[V8] Stebro

[Roger M. Woodbury]

I have mixed emotions about Stebro.

When it was obvious that The Black Mariah was going to have to have a new
exhaust system, I found that the only options available to me here in rural
Maine was either an OEM system or a Stebro.  My favorite wrench buys
aftermarket parts for a lot of cars, but the 200 20Valve and V8 are
sufficiently odd that the aftermarket offers little in the way of bits and
pieces.

Back along the dawn of time, I bought a Stebro rear muffler for my wife (at
the time)BMW 1600 (normal).  We had to push and pull to make it fit, as the
exhaust wasn't made for the BMW at all, but the end result was ok.  Not
exactly what I was looking (or listening for), but ok.

Fast forward about 30 years and I found Stebro again.  I called and talked
with the guy and was quoted about $750 or so for the system for the 20
Valve.  That was certainly way better than what an OEM system would cost,
and getting one made by the place that does that here was not an option.
(one place refused to even think about it, and the other one was talking
numbers in the mid-teens).

So I told the wrench, and he called the guy who promptly increased the price
about $500.  

The wrench called him back and told him that he had already quoted ME a
price and this was the system that we needed. The Stebro guy came down a LOT
and a deal was struck, although Stebro would NOT give any commission to my
wrench, which was the purpose behind the exercise of making the call to
begin with.

Anway.  Two and a half weeks went by and the system arrived....the system
for an Audi 90.  Obviously, there is more than just a "whoopsie" working
here...or NOT working here.  The system was reordered and reshipment
instructions arrived.

A month later, the new system arrived and went on pretty well.  I don't
think there was a LOT of friggin, although John told me that there was a
tiny leak where the downpipe met the exhaust....I have never heard it and
can't to this day.

The sound is fine.  Not too much, but a tad stronger than stock.  My fuel
mileage jumped almost five miles per gallon with the new system, that may
have more to do with the broken baffles in the old center muffler than with
Stebro.

As far as looks go, the system hangs a tad low in the rear, but it doesn't
affect the way the car negotiates the highways and byways that it is
required to travel (emphasis on "byways":  life isn't easy for this car!).
I don't give a rats ass how the twin pipes look sticking out the rear, but
when they are clean to look OK.  Through the winter not clean very often.

The bottom line here is that once the real system arrived, it was a good
value for the money and for the stated purpose.  But if I ever have to buy
another system for either a 20Valve or a V8, I will dial up the friendly OEM
dealer, and order an OEM system that will arrive the next day, and be on the
car by the weekend.

I think if Stebro had a US distributor things would go far more smoothly.
Shipping from Canada to the US is really pretty hard for some reason, and
regardless how good the Stebro product is, the delay in getting the system
makes whatever it is simply not worth it.  My car wasn't tied up waiting for
the system, and I have several other vehicles that I can drive even if it
is, but weeks and weeks and weeks are unacceptable delays for anything other
than that Ferrari that is only driven three times in the summer anyway.

Roger

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