DIY Exhaust? (AKA Need an exhaust!)

[dusty]

Hey guys, just got my first 88 Festiva Pretty fun little car.
Big issue though!
Need a complete exhaust from the headers back, I dont think my state (NH) will require a cat so I would like to do this as cheap as possible! I was thinking a walker muffler with custom piping. Does anyone know what sort of piping I would need? I do have a welder.. any help would be appreciated! The entire system currently has holes.. everywhere!

[crazyrog17]

Honestly, it might be cheaper and easier to take it to a mom and pop muffler shop and have them replace it. They have pipe stock that they can custom bend and weld for you. They might even let you bring them a muffler, but check with them first!

If you think you can do it, go ahead! I just leave the big stuff for the pros.

[blkfordsedan]

The cat is a federal emissions issue, so you might have problems finding an exhaust shop that will even work on it unless it leaves their shop with a cat. Some the local shops around here will install new exhaust without a cat if you pay cash, but very few. I've also had problems with local shops bending pipe for my Festy because it has factory double wall and they don't want to replace it with single wall. Honestly, I think they just didn't want to work on an old Festiva and would rather install $800 systems on big SUV's. Things may be different there. If you can't find someone to do it, then you can buy a complete stock size mid-pipe assembly from Autozone (cat-back, less the muffler on the end) pretty cheap (<$100 IIRC). If you start with that, you can add your own muffler & flex pipe where the cat would be or at the end of the exhaust. 2" is plenty big for a stock Festy, especially if you delete the cat.

[crazyrog17]

Learn something new every day, I didn't know the stock exhaust was double walled!

Luckily my exhaust was replaced before I bought the car. No cat!

[Darlo]

Learn something new every day, I didn't know the stock exhaust was double walled!

Luckily my exhaust was replaced before I bought the car. No cat!

I just got mine done, and I told them not to bother with the "double walled" crap. I found a pipe from Pick-a-part which was $20 (this section was double walled, but it got welded together on install to prevent rattling). And then I found you can buy a stock muffler for $60. Install was $100.

Total = $180 (incl parts and labour for exhaust system behind the Cat......(My Cat was fine, so I didnt touch it, but that section would have been a simple pipe if you wanted to take it out, I need one as we have emission testing))

[mudder]

I built one single wall and used some aluminum siding to make a heat shild near the rubber axle boot. The hose clamps that hold it on compliment the dual racing bungie straps that hold the hood down at high speed. Like over 15 MPH...

[skeeters_keeper]

Check out the third post, I've put these easy-to-make-yourself side exhausts on two cars... cheap and effective, but of course louder than the stock exhaust:

http://www.fordfestiva.com/forums/showthread.php?t=28641&highlight=side+exhaust+skeeter