Need a new exhaust for a Lupo 1.4 and not wanting to pay VW prices so whats the best cheapest option Kwickfit / other tyre/exhaust places /buy online and diy or any other sugestions ?
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New exhaust
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Posted 5 months ago #
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Ring around all the exhaust places. Kwik Fit have a terrible rep, and you do not want to Diy an exhaust.
Posted 5 months ago # -
Exhausts are a piece of cake to fit, assuming you're not having to remove the manifold up front, really couldn't be a faster job on a car. This is why they train monkeys to do it and place them in kwik fit centres- the work's a bit scrappy but they get by with paying peanuts.
That aside, just check your local motor factors for parts and ask them for a recommendation on a local fitter.
Posted 5 months ago # -
Kwik fit will do a cheapo job perfectly adequately imo. They also replaced a brand new one immediately with no questions asked when I wasn't happy with the actual item (not their fitting).
Exhausts are easy to fit but you do need to do a lot of crawling about under the car, surely?
Posted 5 months ago # -
Kwik Fit have a terrible rep
Do they? I've never had a issue with kwik fit and they're always willing to match the cheapest price. Is it not just a terrible rep on stw as you all want to use niche back street places?
Posted 5 months ago # -
Is it 'best' to go for a stainless one rather than mild steel. OE seems to last ~5 years, aftermarket mild steel, ~2 years. How long for stainless and how much more are they than mild steel usually?
BTW sorry for the slight hijack...
Posted 5 months ago # -
I got a Kwik Fit exhaust on my car 1 year ago and its not broken, fallen off or anything other than work.
Has a 3 year guarantee too.
"Is it 'best' to go for a stainless one rather than mild steel."
Stainless are very expensive compared to normal exhaust but should last the life time of the car. Careful though, some insurance co's will see any stainless exhaust as a modification and charge you for it...
Posted 5 months ago # -
Kwik fit will do a cheapo job perfectly adequately imo. They also replaced a brand new one immediately with no questions asked when I wasn't happy with the actual item (not their fitting).
Exhausts are easy to fit but you do need to do a lot of crawling about under the car, surely?
Kwik fit will replace your exhaust with the wrong one, try to convince you it's the right one, let you drive off with it and have problems for months, insist they legally have to replace perfectly good brake pads and discs before you leave, even re-fitting it [the exhaust] badly and finally refuse to replace it as youve used it (*assuming you're someone who doesn't know about cars). Apparently (not my experience, a friend of mine recanting the tale).
They'll also re-gas your air-con, claim to have checked it for leaks and used leak detecting dye, left it for hours running on the machine. They argue about a refund, be unable to show you where it's leaked from with their dye, when you bring it back 2 miles later with no gas in it.
As for a a lot of crawling about on the floor - define "a lot"?! Roll under, find clamp bolts or flanges, undo, unhook exhaust from rubbers, hook new one up,re-fit or replace bolts, check it's all lined up and nip it up. What, 15 minutes. 20 if your bolts have sheared. An hour if you made a mistake and forgot to get spare clamps/bolts and have to go drive for them.
How long for stainless and how much more are they than mild steel usually?
A good quality stainless system will last longer than the car does. But it might cost more than you like. I got mine done, on the cheap, for £300 - a full custom system from turbo back to the tail. Being stainless it'll never rust, unless they're cheap on the internal baffling etc and use mild steel.
Identify which bit has failed, you can happily replace sections. Mid-section on my peugeot was £22, back box was £35ish IIRC. Mid and front sections rarely fail as they get hotter quicker, rears tend to rust away as they gather more condensation.
Posted 5 months ago # -
If it is the original system you may need to cut the pipe (as quite a few cars have manifold back in one piece straight from factory), but thats not difficult, easier to cut than a fork steerer.
I'm guessing its just the back box, there will probably be a clamp of some sort on the pipe near the rear axle, the rest of the box hangs on rubbers.Stainless is worthwhile if you intend to keep it forever (or will genuinely add to aftersale if it's collectable).
Most mild steel exhausts should last 5 years depending on fuel (petrol has wetter emmissions than diesels = corrode sooner)Posted 5 months ago # -
Ah OK, ta for that. I haven't had a replacement exhaust for ~15 years as I've been changing cars before they needed replacement exhausts.
From back then, I seem to recall stainkless being x2 £££'s of mild steel and a £100 mild steel exhaust lasted about ~2 years. That was for petrol engines mind.
I'm planning on keeping my current cars beyond 5 years and am expecting the '5 year fart' from under the car at some point...
Posted 5 months ago # -
Kwik fit will...
Never had that poor service from my local places in Cardiff. They are a bit cowboy-ish in general attitude but their stuff was ok. Must've had three or four jobs done - all three parts of one old car went within about 6 months. Maybe they shoudl've noticed what was about to fail, I dunno.
Posted 5 months ago # -
National exhausts quoted me £375 for a complete replacement system including Kat. And that was "discounted" from £450.
I went to a local garage and got the job done for £150 as I didn't need a complete system at all, just the middle/back section.
Just try an honest local garage- if your in Glasgow I can give you the address of the one I used.
P
Posted 5 months ago # -
Just try an honest local garage
Easier said than done...
Posted 5 months ago # -
Very true- I was recommended one, so that wasn't a problem.
Posted 5 months ago # -
Thanks guys
I think Kwickfit are a bit like Halfords bike hut in that some branches do actually have some good staff members others however are just members.
My wife called into our local branch today and after 3 of their finest had looked at it they decided between them that it was blowing a little bit but would probably be ok !!!
Will phone around for some quotes I think.
Posted 5 months ago # -
I haven't had a replacement exhaust for ~15 years as I've been changing cars before they needed replacement exhausts.
A family member owns a 5 series BMW which hasn't ever had an exhaust replacement. It's just shy of 22 years old!
Posted 5 months ago # -
180k miles on my 10 year old Audi on its original exhaust. I'll expect a lot more than 2 years from a replacement!
Posted 5 months ago #
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