Stainless steel exhaust

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Gareth 161
Joined: Thu 08 Mar, 2012 23:41
Posts: 137

  Z3 roadster 3.0i
Location: Cornwall

Stainless steel exhaust

Post by Gareth 161 »

Hi
Looking to change the exhaust on my 2000 3.0 z3 to a stainless one to give her a little bit more of a "growl" as stock sounds a bit quiet.
Presumably just changing the back box and cutting it into the pipe work would be sufficient but was wondering if anyone had done this and could recommend a particular make or advise of any problems.
I have noticed a flap type thing on one of the exit pipes currently but not sure what it does or even if it works.
Am assuming that any new stainless box would not have this fitted and hopefully would not cause a problem.
My only other issue is the difficulty in changing gear at present but will try a braided hose and clutch fluid change next week and report how that goes.
2001 3.0 Z3, 2008 Subaru Forester Xten
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Robert T
Site Admin
Joined: Mon 12 Jun, 2006 10:35
Posts: 10170

  Z3 roadster 1.9
Location: Cheshire

Re: Stainless steel exhaust

Post by Robert T »

Gareth 161 wrote:I have noticed a flap type thing on one of the exit pipes currently but not sure what it does or even if it works.
It blocks off one of the tailpipes to quieten the exhaust at low revs. It is operated by vacuum and an electric valve which closes the flap below a certain number of engine revs. If this has failed closed, it might be quietening your exhaust note, but the design is such that they normally fail open, unless the spring is bust. Check that it is free to move and get someone to stand behind and see what happens when you rev the car (after you've warmed it up).

Cheers R.
Arctic Silver '99 Z3 1.9 & Black '59 Frogeye 1275cc
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peter2b
Joined: Sat 01 Nov, 2014 18:47
Posts: 963

  Z3 roadster 2.2i
Location: cheshire

Re: Stainless steel exhaust

Post by peter2b »

my old 2.2 sounds rorty when I give her a bit of welly some thing over 2.5k revs seems to do it
peter2b
alec.m
Joined: Tue 05 Oct, 2010 19:01
Posts: 552

  Z3 roadster 2.8
Location: Lymington

Re: Stainless steel exhaust

Post by alec.m »

My 3.0 has a beautiful growl when you give it stick. It sounds like the flap on yours isn`t working. I`d try to fix that and see what you think before going stainless. Some who have gone with aftermarket exhausts have reported that while it sounds great at first, when they`ve gone on a long run it`s too much and becomes annoying.
deni2s
Joined: Mon 25 Mar, 2013 22:02
Posts: 761

  Z3 roadster 2.8

Re: Stainless steel exhaust

Post by deni2s »

You can never go wrong with SuperSprint ;)
Gareth 161
Joined: Thu 08 Mar, 2012 23:41
Posts: 137

  Z3 roadster 3.0i
Location: Cornwall

Re: Stainless steel exhaust

Post by Gareth 161 »

Have just been for a run(with top down and woolly hat on) to warm her up and looking into the pipe, the flap is open so seems to be working OK.
I know that some stainless exhausts can drone a bit will try a local fabricator near me( Powells at Redruth) and see what they can come up with although not yet sure what make they sell unless they make their own?
Don't want to be a "boy racer" but just something with a deeper sound more like a v8?
Gareth
2001 3.0 Z3, 2008 Subaru Forester Xten
therealdb1
Joined: Tue 25 Jun, 2013 21:47
Posts: 263

  Z3 roadster 2.0

Re: Stainless steel exhaust

Post by therealdb1 »

V8 sound Simples!!!
Buy a TVR :D

IMHO stainless ehausts can sound a little tinny unless they are hewn from solid bar!

Look at something like a Jetex. I had one once on an Opel Manta and a blip of the throttle set off the neighbours car alarms and would rattle their house windows!

