Questions to those who have painted their stock exhausts?

[MMMorish]

I've been going back and forth on the idea of changing my stock exhaust for a long time, but I just don't want to spend 2 grand on an exhaust right now since I could use the money else where (my wedding in 9 months, new house, furniture, ect..).

The plan for now is to paint the stock exhaust and to possibly change out the tips. My questions are;

1. How has the painted exhaust held up over time?
2. What's the proper way to prep and paint the exhaust for it to last?
3. Are the stock tips interchangable? Any suggestions?
4. Is there a DIY for this project?

Thanks for your input.
Nick

[Singletrack]

I had the stock muffler and pipes powdercoated by a local shop for $85.

1. I didn't have it on the car that long, but it seemed to be holding up well. Apparently the powdercoater can only use specific colors, as others will not hold up to the heat well. It was matte black FYI.

2. I've refinished cheap wheels myself, but not an exhaust. In the case of the wheels, there was a special spray to be used (sold at most auto parts stores), then the wheels had to be scuffed/sanded to prep the surface, then painted with multiple coats. It's a fair amount of work to do properly.

3. The tips have rivets which can be drilled out to release them. You would then need to find another set of tips with the same diameter, drill them in the same places, and rivet them on. Shouldn't be a huge deal. The other option is to have them welded. I would be concerned about noise potentially escaping at the rivet point and causing odd sounds. So this could take some tweaking to get it right.

4. I think there is, although not super-detailed; there are a couple of owners that have posted about it.

I would definitely recommend painting it - makes the rear of the car look 100 times better.

[niterider]

I think if u do a few sanding sessions from rough to smoother grit and put a few layers of header paint u should b ok. I painted some muffler tips this way on an old car i once had and let them dry for a couple days. They ended up holding up pretty well. Had them for about 7 months with no issues.

Its all in the way u prep it. But I do agree it will look 100 times better then stock.

[niqui]

i did what you are proposing...mainly for the same reasons, except i also didnt want added sound.
http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=325458

some pics of mine are there, lower in the first post/

[MMMorish]

Originally Posted by niqui

i did what you are proposing...mainly for the same reasons, except i also didnt want added sound.
http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=325458

some pics of mine are there, lower in the first post/

Did you change your tips?

[Ca$hOnly]

Originally Posted by MMMorish

Did you change your tips?

+1

How did you do it? How much did it cost?

[niqui]

Originally Posted by MMMorish

Did you change your tips?

Originally Posted by Ca$hOnly

+1

How did you do it? How much did it cost?

Yes,
i hated the fat sausage stock tips, and since my car has a black chrome theme and its easier to clean...plus wanted a bigger diameter and a slant.

they are rivetted on, and welded as well to ensure they stay secure and aligned...im anal.

Well the tips were custom made, and the install and painting together was a few hundred bucks- excluding tips..

[MMMorish]

Originally Posted by niqui

Yes,
i hated the fat sausage stock tips, and since my car has a black chrome theme and its easier to clean...plus wanted a bigger diameter and a slant.

they are rivetted on, and welded as well to ensure they stay secure and aligned...im anal.

Well the tips were custom made, and the install and painting together was a few hundred bucks- excluding tips..

That looks perfect! I think that is the route I'm going to go. What diameter are those tips?

[niqui]

Originally Posted by MMMorish

That looks perfect! I think that is the route I'm going to go. What diameter are those tips?

thanks a lot
i am very happy with the results.
i believe they are the same size as stock, just much thinner, so that makes them appear much bigger, and nicer in my opinion,
the slant looks better in real life.

i am thinking about selling my current setup (if the offers make it worth it) when my new exhaust comes in spring/summer hopefully.

[calintexas]

I've had good results with brush on Rustoleum Hi-Heat enamel in flat BBQ black. I've used it to hide unpainted chassis and exhaust system parts that can catch your eye (not in a good way) when looking at car (usually from the back). This isn't a concours solution, but it's a quick and easy spot solution. It's held up on our Accord's muffler and rear exhaust piping for 9 years. I don't think it would be a good solution for the M3 muffler as it's too big and too exposed.

[dillon733]

Originally Posted by niqui

thanks a lot
i am very happy with the results.
i believe they are 83mm like stock, just much thinner, so that makes them appear much bigger, and nicer in my opinion,
the slant looks better in real life.

i am thinking about selling my current setup (if the offers make it worth it) when my new exhaust comes in spring/summer hopefully.

they look about the same size as stock but stock is 75mm. If you want to get an idea of what 83mm looks like, eisenmann's lemans tips are 83mm.

[niqui]

Originally Posted by dillon733

they look about the same size as stock but stock is 75mm. If you want to get an idea of what 83mm looks like, eisenmann's lemans tips are 83mm.

ok
thks, they are supposed to be around the same as stock, but thinner, so they look bigge,r