TR4/4A TR4A IRS Exhaust

Spray a bolt wait a day undo, repeat,too cold today,repeat, repeat.... Finally got everything undone today and after flexing off at the weakest point (rear of front muffler) viola! That's the good news, the bad; not much to be saved. The front muffler and down pipe shot, the y-pipe rusted through right at the y,so after proudly showing the fruits of my patience and hearing only "how much?" I respond "less than a $million$" and receiving not even a hint of a smile, I went to the camera and the forum for some help!

So, my question is, are the bullets and the quad tips on the end stock or option? I've never seen them on any other TR4, and I'm trying to figure out if I should save them. TRF lists the down pipe available, but I'm interested in what everyone else suggests for the rest stock,stainless,upgrade, custom?
Thanks JD.

A quick peek at the factory parts catalog shows no mention of them, so I believe the quad tips are aftermarket accessories. Possibly "period correct" though, so if you really like them ...

Ever since I discovered a local old-fashioned muffler shop, I've had him do all my exhaust work. Generally, he will fabricate and install a custom system for about what the parts would have cost me (much less for the Stags); and best of all I don't have to fight with rusty old exhaust! The mufflers I've gotten have all been seamless glass packs (aka Cherry Bomb) and they seem to last nearly forever. He works by appointment, and tells me up front how long the job will take, so I can decide whether to wait or wander away.

IMO SS is a waste of money here. Now that they've removed the lead from gasoline, mild steel exhaust systems seem to last much longer.

Mine came to me with only 2 shot rear mufflers, the front was gone, sounded like a tractor. I like the look of the duel exhaust but wanted to get rid of the front muffler under the passenger side without being too loud.

Went with the Falcon single exhaust fitted on the later 4A's. Maybe a little too quiet but no rattles, had gearbox and rear end out and never moved it. Looks a little goofy IMO.

If I did it again I would try to figure out two small rear mufflers w/o one in front that had a pleasing sound that was tolerable over a long drive. Those tips which I think were added would also make a difference.

I'm using a SS system with the front muffler eliminated and replaced by the piece from the single pipe TR4A system and the 2 mufflers in the rear. Not too loud at all. A friend has the same setup but not SS and is much louder. My SS system has been installed since 1997. What is nice is being SS I can still get it apart when I need to do so.

Those dual tips are not original equipment but as mentioned may be a period correct accessory.

Thanks for the feedback. I'm thinking of taking the whole system over to a recommended exhaust shop and get a guesstimate to have a complete system made. Do you think they could do the down pipe portion also, or am I stuck replacing that? I'd really like to delete the front muffler and just either reuse the quads or put a new pair on.

Similar to Jerry when I restored mine in 1985, I replaced the front muffler with the 2 to 1 Y-pipe from the single muffler TR4A system but I bought an Ansa dual system in the rear which provided 2 smaller mufflers each with 2 chrome outlets. I really liked the looks and sound but it appears that they no longer make it for the TR4A. I don't think it sounded too loud but the rear mufflers were larger than what you have.

Scott

Apparently they just used whatever parts they had at the factory that day to put exhaust on IRS cars. When I got mine it had the one small muffler in the middle and the two resonators (well, actually one, the other was missing) under the trunk. After years of being told that was wrong for an IRS car, I came upon a muffler for at TR250 at Carlisle for $50, and put that on. I like the way it sounds.

Dan B
66 TR4AIRS EFI
80 TR7 DHC

I'm the second owner of my 4A IRS having bought it in June 1969 with maybe 12,000 miles. It had the dual system on it and I have no reason to believe it had been replaced at that point. I later came to find out that the books had the systems reversed. I've seen very original solid axle cars with the single exhaust back in the late 60's as well.

Jerry and Dan,

The catalogs (Victoria British cough cough!) that try to show the single exhaust system for IRS TR4A's and the dual exhaust system for solid axle TR4A's are wrong. The change over to the single exhaust system was supposed to have happened at CT70489. The later cars have an extra hanger to support the single muffler but they also still retained the dual muffler hangers as well and could be retro-fitted with the dual system.

Scott

This photo taken in the winter of '69 shows my '66 TR4A solid axle with duals. My buddies '66 IRS also had duals. I agree with Scott on the changeover. A teacher in high school and a classmate both had purchased dark blue late '67 4A's with the single exhaust - both were IRS.

Any opinion on which TR4A system sounds better?

My car was original with dual exhaust. PO converted it over the single system but, used the TR250 muffler unit with two pipes exiting the left rear. I think it sounds great.

Bob

I had a solid axle 4A, '66 with the dual system, I replaced with the Monza system which had a little different muffler than what it looks like they sell on it now, looked pretty cool with the 4 chromed tips.

Anyway, I agree, the early cars had the dual system then they went to the big single muffler later.

I have a custom system of my TR250, but it is similar to the dual 4A system. I sort of hodgepodeged it up with stainless pipes from the falclon sport system, and then some "turbo" mufflers from the muffler shop. Had the muffler shop install, was to loud and sounded like a big V-8, so I added a couple small glass packs, now it is a little quieter than I would like, but OK.

Wish I had heard the positive comments about the TR250 muffler sounding good, might have saved a lot of time and efforts and fiddling and a little money going stock.