Will an 05 or 06 stock MCS exhaust fit on a 2003 MCS??? I think my UUC is broken...

 

Yes but one mount is beside existing mount.no biggy it will work

 

I don't think so. I believe the hangers are different.

 

The stock exhaust is basically the same '02 to '06, but there are two sets of hangers. One set for '02 to '04 models and another set for '05 to '06 models.

You can use the stock '05 to '06 exhaust on your '03 if you can get a set of '02 to '04 stock hangers.

 

Hagers are different just makr sure you get hanger kit with exhaust if you do retrofit

 

Didn't the exhaust change in 05? Doesn't it look like a more efficient aftermarket or JCW exhaust versus the 02-04 single pipe with what appears to be an inefficient design?

 

The '05 exhaust really doesn't look that much different. The tube coming off the cat has a little dip down in it as it reaches the back of the car (before making the turn around the battery box for the first time).

 

The changeover was Jan, 04 build. You can have an 04 car with 05 hangers

 

My understanding is that the only difference is that on the 05+ exhaust, the two rear inner mounts (the ones by the battery box) are rotated 90 degrees so that their tips point inward, toward the center of the car. I've heard any muffler shop should be able to heat them with a torch and twist them into the right position.

I've got an '05 exhaust leaned up against the side of the house, waiting for the next "neighborhood clean up day." You (or anyone else reading this thread) are welcome to it. All you have to do is pick it up or pay the shipping. (Near Sacramento, CA.)

 

DARN! You're too far.... My exhaust is currently slightly bent inward..

 

Threads merged.

Posts from a similar thread in "MINI Talk" have been combined with this one. (This is my first "merge" done as a moderator - I hope I did it right! )

 

Oops - after reading some of the other posts in this thread, I realized I gave some misleading information. What I said above applies to many aftermarket exhausts, which usually just have an L-shaped metal rod coming up from the side of the muffler can. Heat it and twist it. But the OEM mounts are more complicated. There's a two-piece metal strap that goes around each can, with a long bent rod attached to the top piece. I'm not sure how feasible it would be to heat and bend this. Anyone?

I'll try to link to an image at RealOEM.com:

Diagram of OEM exhaust parts

Part #11 is the upper half of the right side muffler bracket. Part #5 is the lower part of the bracket. The higher part #11 is the 05+ bracket; the lower #11 is the earlier bracket. See how the inboard side is different? (Part number #12 is the left side equivalent.)

I wonder if you can just get the two earlier-model brackets and mount an '05 exhaust? I'm in over my head here, so I'll let others try to fill in the blanks...