As most of you will know, around 3 weeks ago I was driving through Clapham when a relatively small pothole decided it was time for my nearside exhaust to break. Cue deep, boomy noise, loss of power and a worried looking inkey$.
Well it turns out that after much research and the help from members of this forum that the OEM system is ever so slightly a little bit rubbish - mainly around the connecting flange areas at the can ends. Must admit that I've owned my MC for nearly 2 years and have never been completely happy with the slightly lowered angle of the ns muffler. Turns out this was always the flange on its way out and it took that long and a pothole to finally do damage. Apparently M3's suffer this a lot too and most owners there opt for cheap Peugeot 66mm exhaust clamps as a fix.
http://forums.m3cutters.co.uk/showthread.php?t=52752
I didn't want to do that so looked at my options. They were:
1/ New xpipe (expensive)
2/ New OEM xpipe (more expensive)
3/ New aftermarket catback system (much more expensive)
4/ Second hand OEM system (potential (thanks to Ranski/Flatout))
5/ Fix it properly (better (thanks for getting me to see the light exdos))
Option 5 it was then and since the exhaust system generally was and still is in tip top condition and I liked the non-offensive sound of the stock ///M, it really turned into the only option. So I rang around and got quotes eventually stumbling across Zero Exhausts near Ashford in Kent (http://www.zeroexhausts.co.uk/). Upon emailing owner Kevin I was immediately impressed by his attitude and help as he offered up solutions based on my low rent iphone pictures. He is 60 miles away but I figured if I took things carefully then how dangerous would it be on the M20 right?
Other than a few hairy moments overtaking Corsa's in the middle lane the journey went without incident and I eventually found the farm business unit Zero worked out of. Kevin was brilliant and one of these true purists of welding and the world of custom exhausts. His workshop contained at least 3 classic MGs, a 911 and a Shelby Mustang. He talked me through what he was going to do and I handed over my keys. Found out in the car to Pluckley trains station as he dropped me off for my return to London, that he'd recently done the E46 330i of BMW Car Magazine's editor Seb - the very same man that bought that very same E46 330i from me back in 2011 as one of their featured Longtermers (and still feature to this very day).
Anyway, Kevin tells me the work will be done in about a week so I settle back and this past Saturday book my ticket back to Kent. Kevin picks me up from the station and we arrive at his workshop 5 minutes later where the work is done, my MC looks brilliant and the muffler looks like its on properly (at last!). I start her up and she sounds awesome in only that way an M can. Was a very nice journey home, only broken once to fill her up with some super octane fuel and drive a few more miles.
Also asked him to take some pictures for me so I could share the mod with you all and pass on this recommendation. Seriously guys, if you have an ///M with OEM exhaust and haven't ever checked your connecting flanges, please do so as soon as you can. They can be like filo pastry and I'd hate for somebody to lose a can at speed. This mod negated the need for the flanges and uses some very nifty weld work where the new male of the xpipe works with the new female of the mufflers and they're joined by the stainless clamp - same system as modern M3's and the same clamp manufacture and design as used by Aston Martin.
So - here is a quick rundown of events. As a bonus while it was up on the lift I got him to check the general condition of the undercarriage. Turns out it's pretty good and only mild surface rust on some areas which I'll be tackling soon.
Hope this helps...shoutout thanks to exdos, Beedub, mr.wilks, z4m-2006, mmm-five, Ranski and everybody else that helped and offered up advice.
Well it turns out that after much research and the help from members of this forum that the OEM system is ever so slightly a little bit rubbish - mainly around the connecting flange areas at the can ends. Must admit that I've owned my MC for nearly 2 years and have never been completely happy with the slightly lowered angle of the ns muffler. Turns out this was always the flange on its way out and it took that long and a pothole to finally do damage. Apparently M3's suffer this a lot too and most owners there opt for cheap Peugeot 66mm exhaust clamps as a fix.
http://forums.m3cutters.co.uk/showthread.php?t=52752
I didn't want to do that so looked at my options. They were:
1/ New xpipe (expensive)
2/ New OEM xpipe (more expensive)
3/ New aftermarket catback system (much more expensive)
4/ Second hand OEM system (potential (thanks to Ranski/Flatout))
5/ Fix it properly (better (thanks for getting me to see the light exdos))
Option 5 it was then and since the exhaust system generally was and still is in tip top condition and I liked the non-offensive sound of the stock ///M, it really turned into the only option. So I rang around and got quotes eventually stumbling across Zero Exhausts near Ashford in Kent (http://www.zeroexhausts.co.uk/). Upon emailing owner Kevin I was immediately impressed by his attitude and help as he offered up solutions based on my low rent iphone pictures. He is 60 miles away but I figured if I took things carefully then how dangerous would it be on the M20 right?
Other than a few hairy moments overtaking Corsa's in the middle lane the journey went without incident and I eventually found the farm business unit Zero worked out of. Kevin was brilliant and one of these true purists of welding and the world of custom exhausts. His workshop contained at least 3 classic MGs, a 911 and a Shelby Mustang. He talked me through what he was going to do and I handed over my keys. Found out in the car to Pluckley trains station as he dropped me off for my return to London, that he'd recently done the E46 330i of BMW Car Magazine's editor Seb - the very same man that bought that very same E46 330i from me back in 2011 as one of their featured Longtermers (and still feature to this very day).
Anyway, Kevin tells me the work will be done in about a week so I settle back and this past Saturday book my ticket back to Kent. Kevin picks me up from the station and we arrive at his workshop 5 minutes later where the work is done, my MC looks brilliant and the muffler looks like its on properly (at last!). I start her up and she sounds awesome in only that way an M can. Was a very nice journey home, only broken once to fill her up with some super octane fuel and drive a few more miles.
Also asked him to take some pictures for me so I could share the mod with you all and pass on this recommendation. Seriously guys, if you have an ///M with OEM exhaust and haven't ever checked your connecting flanges, please do so as soon as you can. They can be like filo pastry and I'd hate for somebody to lose a can at speed. This mod negated the need for the flanges and uses some very nifty weld work where the new male of the xpipe works with the new female of the mufflers and they're joined by the stainless clamp - same system as modern M3's and the same clamp manufacture and design as used by Aston Martin.
So - here is a quick rundown of events. As a bonus while it was up on the lift I got him to check the general condition of the undercarriage. Turns out it's pretty good and only mild surface rust on some areas which I'll be tackling soon.
Hope this helps...shoutout thanks to exdos, Beedub, mr.wilks, z4m-2006, mmm-five, Ranski and everybody else that helped and offered up advice.
I am a mechanical novice & don,t tackle any jobs myself but i love being in the garage when my cars are on the ramp so i can have a proper nosy underneath . 
