I've been thinking on doing my own dual exhaust on my 62 Cadillac to try and save some extra cash. Wondering if anyone here has had much luck trying to do their own exhuast or is it better left to a professional shop? A friend said he has a bender that will do up to 2", and I figured 2" is plenty for a 390 Cadillac. I talked to a guy about having it done and was quoted "about $600" which means it will probably come in higher. I only want to do a simple dual exhaust with some gl***packs in it for a decent old school sound. Just trying to do it on a budget without nasty results. Let me know what you guys think. Thanks. NICK
Hunt around and see if anyone still sells replacement exhaust pipes for the car. Not that many years ago it was common to walk into a parts house and order a complete exhaust system over the counter. Although with muffler shops with tube benders a lot more common and the cost of shop labor to have a non muffler shop do exhaust work I'm not sure what is available anymore. It won't be cheap but you should get by for a lot less if you can find the pieces.
unless you have a hoist forget it, because you will never get it right.If you have no-one with some experience who can help don't even think about it...the first time you go near a drive way it'll be gone....don't want to sound negative but there's a million ways to fug it up, bad tuck, pin holes...the list is long and when you've done your money on the bits to do it your self it will be that much harder to afford to pay a shop......
I've built exhaust systems for several cars, because of lack of money. It's a lot of work, back in those days I didn't have a hoist; it would easier now. You might try J.C. Whitney for exhaust tubing, or maybe even more. Like someone mentioned you used to be able to buy exhaust systems from Sears; I don't think that there are many places selling stuff like that anymore. You should still be able to buy tubing and bends from your parts store though.
Unless you have a lift, a bender, and some patience, I would suggest having it done at an exhaust shop. I've built a ton of exhaust systems myself, and have paid to have a few installed. Piecing together bent up tubes, and making everything from scratch can be a real pain in the *** compared to dropping it off at your local muffler dude and shelling out the coin to have it done. Plus, if it should ever crack at a weld, or fall apart, the shop that did the work should warranty it. If you built it, and it falls apart...well, you're back up under the car again.
I do my own exhaust, no hoist. I do it because of unhappiness with too many professional jobs and because with late models they get antsy about legal part. I don't use a bender, instead they're made like custom headers out of chopped & rewelded bends. There's probably 30 or 40 feet of welding all said and done. If your friend's 2" bender is the cheap kind with a bottle jack, that's not a bender, it's a kinker. By the time you do the prep to avoid kinking, it just adds too much labor to then have to fit the pipes afterward. My systems have STUPID time invested in the fitting. Still wanna do it yourself? Shop a jegs or summit mandrel bent kit for a musclecar. A big musclecar. Grab another 4 to 6 U bends of ***orted radius and a couple sticks of exhaust tubing. Have at it. It's honestly a lot easier to shop around to find somebody that'll do it for $350. The price you were quoted is kind of high for old school small duals. Good luck!
250 to 350 around here will get a very well done, pro done job, which to me is far better an laying under my car on jackstands, dirt and crud in my eyes, cutting tubing into small s****s and having it end up looking like I did on my back, with small pieces of junk tubing, while dirt and **** fell into my eyes...
Some Cadillac's can be a *****. I can't remember each and every year but some year Cadillac's never had duals available from the factory so they never provided a path for the second exhaust pipe. Often the manifold flange arrangement makes it difficult to get the second pipe out and down around the steering linkage. It may even require cutting holes in the frame and or braces. 600 doesn't sound outrageous to me for that year and make. He's probably pricing in the ***** factor. He can do 3 P/Us in the time that he will take on your car. I was never allowed to give a price and then jack it up. I'd make sure that there was no possibility of any surprizes. I'd recommend getting it done by a pro. Save your first home made exhaust sytem for a P/U truck with all the space in the world.
I got full exhaust manifolds back, new hangars, with 18" gl*** packs, for 280. the tubing and mufflers would have cost me like 120 anyway, so to have it done in an afternoon for the labor price of two tanks of gas, was totally worth it. I have 2.25" all the way from ram horn to tail.
