2003 MGM single to dual exhaust conversion

[mgmgermany]

Hi guys,
spring is now starting here in Germany and I will get my MGM out of the hibernation in a few days.
First mod I a am planning is the exhaust conversion from stock single to dual exhaust. Parts are not accessable here in Germany, so I must buy in the US and let it ship over here. I already have a forwarder who will do the job for me at a reasonable price.
My plan is to do the conversion with a 2.5" H-pipe, Flowtech afterburner mufflers and 2.5" rear end pipes w/o resonators and Marauder tips. All piping in standard steel (no SS) as the car is only driven throuh the summer. The 2.5" Flowtech mufflers are available here in Germany, so no problem wit those.
Can you please support me with the part numbers for the 2.5" H-Pipe and the 2 rear pipes in 2.5"?
I found WALKER in some places, but not sure whether they are 2.5".
What is a good source in the US for purchase, any tipps are highly appreciated.

I inquired at Megs for the Marauder tailpipes, but they do not answer, any idea where to get those tips?

Does the 2003 MGM already have the "hooks" for a dual exhaust mounted, or will I have to buy some additional Ford hardware to get the exhaus rubbers mounted to the underbody?

I could do the conversion also by taking DIY exhaust parts, but that will get me in trouble wit the German technical inspection (every 2 years) for sure.......

A lot of questions, sorry, but I hope for your help.

[Ghorneck]

There is no 2.5" H-pipe for Walker for '03+. All the pipes are 2" not 2.5". Walker H-pipe - 50326. I would order the entire thing from RockAuto. Ford hanger's -

F8AC-5D255AE is the drivers side muffler hanger
F8AC-5A235-AA tailpipe hanger

[1987cp]

We use a mix of Mustang and Chevy exhaust parts to create a bolt-on 2.5" exhaust on 5.0L cars. I've always assumed a similar approach could work on 4.6L cars, but I've not personally heard of anyone doing it.

[Ghorneck]

Not a 5.0L car. Much different.

[1987cp]

No! You think?

So do people ever do 4.6 Mustang shorties and H pipes on 4.6L Vics? Or are there weirdness in the '03-up front suspension arrangement that makes that impossible anyway?

[Ghorneck]

Also very different. Mustang is shorter. Don't they have people skilled in exhaust work over there? Its not that complicated.

[1987cp]

You keep saying "very different". The only sense I can make out of your "Mustang is shorter" comment is if it's in reference to the reasons box-body owners choose Caprice tailpipes and S-10 midpipes to go with our Mustang crossovers ....

[Ghorneck]

Ok. Same thing. Order away. All exhaust systems are the same.

[sly]

clarification would be a good thing. Just saying the wheelbase is shorter doesn't really clear things up.

we definitely know how to do a bolt on 2.5 on a box around here... but has anyone done a bolt on 2.5 on an aero/whale? Would it just be a matter of finding marauder parts or are those 2.25 and not 2.5?

[1987cp]

we definitely know how to do a bolt on 2.5 on a box around here... but has anyone done a bolt on 2.5 on an aero/whale? Would it just be a matter of finding marauder parts or are those 2.25 and not 2.5?

Probably a more succinct way to rephrase it. I don't know Ghorneck, so it's difficult to say whether he's confused, has an attitude problem, or just thinks he's being funny.

[Ghorneck]

I am confused. A question was asked, I answered. Then disagreement ensued. Only one type of system that I know of that fits on our Panthers. One made for the Panthers. Something custom can always be made up from Mustang parts and Chevy parts or parts from a Dodge, with money and a good muffler shop. The pipe is sized the way it is for low end torque and clearance issues.

[DriverSideImpact98]

I feel like it would be way cheaper and easier to go to an exhaust shop. You could get exactly what you want instead of trying to get a bunch of different pipes. Granted you do have the Euro to Dollar conversion working in your favor. I'm not sure about work rates and pipe cost in Deutschland, but I had a custom fabbed x-pipe to dual straight-pipe system done for about $250 (175 Euro). Or is custom exhaust work frowned upon by the inspectors?

[mgmgermany]

custom exhaust work

Yes, that is my problem.
I am afraid custom exhaust work will be frowned upon by the inspectors, but depends on the person of the inspector himself. Some like US cars and some do not.....
It can make a big difference where you go to with your inspection. With an US car inspection can be a kind of lottery here. I only want to mention the yellow rear turn signals and the rear fog light installation.
Over there you seem to have a lot of shops that are specialized in exhaust work, here only a handful of these shops are available and they know to to suck the bucks outta your pocket.
I am jumping between using Walker catback in 2" or building a custom 2.5" by myself with the risk of trouble at the next inspection.

JoJo

[DriverSideImpact98]

Well then, in your crappy situation, going with the stock parts would probably be the best route. I think the stock size will be fine. Opening the system up to a dual 2" set up will already be a huge improvement over the single 2" ...anything bigger than that won't really gain you anything, and it might drone more with larger pipes too. Marauder/3-3.5" tips would sound good though.

[1987cp]

Only one type of system that I know of that fits on our Panthers. One made for the Panthers. Something custom can always be made up from Mustang parts and Chevy parts or parts from a Dodge, with money and a good muffler shop. The pipe is sized the way it is for low end torque and clearance issues.

1) The approach to 2.5" dual exhaust that has been used by a large number of GMN members on '79-'91 Panther vehicles is very cheap and requires minimal skill to install. It's even pretty well-documented, as there have been countless threads just that I've seen discussing the typical part lists. There are a minimal number of variations on the theme, and those too have been documented in a large number of discussions on this board. A great many of us never visit a muffler shop for any reason (last time I went into one was to buy a battery), and the cost is always comparable to if not cheaper than installing direct-fit parts. I'm very disappointed to learn that any board member didn't know that.

2) The #1 reason for installing undersized 2" exhaust components is ..... drum roll, please .... NOISE! Restrictive components reduce output, and when I visit other boards, Mustang owners (who have let's see, less underchassis room than LTDs do while retaining a similar overall configuration) don't really start worrying about clearance until they're installing dual 3.5" systems. So much for the concept that it's "necessary" to have teensy exhaust for torque and packaging reasons.

3) My ONLY reason for questioning whether the "conventional" approach to bolt-on performance exhaust will work on a very new vehicle is that I've not personally read about instances of it being done on a 4.6L car, and more to the point, I've never worked on any '03-up Panther vehicle, which may have new and strange clearance issues due to the new suspension and steering design.

4) I would be grateful if you did not continue to misinterpret the nature of requests for further information. Since I don't know you, for all I knew you had already attempted the GMN performance exhaust approach on an '03-up vehicle and discovered that a 4.6L Mustang H pipe simply did not clear. Without further information, I had no way of knowing that you were simply assuming that you can only install something marketed for your specific year, make, and model of vehicle, and that doing anything different will cost a lot and require professional installation.