Anyone besides Ireland for quality near-stock catback?

[somecarguy]

Tough to beat the price for a stainless system. Anywhere else I should shop before going this way? My 89 325i has let go of a few clamps which in turn have rusted the rear muffler. In short - I need a new catback.

Not looking for lots of noise and power gains. Weight savings and Stainless are what attract me here.

http://www.iemotorsport.com/bmw/item/e30catback.html

[somecarguy]

I see some old (5+ year) threads saying similar / same system was found on ebay for ~215 shipped. I searched ebay today and don't see this. It also seems the price of the Ireland is lower today than it once was. Any recent experience ?

[superj]

how much to just have a shop throw one on?

[somecarguy]

In stainless? doubt I'll beat the price and don't have a shop I'd trust. Plus I avoid shops at all costs...

[aaverhulst]

Is this what you want https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo...011698&jsn=381

Walker is SS with lifetime warranty. I went to my shop and they put on it on for me. Looks like your from Connecticut. I can't believe you can't find a good muffler shop in your area. Go talk to them.

[somecarguy]

Inneresting on the Walker... are you happy with it? Shop say it fit nicely?

There are shops galore in CT but I avoid taking my cars to shops at just about all costs.

[aaverhulst]

So far, so good. Seems to be about like factory but may be just slightly more snarly. My shop charge me $80. I also bought new hangers for it. He said it just didn't fall into place. My son had it off to replace Guibo and he didn't have a problem reinstalling it.

[somecarguy]

Thanks for the feedback. Have you tried a Walker cat as well?

[somecarguy]

Also curious if the pipes are SS or just the muffler? Hard to tell for sure from Walker's site which focuses on the muffler itself.

[somecarguy]

I found the ebay version of the Ireland that has been discussed in older threads. In does in fact look extremely similar and the price is rather attractive:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1987-1988-1...item5b336cb911

discussed here - https://www.r3vlimited.com/board/arc...?t-354591.html

[95BMWIC]

I have a scorpion and love it.. Its $450 regular but goes on sale..

https://www.bavauto.com/exhaust.html?brand=3915

The IE looks to be a similar stainless steel unit I bought from ebay several years back.. Lower quality, from China.. (Similar to link above)
I would ask IE where they are sourcing it from (China?) - before you order.

[somecarguy]

Presuming ebay and ireland are one and the same, and it certainly seems that way, I can't really see myself buying from ireland.
I have no a priori problem with parts from china - what was your experience?

[95BMWIC]

Presuming ebay and ireland are one and the same, and it certainly seems that way, I can't really see myself buying from ireland.
I have no a prior problem with parts from china - what was your experience?

Honestly - Its a great little unit for the price.. I bought it in 2013 (I think) initially for the 325i - then my son's IX exhaust went bad and I switched mine to his and replaced it with a Scorpion. My daughter has an IC - and my son's IX was damaged last winter - so I removed the eBay one I bought and replaced her rusty exhaust and it is still solid.

The fit is ok - I had to maneuver it a bit to get everything to line up - but eventually I got it - Its been on 3 E30s.. The stainless steel is of a lower quality - it has little points of surface rust, but the integrity is much better than a Walker unit. When I bought my daughters IC the exhaust was a new walker that the OP had put on to sell it. In 4 years the walker had a rust hole in it..

100_7756.jpg

This is a pic from 2016 - as I dont have the ambition to get you a pic from the IC as it is being stored under a tarp under a foot of snow right now.. but its of similar condition a little rougher a little more rust - but not bad 2 1/2 years later...

- - - Updated - - -

another one same time period.

100_7737.jpg

[somecarguy]

It sounds like you have an E30 Family Thanks for the feedback.

One last question on fit - for some reason the ebay store lists 325 ix, ic, is but not just plain i. I presume the fit is universal between these and its an error on their part. I wrote to ask but don't have high hopes of a response.
And finally - did the "standard" style clamps fit the rear muffler, such as: https://www.bavauto.com/bmw-muffler-...-kit-325i88eik

To my knowledge the ebay doesn't come with a single piece of hardware...

[aaverhulst]

Here is what I ordered from Rock Auto.