You are only young once :lol:
Gareth 161
Joined: Thu 08 Mar, 2012 23:41
Posts: 137

  Z3 roadster 3.0i
Location: Cornwall

Re: Stainless steel exhaust

Post by Gareth 161 »

I do like the sound of a Tvr s2 but too expensive and unreliable.
Wish I was still young in body as opposed to just being young at heart(wrong side of 60) but luckily no near neighbors
Will keep looking to see what is around
2001 3.0 Z3, 2008 Subaru Forester Xten
bertiejaffa
Joined: Fri 26 Jul, 2013 09:28
Posts: 1733

  M roadster S50
Location: Manchester

Re: Stainless steel exhaust

Post by bertiejaffa »

I have after market stainless steel on my M and my 911 and both sound great although I will admit the M does drone a little at low revs. Unfortunately I dont know where they are from but try sending a message to Alfie - he has custom pipes on his M and they sound great
Here come the girls.....
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therealdb1
Joined: Tue 25 Jun, 2013 21:47
Posts: 263

  Z3 roadster 2.0

Re: Stainless steel exhaust

Post by therealdb1 »

The TVR S2 has the same number of cylinders it is a Ford V6 but they do sound hairy chested I admit. Now the V8S! Shame about the lopsided bonnet. :roll:
I know what you mean about build quality and reliability though. Many years ago when Tessa's matured paying 15% interest I had many £'s burning a hole in my pocket and I went out to buy an S2 or preferably an S3. After visiting three TVR dealers and realising that they were all like kit cars built by Stevie Wonder I came home with a Porsche 944 S2 for the same money which in five years of ownership was no trouble whatsoever. I read an interview with Peter Wheeler when the Chimaera was released stating that they had so much of an issue with panel gaps that they decided to make a feature of them which is why that model had a gaping chasm between door and front wing!
The only problem with a Porker is finding a safe place to park it since people harbour unfounded perceptions of them. Mine was ten years old when I sold it and it had a value of a third of the Volvo that I replaced it with and yet no one was put out by the Volvo at all!
60 is the new 40 or that is what I am telling myself as that horizon appears very close these days!
peter2b
Joined: Sat 01 Nov, 2014 18:47
Posts: 963

  Z3 roadster 2.2i
Location: cheshire

Re: Stainless steel exhaust

Post by peter2b »

tvr's have cherry BoMB silencers LOUD had one on my Robin Hood 2b neaded ear plugs on full chat
peter-2b
NZ00Z3
Joined: Thu 23 Jun, 2016 01:26
Posts: 95

  Z3 roadster 3.0i

Re: Stainless steel exhaust

Post by NZ00Z3 »

The 3.0 L Z3's don't normally have the tail pipe flap as the engine has a nice tone at all rev's. If you have a flap, run your Vin number through RealOEM and see if the car should have one. Maybe your car has an exhaust system from a smaller engine model.

As a side note: That lovely cackle you get when you accelerate over 3,000 rpm on a dual VANOS engine, it is a symptom of worn VANOS seals, especially if your car has over 80,000 miles on the clock and the seals have not been done. Effectively the exhaust VANOS is not working as the piston is being over powered by the return spring in the cylinder. Have seen the results of several VANOS seal replacements where the owners have noticed the exhaust tone change. Have VANOS graphed test results, can't attach them as pictures. Happy to share them if you PM me.
Gareth 161
Joined: Thu 08 Mar, 2012 23:41
Posts: 137

  Z3 roadster 3.0i
Location: Cornwall

Re: Stainless steel exhaust

Post by Gareth 161 »

Just checked realoem and it does show a flap with vacuum tank for mine and I have the version with two pipes into one from the resonator back but there does seem to be various other options with twin pipes all the way back.
All very confusing!!!
Having looked at mine earlier, the resonator looks a bit rusty so might see if it can be cut out as well and replaced with just a stainless back box.
2001 3.0 Z3, 2008 Subaru Forester Xten
deni2s
Joined: Mon 25 Mar, 2013 22:02
Posts: 761

  Z3 roadster 2.8

Re: Stainless steel exhaust

Post by deni2s »

NZ00Z3 wrote:The 3.0 L Z3's don't normally have the tail pipe flap as the engine has a nice tone at all rev's.
If you don't have it, doesn't mean that's normally. There were different options for 3.0, already discussed in another thread.
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