Stainless steel Exhausts

Dr. Ian Levy · Post by **Dr. Ian Levy** » Sun Jul 13, 2003 11:52 am

Hello
I am looking for advice on the finish of a stainless steel exhaust on a 365 GTC 4. Do I just fit it as stainless or is there a finish I can use to make it look like the original
The original ANSA exhaust has a crackle black finish.with chrome tailpipes
Thanks in advance of your advice
Ian Levy
Manchester
UK

Post by **tyang** » Sun Jul 13, 2003 6:13 pm

Hi Ian,

Depending on who you buy the exhaust from, it will either have a shiny 304 stainless look (Tubi) or a dull 401 stainless look. I'm told paint will have trouble sticking to either stainless steels, but I spray painted my 401 stainless pipes with a semi gloss black paint made by Wurth. The 401 stainless seems to have a bit more "tooth" to hold the paint, and I made sure to wipe off all the grease with some lacquer thinner before painting. Time will tell how long it will stay on.

The shiny polished 304 stainless systems look almost too nice to paint over, and with the money they cost, I would be tempted to show off the craftsmanship!

Tom

Yale · Post by **Yale** » Sun Jul 13, 2003 8:08 pm

I saw a Tubi display at that Lime Rock event where they had a price list for available systems. Didn't know they made one for the 330GT's, but they do. About 1700 a side for the fronts and 900 and some for the back, (each side). I asked about their warranty and they said two years! I don't know what Stebro's is but Time Valve warranties for as long as you own the car. They were pretty systems though. Yale

wax · Post by **wax** » Sun Jul 13, 2003 8:14 pm

Dr. Ian Levy wrote: I am looking for advice on the finish of a stainless steel exhaust on a 365 GTC 4. Do I just fit it as stainless or is there a finish I can use to make it look like the original
The original ANSA exhaust has a crackle black finish.with chrome tailpipes
Thanks in advance of your advice
UK

Why not ask Ansa what they or Ferrari use(d)? Might be able to get a definitive, albeit elusive answer from them.

Here's their email form:

http://www.ansaautomotive.com/html/form_consumers.html[/i]

JimB · Post by **JimB** » Sun Jul 13, 2003 8:42 pm

Hi Ian,

Seymour make a hi temp wrinkle finish paint. It is fairly easy to use and gives good results. It has been on the pipes for 2 years and still looks good. I bought the Stebro system out of Canada. It won't fit your car properly and will need to be cut up and fit to your car. Paint it after you make it fit properly.

Jim B.

David Smith · Post by **David Smith** » Sun Jul 13, 2003 11:50 pm

JimB, How does the Stebro sound compared to the stock exhaust? I have been thinking of switching my aging Ansa for a stebro but have not heard much in the way of feedback on the Stebro unit.

mike66 · Post by **mike66** » Mon Jul 14, 2003 2:47 am

Hi David

In my opinion, rather not buy a Stebro system. When I got mine, nothing fit at all. Wrong gaskets, wrong bents, no screws etc. I took me so much time to have it corrected, it would have been much easier/cheaper to have one made on the car. And it doesn't sound like a 330 GT is supposed to sound....

A friend of mine is buying from Stainless ... in London (forgot the whole name, but you'll find it) . Perfect fit, perfect finish!

Regards, Mike

simonc · Post by **simonc** » Mon Jul 14, 2003 5:42 am

I agree with TOM. The stainless steel looks really nice just left unfinished but the rear silencers look a bit starnge. I decided to leave the headers and centre section unfinished but I painted my rear silencers with crackle finish black and left the tail pipes polished stainless steel. This look sgreat I think.

I bought some crackle finish paint at a show (it took three cans to do the job) and I masked up the tail-pipes, lightly roughed up the stainless steel with some 200 grade wet and dry, laid them across a pair if wallpaper table tressles and gave them two coats of paint. The wrinkle finish paint is easy to use but the items need to be hot for it to work. Spray on the first coat, wait for it to dry (about 30 minutes, as I recall) and then give it a second coat. The second coat is the one that then gives the wrinkle finish effect. Heating the exhaust is reasonably easy to do. I bought a 500w builders lamp. This is like a outside floodlight for a house, but mounted in a braket so it stands up on its own. This soon heats up the exhaust to a nice hot-to-the-touch temeperature.