WOW you guys are getting some killer prices on exhaust. I started out in my garage getting 200 bucks for a complete dual system using 12$ "Turbo" mufflers....in 1978! The local shops that had to pay rent were around 250. I was charging 450 for a converter back system several years ago in my leased shop. Admittedly that was with the Flowmasters that cost 5 times a pair of generic gl***packs.
I've been contemplating doing mine myself. Simple duals, dumping right before the rear axle, should just be just one turn down, then straight back. Sure would be easier with a lift. Rich
Yeah man I would try to find another shop to do it for you. Round here I have my shop and they are old school and they rock. They did true duals for my 73 caddy he**** for 250. Real nice job too. There's got to be another shop that'll do it for a way better price for you man. For the price my guys charge for THAT oversize car, I couldnt even afford to think about doing it myself! -GothY-
1970 sears catalog lists all the pipes for a single system for a 62 caddy for about $40. They list the factory dual system for 59-60 models too....before Caddy gave up on performance. I'd recommend shopping around. Might want to ask around who got their car done at that shop and if they're happy, there seem to be some shops that don't understand things like leaving clearance between the tailpipe and axle, so it won't hit when you go over a bump.
I buy pipes at swapmeets and out of the back of my favorite auto parts stores, then go home and cut and weld a system to fit exactly the way I want it. No high prices and brainless technicians.
I'm an amateur at best as far as fabrication goes. But, I've done several exhaust systems with great results. Mandrel "U" bends are great for taking small sections on the band saw to change directions. The actual parts/materials are WAY LESS MONEY than what the shops charge for the finished product. I'm thinking, since you can even ask this question, you have the talent to do it. PS- 2" is plenty for that car. Now, go for it
Ive done some, honestly 45s and 90s are key but if you can get some bends go for it. Just take your time and dont let it get low, especially if the car is.
The last car i did i bought mufflers for a 5.0L lincon single exhaust about $40 each and some straight pipe and some bends i think i had $150 total in that system. I you want to get a kit thats close check out JC Whitneys or Jegs or Summit they all have differant styles of universal dual systems and go from there
If you haven't bent tube before, I wouldn't do it with that bender your buddy has, it will turn out for ****. I have $15,000 worth of exhaust bending equipment in my shop, your buddy probably has $150 in his bender. Just find a shop that has more than one old car out front getting exhaust done and have them do it, they will know what they are doing. Duals on that car will run about $350-400 for a nice system at most reasonable muffler shops. The shops that charge $600+ for that system don't know how to use their bender which means some high school dropout takes all day to do a 3 hour job and the boss charges every minute of the job. If you have further problems, give me a call and I can build you a system and mail it to you. I don't have my pattern program here at home, but I am sure I have one for your car. I can't promise 100% perfect fit if I don't install it, but it should be darn close to a bolt on kit. Cost would probably be around $250-300 shipped. Would save you a couple of bux anyway. Good luck, Mike (920)235-1020
Cliffy has the right idea and if thats not good enough at least take it to a muffler shop and have the header pipes bent and installed as that will be a good start-leaves you mufflers and tail pipes and damn well better use aluminumized pipe
I had to do my own, as none of the muffler shops could/would do it. I got some straight pieces, had a few curved, and made it work. Took my chop saw and would make a series of cuts to get the pipe to bend, weld them up and keep at it. It isn't pretty, but you won't see it unless I run over you.
Well- I'm in the do-it-yourself group. The 55 was dual 3" & all mandrel bends (over 600 hp). It was all ceramic coated after I finished. The 32 is all polished stainless. Go price a custom 3" mandrel system from headers to bumper & tell them you want it removeable & ceramic coated. Most shops can barely get by doing the neighbors Toyota- let alone a serious hot rod. And.... most won't tie up their rack for a day or 2 with your project. There's more money for them in the smash & bend systems that they can flip in less than an hour. If you can weld- you can build custom exhaust.
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