Mild Steel V Stainless Steel Exhausts

[BaileyMex]

Looking at ditching the old Ashley system on the car in the new year, it never really fitted right from new (back in 2004) but in all fairness, it has lasted all this time apart from a small crack in the manifold which was repaired.

Now the questions is, I've seen the rough prices of a fancy new manifolds and single box system in stainless steel 😱, but in all fairness I'm not actually that bothered what it is made from, I've had this mild steel Ashley system for 17 years and its still fine apart from being a crap fit.

So.... anyone got any experience in having a bespoke manifold and system made in Mild steel? was there much difference in cost?

[DT36]

Don't go for an overly big bore on a manifold.  Bigger is not necessarily better on a mildly tuned road car.

Around 38mm or 1.5inch would work well and probably give you some space back. You might also find that torque will improve if you're currently running bigger than this.

[BaileyMex]

The one I've got now is a 2.25" manifold 4 into 1 manifold and system - 1700 X-Flow, 244 cam, twin 40's plus the usual engine tweaks.

This one's been on for donkeys and has performed well.

[DT36]

1 hour ago, BaileyMex said:

The one I've got now is a 2.25" manifold 4 into 1 manifold and system - 1700 X-Flow, 244 cam, twin 40's plus the usual engine tweaks.

This one's been on for donkeys and has performed well.

Don't be put off to go smaller bore.  I think you'd be pleasantly surprised if you do.

 

[BaileyMex]

Cheers, will look into that.

[piekey]

Colin

You will not go far wrong with a Piper classic manifold & system.  I have fitted many to Anglias & escorts.

Piperexhausts.co.uk  classic range.

[BaileyMex]

15 hours ago, piekey said:

Colin

You will not go far wrong with a Piper classic manifold & system.  I have fitted many to Anglias & escorts.

Piperexhausts.co.uk  classic range.

Thanks mate. They look good.

My main concern and wanting to know the difference in build and cost between mild steel and stainless, is that I'll need a manifold that is designed to sit as snug as possible to the floor as it bends round to attach to to centre pipe, as my car is very low.

Wanting to get a manifold/system built/bent to fit the contour of my floorpan/Bulkhead and thought a custom made to measure job would fit the best.

Worried another off the shelf system would still have the manifold coming down too far and resulting in the centre pipe being lower than it needs to be.

Has anyone had a custom manifold/system made from mild steel? Only see S/steel advertised as hand made jobs.

[meXEco]

20 hours ago, piekey said:

Colin

You will not go far wrong with a Piper classic manifold & system.  I have fitted many to Anglias & escorts.

Piperexhausts.co.uk  classic range.

 

Are these the same ones they had help developing with 105speed then fooked them off?

I had a 105speed fanimold and system for a xflow'd mk1, and Anglia and both were delicious.

[katana]

You can get off the shelf ss. manifolds and systems but they won't be super tight as they have to fit most eventualities! A bespoke exhaust will be as tight as u want it, but I'll cost, maybe double that off the shelf one!

[BaileyMex]

23 minutes ago, katana said:

You can get off the shelf ss. manifolds and systems but they won't be super tight as they have to fit most eventualities! A bespoke exhaust will be as tight as u want it, but I'll cost, maybe double that off the shelf one!

Yep, that's what I'm thinking, I don't want to buy another 'of the shelf' one and it sits too low once fitted, hence the bespoke option,.

Just trying to get feedback from people if a bespoke Mild Steel system would work out much cheaper than S/Steel as I aint really fussed what its made from TBH

[Rallye]

HPE if you want to go stainless.

 

Janspeed from Darrell if you want mild steel

 

Either option you can't go wrong.

 

(Mild steel being cheaper) hope that helps

[Rally Pack 2000]

When I put on my stainless system it acquired a raspyness to its sound. I was told that stainless mufflers do have a different resonance too them but I am looking into trying another different brand just to see if possibly its just that one not all brands.

[katana]

Personally if having a bespoke system made I wouldn't have something that we'll go rusty in 6 months and potentially rot through and start blowing in three years! Besides, anything stainless looks classy.

