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You must live in a real backwoods place if you can't find a guy w/ a mandrel bender. We even have them here in the middle of nowhere. I did specify it had to be a gearhead place, maybe you missed that.

Those TTI systems are pretty spendy, especially compared to what I get done.



You're definitely from 'someplace i'm not' then... Last i checked there was ONE mandrel bender in the entire region... including a city over 2 million people. Maybe another one has popped up since, but common they are not. And last i checked that one place was so busy building their own systems to sell they weren't interested in one-offs.

The local guy CAN cut and paste a mandrel system... I've made a few already, but that (supposedly) '$100000 machine' is a luxury we dont have. Even finding someone that can cut and paste a mandrel out ov pipe/U-bend kits is gonna be hard. From what i've seen this SIMPLE operation is utterly beyond the capacity ov most 'local guys'. The crap i have seen under cars...

Also, the last time i had a 'custom' 'HP' exhaust built by a shop (press bends) it cost me over $500 (the going rate here 15 years ago). It was the best place in town, and it was utter crap. The shop i would have preferred to go to "wont touch a Mopar" because they are impossible to do. He also said it is literally impossible to get a 3" pipe over a Mopar's axle, and if forced, will only do a 2 1/4" system. Most exhaust shops are stuck in the 70's, and will build 'HP' systems yet still assume you'll be uncorking it at the track...

2 1/4" is enough pipe for a 273 2bbl. Even the Mustang GT's in 96 went up to 2 1/2" for their 215HP 4.6L. Thats 281cid people. Why? Because it was more efficient and made more power. Even 1/4" extra pipe on a high-production car like a Mustang is gonna cost them a fortune... they wouldn't do it unless there was a good reason.


You can get good full-system mandrel 2 1/2" or 3" deals from many different manufacturers... there is NO reason to shop local. As far as i'm concerned, the local shops have made their own beds. Many ov them shouldn't even be allowed to install the pre-made systems.