Custom exhausts costs, how much would you pay?
Custom exhausts costs, how much would you pay?
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Discussion

jason61c

Original Poster:

5,978 posts

198 months

Thursday 15th July 2010
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Custom exhaust... how much would you pay?

Right, Picking my car up tomorrow with its new exhaust.

Its a full stainless sytem 3-2-1(x2) for the m3 straight 6. has to wrap around the steering shaft 3 over 3 under.
Pipe work has to wrap around here where its tighter than i'd care to mention!



Its built using tuned lengths equal length primaries etc
including silencer and 6 individual manifold flanges.

Basically its a proper job to similar specs as a full race system on e36 m3 race cars.

So the question is how much would you Pay? I know its taken over a week in man hours to get it all right.

ColinM50

2,689 posts

199 months

Friday 16th July 2010
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A week's manpower from any proper business should, with the best will in the world, come out at 35 hours x £40 an hour. You can do the math. Plus materials, say £15-1800 and you shouldn't complain too much.

Of course if it's a little bloke who works on his own in his spare time, then maybe move downwards a bit (lot?)

singlecoil

35,806 posts

270 months

Friday 16th July 2010
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I concur with Colin, and it's the main aspect of the BMW engines for a 7 which has put me off, canted over and to the wrong side. Great engine and gearbox choice otherwise, so it could well be that what was saved on the engine compared with getting that much power and torque by other means will be enough to pay for the exhaust with a bit left over?

jason61c

Original Poster:

5,978 posts

198 months

Friday 16th July 2010
quotequote all
singlecoil said:
I concur with Colin, and it's the main aspect of the BMW engines for a 7 which has put me off, canted over and to the wrong side. Great engine and gearbox choice otherwise, so it could well be that what was saved on the engine compared with getting that much power and torque by other means will be enough to pay for the exhaust with a bit left over?
You're not too far off the mark with my engine choice. The idea was to get a good strong powerful unit that I can just leave alone bar servicing etc. I wanted a 'proper' exhaust though as I didn't want the engine strangled. Its a tight fit in a small seven style car however hopefully the negatives outweigh the positives. I knew the exhaust was going to be a challenge.

I'll get pics up of the exhaust when I collect the car later. Its going to be a damn site less than £1500 though smile For the level of power and torque its still going to be a very very cheap choice of engine.

CorseChris

332 posts

257 months

Friday 16th July 2010
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Don't forget to subtract the cost of a more 'normal' exhaust from the price you are paying, to work out the premium for the custom one. A standard Westfield exhaust for a Zetec is £500+

Makes it very cheap power indeed!

jason61c

Original Poster:

5,978 posts

198 months

Friday 16th July 2010
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Pics, not quite finished but i'm sure you get the idea....











Thoughts?

slomax

7,200 posts

216 months

Friday 16th July 2010
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Thats a lot of pipe to polish! laugh
On a more serious note, considering what room you gave them to work with, i think its a neat and tidy job and looks the bussiness

ColinM50

2,689 posts

199 months

Saturday 17th July 2010
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Nice bit of plumbing there and a lot of thought and effort's gone into the job. So go on, how much?

p1doc

3,664 posts

208 months

Saturday 17th July 2010
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looks very nice,got my pipes for fmic on my murt coated black-easy to clean lol
martin

jason61c

Original Poster:

5,978 posts

198 months

Saturday 17th July 2010
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p1doc said:
looks very nice,got my pipes for fmic on my murt coated black-easy to clean lol
martin
Its stainless so I'll just see how it goes, I'm not into polishing! I guess on a murt the pipework is hidden so it makes no odds! One thing i'm not going to do is wrap it as I'm not overly convinced by it. I've got flared side panels so that should help drop underbonnet temps buy a big way.

EFA

1,668 posts

287 months

Saturday 17th July 2010
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Can I ask who did the work?

jason61c

Original Poster:

5,978 posts

198 months

Saturday 17th July 2010
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Yep no worries, Its tube engineers in lincoln... google will bring up their details.

yazza54

20,238 posts

205 months

Sunday 18th July 2010
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Everyone dads spoken to wants around 2k to do the ultima

jason61c

Original Poster:

5,978 posts

198 months

Sunday 18th July 2010
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I'd give tube engineers a call, the ultima is easier to do than this although i've not got a cat as I don't need one for my year engine.

Toilet Duck

1,365 posts

209 months

Sunday 18th July 2010
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jason61c,

The pipework looks top notch! Have you got a build website for your car? This is going to be an awesome machine! I've got an E46 M3. I can't imagine what the same running gear will be like in a car weighing somewhere around half the weight!! It will be an absolute missle!

yazza54

20,238 posts

205 months

Sunday 18th July 2010
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jason61c said:
I'd give tube engineers a call, the ultima is easier to do than this although i've not got a cat as I don't need one for my year engine.
He eventually found someone who was realistic in price and it's going down in a week or so smile but 2k was the ballpark, and that wasn't even to do the whole system from scratch.

jason61c

Original Poster:

5,978 posts

198 months

Sunday 18th July 2010
quotequote all
Toilet Duck said:
jason61c,

The pipework looks top notch! Have you got a build website for your car? This is going to be an awesome machine! I've got an E46 M3. I can't imagine what the same running gear will be like in a car weighing somewhere around half the weight!! It will be an absolute missle!
An e46 m3 is about 1600kg with leather so it should be well under half the weight smile

I've a build thread http://www.gkdoc.com/ in the build section but need to do a big update.

EFA

1,668 posts

287 months

Monday 19th July 2010
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I think it could be worth the long drive to Lincoln with my car. Do you think they would be capable of making a silencer for a V8 containing an X pipe and 2 pneumatic valves to switch the silencing in/out?

Looking at your pics the pipes look mandrell bent, not formed from sections, and also the primaries look equal length correct?

Thx

jason61c

Original Poster:

5,978 posts

198 months

Monday 19th July 2010
quotequote all
They can make anything really, give them a call. This was one of the most dificult ones they've done as it's so tight.

Yep all equal lengths that why it looks so busy in there. They said something like an ultima is easy as there's more room. This is the second time I've used them due to a great quality/ price combo.

jason61c

Original Poster:

5,978 posts

198 months

Monday 19th July 2010
quotequote all
They can make anything really, give them a call. This was one of the most dificult ones they've done as it's so tight.

Yep all equal lengths that why it looks so busy in there. They said something like an ultima is easy as there's more room. This is the second time I've used them due to a great quality/ price combo.