WALKER KIT1744540 (Daily Driver) Click Info for full list of components. Info WALKER Warranty Information Quiet Flow mufflers & assemblies, DynoMax Super Turbo/UltraFlow SS & Welded mufflers: Limited lifetime. SoundFX Mufflers: No warranty. Pipes, Resonators & Straps: No warranty. Catalytic converters:25,000-mile catalytic performance, 5-year/50,000-mile structural integrity.Warranty Details	" title="Next Image">
Components in kit Quantity WALKER 31582 [Pipe Flange Gasket / Seal] Info 2 No longer covered under the manufacturer's warranty WALKER 31584 [Pipe Flange Gasket / Seal] Info Right 1 No longer covered under the manufacturer's warranty WALKER 31583 [Pipe Flange Gasket / Seal] Info Left 1 No longer covered under the manufacturer's warranty WALKER 35123 [Hanger / Insulator] Hanger Info 1 No longer covered under the manufacturer's warranty WALKER 35711 [Hanger / Insulator] Insulator Info 1 No longer covered under the manufacturer's warranty WALKER 46748 [Muffler / Resonator] Premium Quiet-Flow Muffler Assembly Info Requires 36245 1
WALKER 36245 [Muffler Strap] Info Used w/ 46748	1	No longer covered under the manufacturer's warranty

[95BMWIC]

It sounds like you have an E30 Family Thanks for the feedback.

One last question on fit - for some reason the ebay store lists 325 ix, ic, is but not just plain i. I presume the fit is universal between these and its an error on their part. I wrote to ask but don't have high hopes of a response.
And finally - did the "standard" style clamps fit the rear muffler, such as: https://www.bavauto.com/bmw-muffler-...-kit-325i88eik

To my knowledge the ebay doesn't come with a single piece of hardware...

Exhaust cat backs for the E30 should be interchangeable - nothing different. I always figure an IS is an I..

After some diggin - I found my original receipt from Ebay - It was listed as a SPEEDYRACER too and I purchased it in early 2015 (NOT 2013) and it was around $130.. so the pic I showed you was after a years usage.

The muffler is the same size and I used BMW clamps, donuts and it bolted right up.

[95BMWIC]

As a follow up -

I put the exhaust onto my daughter car this last spring (2018) and it was fine - no issues.

if I was in need of another - I would buy it again.

[somecarguy]

Thanks all - ordering one from ebay today and will update this thread with current findings.

[ELVA164]

I bought the IE one (which is apparently also the eBay one, grr) and I'm happy with it. Not much louder than stock, no drone, and it fit...reasonably well. The main muffler has a larger diameter than original so you have to bend the hangers around it, but it fit well other than that.

It's not very good stainless, though, and only the muffler itself is stainless. The rest is painted (and mine had a few spots they missed, so I had to touch it up) and it will still corrode. That being said, it's been 3 or 4 years and it's not falling apart by any stretch. That's better than the Ansa or the two parts store exhausts I had before that, which lasted like 8 months each.

[somecarguy]

Well if nothing else it ships incredibly fast (IN>CT) especially considering the $10 shipping charge. A magnet test reveals that it is all stainless with the exception of the clamps and flanges. I got some magnetism on some of the welds and see a little bit of corrosion at some of them so I don’t quite know what’s going on there. But for the price I have a very very hard time being angry. My clamp and gasket set from Bavarian arrived also so i’ll get this on soon and let you all know what I think.

IMG_3369.jpgIMG_3370.jpgIMG_3371.jpgIMG_3372.jpg

[somecarguy]

Before I take the old exhaust off - can someone help me understand the gaskets at the cat pipe - rear section junction? Bav Auto's kit includes a crush ring and seal https://www.bavauto.com/bmw-muffler-...-kit-325i88eik

Real OEM's diagram suggests the outlets from the rear of the cat are asymmetrical, but then suggest the inlets to the rear section are symmetrical, which is the case with my new SS system. Am I missing something?

[somecarguy]

Edit - it’s funny what you don’t notice in till you take a picture and then look at it. I can see now that there are two different flange diameters where the cat back connects to the cat. Do I have these seal rings located it correctly?

IMG_3381.jpg

[95BMWIC]

Sorta. The one sleeve on the left (from your pic above) slides over the other outer pipe - from the cat. AND it is #23 in your diagram from REAL OEM in posting 21

- - - Updated - - -

Oh and make sure you put the dog ear on first (#22 in the REAL OEM pic)

[95BMWIC]

As I am looking over this and rereading your question - I think you have the seal ring and the sleeve on the wrong intermediate pipes (it should be switched). The pipe on the right in the pic (on your posting #22 above) will be the pipe that mates up with the sleeve. The pipe on the left in the pic will be the one that mates up with the seal. The intermediate pipe can only go one way - look from the rear of the car it has to angle left for the muffler opening and the rubber grommet hook will be facing upward. The crush ring (sleeve) will be on the left and the seal will be on the right.

Does that make sense?

[somecarguy]

That does make sense thanks.

Is this the area that needed massaging on other peoples exhaust? Seems like the pipes entering the muffler need convinced to be further apart...

IMG_3464.jpgIMG_3463.jpg