At a crossroads with my exhaust. Seeking opinions

[John U]

For the last few days I have been struggling to remove the stock exhaust from 3462.
I have broken some bolts (including all four on the cat) and the manifolds are not off yet. I have used
Penetrating oils and heat but the exhaust is quite stubborn. The cat heat shield is rough (can I even find a replacement?) and I need to re-cover my main heat shield. I will have to skim the manifolds and repaint assuming I can remove them without breaking more studs.
I was thinking about just making things easier on myself and getting a stage one exhaust but our Canadian dollar sucks so bad that the price will be $3500 with taxes and freight.

I am ready for some advice....

John

[SamHill]

First question: what are the emission requirements you have to meet there, if any?

[John U]

No emissions test pre 1987 but if the cat is found to be missing by the authorities at any point it is trouble.

[sdg3205]

I was in the same boat as you. Everything was rusted solid. You may have seen my thread about the 02 sensor ripping out and how i used JB weld and coat hangers to get one more season out of it.

Talk to the DMC vendors. I got a used Spec 1 from Josh for half the price. It was low miles. Someone might have a used kit sitting off to the side. Josh sells off used kits quite often.

[Iznodmad]

Isn't Wells Auto an authorized DPI affiliate? Should be able to buy a new SPEC exhaust there "normally" with Canadian dollars, right?

[Andrew]

I installed a used set of Hervey headers on 5052. I had the pipes bent and welded at a local shop and used a Magnaflow Tru X muffler located in the stock muffler location. All told the entire system cost me about $600. I have been very happy with the sound and the performance.

On 4194 I did a custom system from the crossover pipe back. I had a extra crossover pipe from which I sourced a donor flange, then I had a local exhaust custom bend and weld a dual exhaust system using a Dnyomax single in / dual out muffler. IIRC the muffler crosses to a 3rd gen trans am. I think the entire system cost about $350

On an aside, Allflow makes some really pretty paperweights:

https://www.amazon.com/AllFlow-Catalytic-Converter-Aluminized-Steel/dp/B00N9QNKGS?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00N9QNKGS&pd_rd_r=ZKD28P2TGR6VS9Q119SD&pd_rd_w=NEmhl&pd_rd_wg=4LmIE&psc=1

Of course you're not supposed to use them for anything besides a paperweight :-)

[Andrew]

If you wanted to do a crossover pipe back system, you could save the flange from the cat, as it is an oddball size bolt pattern. Any good exhaust shop should be able to blow the studs out and then weld pipe to the flange. As long as you have the flange, the sky is the limit for what you can do with custom pipes and a welder. If necessary a shop could probably fab a system with smaller cat(s) with or without heat shields.

[John U]

Thanks for the feedback all.


Isn't Wells Auto an authorized DPI affiliate? Should be able to buy a new SPEC exhaust there "normally" with Canadian dollars, right?

True he will charge me in northern pasos, but he still has to pay DPI and I am sure no one will take the hit on the 35% exhange rate except me

John

[Wells Auto]

Thanks for the feedback all.



True he will charge me in northern pasos, but he still has to pay DPI and I am sure no one will take the hit on the 35% exhange rate except me

John

To clarify, we have no affiliations and purchase parts from all vendors per our clients requests. As John mentioned, the cost for us to purchase anything from the US given the exchange is very high, it's part of life up here.

Thanks,

[David T]

Just another reason why a Delorean in Canada in good running condition is worth more. When the cost of parts and service goes up, so does the value of a good, running car. As costs to make a poor, dead, car into a good, running car go up so does the value of the finished product. The same factors work to drive values up here in the US. It is what causes prices to go up for the "good" cars albeit slowly. So we can complain about the costs of the parts but at least we can get them and as parts prices go up so does the value of our cars.