How long does a custom manifold back dual exhaust system take to bend & install?

[WuchaGot]

I do not know if I should be throwing a fit or not about my bill.

1987 v20, 350, 4x4, auto.

Remove the single exhaust and muffler, bent the tubing for both the left and right downpipes, mounted the downpipes and hung a pypes.com x-pipe kit (no modification needed) and hung 2 14-inch magnaflows. No tail pipes (just 8 inch long turn downs on the output)

How long should something like that take?

[ont_guy_38]

Should only take a couple hours at the most if they are good at it. Around here that would be $500-700 anyways

[WuchaGot]

Originally Posted by ont_guy_38

Should only take a couple hours at the most if they are good at it. Around here that would be $500-700 anyways

I was thinking 3 hours to give the guy some padding. And I bought all the materials so the cost should be labor only.

I provided the stainless 2.5 tubing, the pypes x-pipe kit and the 2 mufflers.

I still want a couple more replies before I tell you how many hours were charged

[SSC's76]

across from my old shop there was a muffler shop they would do that in about 2 to 3 hours from stock tube. took them about 3 hours to do my truck all the way back with an h pipe back in the day well 12 years ago could get a real nice setup for under 250 bucks for everything. if you think about it not a lot of complex bends on our trucks


Posted from 67-72chevytrucks.com App for Android

[WuchaGot]

I mean, I have had a few cat back systems done on several cars I have owned over the years. On the cat back systems they usually tell you that you can wait in the office and the car will be ready in about an hour. I knew to expect a couple or a few hours because bending the angles on the down pipes and curving it around the 4x4 transfer case and making it all line up with the x-pipe would take some time but once the down pipes were done it should have been a simple task of hanging the x-pipe kit and mufflers in place and once every thing was lined up and even weld it up and set your hangers.

[WuchaGot]

So I paid around:

$90 for both the MagnaFlows
$200 for the tubing and x-pipe kit
total around $290 for all materials shipped to my door.

The shop charged me 6 (SIX) hours to bend and install the exhaust which ran almost $500 just in labor.

I know that if you go to a shop and let them supply the parts and labor your looking around $650 out the door for a dual exhaust system installed.



I would expect that with me providing the parts I would have been driving away from a shop with a new exhaust system $100-200 cheaper than paying a shops rates for materials. My mufflers were quoted $89 each at one shop I called and I got them both for $90 shipped (half the price of a shop and verified genuine MagnaFlow).

With everything I am pushing almost $800 for my exhaust and most of it in labor. I am so irritated right now.

The least they could have done is thrown in a tube a Vaseline with the deal.

[Redcap]

Locally, the guy I use is $300 out-the-door for headers-back on a Crewcab if you supply the mufflers.

[WuchaGot]

Originally Posted by Redcap

Locally, the guy I use is $300 out-the-door for headers-back on a Crewcab if you supply the mufflers.

You supply just the mufflers or all the materials? I supplied everything excepting the welding wire and it was still $200 more than that. Granted, depending on the header, a header back system could be a little easier than a manifold back, You wouldn't have as much labor into bending the down angels.

[68Timber]

What people have to pay for custom exhaust now blows my mind. The guy that does all my exhaust work always goes from the manifolds/headers back in the pipe diameter I pick and it runs around $200. I supply the mufflers, he uses aluminized pipe. He's done it all his life and can tuck it up well and keeps it all symmetrical. The only downside is he doesn't have any 3" dies nor does he stock 3" pipe, so I'm going to have to buy a mandrel bent universal kit to bring to him to get my 79 done. I know I'm fortunate, from what I read here and elsewhere, it seems like he's the only one left still charging those rates. Forgot to mention, it only takes him about 1.5 hrs and I hang out under the lift shooting the bull with him while he works. Really cool guy with skills.

[Redcap]

Originally Posted by WuchaGot

You supply just the mufflers or all the materials? I supplied everything excepting the welding wire and it was still $200 more than that. Granted, depending on the header, a header back system could be a little easier than a manifold back, You wouldn't have as much labor into bending the down angels.

Just the muffs.

[78 Big10 454]

Geez, not like the old days. I remeber taking my '64 Chevelle SS to Doug Thorley's shop in East L.A. and getting a dual exhaust set-up for under $100.00 out the door.

[Hevy]

Did you get an estimate? The guy I use tells me exactly how much with tax before he turns a wrench.

[WuchaGot]

Originally Posted by Hevy

Did you get an estimate? The guy I use tells me exactly how much with tax before he turns a wrench.

