Rexmobbin Posted May 8, 2005 Share Posted May 8, 2005 what's the difference? i'm looking at mufflers, and i've seen both. the aluminized are generally cheaper, and i'm a believer in "you get what you pay for", so what's the difference besides the mirror-finish on the stainless? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rao Posted May 8, 2005 Share Posted May 8, 2005 Stainless will outlast aluminized steel by quite a long time. Stainless will actually last almost forever, aluminized for a few years at best. Rob IF YOU CARE ABOUT YOUR CAR YOU SHOULD NEVER DRIVE IT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franklin Posted May 9, 2005 Share Posted May 9, 2005 Aluminized is mild carbon steel coated with some aluminum. Better than regular steel but figure 5 years . Stainless should last the life of the car unless you damage it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boostjunkie Posted May 9, 2005 Share Posted May 9, 2005 Depends on where you live. If you live in a dry climate, where it doesn't snow and the roads are not salted in winter, an aluminized exhaust will last a long time. 10+ years or more. I've had an aluminized exhaust on another car for about 6 years, and there are no signs of corrosion at all. Heck, I have an exhaust on another car that is just plain mild steel, not even aluminized, and while rusty, it's still holding up fine after 8 or 9 years. So really, if you live in mild climate, you don't NEED stainless. A aluminized exhaust will very likely outlast the rest of the car. If you live in the snowbelt, then by all means pony up and go for 304 stainless components. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rexmobbin Posted May 9, 2005 Author Share Posted May 9, 2005 thanks for the responses. since i live in Omaha, NE (sigh), i suppose stainless it is. gotta start shopping i guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boostjunkie Posted May 9, 2005 Share Posted May 9, 2005 Bear in mind that there are a number of different kinds of stainless steel. The two most common ones used for exhausts are 409 and 304. 409 is not as corrosion resistant as 304. It also cannot be polished like 304 can. It is quite a bit cheaper though. Longevity wise it falls between aluminized and 304. In an reasonable situations 304 will easily last the lifetime of your car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TSiWRX Posted May 9, 2005 Share Posted May 9, 2005 Like boostjunkie said, definitely go stainless if you live in the snow(rust) belt...... I'm in Cleveland, Ohio. Although by no means snow-bound, we do get a decent bit of snowcover in the winter. I've had several exhausts on my various cars, and the longest an aluminized one has lasted was about 3 years due to the road salt we have here. -A <-- I love Winky, my "periwinkle" (ABP) LGT! - Allen / Usual Suspect "DumboRAT" / One of the Three Stooges '16 Outback, '16 WRX, 7th Subaru Family Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crash Posted May 9, 2005 Share Posted May 9, 2005 Stock exhausts are Aluminized right? How long do those usually last in your area? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TSiWRX Posted May 9, 2005 Share Posted May 9, 2005 crash, Sorry bro, but I've got no clue on Scoobys - to which I'm a newbie. On my other cars, though, which all have had alu. systems, they've typically lasted at least 2-3 years. Perforation is a touch-and-go thing thereafter, and depends highly on a combination of rather unpredictable factors. I also had an aftermarket aluminized muffler that barely lasted through one winter season! -A <-- I love Winky, my "periwinkle" (ABP) LGT! - Allen / Usual Suspect "DumboRAT" / One of the Three Stooges '16 Outback, '16 WRX, 7th Subaru Family Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crash Posted May 9, 2005 Share Posted May 9, 2005 crash, Sorry bro, but I've got no clue on Scoobys - to which I'm a newbie. On my other cars, though, which all have had alu. systems, they've typically lasted at least 2-3 years. Perforation is a touch-and-go thing thereafter, and depends highly on a combination of rather unpredictable factors. I also had an aftermarket aluminized muffler that barely lasted through one winter season! -A Wow! I feel lucky to live down south then I've owned two 11+ year old cars with their entire stock exhaust system in tact with no rust what so ever! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mryat Posted May 11, 2005 Share Posted May 11, 2005 Crash, most OE systems are now made out of 409 stainless. An Aluminized muffler should last anywhere from 1.5 - 3 years. A S/S muffler will last around 5-6 years. This also depends on how you drive. If you take more short trips than long ones the exhaust system won't last as long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaxx Posted May 11, 2005 Share Posted May 11, 2005 also depends on if the stat you live in salts the roads.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al-gorithm Posted May 14, 2005 Share Posted May 14, 2005 As much as everyone likes to believe that 304SS will last forever, it won't. 1. Surface can become pitted when in contact with a mild oxident. This can be cleaned off with a SS cleaner. 2. Rubbing against carbon steel can promote rusting on the surface. 3. If the SS isn't pickled properly with all the weld spatter cleaned away, rust can form in those areas. I hardly use 304SS with the test skids I build. Minimum 316 and even those skids come back with some pitting. In summary, get 304SS, get it done, do it once. Don't be afraid to get in there and wash the weld seams when you are washing your car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rexmobbin Posted May 14, 2005 Author Share Posted May 14, 2005 thanks to all the input. ordered my mufflers (Magnaflow 304SS with 3.5" angled tips, might have been 4", it escapes me at the moment) off of ebay for $200. soon gonna install my uppipe, DP, and take the mufflers to a local shop and see what they can do for the rest of the system. then i'm gonna take my car home, hook up this little ECU program device and go to stage 2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MDTURBO Posted May 15, 2005 Share Posted May 15, 2005 it'd be cheaper to buy a new aluminized setup in 2-3 years than it would be to buy a single stainless setup for our cars now... figure 300 per custom aluminized catback vs. 700-1200 stainless... I'd pick aluminized any day. see I saved you $100. 2012 Forester XT. Stage 2+ Retired from Racing. I used to build FMIC and more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.