but I didn't get a definate answer from Rimmer as to whether the tape is essential.
According to my spannerer they are bastard systems to fit, but this may be aftermarket exhausts in general.
AFAICR the entire system is not stainles steel.
If you want even more of that gorgeous V8 sound Rimmer supply a straight through centre box. Apparently it is also legal!
BTW whenever I got a quote for my insurance I made a big point of making sure that the insurers new about, and noted on the policy, the presence of the exhaust because Rimmer describe it as a 'Sports System' and I did not want an insurer wriggling about cover on the grounds that I had improved the performance without telling them. Neevr made any difference to the premium.
I actually use GEMM 4x4 all the time. Used to do a lot of work on cars myself but don't have the time (or inclination) anymore. I called George the other day, to get a rough price, but I think they're still on holiday.
It's a cat' system (3.9 efi LPG) so do you think stainless manifolds are worth it? And would the excess heat affect the LPG system?
I was up your way at Hogmanay: did a gig at the Moray Golf Club, Lossiemouth (soloact / guitarist / singer), then had an 'interesting' time negotiating the Drumochter Pass in terrible weather conditions (blizzard-like, but it was 'slush' that was falling).
You need to get the manifolds with the lambda bosses in them obviously, shouldn't be any issues with the LPG as long as it's been installed correctly with regards to COP11 requirements for distance-from-exhaust-parts and any necessary heat shielding.
Drop in for a "wee dram" if you're up this way again next year....... Badger.
That's the only reason I was asking about wrapping the manifolds but I will check the COP11 requirements.
Thanks for the ivite, matey. I might well take you up on it: I'm doing my next gig at the Moray course the weekend of the Moray Open, in July ... and then, the next night, I'm at Forres Golf Club.
MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.