wesmigletz

I've posted in other forums, but came up blank. Can anyone recommend an exhaust shop in the SFV or Torrance area that has a mandrel bender and does quality work? TIA, Wes

toddalin

A-1 Radiators in Santa Ana did mandral bends for my '64's exhaust system.

wesmigletz

Toddalin, thank you for the reply. Did they install your whole exhaust system? If so, what type of system did you have installed... size, muffler type, etc. And if you don't mind, what did they charge you for it?

Thanks again, Wes

cchristo

Ttt

toddalin

I already had the Doug Thorley headers put on and took the car over and told them to set me up with a set of mandral bent 2-1/2" pipes with a crossover and DynoMax stainless Ultra Flow mufflers, including angle-cut tips, with a crossover and I let them figure it out. They ended up putting a 2" crossover in front of the rear axle as that is where space best allows. I dug out my receipts (I have them all dating back to 1985 when I got the car.):

The headers I had won in a Corvettes of Southern California car show raffle and had those mounted in September 1988, Chevy HQ in Huntington Beach (no longer in business) did the installation and it cost $133 labor, $46.78 in parts (flanges, alt bracket for headers, extended wireing), $2.81 in tax, and $45 in outside labor (muffler shop welding).

In June 1993 I had the headers stripped of their chome (which had long since turned blue) and ceramic coated. (They still look like the day I brought them home.) Crest Coating at 1332 S. Altec Street, Anaheim, (714)635-7090 (probably still around) did all the work for $150, plus 11.63 tax. (Crest also does formula cars and aerospace coating.) At this point, I had a lift in my garage so could remove/reinstall the headers my self. So just removed them, had them coated, reinstalled them and took the car over to have the exhaust redone.

A-1 Muffler Services at 721 So. Main Street, Santa Ana (714)836-7201 (still in business I believe) then redid the exhaust system in June 1993 from the headers back. Included 2-1/2" 14 ga head pipes w/balance, 2-1/2" Ultraflo Stainless, 2-1/2" mandral rear bends, 2-1/2" angle cut tips. Parts were $427.01, Labor was $120, Tax was $22.01.

This has now been some time and your prices may vary.

wesmigletz

Toddalin, thanks for the detailed post. I'll give them a call tomorrow. So far the only place I found is in Bakersfield. They wanted $575 for a 2 1/2 in stainless steel dual, with cross-over. They didn't specify what mufflers. The price doesn't seem bad, but they are a 2 hours drive from me...

Thanks again, Wes