#4105396 - 04/16/21 11:54 PM
Dual Exhaust Conversion Options?
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Rookie
Registered: 09/18/20
Posts: 59
Loc: NY
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I'm going to be swapping my rear axle, so while I have it down, I'd like to convert my 2008 Grand Marquis to dual exhaust. I've heard nothing but bad things about Walker, especially since I'm in the Northeast and the roads get salted in the winter. At the same time, I'd prefer not to spend $1000+ for an exhaust system on a 13-year old car. Are there any options somewhere in the middle?
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2008 Mercury Grand Marquis GS. ~125K miles. 3.55 Trac-Lok rear, Borla catback, aluminum driveshaft, P71 airbox, BBK throttle body, Trick-Flow intake plenum, Marty tune, HAP rear springs, Cadillac 4-note horns, leather interior swap, double-DIN touchscreen head unit with Apple Carplay, aftermarket speakers and subwoofer, Continental cubby armrest, carpeted trunk organizer, smoked P71 taillights, bumper tuck, full-size spare. Pending Mods: 18-spoke 17" wheels.
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#4105400 - 04/17/21 01:41 AM
Re: Dual Exhaust Conversion Options?
[Re: tc092]
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Banned
Over the Hill
Registered: 10/16/01
Posts: 3474
Loc: Shenandoah Valley
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I use my local muffler installer / pipe bender buddy, he uses aluminized steel pipe, has a good eye, does great work. On my '07 truck I bought an aftermarket stainless steel cat back kit, but Dale did my older '77 and he's done some cars in years past, but on my Merc I swapped on a CVPI set from a salvage yard. I find it easy to get 10 years out of his craft work ... and he always works around things like frames, axles, etc. He carries several lines of mufflers, even has some good take offs of SS, and several types of tips.
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________________________________________ ____________________Problems huh? Then Read THE Book. Signed : Natural Borne Neanderthal .
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#4105420 - 04/17/21 01:27 PM
Re: Dual Exhaust Conversion Options?
[Re: tc092]
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Climber
Registered: 04/02/18
Posts: 965
Loc: Pa
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Go the junkyard and pull the dual exhaust from a Police crown vic or a towncar. That will be the cheapest and best bet.
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#4105806 - 04/21/21 11:53 AM
Re: Dual Exhaust Conversion Options?
[Re: tc092]
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Climber
Registered: 02/23/19
Posts: 571
Loc: Little Poland, CT
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I had a local shop do mine last august. About $550 or $600 for 2.25" aluminized with an H-pipe. I've always read don't do aluminized in the northeast, but mine doesn't have any rust or corrosion on it after this past new england winter. Just make sure you take care of the thing, wash the underside every week, etc. during the winter and you should be fine. I also had an aluminized system on my 03 Regal GS, which didn't give me problems either
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Current Panther: 1999 Crown Victoria LX - Toreador red, 18x8 Anthracite Torq Thrust M's, 3.31's w/DuraGrip LSD, 2.25" H-pipe duals w/Magnaflow XL mufflers and 4" tips, Moroso AOS, Kenwood eXcelon KMM-X704 head unit, PPI A600/4 4-channel amplifier, PPI i650.1 monoblock amplifier, big 3 upgrade, Pioneer 6x8 2-way speakers, two 12" JBL subs in sealed enclosures, 2/2019 to present
Past Rides: 2003 Buick Regal GS Joseph Abboud edition - traded in 2/2019 1996 Lincoln Town Car Signature - rear ended and totaled 5/2016 2002 Buick Rendezvous CXL - handed down to younger brother 2/2015
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#4105814 - 04/21/21 12:32 PM
Re: Dual Exhaust Conversion Options?
[Re: tc092]
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n00b
Registered: 04/02/11
Posts: 39
Loc: Phoenix, AZ
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I had a CV single exhaust. I found a screaming deal on craigslist for 25 bucks that was full cat back and hangers. Could also be a source.
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2001 Crown Victoria LX 1996 Lincoln Town Car (sold)
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#4105878 - 04/21/21 07:41 PM
Re: Dual Exhaust Conversion Options?
[Re: tc092]
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Over the Hill
Registered: 09/02/02
Posts: 3493
Loc: Pennsylvania
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It's hard to say how well the metal was treated, driving and maintenance habits, what's used on the roads etc. In general though stainless is superior aluminized can rot from the inside out as well. Prices vary wildly by area I paid 600 for stainless cat back. Then talking to a few people I could have spent a wee bit more and had it mandrel bent as well. No matter what you use though be sure it is installed properly.
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2008 Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor P71 with street appearance package.
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#4105902 - 04/21/21 09:48 PM
Re: Dual Exhaust Conversion Options?
[Re: tc092]
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Banned
Over the Hill
Registered: 10/16/01
Posts: 3474
Loc: Shenandoah Valley
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I well remember when even every new car had aluminized steel, it last 6-10 years easy enough.
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________________________________________ ____________________Problems huh? Then Read THE Book. Signed : Natural Borne Neanderthal .
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#4105940 - 04/22/21 09:10 AM
Re: Dual Exhaust Conversion Options?
[Re: tc092]
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Over the Hill
Registered: 09/02/02
Posts: 3493
Loc: Pennsylvania
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I agree it should last if they are made well, good quality control. How well it's installed though is the most likely thing to cause an issue. There's a famous ship that sunk in 1912 thanks to some rivets that should have held. Except the ones near the bow were found to have been made with a different mix.
Edited by 2008interceptor (04/22/21 09:15 AM)
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2008 Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor P71 with street appearance package.
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#4106412 - 04/26/21 12:10 PM
Re: Dual Exhaust Conversion Options?
