Buying Vehicles of Every Kind

True As Steel: Is Stainless Steel The Right Metal For Custom High Performance Exhausts?

26 October 2017

Avery Hawkins

To truly wring every last drop of performance out of your vehicle, it must be fitted with an exhaust system up to the challenges of high performance driving, and professional and amateur racers alike choose to have custom-crafted exhausts fitted to their prized vehicles. However, choosing a custom exhaust design isn't simply about choosing the option that gives you the most power; you will also have to decide what your new exhaust will be made from.

The lion's share of conventional exhausts are made from aluminised steel, a conventional steel type coated in a tough coating of aluminium to protect against rust. However, custom exhausts are often made from more desirable stainless steel, and this unique metal has a number of advantages over conventional steel that stands it in good stead for high performances uses.

What are the advantages of choosing stainless steel for my custom exhaust?

Rust resistance

Stainless steel's virtual immunity to rust and corrosion is often seen as its main selling point when it comes to exhaust fabrication, and it's easy to see why. A stainless steel exhaust will not rust even when confronted with icy, salted roads and sea spray, and in many cases will remain in perfect shape while the car itself starts to rust around it. This makes a stainless steel, high performance exhaust extremely simple to maintain, giving you time to tend to other, more temperamental components of your vehicle.

Damage resistance

Stainless steel is every bit as strong and durable as conventional steel, and a stainless steel performance exhaust can take a severe beating from the various bumps and scrapes it will encounter on the road and track. Crucially, stainless steel also loses none of its resistance to rust when damaged; this places it in stark contrast to aluminised steel exhausts, as scratches and chips can damage the rust resistant coating of these exhausts and leave the unprotected steel beneath vulnerable to severe corrosion.

Longevity

The above properties that a custom stainless steel exhaust is a solid, long term investment, and many manufacturers of custom stainless steel exhausts will offer extremely long warranties and guarantees with their products. Stainless steel's longevity also means that the exhaust will be in prime condition to sell if you decide to retire or upgrade your high performance vehicle. Many sellers choose to sell their stainless steel exhausts separately, as their scrap value alone makes them highly sought after.

Attractiveness

Stainless steel exhausts may have a great deal of substance, but they also have style. Easy to clean and capable of being buffed to a high mirror sheen, a properly cleaned and polished stainless steel exhaust can be quite an eye-catching component, and is perfect for performance vehicles that spend just as much time at shows and events as they do on the road or track.

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