i've got a few questions regarding our (HRC Kit owners) options regarding changing downpipes. i plan on using the pacesetter 2.5" piping with a seperate dual muffler setup, but i'm assuming the new exhaust is pointless to purchase if i dont upgrade the downpipe.

1-did they ever finish making that custom downpipe for the HRC kit that i was reading about several months ago? i believe it was a true 3" pipe and the guy who was making it had posted here announcing it? if so whats the URL?

2-will the apex'i downpipes for the GSTs fit our cars? there are two models apex'i makes, one i assume is larger, does anyone know the actual diameters, and if they are in metric units, their conversion to inches?

3-do either of these, or any, aftermarket downpipes bolt directly to our exhausts or do they all have to be welded?

4-and one last thing, if the pipes have to be welded, are there any couplings (silicon or other) that are suitable for connecting exhaust piping together? ive got a nasty leak where the HRC downpipe piece meets my stock downpipe that id like to fix temporarily. would the exhaust pipe temperatures be too high for silicon couplings?

thanks

>1-did they ever finish making that custom downpipe for the HRC
>kit that i was reading about several months ago? i believe it
>was a true 3" pipe and the guy who was making it had posted
>here announcing it? if so whats the URL?

the company was ERT and i think* it was 2.5", and no, it's not in production yet

>2-will the apex'i downpipes for the GSTs fit our cars? there
>are two models apex'i makes, one i assume is larger, does
>anyone know the actual diameters, and if they are in metric
>units, their conversion to inches?

they won't even come close to fitting

>3-do either of these, or any, aftermarket downpipes bolt
>directly to our exhausts or do they all have to be welded?

i believe that the ert dp will be a direct bolt-on

>4-and one last thing, if the pipes have to be welded, are
>there any couplings (silicon or other) that are suitable for
>connecting exhaust piping together? ive got a nasty leak where
>the HRC downpipe piece meets my stock downpipe that id like to
>fix temporarily. would the exhaust pipe temperatures be too
>high for silicon couplings?

there aren't any couplings that would stand up to that heat. the best way to keep the leak minimal is to use 2 exhaust clamps, one rotated 45* from the other one.

you could try something like this for the exhaust leak


http://doityourself.com/store/exhaustrepair.htm

I have a beautiful downpipe I had made about 3-4 months ago and I was going to have several made and they would have been ready to go months and months ago. But everyone shit on me....so I figured I should just have mine made since no one seemed interested. So I have 2.5", stainless steel, mandrel bent downpipe with lazer cut flanges, factory looking fit and finish...that I am sure all of you will be very jealous of even after ert makes there downpipe after a year or so. oh well I tried.

well, that sucks, so i guess ERT hasnt been around here lately with any updates on their progress?

Not that people wanted to shit on you, but the starting askign price was way too steep. Not to mention it is suspecious how the price dropped every week.

Anyways I got my fingers crossed for the ERT release. :P

the ert dp will be better overall then the SS which no more then 2 people if that bought so he does not know about 'fitment' problem! the ert dp had fitment problem and will be fixed so it will have a better chance of fitting better then the other. plus the ert people are a company (shop).. anywhoo.. i got $300 in hand for the 2.5" dp and new cat =)
by no means am i putting down the other dp it looks nice but there has to be a reason 'everyone' is waitin for the ert dp.. i hear from the prototype people it should be done soon.
Michael 99gs
HRC Stage 2 @12psi :D
Stage 3 process begins gathering parts for rebuild
2GNT Member #32

http://www.dreamwater.net/purplebeast