Hey guys, just a question...

Recently, I got myself a Hooker catback for my Z28, and I have a set of Hedman headers, Y-pipe for said headers, and a 3" cutout I'm going to have installed when I get the Hooker system.

Now, this is what I want to know... My system will not be able to just bolt together at home, since I cut off the 2.5" pipe on the Hedman Y-pipe so I can run a real 3" system. So what I want to have done, is have a 90* piece of 3" pipe bent to go from the Y-pipe to my cutout (where the cat used to be) and then a 45*-or-so peice from the cutout to my Hooker system.

What do you think a job like this should cost? I'll be installing the headers and Hooker system in the car (the catback will be tied up) before I take it to the shop. I just basically want them to stitch the whole thing together for me.

Any ideas, roughly, what this should cost me?

 

i don't see why it would cost much more than $50. if you take in some mandrel bends which would flow better than the crimp bent pieces most shops have (cause most exhaust shops don't have a mandrel bender) than it would probably cost less. even less if you mocked it up and all they had to do was zap some welds on it.

 

I agree. Try to have as many of the parts/pipe sections as you can. Shops typically charge $40 or so to stich a cat-back up so you are looking at a bit more. I would call a few shops and explain to them what you are doing and get some quotes. Your bend angles sound kinda of drastic. You should be able to have a small section of pipe go from your cutout to your cat-back. I would then see if you can have a 3" section welded to the end of the y-pipe where you cut off the 2.5" pipe. That will be the most costly part. Since 99% of shops don't have a mandrel bender I would try to keep the system as straight and simple as possible.

 

The bends arent too drastic... the 90* peice I need would be a very wide bend, not a sharp bend. Same with the 45* peice.

One shop I talked to does have a mandrel bender that will do 3" pipe. Would this be expensive to have the peices made?

 

If I'm understanding correct, you lopped the pipe off at the 'y' and are waqnting made what goes from the 'y' to the new catback ?

Time should be under an hour but, 90% of all places will charge for an hours labor even if it isn't. Call locally for hourly rates.

Alot of people also confuse mandrel benders with die (pinch) benders. It's ultra rare for a standard shop to have a mandrel bender due to cost and generally you'll need someone that costs more than $6-8/hr to operate said expensive equipment. Not to say they aren't aout there.. it's just super rare since it's not cost effective to have for general exhaust repairs. Hell.. OEM doesn't even used mandral bends..

If I were to take a wild guess, you're looking at $150ish (US). Most places are $$55-75/hr (where I live) plus about $40 for a straight stick of pipe (you'll buy the whole thing even though you're not getting but a few feet) plus clamps and/or flanges + misc.$ for the slapnuts to screw things up before everything lines up good enough to call it done.

Just my opinion though.. it's been awhile since I've had someone else work on anything I've owned.

 

Yes.

Quote:

Time should be under an hour but, 90% of all places will charge for an hours labor even if it isn't. Call locally for hourly rates.

Alot of people also confuse mandrel benders with die (pinch) benders. It's ultra rare for a standard shop to have a mandrel bender due to cost and generally you'll need someone that costs more than $6-8/hr to operate said expensive equipment. Not to say they aren't aout there.. it's just super rare since it's not cost effective to have for general exhaust repairs. Hell.. OEM doesn't even used mandral bends..

The shop owner did specifically say mandrel bent, and it is a well known shop around here, so its probably true.

Quote:

If I were to take a wild guess, you're looking at $150ish (US). Most places are $$55-75/hr (where I live) plus about $40 for a straight stick of pipe (you'll buy the whole thing even though you're not getting but a few feet) plus clamps and/or flanges + misc.$ for the slapnuts to screw things up before everything lines up good enough to call it done.

Just my opinion though.. it's been awhile since I've had someone else work on anything I've owned.