Full Stainless or Not?

[Koots]

I've got a stainless header installed on my 2.2L Corsica, it has a 2.25" to 1.75" reducer at the end, which I intend to cut off (The stock exhaust was toast).

Is there any reason to run all stainless stuff?

I'd love to do it, but it's expensive and this was supposed to be a cheap car LOL...

BUT, I also heard lots of negatives towards mixing and welding dissimilar metals...Is it okay to just expand and fit the exhaust to it and clamp it?

I'm a SS noob

[3X00-Modified]

The only downfall of welding stainless to non stainless is the non will rust... If your using 309 wire and trimix you can weld the two together without any issues at all.

Your biggest benefit will obviously be the corrosion resistance of the SS if you stay away from 409 grade SS... That will still surface rust, it just wont scale and fall apart.

[Chad91GTZ]

The only question here is how long you plan to keep the car.

[Koots]

I like this car, I do plan on keeping it a few years, at least....

How similar is the 95+ Cavalier exhausts in comparison to our cars?

[3X00-Modified]

not even close

Our intermediate pipe is only interchangeable between the Beretta and Corsica.

[DTMAce]

Just a side note. Most of these came with stainless exhaust didn't they? I know the Z was listed with it. And its still completely original, (with the exception of only the muffler) with 237k on it. So.... I would suspect that even straight steel would last several years, no?

[3X00-Modified]

uh, no... IIRC they came factory with aluminized steel exhaust, or if it was stainless it was really cheap since not many lasted. I would agree maybe a stainless downpipe, but even that's stretch, I only say that because the one that was on my car when I got it is still in decent condition, but the rest of it is rusted badly.

Standard pipe will be aluminized steel so it could last a few years but honestly I don't see it lasting much more than 2-3... I had that type of exhaust on my red car and it rusted badly at the welds and split and got very thin everywhere else. My latest exhaust on the pink car is the same material but I coated it with Por-15 exhaust coating so that's not rusting much but I still had the welds crack on the muffler... that could also be due to my engine's lope shaking the exhaust so much.

[DTMAce]

Ah. Well all I know is on my window sticker it lists Stainless Steel Exhaust. What that truly means is an enigma though. But its held up, no holes in the piping, and I'm on my first replacement muffler.

[Koots]

not even close

Our intermediate pipe is only interchangeable between the Beretta and Corsica.

Luckily, their header and down-pipe fit well.

I'm just gonna have to cut and weld up my own...the only exhaust shop in town closed down 2 months ago.

[Chad91GTZ]

Stock Z04 cars had stainless exhaust.

[Koots]

I've decided to run my header collector diameter (2.25") to a universal stainless cat, stainless flex pipe and then aluminized steel 2.25"-2.0" adapter and the rest will use the adapted V6 system.

Just gotta wait for the parts to get here, then I can start building and getting this thing welded up.

Once I figure this car out more, I will give it the full stainless exhaust treatment...fully welded by the welder guy at work.