[s-cars] UrQuattro ExhausTT (long)

[Dave Burig]

If only a visual inspection for the existence of a muffler is required, why
not just take a muffler, (any will do) split it lengthwise, and tack weld it
back together around your exhaust pipe.  If you get called out on the job,
it is my experience that President Ulysses S. Grant can fix just about
anything at an emissions inspection station :).

Dave "It's not easy bein' green" Burig
93 urS4 blah blah blah

-----Original Message-----
From: s-car-list-admin at audifans.com
[mailto:s-car-list-admin at audifans.com]On Behalf Of Jimmy Pribble
Sent: Friday, July 19, 2002 11:11 AM
To: 'general at austinaudiclub.org'; 'urq at audifans.com';
's-car-list at audifans.com'
Subject: [s-cars] UrQuattro ExhausTT (long)


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Or: From the Further Adventures of Ken Fluhr and his Wonderfully Wacky
Welding Wand

PROBLEM: My UrQuattro came with the following exhaust: downpipe to empty
cat, to straight pipe, to wimpy DTM tips.  How wimpy?  Well, even if I liked
DTM tips (which I generally don't), mine definitely need a dose of Viagra.

"Before": http://www.urs4.com/logbook/UrQ/Photos/DSCN0210_med.JPG.

The problem is that I need the car to pass the Texas motor vehicle
inspection.  The empty cat isn't the problem, because pre-'84 cars only have
the cat visually inspected.  Also, there aren't any sniff tests where I live
(yet).  However, state law requires that I have a muffler.  It doesn't
matter if the car is whisper quiet without one, they require a muffler.
Fine.  The solution should be as simple as taking it to any East-side
exhaust shop and walking out happy for $75.  But in the interest of science
and exploration (and because I'm a cheapskate), we decided to try a
different solution.

PROPOSAL: Take Ryan's old stock TT exhaust, which is just laying around our
shop taking up space, turn it upside down, and weld it up to the car.  It's
an Audi factory exhaust, dual polished tips, a muffler to quiet things down
and make my car street legal, it gets junk out of our shop, and best of
all...it's free.  It's also an excellent example of using resources.  Maybe
we can develop some relevant marketing ("Like the American Indian using ALL
the parts of a buffalo, we here at QRS use ALL the parts of an Audi...").

FITMENT: Ken did a great job of fitting up the exhaust.  He had to cut off
the hangers, bend them up a bit and weld them to different points.  He also
needed to use an "S" pipe, which he got from the same TT exhaust, but
further upstream.  In the interest of time and because we recognized the
temporary nature of this solution (Stromung anyone?), we chose not to cut
off and reorient the beveled tips, and left them in the "rain catcher"
position.

RESULTS: The exhaust fits well.  It doesn't bump, rub, or scrape.  The
exhaust has quieted the car down (which I like), but I don't really care for
the exhaust sound itself, especially when accelerating hard.  I preferred
the straight exhaust sound, even at the expense of it being louder all of
the time.  As for the looks, it looks like.......ass.  I hate to use such
strong language, but it really looks terrible.  It is not a good fit in that
respect at all.  It hangs so far below the valence that the pipes from the
muffler to the polished tips can be seen in their entirety.  That is a very
bad look.  Then there is the single cutout issue.  Worse, anybody who knows
anything about Audis can see that this is a TT exhaust.  Because the TT is
what it is, this looks like someone has tried to capture the TT's beautiful
gestalt with horrifying results.  Anyway, the upside-down tips are just the
icing on the cake.

CONCLUSION: For me, this is a (temporary) mission accomplished according to
my original objectives.  However, it will encourage me to hasten my search
for a suitable replacement exhaust system (Stromung or otherwise).  For you,
dear readers, please do not do this.  Our precious UrQuattros deserve
better.

This is being cross-posted to various lists.  Special notes to those lists:

AAC: Thanks Ryan E.!

URQ LIST: PLEASE contact me if you are even vaguely interested in a Stromung
exhaust system for the UrQuattro (see recently archived posts from me).  We
need to show more interest for the project to even get off the ground.
Thank you to those who have already responded.

S-CAR LIST:  Though it is completely off-topic, I have included the S-Car
list only because I was recently accused of no longer posting in my usual
idiotic manner.  Sir, do not underestimate me, I am as much of a moron as
ever.

Cheers,

Jimmy Pribble
'83 UrQuattro #369
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