HELP! Need parts for my 86 4000 q

[Doyt W. Echelberger]

Hello Percy.........I owned such a car for many years and put 3 exhaust 
systems on it. I paid about $160 each, and had them custom bent from the 
cat back out of aluminized steel pipe, with no center muffler. The stock 
stainless steel system was over a thousand dollars, so I tried something 
else after going through the first ss one after the original.

If you go this route, have the guy doing the work cut the short tailpipe 
off the existing rear muffler and weld it on the new one.  The toughest 
part of the job is where the pipe goes over the rear axle and then makes a 
right angle to the rear muffler. Very tight fit with difficult clearances. 
Some pipe benders will see that as a challenge to their professional skill 
and will do a great job for you.  Try to find such a shop.

My systems lasted about 3 years each, with the rear muffler being the weak 
point. But the pipe benders guaranteed their mufflers for life to the 
original owner, so new ones were free. The systems never rusted where they 
stayed hot, which was from the cat to the rear axle arch. But the rear axle 
arch is where the gases had cooled enough to start condensing, and the 
acids in that condensate were very active. Seems like someone should be 
able to invent a coating that could be washed into the lumen of a new pipe 
before it was installed, to protect that surface for awhile from those 
acids.  Why not a powder coat, like they do on wheels? Some one will know 
why not, I'm sure. So tell me. I have seen old cars from the 1930's with 
ceramic coated porcelainized exhaust headers that lasted 70 years.

Doyt Echelberger
87 5kcstq
86 4kcstq (RIP)



 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
At 08:46 PM 11/17/00 -0800, you wrote:
>Hello,
>
>    I recently purchased my winter car- an 86 4000CS
>quattro... and need some parts to make it road
>worthy..
>It is a good runner, and structurally sound, but needs
>some parts, and I am too cheap to buy new.. so I need
>a decent used exhaust system (or alternatives to the
>300+ dollar ones that Blaufergnugen sells) and a Front
>spring (drivers side ;~) )
>
>  thanks, and if anyone out there has anything, please
>lmk, winter is here in Rochester, NY and I need to
>take my GLi off the road SOON!..
>
>     Percy.
>
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