I've been to a few exhaust shops and none are really willing to make some IC piping for me while having my car there. I do have a manager that will make sections and let me install/weld to fit, but doesn't want to be responsible. Other places want to charge an arm for doing the work if they did do it. I can weld and have welders at my home, does anybody see a problem with cutting/welding IC pipes that were bent by a shop? Also, has anyone painted their pipes and what paint did they use? Thanks!

I was gonna go the same route as you, with having them bend and cut the sections, and i would weld it. Turns out the dude at the exaust shop hooked me up, and was able to make 2 pipes that were bent to fit. I just use cut up radiator hose for the couplers and it works good. I tried welding some pieces toghether before, and welding is very tough to do right. I got a lot of wire slag into the pipe itslef, and it would have been very tough to clean out with all the bends and stuff..So dont use a wire feed arc welder if you do..Use welding rods and a torch. I'm not sure why so many places are giving you a hard time with bending some pipe for you, not that much to it really. Just keep calling around i guess...Try smaller mom and pop places, they may be more willing.. And as far as paint, i am going to use a gloss black engine enamel. It should hold up ok, as its a pretty high temp paint. It wont look as good as the powder coating method, but it shouldn't look too bad.

actually I was going to use s MIG but with the heat turned down so I wouldn't get distortion (or slag on the inside). I might just try a couple of practice pieces and I'll keep calling. I got the hosing from a 1g SMIC and the IC itself. I'll probably just cut up the hose and use that. What are you boosting?

Yeah, if you are good at welding, you should be fine. I guess i just suck at it :) I'm boosting about 7 psi right now, and the IC seems to be doing just fine. The outlet pipe is always cooler than the inlet.

check out my sig, hehe that's almost all junkyard piping and couplers. That black pipe is from a volvo also.

by all means though if you can weld that sucka together it's better. Cuz sometimes the intercooler piping pops off on me and it's really annoying.