1988 GTA. I'm just being proactive, before my annual inspection. The pipe on there now leaks a bit where it connects to the cat. I have sealed it up with paste, but it's also leaking a bit at a spot I can't get to.

So I'm paranoid they are not going to pass it this year, so I'll have to get a brand new pipe. Or maybe a shop could weld the leak, who knows, right?

Anyway, what would a new pipe from the cat back to the muffler cost? It's a 2.5 inch pipe.

I actually got an estimate for this same thing 2 years ago, but can't find it now, of course. I think it was $360 parts and labor. Does that sound right?


Thanks

 

A quick check at Rock Auto listed an exhaust extension pipe (runs from the cat to the muffler) for about $80, so your $360 estimate sounds to me like highway robbery for a job that should take a pro shop with a lift no more than about 15 minutes.

And generally, trying to weld leaks in an existing rusty exhaust system doesn't work out; replacement is the usual remedy.

 

That's asinine. What a minivan-driving housewife would pay, not an automotive enthusiast and hobbyist driving an ANTIQUE (almost 33 yr old) car and doing his own work, as is appropriate to such a person and vehicle.

Start here. https://www.summitracing.com/search/...xhaust-systems You searches may also lead elsewhere, but that's a great beginning.

Trying to hack-job "fix" a leaky 33-yr-old exhaust system is almost certain to be a waste of time... it's not like you will find a new pristine cherry unaged like-new pipe, that somehow got a hole in it. NO. What you will find is, a crusty rusty rotted-out deteriorated decrepit 33-yr-old STOCK (crap for longevity to begin with) exhaust system that has rusted all the way through in ONE place THAT YOU KNOW OF, and any attempt to "repair" it, whether by welding or by attempting to disassemble it and replace ONE part, will most likely lead to a giant pile of rust flakes on the floor.

 

No shop is going to charge less than an hour of labor. Between inspection, estimate and consultation, scheduling, ordering parts, setup on the lift, actual repair, test drive, cleanup, and invoicing..... no job takes less than an hour unless it's a dome light bulb or similar that can be done in the parking lot.

These days labor average is about $120 an hour. Depending on how rusty it is and if the flange is salvageable.... might be more than an hour to do the job in a non hack manner.

Could be several hours plus parts. Don't know without seeing it.

GD

 

Hey guys, thanks for the replies! I did actually find the stupid folder with the estimates I got a few years ago. The estimates were around only $100, which included the pipe and installation. Wow. Nowhere near $360. Where did I get $360? Don't know.

OK, I feel better now. BTW, I assume it is the original pipe but I don't know. I bought the car in 1999.
33 years on one pipe is pretty good, huh?

Another question. I have the muffler that has one inlet hole, and 2 outlet holes, from which the tips emerge.
There's nothing fancy about these mufflers, right? They retail for about $79 each? I hope to reuse the 2 tips from the existing setup, if they insist on replacing the muffler too. The current setup has the pipe welded to the muffler.

 

Nothing fancy at all, sounds like they might be original. I would look to add at the least a performance cat back...chances are it would be best to replace the cat and that restrictive Y pipe too while you are at it. I know not long after I replaced the cat-back my catalytic converter plugged and it was like doing the same job twice. The stock system is nothing special as mentioned in the above posts and you could even pick up a little power with a quality 3 inch aftermarket set up.