Exhaust manifolds

[Ojbrit]

I k ow this has been talked about but I can't find many recent posts. I have a leaking exhaust manifold and it needs replacing. I would like to replace both of em and the Y piece. I don't know much about exhausts but would like them to look and sound good. Should I buy the cheapest I can find then have them coated with something or buy something more expensive and use it as is?
What's the general feeling on this? If I can get a little more power then that's great but it's not my priority. Price is, of course, always an issue but I know it won't be cheap.
Thoughts?????
Thanks a bunch,
Owen

[v8s4me]

Speak to Tim at ACT about some stainless ones.

[900T-R]

Seconded - at least assuming you'll be keeping the car for a while in which case the adagium to live by (or rather, not) is 'buy cheap, buy twice'. With the stainless steel ACT manifolds you'll normally not need to spare another thought about that particular aspect of your car, ever again.

[phillpot]

Thoroughly agree with going stainless (I shall when my lottery numbers come up)but I believe they usually come in a dull sort of finish, might be worth asking incase you're expecting gleaming shiny mirror finish

Are mild steel manifolds still available ?

Mine are currently painted with B&Q spray on barbeque paint, seems to be holding up fairly well!

Edited by phillpot on Wednesday 29th June 13:10

just noticed you have a V8

Edited by phillpot on Wednesday 29th June 14:01

[AutoAndy]

Owen,

I know where you are coming from about price. st.st. is horribly expensive, and anyway mild steel ones have lasted a long time on most cars so far.

I have been toying with the idea of painting and remember someone telling me to use blackboard paint - apparently it goes white when it first is heated and white looks cool like on the sixtys GP cars... but you might want other feedback first.

[ketvrin]

If price is really an issue you could always have a local fab shop/welder repair your existing manifold... when I got my car 5 years ago i could see that two of the three mild steel pipes in the nearside and one pipe in the offside manifold had been replaced completely... they are still as good (on the outside at least) as they were then... having been painted with Halfords VHT mat black exhaust paint

Its always an option, but if you are set on SS then they will last forever so you will of course need to cough up

good luck with your choice

K