Oldest OEM Exhaust

[TommoAE86]

As far as I could see my Skyline has the original exhaust and there was nothing in the history mentioning a replacement... 1993 close to 70k iirc

Picture otherwise no one will believe a Skyline kept an original exhaust
IMG_5339 by Tom TruckSim, on Flickr

[timmymagic73]

2002 Golf MK4 GTi with 160k miles on it's original exhaust. One hanger welded back on, but otherwise OEM.

A few years ago I had a 15 year old Volvo on 210k miles before the backbox rusted through - the cheap replacement was scrap 2 years after being fitted!

[CubanPete]

I sold my 2002 E46 three years ago, 14.75 years old, 176K, still on it's original exhaust.

[Triumph Man]

2001 530i - 187000 miles, still on its original exhaust.

[drjdog]

I got talking to a guy on the Kilburn High Road a few months ago because he was in an immaculate black, 5 door Mk II Golf GTi (my dad has a very unimmaculate 3 door). His still had the original stickers still on the original exhaust. Less than 30k miles, though, in nearly 30 years.

[SlowV6]

TommoAE86 said:

As far as I could see my Skyline has the original exhaust and there was nothing in the history mentioning a replacement... 1993 close to 70k iirc

Picture otherwise no one will believe a Skyline kept an original exhaust
IMG_5339 by Tom TruckSim, on Flickr

Blimey - has that car ever actually been outside!

[TommoAE86]

Think the previous owner was amazing tbh, didn't look like it'd seen anything but great weather while in Japan. I was the first owner in the UK and I kept it away from the salt but couldn't do it with the rain as it was my only car Had it for 3 years and didn't modify it in any way apart from a modern amp

[MCSV8]

1977 Aston Martin V8 with original (except for 2 x silencers removed) stainless exhaust. 250k miles.

[Richieboy3008]

My Father-O-Man has a 1987 944 with the original exhaust.

[Triumph Man]

When I sold my Triumph 2000 back in 2013, it still had the original exhaust on it from new (1971). 108,000 miles on the clock.

[benharris]

My Dad has owned a 1998 Volvo V70 TDI since it was 3 years old, and has now done 260K miles and is still on it's original exhaust - although he was most upset when the downturned diesel tailpipe trim piece fell off the other day.

It's nicknamed "The Tank" (the car, not my dad!)

[PistonBroker]

Richard-D said:

I recently bought a very cheap (£300) 51 plate MINI that still has what appears to be its original exhaust. The whole thing is remarkably rust free actually. So that's 18 years, no sign of imminent failure either.

I replaced the exhaust on our '06 MINI last month as the band that held it on had rusted off. You can buy those separately, but the backbox looked grotty so I figured I may as well get shot of the whole thing.

It just so happened that a sample of Retro Cars mag dropped through the letterbox with a MINI buying guide in it. Turns out the OEM system is stainless.

[Turfy]

Silly question but what dictates (on average) how long an exhaust lasts?

Miles
Climate
Brand and metals used
Build quality
All of the above....?!

[Schermerhorn]

Surely this is more mileage, rather than age, related more than anything else?

Some old Ferraris from 1960s etc are still on original exhausts purely because they get driven so very little....

[KerwinR]

I remember exhausts lasting 13 months (just out of warranty.....) on my first mini ,30 years ago. Good old KwikS*hit. Was only £30 for the system if i remember rightly.