Dr. Ian Levy · Post by **Dr. Ian Levy** » Mon Jul 14, 2003 6:36 am

Hello & thank you all for the advice
The stainless is 304 but after a while it becomes discoloured through the heat & you are right Simon ,the tail pipes do look strange. I think i might do the whole thing apart from the tail pipes.
If anyone is going to buy from London Stainless I suggest you try Stainless Exhaust Specialiists in Nottingham England who made mine & it was perfect. I am sure he make the exhausts for London Stainless but do not quote me
The guy to speak to is Don Pembleton 0n +441623 552262
Regards
Ian L

Yale · Post by **Yale** » Mon Jul 14, 2003 9:28 am

Tom Y. has a Stebro system and it is a bit motor boat-y in terms of sound. I have a TimeValve which is much closer to the original sound of the car, well as much as I can tell since my original Ansa exhaust was all rotted out and so quite a bit louder then the Timevalve. The TimeValve people fitted the exhaust when I went up there (NorthEastern Ct.) and it took them about 5 hours. Since they estimated three they billed me for three. They had to cut and reweld on section of the pipes though they exactly copied an original system on my car (and probably on yours) there were some different angles at play. When I brought the car to Francois shop later he corrected some spots where the exhaust was rubbing.

In terms of looks the Stebro looks better. It has the Ansa style red band at the end and that Ansa-like Stebro sticker. Timevalve has neither and I do miss that look. It would be hard to put the red band on now that the exhaust is together but I am sure I could get a sticker from Parker Hall.

Best, Yale

David Smith · Post by **David Smith** » Mon Jul 14, 2003 7:43 pm

Thanks Jim, Mike, and Yale for your input on the Stebro system. I have mentioned before that I think the 330 Ansa sound is a little boring. I would like to get a little more sound out of the exhaust, but I don't want to go overboard either.

Yale · Post by **Yale** » Mon Jul 14, 2003 9:43 pm

If you don't pack the resonators with, whatever that material is, you will get more sound. So you could probably get any of the firms that will make an exhaust for you to go this route. Maybe you split the difference and just leave the rears without material. I only heard my Ansa with all the stuff burnt out and while I didn't like it at traffic lights, (sounded like a truck) I loved it over 4500 rpm, yeoooow. Had that patented Ferrari howl! Yale

Post by **tyang** » Tue Jul 15, 2003 9:07 am

I'd have to agree with Mike and not buy the Stebro system again. They gave me a good price, and helped fabricate the missing y-pipes from another car, but their system still required some tweaking...and then there is the sound. I haven't heard my car from the side of the road as it is driving by at full tick, but when you listen to the car at idle, it has a "bwop, bwop, bwop" sound to it which can be best described as a motor boat at idle. I'd love to find an exhaust specialist who knows how to tune exhaust sounds to tell me what my exhaust needs to suppress this sound!

Tom

Aaron · Post by **Aaron** » Mon Jul 28, 2003 8:11 pm

I’m about to pull the London Stainless system off my car and paint it. I do need to narrow down exactly what coating product I need to use. The tail section does indeed look funny all shiny. Some of the challenges I’ve had were getting the system to fit, removing incorrect brackets, making new bends, adding new brackets … and then there is that funny buzz internal to the left muffler at 4000, but it is finally where I need it to be and it no longer rattles between the lower A arms and the body. I got a great price – but as the old saying goes –

If I were to do it over, TimeValve! –

Aaron

Dr. Ian Levy · Post by **Dr. Ian Levy** » Mon Jul 28, 2003 8:21 pm

Hello Aaron
I have cleaned up the system & I am waiting for a suitable paint.
I have attempted to contact Seymour as Jim B suggested but they have not returned my messages.{Neither did Ansa)
If their wrinkle finish black is high temperature then that is what I intend to use if they will export it to the UK
Regards
Ian

www.tomyang.net