Stainless vs. Mild, My little dilemma... Options

[CilverSeliST205]

I am about buy an exhaust for my car (3", mandrel, dp-back, over axle,), and I still can't make up my mind wheter to get it in stainless or mild... this is what i know about the two

Stainless:
+ Way more corrosion resistant than mild steel
+ Usually weights less because pipes can be thiner
+ Nice shiny finish
+ Will outlast the car
- Significantly more expensive
- Can be brittle when heat-cycled (subject to cracking but IMO should affect the DP only)
- Higher pitch of exhaust sound (tends to be "drony")

Mild:
+ Less expensive
+ Deeper sound
+ More tolerant of extreme heat
- Will last approx. 2-4 years of all-season driving unless ceramic coated
- Ceramic coating will bring the price up to cost of stainless
- usually heavier and less corrosion resistant than stainless

I can get mild for about $500 or stainless for about $750
Please help me make up my mind

[Dr_Tweak]

Just also consider how they are welding it. If they are doing a stainless exhaust but they're using a regular MIG welder with mild steel wire, then the welds WILL rust out before too long.

A properly built stainless setup will be TIG-welded with stainless rod (or, MIG-welded with stainless wire, but you don't see this very often because you need to change a lot of the settings on the mig, and normally people only have one. Changing out that wire every time you need to go between mild and stainless is a real pain.)

Keep this consideration in your price, because normally shops that do it right charge a lot more. And if they aren't going to TIG-weld your stainless exhaust, then you might as well just go with a full mild-steel setup.

-Doc

This post has been edited by Dr_Tweak: Aug 5, 2006 - 7:58 AM

[CilverSeliST205]

Just also consider how they are welding it. If they are doing a stainless exhaust but they're using a regular MIG welder with mild steel wire, then the welds WILL rust out before too long.

A properly built stainless setup will be TIG-welded with stainless rod (or, MIG-welded with stainless wire, but you don't see this very often because you need to change a lot of the settings on the mig, and normally people only have one. Changing out that wire every time you need to go between mild and stainless is a real pain.)

Keep this consideration in your price, because normally shops that do it right charge a lot more. And if they aren't going to TIG-weld your stainless exhaust, then you might as well just go with a full mild-steel setup.

-Doc

Good point, mild option is from DG performance, stainless would be through speed-source... I believe that both use TIG. One important thing to remember is that i need to drive my car in winter on salt/snow/sand so muffler, silencer, cat (possibly) will be stainless.