That's robbery. I've had that done for $100 here (nice area, high cost of living).
I was looking at this one too. It seems like it's the cheapest one with 304. From the pictures it seems like the back end isn't flared to fit over and camp down on the factory pipe. Do the pipes just butt up and the camp holds it all together? The slightly more expensive ones like the Roush look like they would camp together a bit more securely.
Slip joints on both ends and stainless steel:
That one seems to cover all bases and it's cheap. If I go with one of the Mustang specific ones I am thinking of doing it myself with the help of my girlfriend's uncle who works at a shop. It just occurred to me though, with the slip joints at both ends it seems like you would definitely need to take the whole exhaust out to fit it back in. The butt clamped ones you can probably get away with just cutting it while in place.
That's true, although I bet you can push the rest of the catback back in the hangers enough and not take it off.
They also said it would probably be an hour of labor or ~$100 if I had a Mustang specific part already and just needed them to cut and install. This would imply the universal parts rang up to $300. Just doesn't seem to add up.
I had a Magnaflow universal dual in/out muffler (p/n 11386) put in place of the stock resonator. It is shorter than the stock resonator and needed extra pipe cut to length. It's also ever so slightly narrower than stock center-to-center pipe spacing, so they had to angle the joints just a little. $80 to weld it in.
Did you have that installed prior to the AB? Wondering how that would sound with just the stock mufflers.
No only after this axle back. The stock mufflers are so quiet I doubt you'd be able to hear much difference. It definitely improves the tone overall compared to the resonator. It could be worth a try as even with my axle back it's barely louder than the resonator, so if you want more volume still and get an axle back, you won't be bumping yourself into really loud like you would if you went for just an X-pipe.
I had a universal H-Pipe welded in. I paid $100 to have the resonator removed, universal H-Pipe (2.5in) welded, stock mufflers removed, and 2.5in to 4in tip welded in. It all depends on the shop. I had one shop quote me $325 and I walked straight out.
Thanks, its helpful to understand that progression. What I think I'm going to do is go with that Summit Racing x pipe. If my girlfriend's uncle gets the OK for us to use the lift at his shop over a weekend, it will probably just cost me a case of beer for install. That should probably hold me over for awhile but if down the road I still want more, it sounds like the Corsa touring or Ford Performance touring axel backs would be a safe addition. It it ends up being too much with the x pipe I can add back a resonator with either a magnaflow or Borla for fairly cheap and without wasting much investment on an x pipe now.
I would agree that neither the Corsa Touring or FRPP Touring AB's would be loud enough to make you think twice with the X-pipe. They would both essentially be the Corsa Sport catback and FRPP Touring catback at that point. Like I said, I was happy with the X-pipe alone for a few months, as you may be too, or longer. I just didn't like the tinny sounds. Otherwise it was nice.
This actually sums up the place at the same time. You go to the modern muffler section when your 12 year old daily driver is starting to rust and fall apart and they fix it for way cheaper than expected. You go there again with a new high performance car and they tell you to drive around to the side garage where they do their performance work and that is what awaits.If you goto a place like this, $400.
If you goto a place like this, $150 for the exact same work.