Tailpipe swap.

[8Tech]

So, wandering around the back of my car a week or so ago with the engine running and I noticed a very wobbly tailpipe trim. As you are probably aware, the trims are not actually attached to the exhaust, but are sleeved over them and hang from separate brackets with quite a sizeable gap between the exhaust and the trim. In my case, one of the tailpipe trim tags had sheared off and it was hanging from the remaining one.

So, whilst removing the broken trim to get it stainless tig welded back on, I got to looking at a junk rear silencer in the workshop I had replaced a few days previous from one of these...



Now being a Japanese car, the chrome tailpipe trims were as new and looked to be the same shape as my original trims, just larger diameter and I went about cutting them off to sleeve onto my car whilst the original trim was being welded.

Well one thing led to another, and after offering them up to my rear valance, the slash cut was perfect, and the size just right, and with the conical insert, gave an insulation to the outer chrome trim.





I then went about welding them onto the 2 stubby tailpipes from the original exhaust after replacing the rusty old clamp bolts with new stainless steel fasteners and cleaning off the old clamps and tailpipes.





After carefully fitting and aligning them, it came to my attention that the original exhaust is not symmetrical and the nearside is 20mm longer than the offside, so my precision welding of the 2 tailpipes symmetrically meant the nearside was 20mm too long......bugger!

This was rectified by shortening the tail section a further 20mm.



This then made the pipes precisely the same length and fitment.

Here is the result, tailpipes that fit the valence nicely but retain the original styling of the exhaust.

[J12KJR]

Very neat job Gerry.
The difference in dimensions reminds me of my TVR Sagaris where there was a 30mm length difference between the two rear three quarter windows.

[shuzzy]

Is that a DBS rear bumper on the DB9, on first glance I thought it was a DBS! It certainly looks much more aggressive than a regular 9.

[8Tech]

Yes, DBS front and rear bumpers with flared front arches to suit.

Edited by 8Tech on Wednesday 20th April 22:13

[shuzzy]

8Tech, you are just missing the DBS sideskirts (and bootlid), I see you have the bonnet and front grill also. I love the look of the DBS but prices are beyond my reach unfortunately. I would consider upgrading my 9 to an S look but the parts are super rare and expensive. Well keep up the good work I love all the little touches you have done to your DB9.

[8Tech]

Grille is DBS, I cut the vents into the bonnet myself. Satin black panel across the rear licence plate panel is a wrap so I could remove if I didn't like it, but I did so it stays.

I dislike the ducktail and chrome trim on the DBS bootlid but will add the sills maybe at a later date.

[DaveV8V]

8Tech said:

I cut the vents into the bonnet myself.

A very nice touch, I've always like the look of the additional venting. My personal favourite is that of the GT4. Hmmmnn, I wonder if that can be done too a standard road going V8 vantage without relocating stuff in the engine bay