What is "aluminised steel" anyway? Considering cat back sport exhaust systems there is a difference in price between the two all other things being approximately equal. Using IPD's SS price as a benchmark, the aluminised system is 1/4 less.

Where I live we see snow and salt for a week, the rest of the year is either drought or deluge if that should figures into the choice.

A summer project, I'll be picking up a good used downpipe as mine is about to rust through at the flange to the cat and I'll replace the cat as well.

Thanks,
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Erwin in Memphis, '88 745t 190,000 miles, '95 855t 92,000 miles

hmm interesting one....

as I see it it depends (a) where you live and (b) how you use your car and (c)how long you intend to keep it!

in my (limited) experience most exhausts rot from the inside out (due to condensation inside the exhaust not being dried out due to lack of long journeys) to back this up I have only replaced a single box on all the cars I have driven in the last 500,000 miles or so...but my cars tend to do 150-250 mile journeys very regularly at 70+ mph so t he exhausts get comprehensively dried out - by contrast - my wife drives almost all short journeys, never long ones and we replace her exhausts every 3 years or so..and they have always rotted inside out....

now if I was planning to keep a car a lot of years AND did mostly short journeys i would buy stainless ..but if I either wasnt planing to keep it that long (say <5 years) or did lots of long journeys i would buy a normal exhaust and save the $...

personally I dont think salt etc makes much differnece to an exhaust (body work yes, exhaust no.....

just my 2c
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Old Volvo's never die..they just get more attention!

Thanks,

Mine is my daily commuter and sees 40 miles a day round trip. Half of that is 65-70mph highway, the other is city stop & go.

My downpipe and cat will need to be replaced in the next few months unless the downpipe's rotted flange can be cut off and a new one welded on a few inches back. This would move the cat from under it's heat shield so I'd rather replace both. I can get a good used DP from a salvage yard for $10 and will shop around for a new cat. The rest of the system is in pretty decent shape as it was replaced recently by the original owner so I may just leave it. If I have a couple hundred burning a hole in my pocket I might spring for a sport exhaust just for fun and a little more aural gratification. Sounds like SS wouldn't hold any real benefit for me but I'd jump at one if found used.

Cheers,
--
Erwin in Memphis, '88 745t 190,000 miles, '95 855t 92,000 miles

The Volvo OEM exhaust system, while of aluminized steel, is of superb quality and lasts a long time. My 740's system is now seven years old, used for short trips in the salt belt in Iowa.

Get it at Borton Volvo.

;^)
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Erwin in Memphis, '88 745t 190,000 miles, '95 855t 92,000 miles

Aluminised is nothing compared to SS. It is just an alloy which will nto deteriorate as fast as the chepo steel, but most are aluminizaed theze days.

SS is a different ball game.

Greg