Date:         Fri, 27 Nov 1998 19:22:58 -0500
Reply-To:     "Robert A. Alexander" <satcong@VOL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "Robert A. Alexander" <satcong@VOL.COM>
Subject:      STAINLESS VS ALUMINUM EXHAUSTS!!!
Comments: To: "Vanagon@VANAGON.COM" <Vanagon@VANAGON.COM>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

I bought a '93 Ford E-300 15-passenger, 351, dual air, monster van when
my five daughters were smaller, for traveling the 800miles to see the
"Folks" and when the exhaust system crashed, the local Maxi-Muffler dude
talked me into letting him install an aluminum system, which, ten years
later, was still going strong.

The same dude took a look at my leaky, original, '85GL's exhaust system
and told me he thought he could replace it with aluminum IF I could come
up with the exhaust flanges, for about $300.  He has one of those neat
machines which are capable of bending steel/aluminum into all sorts of
pretzels, does a lot of hot-rod work and I'm tempted to give it a try.

What are the gut-feelings on the List?  Stainless (which is really a
misnomer) steel IS pretty, but I really question whether it is capable
of outlasting aluminum.  My thoughts is that there is nothing within the
exhaust system that is any hotter than the edges of the exhaust ports on
a VW head.

BOB - WA4RRN