Mufflers and pipes typically rot from the inside. The clamps are not the problem and welds really do not hold up any better! You can't avoid condensation with temperature! I CA the temperature is much more constant so little or no condensation... I Boston, lots of temperature change that can take place over a few hours! I have personally walked into a cool barn on a hot/humid day that was loaded with cars only to see moisture condensation all over them! This is why folks store cars in climate controlled environments! Also, one of the byproducts of gasoline combustion is H2O... Later Peter -----Original Message----- From: amc-list-bounces@xxxxxxx [mailto:amc-list-bounces@xxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Tom Jennings Sent: Monday, July 24, 2006 4:23 AM To: amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: Re: [AMC-List] getting an '87 Eagle Wagon On Sun, 23 Jul 2006, Wm. Neal Lewis wrote: > As to a muffler job, Midas quoted me about $350. > Another national shop was in the same region. They both said the pipes are > not standard and they would have to bend them on site. This is one of those east coast/west coast things; here in CA pretty much no one I know messes with those pre-formed tailpipe parts; you just go to a muffler shop that bends the stuff up on the spot, all welded. My 258 six Hornet, done last spring, cost under $200 (I supplied the Summit muffler). Took an hour, it's bigger than stock and a hell of a lot fewer bends and no flats. When I lived in the Boston area, (left there in 1984...) muffler shops had dozens of those pre-bent pipes with swaged ends hanging all over the walls, all held together with those crappy clamps. If I remember right, bending tubing was not common. Could be just old warped memory though. The irony of all this is, with all the road salt the welded system would work a lot better; water wouldn't creep into the stupid clamed joints. ANd the clamp-together stuff would last a hell of a lot longer in CA, with anti-seize, you probably COULD take it apart later! Except for actual restoration, why does anyone mess with those annoying and rare parts? _______________________________________________ AMC-List mailing list AMC-List@xxxxxxxxxxxx http://www.amc-list.com/mailman/listinfo/amc-list or go to http://www.amc-list.com _______________________________________________ AMC-List mailing list AMC-List@xxxxxxxxxxxx http://www.amc-list.com/mailman/listinfo/amc-list or go to http://www.amc-list.com