I found a JCW exhaust off an '06 with 140k miles for $150. Seller claims it sounded and performed normally when he took it off... All hangers are intact, and it has no holes. Is an exhaust this old worth the trouble??

 

Definitely not. I'd be glad to take that heap off your hands.



Lucky, I've been on the hunt for a JCW exhaust.

 

If it comes from a salty area with road salt...most likly not...but if mostly longer trips on the highway in a mild climate...MIGHT be ok...i would sill want too look at it...and know you might be tossing it in a year or patching it up!
$75 might be a better starting point imo....most of the compotents life is used up....

 

Whats the worst that could happen for $150?? I'll give it a try and if it doesn't work out I can always put the old one back on, right? This is bolt on, without augmenting anything?

Here she is.. Doesn't look too bad.


EDIT: Is there a DIY for replacing an exhaust system? I thumbed through the "How To" section without results.

 

If this old JCW exhaust has a leak or crack, is that most likely to be in a weak weld point? This is something I can just spot weld and good as new-ish, right? Do any parts slowly breakdown over time? I don't know much about exhausts, but I seem to remember older ones smoking and sounding like a jet after they get old.

 

The metal corrodes....gets thinner...then cracks. Usually when a crack happens, the metal is pretty much done....to weld, you must grind down the corrosion to get a bit of good metal....so a piece of new pipe or a patch piece must be welded in....and a spotweld is NOT the type of weld to be done...a full seam would be needed to make it airtight.
That having been said, the photo makes it look like it is ok.

 

Just got it put on, works perfect. I knew it was a quiet exhaust, but I'm pretty underwhelmed at the sound. The annoying higher pitched cracks and pops are replaced with deeper burbles, which is good.. But I thought it'd be a tad louder. From inside the car it sounds exactly the same as my stock pipes.