TTE twin Exhaust Modification

michaelb · May 8, 2018, 15:18

Hi guys, my twin tailpipes on my exhaust are looking a little tired so I'm thinking of cutting them off and putting new stainless steel quad pipes on. Anyone else done this?

Ardent · May 8, 2018, 18:59

Think you might find the stainless underneath the chrome perfectly ok. Stainless can be polished up. Cutting off seems a bit drastic. Last resort maybe but think other options would give a satisfactory outcome.

SuperArt · May 8, 2018, 19:15

Those pipes are plenty rare and desirable as they're long out of production. You might find someone willing to pay you for the pipes - I know of at least one member who has lost one and needs a replacment - but not if they've been cut.
Don't despair, try putting a very light abrasive on it like autosol metal polish. Should come up nicely. If not, use a very fine emery paper before the polish.

michaelb · May 8, 2018, 21:42

Yeah I know they're quite rare now, but I fancy a quad exhaust and I love the noise of the TTE box. If I ever decided to sell the exhaust, I'd just weld the old end pipes back on.

1979scotte · May 9, 2018, 10:41

Sell.
Then have something custom made.

AmeR · May 9, 2018, 10:56

I wouldn't bother chopping and welding when you could just have some pipes made that bolt up to the backbox. Much less hassle and would preserve the value of the TTE much more than a chopped up exhaust.

Ardent · May 9, 2018, 15:47

Bit of a tease. But i will be putting pics up later. Picked up pipes this afternoon. Im very pleased with results.

Basically de chromed and polished the stainless. Totally biased obviously, but looks the puppies privates to me.

MisterK · May 9, 2018, 16:07

Come on then Jase....don't keep us in suspense. Have the inside of the tips been polished too?

Ardent · May 9, 2018, 18:04

MisterK

Regards the insides, I will be doing.

There are currently about 3 related TTE zorst pipe threads.
Is it good or poor form to post the pics in all three, thinking ease of future reference.
Can we spare the bandwidth?

Ardent · May 9, 2018, 18:06

Ok picked my pipes up this afternoon.

This is what I got back. De-chromed the tips and polished up the stainless underneath.

Ardent · May 9, 2018, 18:07

and 2 more
To say I am well chuffed would be an understatment.

SuperArt · May 9, 2018, 19:35

Looks very close to normal to me (which I'm guessing is the point?) but then I never did have an eye for detail.
If OPs chrome tips are in a bad way, dechroming seems a really good way of bringing them back to former glory. Plus side, you get more shiny. The back half of mine have some black paint stuff I'm not keen on.

andyroo104 · May 9, 2018, 19:56

Looks great Ardent, glad you got them sorted.

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Ardent · May 9, 2018, 21:20

Quote from: SuperArt on May 9, 2018, 19:35
Looks very close to normal to me (which I'm guessing is the point?) but then I never did have an eye for detail.
If OPs chrome tips are in a bad way, dechroming seems a really good way of bringing them back to former glory. Plus side, you get more shiny. The back half of mine have some black paint stuff I'm not keen on.

SuperArt
Your eye for detail is not as bad as you think. The black paint stuff you refer to is normal. Toyota only chromed the bits that show.
The ones shown in my pics were as you describe. So yes have more shiny now than when new. Bonus!
I could pop up the before shots if folks wanted.

Obviously de-chroming is also a performance enhancement through weight reduction.

Ardent · May 9, 2018, 21:22

Quote from: andyroo104 on May 9, 2018, 19:56
Looks great Ardent, glad you got them sorted.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

Thanks. Thinking, glad I had them both done for consistency.

michaelb · May 9, 2018, 21:29

They look great mate.

smarty72 · May 9, 2018, 21:35

Definitely need before pictures too...

Look great now.

Enjay · May 9, 2018, 21:37

Very nice!

mikek · May 9, 2018, 21:54

@Mikeymead will need this!!!

StuC · May 9, 2018, 21:58

@Ardent mate, those look mint. Good job.

Are you able to give a rough cost and timeframe?

Ardent · May 9, 2018, 22:14

Quote from: michaelb on May 9, 2018, 21:29
They look great mate.

Hopefully, you will reconsider sawing yours off.
As others have said, if you want quad, fine, buy quad. Then, when they are fitted sell your TTE. But please don't saw them up.
Selling them would go quite some way to mitigating the cost of the quad. Saw them up they will be worth about £2.50 at a push.
Vs circa £300

Ardent · May 9, 2018, 22:19

Quote from: mikek on May 9, 2018, 21:54
@Mikeymead will need this!!!

Ardent · May 9, 2018, 22:26

Quote from: StuC on May 9, 2018, 21:58
@Ardent mate, those look mint. Good job.

Are you able to give a rough cost and timeframe?

Time frame = dropped them off thursday so chap had the weekend to play with them. Collected today.
Cost = Are you sitting down for this bit? he charged me a staggering £30.
For clarity. £30 all in. Not each. £30 for both.
I must have had a moment of weakness, dazzled by the new (old) shineyness and thrust £40 in his hand toot suit.

Ardent · May 9, 2018, 22:36

Quote from: smarty2072 on May 9, 2018, 21:35
Definitely need before pictures too...
Look great now.

Just for you.
This quest started out with wanting to sort this out. Top pic.
CHap done a test area to show what could be done and shows nicely the compariosn between chrome vs polished stainless. A nano second after seeing that, I was commited.

wotugonado · May 9, 2018, 22:48

Nice.
Did you feel like Dick Turpin when you paid him

Quick question, will they discolour from the heat like a stainless manifold does ?