Off the shelf exhaust kits

Recently I designed (squiggled on a bit of paper) and fabricated my own straight through exhaust system with side exit for my 110. I was quite surprised that there wasn't any off the shelf kits for this, I thought there would be.

Creating the exhaust was quite simple, I was a welder by trade, and have the welding equipment, hydraulic dye pipe bender, and pipe flaring tool, so had all I needed. All I did was bought the pipe, cannibalised an exhaust flange off the old system, bought a couple of cheap ebay exhaust rubber mounts where the route deviated from the original, and cut a hole in the bodywork where I wanted it to come out. The result was one solid straight through system downpipe back, formed entirely from stainless steel.

I've had a few people comment on the setup and a couple enquire about me making them one. I'm wondering if there would be a market for this sort of thing on the 'bay. I can turn the exhaust into a kit quite easily by breaking the section down by using flanged sections, my only concern is the exit. Although templates akin to the ones you get with snorkels could be used relatively easily.

Opinions?

I think people would buy it. I did the same thing but I built mine as I went by chopping up a discovery exhaust and using the bends. I almost made a few and sold them while I was at it but I never bothered.

I have only ever seen one on ebay. I think it's a good idea but the question is how cheap you can make them. Paddocks do a mid section for about £40. I think you'd be looking to sell one for £50 to £80 on ebay. The rip off merchants at twisted performance wanted I think it was £250 just for the side exit back section and even then they wouldn't do what I wanted. I said I wanted NO SILENCERS. The man insisted I needed some because it's the law. I said I didn't ask you what the law was I asked you to make me an exhaust with no silencers. He then showed me a silencer with nothing inside it and said I'll put one of these in, it doesn't make a difference. I replied with the obvious statement, "If it doesn't do owt why bloody bother?". In the end I got so annoyed I walked away with my money, went to a garage and asked if I could have some scrap and made my own perfect one.

In short, I think it's a very good idea. Do a multiple listing on ebay and make 5 identical exhausts and put them on for £50 just to test the market. If they sell, make 10 and put them on for more like £80 and then just make more when you need them. I look foreword to seeing them on ebay. It's a definite gap in the market and you've got no competition other than the previously mentioned know it all con men.

I'll bet you can sell a few on here and a discount £50 to get opinions first. As for cutting the hole, that's not your problem. Maybe you could do 2 different types. One with a silencer and one with out.

I think you have a market for 110's. there is a few other places you can go for a 90.

Exhaust Systems

Exhausts for Land Rovers

I bought my straight through side exit from devon4x4 at a show and got a big discount but otherwise it would have been the price in the first link. As khaos mentioned, you can get em from twisted and from IRBdevelopments but there expensive. And there is a poor choice for 110's. Gwyn lewis does a 200/300TDI kit but it exits in front of the rear wheel, not everyone like this look(i know i dont)

I think you could make some money here, especially if the price is ok and the quality decent. I dont think it has to be marine grade steel, just decent quality. Unless there is a market for a rustproof one.

Anyway, good luck.

Matt we were looking at the exhaust on your 110 on Sun, I never got round to asking you were it was from, as I have looked into buying a kit for the 90 and couldnt find anyone selling them for a decent price. It sounds nice aswell.

How much do you think it would cost to make another one and could you fit it also?
I have also looked on Ebay and never seen one. I think if the price was right and it was cost effective for you to make a few like Khaos said, you might have a good little earner there.

They will sell. I know. I make a similar thing for the old bays and split screens.

Done a bit of research into it last night. At the low quantities I'd be buying the steel in to start with, there really isn't much profit margin in £50.

The other down side is just making a back section of the exhaust match to the existing middle requires quite a severe angle on the pipe immediately after the flange, to clear the travel of the rear axle (you can see it on the D4x4 link Matt posted). In a full system, I can accommodate this by starting the angle earlier, and making it less severe, but that angle on my basic equipment isn't possible, it would need Mandrel bending equipment to do so.

I may buy a few lengths of pipe, and see if I can fabricate some different ideas, and see where I end up from there.

On another note, also been drawing up plans to make my own rock sliders out of of thicker gauge steel, which my bending equipment is more suited to. Depending on how that works out, I may take that idea further too.

Chris, if you want to look into a system similar to mine on your TD5, we can have a go at that at some point, just tell me what you're after and it'll just cost you the material cost.

Matt TDi said:

The other down side is just making a back section of the exhaust match to the existing middle requires quite a severe angle on the pipe immediately after the flange, to clear the travel of the rear axle (you can see it on the D4x4 link Matt posted). In a full system, I can accommodate this by starting the angle earlier, and making it less severe, but that angle on my basic equipment isn't possible, it would need Mandrel bending equipment to do so.

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I suspect that is why pretty much the only people that make um is D44 because it costs alot maybe.

Thats why the Gwyn lewis ones etc come out before the rear axle so no bending required then.

Could you not send off the straight pipe to be bent in a mandrel and then do the rest your self?

I could, but by the time you get to out sourcing the work, particularly at low volumes, it becomes un-economical sadly. Same can be done for purchasing pre formed angle sections, and welding them together, but again the same issue.

I'm perfectly happy with my own setup. And I could repeat that many times, but only on a full system from cat/downpipe back, due to the angles.