No estimate. I asked for one and they said that it all depended on what they encountered when they started the work and with out getting the truck up on the lift and looking at it they couldn't really give me an exact estimate. They are not an exhaust shop, they are a general repair shop that does a bit of everything. This is a farm community so we have a bunch of all-in-one combo Auto Repair, Tire, Muffler, Hair salon, tax and cafe style places around here. My wife's uncle and his ranch hand have a great relationship with the people at the shop and they were well recommended. I am thinking about going to a couple of exhaust shop in Lewiston and getting an estimate for the work and taking the estimates back to where I had the work done and call them on it.

[LEEVON]

That sounds really high...I can't imagine that many hours unless they had to scrap everything. Usually the harder you try to save a buck the more it cost it seems. The area's best exhaust guy has a shop close by, he does great work cheap. Every time I've had an idea or though I could save a buck he has better ideas and saves more bucks. So I just let him do what he's good at.

[WuchaGot]

I do have to say that the guy did a nice job, the exhaust is tucked away nicely, great clearance and spacing on the X-Pipe, mufflers and everything is even and level and it sounds great.

But that's what one should expect and it shouldn't cost double the rate.

[LEEVON]

If you started from scratch $500 for stainless should be getting close. I'm pretty sure my Dad spent $700 on a custom install...but with you providing mufflers and materials yep I'd say you took it in the shorts. I hate that feeling!

[Redcap]

Originally Posted by LEEVON

If you started from scratch $500 for stainless should be getting close. I'm pretty sure my Dad spent $700 on a custom install...but with you providing mufflers and materials yep I'd say you took it in the shorts. I hate that feeling!

Big time.

[Pyrotechnic]

That's total BS that they couldn't give you an estimate. Yeah, maybe they aren't an exhaust shop but if they are doing exhaust work it's obviously not their first rodeo. It's an exhaust for an old truck, not a Ferrari Enzo. They should have been able to agree upon a base price, then notify you if anything else was screwed up (pipes welded to manifold hack job, etc) that would take more time.

I know most shops mark up the tips, mufflers, and pipe and make some of their profit off these items. If you show up with your own stuff you scored cheap, you are under cutting them...or at least that's how they see it. I've heard of shops gouging because of customer supplied materials.

Also seen cases where you ask for a specific model of muffler (Flowmaster and Magnaflow alone have about a billion different models and sub models) and they don't have that one in stock, they just substitute something close or more common. Think about it, you are there, and ready to pay, why would they go through the hassle of ordering one and making you wait when they could just take your cash that day?

As you can see I don't hold most exhaust shops in high regard either. I'd rather rent or borrow some lift time, bring my welder and a pre-bent mail order system and have at it.

[motornut]

took Speedy over 24 hours $600,pipe+labour
restudded manifolds there too $100
I supplied the mufflers too
not much pipe either it's out before the rear wheels
total bout $1000
thought i posted already here...
but thats less that what i paid and it's stainless

[Rich84]

Originally Posted by Pyrotechnic

I know most shops mark up the tips, mufflers, and pipe and make some of their profit off these items. If you show up with your own stuff you scored cheap, you are under cutting them...or at least that's how they see it. I've heard of shops gouging because of customer supplied materials.

This statement is the absolute truth in my opinion..Any project that is labor intense is a gamble for a contractor, or in this case a mechanic. The only money that I know I will make on a project is the markup on materials. The labor is an estimate, and if one thing goes wrong profit goes out the window.

[bnoon]

Holy cow! I went to a local shop and got an estimate for true duals at $300 including everything and madrel bent! I knew I saved a lot going to a salvage yard and pulling some duals off of a wreck, but dang! I paid $39 for the slightly used pipes (4 pipes total, plus all the hangers) from manifolds back and then spent $38 for two new Summit Racing chamber mufflers after some coupons I had for free shipping and $20 in Summit cash. $77 for duals out the door. Hopefully my mufflers come in today. Can't wait!

[nobull2]

if this was stainless and tig welded that does not sound to high to me, the muffler guy that did mine was just regular muffler pipe for 210 out the door.

[Billett]

I paid $400 for my dual setup with an x-pipe and all I supplied was the mufflers. That sounds absolutely insane!

[nobull2]

i don't see a problem with 6 hours if it would have been 45 an hour thats 270 but you said they hit you for 500 85 an hour is pretty dang high.

[krazy_texan]

around here a lot of shops dont like you to bring them materials but rather use there own and actually charge a fee if you bring in your own stuff