GT3 exhausts - durability?

[braddo]

For those with older and higher mileage GT3s, does anyone have experience of the exhausts failing due to age/wear/rust?

The boxes behind the wheels (and the bottoms of the manifolds and cats) are areas which clearly get a pounding from stuff thrown up by the rear wheels, whether that be dirt/mud/water/salt/stones on the road or track. I presume the exhaust system is stainless steel but it can still look pretty crusty and if there are stories of areas which wear out, I wonder if there are options to put high temp paint or similar on the vulnerable areas before it forces the replacing of parts or needing to go the whole 9 yards and ceramic coat everything.

I have a vanilla 997.1 with pretty high miles and which has done plenty of driving in all seasons and weathers. Sometimes I think it is just as talented at attracting wet weather whenever I drive it as the 70s Alfa I used to have... The exhaust is looking pretty weathered; maybe that is its own protective coating but if not it ain't exactly pretty so I don't care about slapping some paint on areas of it if it means it lasted a whole lot longer.

Cheers

[nigelonich]

Yes. My 996.2 GT3 2004 with 25k miles had corrosion along the lower seam welds on the side mufflers and all the manifold to head bolts were f000ked. All the bolts which hold the manifolds, cats and mufflers were shot too. I may add that this wasnt a rusty car but the exhaust fixings are not up for long life.

There is plenty online feedback about 996 manifold bolts as many have had to get them all drilled out and replaced with the same or upgrading to Ti studs with Ti nuts instead.

I replaced the side mufflers with Supersprint items from Design 911 and they are/were excellent quality and fit.

[smoores]

997.2 RS, 35k miles. Have been running a sharkwerks bypass for a while (3/4 years) but had a new cat last year. The exhaust bracket/clip things seem to take a beating and have changed them once.