[Re: 2008interceptor]
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Climber
Registered: 02/23/19
Posts: 571
Loc: Little Poland, CT
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It's hard to say how well the metal was treated, driving and maintenance habits, what's used on the roads etc. In general though stainless is superior aluminized can rot from the inside out as well. Prices vary wildly by area I paid 600 for stainless cat back. Then talking to a few people I could have spent a wee bit more and had it mandrel bent as well. No matter what you use though be sure it is installed properly. Oh no question stainless is better, wouldn't think of arguing against that. I just believe that the terror spread about aluminized systems is overblown because people will buy the cheapest kit possible and complain when its quality is garbage. If you do your research, you'll be able to find out who does good work in your area, then you can have them install and/or fab a system for you. I got a recommendation for a shop in my town from a body guy that I trust. Completely professional, press bent instead of crush, thick steel, installed well, whole thing looks better than factory. No rust issues yet, though that will happen eventually because of the winter road treatment they use up here. Point is, you should only be afraid of low quality exhaust systems, not necessarily of all aluminized systems
_________________________
Current Panther: 1999 Crown Victoria LX - Toreador red, 18x8 Anthracite Torq Thrust M's, 3.31's w/DuraGrip LSD, 2.25" H-pipe duals w/Magnaflow XL mufflers and 4" tips, Moroso AOS, Kenwood eXcelon KMM-X704 head unit, PPI A600/4 4-channel amplifier, PPI i650.1 monoblock amplifier, big 3 upgrade, Pioneer 6x8 2-way speakers, two 12" JBL subs in sealed enclosures, 2/2019 to present
Past Rides: 2003 Buick Regal GS Joseph Abboud edition - traded in 2/2019 1996 Lincoln Town Car Signature - rear ended and totaled 5/2016 2002 Buick Rendezvous CXL - handed down to younger brother 2/2015
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#4107344 - 05/03/21 03:10 PM
Re: Dual Exhaust Conversion Options?
[Re: tc092]
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Rookie
Registered: 09/18/20
Posts: 59
Loc: NY
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As a follow-up, I drove 3 hours to a pick-n-pull in rhode island and pulled an h-pipe, driver-side muffler, and a bunch of hangers. About 60 bucks for the parts, 50 bucks in gas, and a few hours of time crawling under a car, dropping the axle, and extracting the muffler. Wasn't a bad day out, and it worked out since (1) I didn't want to cut up the tailpipe and (2) I'll be swapping my axle at the same time anyway, so it gave me the opportunity to practice how to do that. Figured I didn't need the passenger side, so if anyone needs one, there's a fully-intact one under a crown vic at the cumberland RI pick-n-pull, lol
_________________________
2008 Mercury Grand Marquis GS. ~125K miles. 3.55 Trac-Lok rear, Borla catback, aluminum driveshaft, P71 airbox, BBK throttle body, Trick-Flow intake plenum, Marty tune, HAP rear springs, Cadillac 4-note horns, leather interior swap, double-DIN touchscreen head unit with Apple Carplay, aftermarket speakers and subwoofer, Continental cubby armrest, carpeted trunk organizer, smoked P71 taillights, bumper tuck, full-size spare. Pending Mods: 18-spoke 17" wheels.
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#4107382 - 05/03/21 05:53 PM
Re: Dual Exhaust Conversion Options?
[Re: tc092]
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Banned
Over the Hill
Registered: 10/16/01
Posts: 3474
Loc: Shenandoah Valley
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As a follow-up, I drove 3 hours to a pick-n-pull in rhode island and pulled an h-pipe, driver-side muffler, and a bunch of hangers. About 60 bucks for the parts, 50 bucks in gas, and a few hours of time crawling under a car, dropping the axle, and extracting the muffler. Wasn't a bad day out, and it worked out since (1) I didn't want to cut up the tailpipe and (2) I'll be swapping my axle at the same time anyway, so it gave me the opportunity to practice how to do that . ... I had to re-read it ... so looks like you kept the left rear pipe welded to the left muffler. I'd say you done good. When I did mine, car was near new still, so I didn't want to drop the rear, but even after undoing the shock lower bolts, loosening bushings, I still had to remove the drive shaft at the rear so the axle would drop enough, and even then I had to cut the tail pipes at rear of the "over axle hump", then got a buddy at a muffler shop to fix me up with tails minus resonators ( I wrote CVPI, but mine came off a HPP civilian car now that I look back). Like in this pic that shows the left side. I made my hanger, was a straight pipe with a angle, then swelled to fit over OEM tail pipe portion left welded to muffler.
_________________________
________________________________________ ____________________Problems huh? Then Read THE Book. Signed : Natural Borne Neanderthal .
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#4111174 - 05/31/21 01:20 PM
Re: Dual Exhaust Conversion Options?
[Re: tc092]
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Rookie
Registered: 09/18/20
Posts: 59
Loc: NY
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Yeah, I ended up managing to keep the muffler and tailpipe connected as one piece and hung it when I had the axle out so it worked out perfectly. Ford thought dropping the axle was too much work since the shop manual for 08 says "[t]he production muffler and tailpipe assembly is a one-piece design. The service muffler and tailpipe assembly is serviced with 2 pieces."
_________________________
2008 Mercury Grand Marquis GS. ~125K miles. 3.55 Trac-Lok rear, Borla catback, aluminum driveshaft, P71 airbox, BBK throttle body, Trick-Flow intake plenum, Marty tune, HAP rear springs, Cadillac 4-note horns, leather interior swap, double-DIN touchscreen head unit with Apple Carplay, aftermarket speakers and subwoofer, Continental cubby armrest, carpeted trunk organizer, smoked P71 taillights, bumper tuck, full-size spare. Pending Mods: 18-spoke 17" wheels.
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