 

[BIG G]

Stainless steel work hardens over heat cycles and time, and if the exhaust is the knocked on a speed hump or the like then is way more prone to fractures, especially around the manifold runners. They look nice though and that's important but sadly not very period on a MK1 

[piekey]

21 hours ago, meXEco said:

 

Are these the same ones they had help developing with 105speed then fooked them off?

I had a 105speed fanimold and system for a xflow'd mk1, and Anglia and both were delicious.

Yes Piper supply many big names in the industry inc HPE.. All kit runs a warrenty, not had any issues over the yrs.

& yes the old Mass x flow copy that Neil did years ago is still coming thru today.

[BaileyMex]

2 hours ago, BIG G said:

Stainless steel work hardens over heat cycles and time, and if the exhaust is the knocked on a speed hump or the like then is way more prone to fractures, especially around the manifold runners. They look nice though and that's important but sadly not very period on a MK1 

Mine currently gets battered, hence wanting to get a new system that is snug to the floor, not fussed about the look to be honest, its an exhaust

 

2 hours ago, katana said:

Personally if having a bespoke system made I wouldn't have something that we'll go rusty in 6 months and potentially rot through and start blowing in three years!

My mild steel one is 17 odd years old and not rusty, fortunate to have a dry storage unit,

 

10 hours ago, Rally Pack 2000 said:

When I put on my stainless system it acquired a raspyness to its sound. I was told that stainless mufflers do have a different resonance too them

I'd heard that about the tone of a SS one

[Rallye]

One advantage is you'll get a custom fit with SS, as opposed to a mass produced mild steel system. My 2.25 runs close to body, does not bottom out with the appropriate clamps.

[BaileyMex]

Oh I would get a custom fit one, but just looking to see if anyone went with a custom mild steel manifold and system versus stainless steel.

[DT36]

Regarding my previous about going for a smaller bore exhaust 😁

Some good vids done by Graham, fair play. 

 

[BaileyMex]

Thanks for the Vid, interesting results.

after speaking to the exhaust chap the other day, I may be taking a different approach, and in doing so saving myself a bundle.

after explaining the only reason I was thinking of changing the exhaust/manifold due to the car being very low (yep I know my own choice) and scraping every bump and road camber, he suggested why not just look to modify what I already have to raise it up.

of course, that is far too obvious 

[BIG G]

a problem we used to have years ago was that the only manifold available was a 1600 one, The 1300 engine is approx 1" (25mm) shorter meaning that putting a 1600 manifold on my 1300 made the manifold 1" lower therefor bashing it on everything and fracturing constantly

[BaileyMex]

Yeah sounds familiar, think I'm going to try to take a trip over there one day next week to get it on their ramps

[chinkamon]

On 26/01/2022 at 11:20, BaileyMex said:

Yeah sounds familiar, think I'm going to try to take a trip over there one day next week to get it on their ramps

How did you get on after? I bought a stainless manifold for my precrossflow then made the rest of the exhaust from there an topped it off with a cherry bomb muffler but then I am an old hot rodder so bore size, period looks etc never really come into it 😂

[deltamal]

There was an interesting article in the Classic Ford mag either in last months or the month before comparing smallish bore Ashley type manifolds with bespoke stainless ones on a dyno, the Ashley type manifolds gave generally the best results! ideal for me as that's what I've got on my tweaked 2.0 Pinto!

[katana]

2 hours ago, deltamal said:

There was an interesting article in the Classic Ford mag either in last months or the month before comparing smallish bore Ashley type manifolds with bespoke stainless ones on a dyno, the Ashley type manifolds gave generally the best results! ideal for me as that's what I've got on my tweaked 2.0 Pinto!

Those in the know don't tend to fit overly large piped manifolds or systems and unless the application demands constant high rpm, a 4-1 will kill drivability everywhere from idle through to top of mid range! A lot of peeps 'think' they need big exhausts as that is what the manufacturers supply but very few have been dyno'd to 'prove' that they work better than small!