Hey guys, I've got a 1985 Pontiac Trans Am WS6 with a 305 LG4 and a T-5. I just recently put on a set of hooker 2460's and I wanted to have a shop I know fabricate up a y pipe and a 3 inch into a performance muffler he had laying around. He quoted me for about 600 bucks all said and done. I was expecting about 300-400 dollars, am I getting ripped off? Thanks.

Also I am in Maine so there aren't many performance options for exhaust shops here. Thank you in advance.

 

So everything from the headers to the muffler tips?

Depending on what muffler and steel he uses that does not seem bad at all. I would make sure he does the Y pipe correctly. DO NOT have him make a Y pipe merger like this

http://static.summitracing.com/globa...g-11102y_w.jpg

Make sure it is a Y merger like this side by side, smooth and 2.5 to 3"

https://static.summitracing.com/glob...16767hkr_w.jpg

 

Ive also got a sbc and t5 with shorties-Im taking my car to have a y-pipe made this week and the guy said they charge $150 for a custom y-pipe. I didn't ask about size or other specifics but hopefully that gives you an idea. $600 does seem high. On another car that had longtubes Ive had a shop fab up duals and it was only about $400.
Are you having them do a 3" all the way back to a muffler in the stock location or a dual setup?

 

He said that there really wasn't a good way to run duals and unless you're pushing 600 horsepower there really isn't much of a difference in flow from a 3 inch to dual 2.5's. He's fabricating up a custom y pipe, into a 3 inch exhaust back to a thrush muffler or something.

 

Thrush mufflers are cheap as **** < $30. Are you going to be driving this in the winter? Sounds like everything will be aluminized and will rust fast.

I would get an exact list of what he is doing then report back.

 

If some foo told me that, I would laugh in his face. (or out loud)

-done it before

Crooks-

 

Working on getting an exact list, if all goes according to plan this car will never see snow

 

Can you hang new parts yourself?

Price a nice system that is set up how you want.
Price stainless band clamps that will hold it in place while you drive it. Until winter. Until next summer. Have it welded then.

I would think you could sneak in under $600 for a nice system, by doing it yourself. Maybe even stainless.

If I did stainless, I wouldn't need exhaust for 20+ years and it would add weight an cost. But with your region, it makes sense. Good luck.

 

Depends on what he's using and his skill level. I paid $350 for from the cat back a quality T409 stainless custom 3 inch I pipe over the axle and having my SLP Dual/Dual muffler & tips mounted. The I pipe & muffler set up fits correctly. It isn't as pretty as T304 stainless but it's just as functional and durable. I'm happy with quality of the install and it was the muffler shop I've used for 20+ years. So $600 might be reasonable with quality materials.

 

Thank you, I've found a local guy who is willing to weld up a 3 inch mandrel bent y pipe (hopefully into a pipe with a glasspack) for 35 bucks an hour, he said maybe 300, 400 bucks, maybe less, maybe more. He also is going to teach me how to weld while at it, so hopefully I'll learn a life skill. Planning to do it on the 20th.

 

Great!

I learned some Auto Upholstery R&R "skills" by paying an upholsterer $50 an hour, with me helping. We did 2 jobs together, my 2 '96 Impala SS's (f & r leather)and my '88 Lincoln Mark VII LSC (leather sport buckets).

Two extra hands cut my labor costs and I now do the R&R myself. (cali labor is sky high)