What you guys thing a good price is on custom exhaust?

[Jpinto]

hey guys i am currently getting clutch installed on my car and in the process they recommended i get the downpipes done.... he gave me a price of custom down pipes for $900 you guys think the price is reasonable?

[dparm]

Depends on the quality. There's a lot of engineering in downpipes ** just welding a bunch of tubing together isn't necessarily going to do much.

[DuncanC]

The price of downpipes is going to be significantly impacted by the cats used. If thats for a catless DP I think its a terrible deal, you could get catless Milteck's for $600 and know they will fit perfect and the quality of materials/work is top notch. If they are making them out of 2.5" stainless and using good quality HFCs thats a good deal. Just make sure they don't put the cats right up close to the engine in the factory pre-cat location. And normally dparm is pretty on point but I have to disagree on this one, there is no engineering involved, its piece of pipe that has to connect two points and fit through a certain space in between the two, so long as the size of the pipe is right, the insides are smooth, good materials are used and they fit, your good to go.

[dparm]

I guess I'm thinking more in the realm of headers/exhaust manifolds. A downpipe is pretty simple, assuming he welds well and uses high-quality stainless tubing.

[DuncanC]

Headers yea... Ton's of engineering. Even a cat back I wouldn't just throw something together with no thought. But DPs are pretty straight forward.

[Jpinto]

Where are you finding the downpipes for 600 i see them online for like 1800 just the downpipes and these will be stainless steel catless downpipes with stock catback i want the power just not the crazy loud exhaust...

[DuncanC]

Milltek S4 Hiflow Catless Downpipes [no cats, offroad use only] for 2004-on 6-Speed $649

http://www.stratmosphere.com/milltek_s4_exhaust_b61.htm


I run them myself, love them, sound great, huge bump in performance, quality seemed top notch. Highly recommended for the money.

[J0HN_R1]

$699 A Stratmosphere...

/thread

[Jpinto]

But are the millteks real good quality? Or is it a type you get what you pay for sorry just not to aftermarket parts savy!

[DuncanC]

Yea. Their downpipes are top notch. Their catback isn't as good as a FI but its still a high quality system, just not designed to allow greater than OEM performance like the FI is. I wouldn't "high recommend" something that was second rate. That is the highest quality, best performing DP available for these cars. Its just bonus that it also is the cheapest. You won't do better without going to JHM headers.

Depending on your long term plans and how far along this clutch job is you may want to consider going a different route. The clutch can be serviced while the motor is in the car (I think book time is around 8 hours), for 15 hours book time your can get them to remove and replace the motor. While its out the clutch job is cake and then you can do headers at the same time. What are you doing for a clutch/flywheel? If you have a B6 and don't care about performance I'd still go to a JHM setup as they use the B7 pressure plate and flywheel. (the OEM B6 flywheel has issues and can do MAJOR damage if it lets go) If you have a B7 and don't care about performance OEM is fine. If your going to set up for performance you may as well get a JHM Stg 3 or 4 clutch now while your doing it, they aren't much more money.

When its clutch time for me I'll be following my advice and dropping the motor to do a Stg 4 JHM and headers.

[SquiddyB6S4]

i want the power just not the crazy loud exhaust...

+1 for piggy pipes. Damned near free, almost the same power gain, bolts right up to stock stuff easily (duh) because it is stock stuff. If you're not taking the car real far (as evidenced by not wanting to buy an exhaust), then piggies will probably not be any different power-wise than DP's, and they might even make less interior noise due to the slightly smaller pipe diameter and retention of the factory main cats. The downside is they're not shiny, and many people will probably hound you and tell you that you need the 2.5" pipe size to make power, even though
A) you clearly don't (dyno sheets for piggies on stock/near-stock cars are basically identical to dyno sheets for DP's on stock/near-stock cars), and
B) you're keeping the stock 2.125" exhaust system.

Just sayin'

[Jpinto]

I have a b6 and it looks the flywheel took a shit on me but i have a really good shop owner working on my car and he is going to do the b7 clutch assembly and he recommended he would do the down pipes and they are quality stainless steel and i can always go back to him if i have a problem. but i highly doubt he is pulling the motor the car has been there for a week or so i am in no rush he trying to see if he could get it warrantied seeing its know to be a problem with flywheels we will see though. i just want the car to have a little pep and sound so i am doing the clutch flywheel downpipes and chip.

[Jpinto]

anyway what do you guys think the exhaust will sound like? decent or raspy

[DuncanC]

Well what are you planning to do? Punch out your pre-cats (piggies) it will sounds fine, very stock. The Milltek would be much louder and a little more raspy. If you let him custom build a catless DP it will probably sound much like the Milltek but I would think your insane. You'd be paying $900 for something that wouldn't be as good as what you could have for $650.

[Jpinto]

it costs 700 with shipping i will talk to him about dropping the price a little if i can get them for like same price or even a little higher i will do it. i am just worried keeping the stock cat back it will sound like shit.

[DuncanC]

I know how I would deal with that problem.