1986 4+3 CORVETTE

I live in washington and ordered an exhaust and it has no cats and no shops will install it, so i was wondering if anyone that lives in washington oregon idaho, or california would install it. I dont have the tools to do it and I can pay anyone that would be willing. I want to go on a road trip anyways so this would work well. Tell me if you can thanks

jhammons01

^^Don't stumble into Midas and ask for that exhaust to be installed. You need to find a "real" muffler shop like.......



This shop looks hokie....but these guys know their stuff and do quality work.

I know this place in SoCal does not help you any, but it should give you an idea of what sort of place you need to be looking for to help you.

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=...26tbs%3Disch:1

tjb101084

Yes I would agree. I did the same thing with my old camaro and finally found this private run down shop that didnt even speak english. They didt care about rules. LOL. But after all said and done they did an amazing job for half the price. They are my only shop I now use. Open the phone book and start calling all the private shops. Also any extra 40 bucks may not hurt your case as well.

TA

Are your old cats still on the car?

If so, I'm guessing their issue is removing your cats and not with installing your catless system.

I believe the federal law prohibits them from removing your cats. I don't think it prevents them from installing your new system.

So, remove your old system on your own, then drive it to the shop and have them install the new.

jhammons01

^^Well...yes...that is the rule....but really.....A private shop knows damn good and well no one can trace it back to them.

Chain Stores aren't really that crafty....

1986 4+3 CORVETTE

How much do you think a private shop would charge to install long tube headers and an h pipe with no cats or mufflers

tjb101084

Every shop is different but pro around 250

c4cruiser

Most shops will bill for the actual hours it takes because there is no "book" rate for custom work.

Call Dan at VetteWorks in Auburn. Good guy and very knowledgeable. He can get it done for you. BTW, I would recommend using an X-pipe rather than an H-pipe. I assume that the ZIP code where you live doesn't require an emissions test?? Some places in the greater Puyallup area requires testing some don't.

Another thing you can do is to tell a shop that the car is for "off-road use only". When you take the car to a shop, trailer it and remove the license plates.

cgantner5150

Installed my long tube headers and removed the stock exhaust completely.

Asked at the local Midas and they said no way unless the car came and left on a trailer - "Offroad use only".

Visited a large "local" shop and the guy asked "how soon can you get it here?". This was on a Friday evening. Picked it up on Saturday morning (it was stored in a closed garage and he even told me that if I wanted to do any other work while it was up in the air I was welcome to).

It was an awesome job - 2.5 inch all stainless with an X-pipe, Magnaflo mufflers and LT1 tips. Center section is removable from header flanges to end of X-Pipe. Really pain free.

I guess it was a little pricey ($500.00), but I also have a full warranty. I figured it would have to be done in "cash" but that was not the case.

Topper - The installer at Midas stopped me on the way out and referred me to the other shop. He probably got a little kick back but that is cool with me.

FOURSPEEDVETTE

Midas Muffler shops have become a real joke anymore. If the part didn't come already made to fit the car, or in a Midas brand box, they won't install it. They won't do any custom exhaust or bending work period. It used to be the place to go for custom work and bending years ago. Stick to the mom and pop places and you won't have any problem.

1986 4+3 CORVETTE

I called Dan at vetteworks in auburn and he said it would be about 5-6 hours

tjb101084

That seems a little steep??? Am I missing something? I am thinking 4 to 5 hours being hung over????

turbodiesel

so if i do a true dual exhaust on my 87 vette i need to do a x pipe to? whats it for?

1986 4+3 CORVETTE

thats what i thought

turbodiesel

whats it for or do? thx

1986 4+3 CORVETTE

i meant thats what i thought to the quote for my car exhaust, but some dont like the sound or loudness of straight pipes, and theres not as much back pressure, you get a little more power x or h

turbodiesel

oh ok so straight duals r no good we want x or h pipe.....thx

c4cruiser

It's probably an average tiem. A shop will have to remove the old exhaust, the exhaust manifolds, the EGR pipe (this by itself can take some time if everything is rusted/corroded), the starter, and the dipstick tube which hopefully won't break

Simply installing the headers will be a good hour to 1.5 hours. The starter has to go back in with the passenger side header in and loose, the dipstick tube, and then the rear mounting braces for the alternator and A/C compressor will have to be modded to fit properly. The O2 sensor will have to be mounted on the driver's side collector and that means cutting a hole in the collector and welding in a bung.

Once the exhaust pipes are ready to be installed. going with straight duals typically means pipes have to be bent to fit using a tube bender. There are true dual exhaust pipe kits you can buy, but they are designed for bolting to exhaust manifolds, not header collectors. Then you have to fit the X-pipe, and finally fit mufflers.

And you do want mufflers!! Straight exhaust will be extremely loud with tons of resonance in the car and Officer Friendly will not take kindly to running open exhaust on the street.

0Paul Ruggeri

I agree with C4cruiser. I've done this and it does take 5-6 hours with the headers.

jhammons01

The place that I posted, they put on a true duel "silencer" in place of my old Cat. They had to cut out the entire old exhaust and completely build the tubes. They had to cut the flanges from the old exhaust (not on a vette) and reuse them as they were a "Racing Beat" proprietary type of flange.

So, order and install a Magnaflow Pre-silencer and rebuild all the tubing......$300....Took them about 1.5-2 hours while I watched.

They were fantastic and really paid attention to the details......ya know....angle that the mufflers pointed....making sure they hung level with each other....made sure they weren't sticking out too far........Making sure nothing hung down too low....

When they were finished it was a classy classy job......will I go back?? without a second thought or hesitation. Those guys were pure gold.