TR2/3/3A TR3 Stainless Steel Exhaust

[af3683]

I'm considering getting a new original type exhaust system for my TR3B. I noticed that TRF and VB have a TR3 stainless steel exhaust system by Falcon. In addition, Moss also has a stainless steel exhaust system but the web site doesn't mention the manufacturer. Has anyone had any experience with either of these exhaust systems? Is stainless steel definitely the way to go? Are there other exhaust systems available? How do they fit and sound? Easy to install? Thanks for your help.

Art

 

[ShawnC_at_Moss]

Art,
Ours is also the Falcon brand. I will have that updated so it isn't a secret. I am a bit premature here but we are also releasing a Tourist Trophy polished stainless steel exhaust in December. It is currently in production and will retail for $349.95. The characteristics of it will be the same as the other Tourist Trophy systems. Here is a link to the Austin Healey system for reference.

Shawn

 

[Geo Hahn]

I installed a Falcon S/S system on my TR3A in 1987.

In 2010 the seam on the big muffler split. Falcon says the system has a lifetime guarantee so I contacted the vendor. I was promptly shipped a replacement.

Easy to install and (possibly more useful) easy to take apart even after 23 years of use.

As for whether stainless is 'the way to go' -- the mild steel parts do seem to hold up well (possibly due to no-lead gas?) though I'm not sure they are made with the same gauge of metal as originals.

If I were doing an entire system I would go with the Falcon stainless.

 

[PeterK]

I have Falcon on my 3A too. It fit. Sounds good and is not loud in normal driving. I just removed the rear muffler and added a vintage Ansa twin tip exhaust. Sound real good now. Still not loud but now it opens up more quickly.

 

[billspit]

I have a Falcon on my 64 Spit. Its a very well made system. My only complaints are that the pipes don't seal too well and the pipes didn't line up too well. I could take it to a shop and get it tweaked a bit.

 

[TR3driver]

I'm firmly in the "mild steel" camp, can't see spending the extra money on stainless. Turns out it was primarily the lead in gasoline that ate exhaust systems before (actually other additives that went along with the lead to reduce lead fouling). Of course they don't salt the roads around here, so your results may be different if you drive on salted roads.

I bought a mild steel repro system from Moss around 1985 or so, from the headpipe back. Around 2002 I had a local muffler shop replace the main muffler, as all the fiberglass packing had fallen out (making it basically a straight pipe) but the shell of the muffler was still intact. And the rest of the system was still in good condition (except no fiberglass in the resonator) when that car got wrecked in 2005.

That experience spoiled me; I'll never try to install my own again. Cost was about the same, but the entire job took less than 30 minutes from start to finish and I spent the entire time sipping a cold drink and reading the newspaper. Best of all, I didn't stagger into the house afterwards, looking like a coal miner after a cave-in!

This time around, I just drove the 'new' TR3 back to the same shop, and had them install Cherry Bombs for both muffler and resonator. (The Cherry Bomb mufflers use the same straight-through glasspack construction as the original mufflers, but are round instead of oval and seamless instead of having rolled seams.) Sound great to me (although I do still very occasionally set off car alarms).