This past weekend I asked my local garage if they could tweek and tuck up the sad excuse for an exhaust system the dealership put on years ago. It looked like bits of pipe put together with clamps everywhere and sat so low it wouldn't go over the only speed bump in town. Center of the car had 4 inch clearance. Coming home from Branson last year I got stopped by MO Hi-PO to 'advise' me to get it up under a little better.

He got it in the air and looked it over with 2 others and suggested we start new from the header back, this was just junk. Take more time and effort to tweek and splice than start from scratch. This is not what I wanted to hear.

My wallet was shaking in fear. He gave a price for 8ft aluminnized 2 1/4 inch pipe, resonator, muffler, hangers and a chrome tip. Labor was quoted 1 hour, 1.5 at the most. I was wondering if he could do it for that, or would there be unseen 'extras'. I agreed and they went to work. I had to leave it ovenight as there was a mixup on the muffler length, sent 21 inch not 12, dyslexic.

The next day they let me watch the installation and to position the chrome tip, so it extends far enough. I'm happy with the sound, it looks fan-damn-tastic compared to the other one. The best part was the bill. $128.52.

All 3 workers got a ride afterwards, first time in any Z for all 3. All were impressed with the power, torque and the new sound. One even said 'this gal is a real screamer!'.

Bonzi Lon

That looks like it'd be LOUD. Please tell me that it is

How loud is loud? Its subjective.

It does have a nice soft, low rumble at idle, it does make you wonder whats under the hood. I have a brand new pair of Paltec SU carbs, cam 13001-N3626 .434" 256, into pacesetter 6-2-1, then what they installed. The dreaded drone is gone. Just as important, the sloppy first install.

When it gets to about 2200rpm is when it starts to sounding nice. A steady 3000 to 3500 in 4th at about 70-80 is smile time.

Running through the gears in an agressive manner makes the sound of a true sports car that I remember hearing on TV in the 70's, mostly Farrari's.

Bonzi Lon

Hey Bon, What is the brand and # of the rear muffler, and is it an oval or is it round? Turbo muffler? Is the front muffler a glasspac?

Cheers, Mike

I keep stalling, hoping that maybe something will come of the talks with Stebro for a pre-fab stainless system. But I fear that project may have died.

So once I give up on the Stebro (probably later this Summer), I plan to have something very similar to this built locally. Mine will likely have a couple of flange joints for easy serviceability, and the rear muffler will probably be a twin outlet Magnaflow, but otherwise pretty much the same.

I wish some of the local muffler shops around here worked that cheap!

Holy crap! Your car has the same tow hookup bracket on it that mine had. I just had it all patched up. Made a real mess the the back of my car. First shot is with the metal fatigue from the tow hitch, 2nd is the replacement steel.

I was quoted 500 from one of the local shops! You definately can't complain about the price..

The stainless tip on my turbo z was almost as much as your whole system (about $90 with tax) you definitely got a great deal.

I have the same questions as Mike, hard to tell from the pictures.

The resonator and muffer were off the shelf no name white box generics. Price drops fast without a Nationaly advertised name brand. The resonator is 14" long, about 3" dia. The old system did not have a resonator. The muffer case is 12" long, 6" round, center in & out. Chrome extender is 9" rolled lip. The tube was crush bent. He wanted to do it in 1 piece but had to splice it to get the muffler square.

I'm with Arne too, if and when I do get a good set of headers, coated satin black, I'd like to go with stainless & flanges all tucked nice, everything square and straight, Ansa's with a blue tip . You know, in a perfect world.

GreenZZZ, that hitch came with the car and was put to use moving me home from college pulling a small enclosed U-Haul. The whole episode was an experience, from letting U-Haul wire the lights to pulling in the driveway.

Mine did not experience any damage but can see how if TOO much weight was pulled TOO many times could put a V in the bumper, buckle the spare tire well & other bad things. I really wanted to put mine back on after refurbishment, for a conversation piece with a 1.5" ball. Both the hitch and car fought me trying to put it back on. After smashing a finger I realized the car did NOT want to wear that hitch anymore :mad: but I left the bracket.

Bonzi Lon

I keep stalling, hoping that maybe something will come of the talks with Stebro for a pre-fab stainless system. But I fear that project may have died.

So once I give up on the Stebro (probably later this Summer), I plan to have something very similar to this built locally. Mine will likely have a couple of flange joints for easy serviceability, and the rear muffler will probably be a twin outlet Magnaflow, but otherwise pretty much the same.

I wish some of the local muffler shops around here worked that cheap!

i hear ya on the cheap work thing, i bought the twice pipe setup from MSA and it cost me another 250 to get it fit right and not scrape the wife was a tiny bit mad at me, but i sounds so bada**

Need to add another $50 to the exhaust system bill for replacing the rear hatch gasket. Yes, I considered that 37 year old gasket part of the exhaust system.

Bonzi Lon

GreenZZZ, that hitch came with the car and was put to use moving me home from college pulling a small enclosed U-Haul. The whole episode was an experience, from letting U-Haul wire the lights to pulling in the driveway.

Mine did not experience any damage but can see how if TOO much weight was pulled TOO many times could put a V in the bumper, buckle the spare tire well & other bad things. I really wanted to put mine back on after refurbishment, for a conversation piece with a 1.5" ball. Both the hitch and car fought me trying to put it back on. After smashing a finger I realized the car did NOT want to wear that hitch anymore :mad: but I left the bracket.

That bracket is heavy!! I don't think your back panel has metal fatigue like mine did making me think that the PO of my car actually used the tow hitch a lot. :paranoid: I have the car on a rotisserie and besides the holes, panel fatigue, and some bends in the spare tire well, no other damage and its all fixed.

Need to add another $50 to the exhaust system bill for replacing the rear hatch gasket. Yes, I considered that 37 year old gasket part of the exhaust system.

You have that right, but I'd add the left turn signal gasket and the rubber around the gas vent through holes on the rear deck...

Edited May 8, 201014 yr by GreenZZZ
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