WHY SHOULD I READ THIS GUIDE?
Choosing the right exhaust company to repair or build an exhaust system for your car can be confusing. That’s why we’ve created this exhaust-buying guide to help educate and empower you with the knowledge to help you make an informed decision. As market leaders who have built thousands of custom exhausts, we want to ensure you have all the information needed to choose the most suitable exhaust company for your needs and avoid costly mistakes. This guide provides you with the pros and cons of different exhaust companies so you can feel confident with your decision.
All exhaust companies are not the same, nor are the products they supply; prices vary according to the quality and, most notably, the exhaust products they use on your vehicle. However, we hope this guide helps you, and if you still have questions, we are here to help.
EXHAUST COMPANIES
There are generally four types of exhaust companies:
Franchise
Hidden Franchisee
General Mechanic Workshops
Experienced Exhaust Specialists.
A Franchise
(Or franchising) is a method of selling products or services involving a franchisor, establishing the brand’s trademark or trade name and a business system, and a franchisee, who pays a royalty and often a fee for the right to do business under the franchisor’s name and design. The franchisee is usually under strict control to only sell the franchisor’s product range.
It is always good and bad; whilst there are some excellent fabricators, there are some terrible ones too. However, anyone can buy an exhaust franchise, which means even if you don’t have welding, business or fabrication experience, as long as you are willing to pay the franchise fee, you can open a custom build exhaust shop and start practising on customers’ cars.
Hidden Franchisee
Some franchisees will not openly tell their customers that the products they supply are from the franchise; the only reason is that even the franchisee does not stand with the products they supply. These companies usually operate under a name which does not reflect the franchise they are tied in, so customers can see them as exhaust specialists instead.
These shops usually offer a number of custom services, from window tinting to re-mapping services as well as general repairs.
General Mechanic Workshops
Sadly, a few companies give the industry a bad name; these are probably the biggest culprits producing shoddy work; they are great at advertising, making convincing media, and even adept at social media to con people out of their money. There’s one guy that’s not very far from us and causes actual harm to the entire industry; he’s a one-person band that works somewhere full-time but rents some space to build exhausts in his spare time.
Customers are often told he is fully booked but must wait for their days off to do the work. He will install the cheapest £7 mufflers in any car and has been known to charge up to £1500 for a terrible boy racer exhaust system. When customers complain, they are met with abuse.
Custom Exhaust Specialists
Some great exhaust specialists are out there producing exceptional work and showing their exhaust fabrication on social media; just because you see a car pic doesn’t prove anything. Still, some companies actually show their exhaust work and are proud of it.
Profusion Customs are at the top of the tree for custom-built stainless-steel exhausts. They are true professionals in the game who understand the science behind exhaust systems and how a system should be built according to your requirements. We are amazed at how many customers go to just any company for exhaust and end up out of pocket, thinking that all exhaust companies are the same. We suggest you must do your due diligence to find them. So, save yourself the hassle and let profusion customs solve your exhaust issue once and for all.
Here at Profusion Customs, we focus solely on stainless steel exhausts and nothing else. We’re proud to see customers who travel from all over the UK and even Europe for us to build their exhaust. While not all companies may provide subpar work and products, it’s always a good idea to research to ensure you make an informed decision. That’s why we’re here to offer guidance and help you find the right fit for your needs.
Warranties
Most companies offer a lifetime warranty on their exhausts. Still, some end up closing their doors and leaving you with a worthless warranty, only to reopen under a different name with the same guys operating. On the other hand, some general service garages struggling financially try their way at building exhausts. Still, their poor workmanship and lack of experience show, and they resort to deceptive marketing tactics and false claims on social media to trick customers into their business.
Sadly, some companies don’t even pay their taxes and will move from place to place or change business names to avoid tax and prevent customer complaints, so a warranty becomes useless if they change hands.
Common Complaints
Once customers have had a bad experience with a particular exhaust company and they have all sorts of issues like far too loud, aggressive harsh sounds, change in sound, booming drone at fixed speeds, knocking, rattling, hitting the floor as exhaust fitted too low, loss of power, and many other issues. The first thing these customers do is jump on google and search for a solution. As Profusion Customs do not advertise, customers find us through forums or recommendations, if only they came to us first.
Once we have had an opportunity to inspect the exhaust visually, and by speaking to you, we understand how you want your exhaust to look, perform and sound, we will scrap the exhaust and build you a proper exhaust system again, a costly experience, but only if you read the buying guide before jumping in you would have saved yourself a lot of money and frustration.
Unfortunately, many customers have come to us after going to a budget company, only to regret their decision. Don’t be one of those wasting your time and money.
Exhaust Products
Now, this is interesting because this is one of the most important subjects when it comes to either replacing a small section or the entire exhaust. Franchise companies are there to make as much money as possible; therefore, for them to manufacture top-end fully welded mufflers can be far too expensive; they manufacture mufflers using a much cheaper method, often resulting in boy racer sound with drone issues. Sometimes the only way to keep the excess noise to a reasonable level, some companies hide baffles within the exhaust system to restrict the flow, whereas this may keep sound down but can reduce the performance of your vehicle if allowed to remain over the long term this can result in engine damage.
Profusion Customs supply and fit what is regarded as the best exhaust muffler designed to deliver a sensible deep tone with no sound degradation, manufactured in 304-grade stainless steel, built to last a lifetime. All Profusion Mufflers are built using specialised machinery and robots to ensure they are of the highest quality. We could not produce the same quality in-house. They have to be made in a factory because if you look just at the internal packaging, it has to be forced and compacted with a machine, which a human cannot do, which means individually made silencers may not last long enough before the sound changes. All you get is a boy racer drone noise.
Another area is the tube diameter used. We have seen many exhausts built using such narrow tubing; this saves the exhaust company money but is damaging to your car. There are other numerous tricks budget companies use. Most average car exhausts are built using crush bends because it is not that important to have maximum flow; however, any performance or high-output engine should be made using mandrel bends; this is somewhat expensive but crucial to have. We have seen numerous performance vehicles with crush bends, which defeats the object of having a performance exhaust system.
We have seen some budget companies use mild steel welding on stainless steel exhausts to save money; however, customers never look at the exhaust after it’s built but only realise when the weld breaks and you go back to see them, and they have disappeared too.
You may see the term 304 stainless steel advertised and expect 304-grade stainless steel to be adopted. However, we have seen numerous examples of cheaper 201 stainless being used and even mild steel. Creating tight bends using crush bends can be tricky, so some companies do not replace these and only change areas they can bend; so much for making a new exhaust. Profusion Customs is proud to show their work in detail, with before and after pics, whereas some companies never show you what they have done; customers believe what they have been told and only realise when an issue arises.
Exhaust Price Comparison
We are often asked if we would match a price given by another exhaust company, and always the answer is always the same; there is no way we could match it. That’s like looking at a Rolex watch and expecting it to be priced the same as a cheap knockoff one. Another reason some companies can afford to build exhausts so cheaply is that they are not here for the long haul; some don’t declare or pay taxes and deal mostly in cash, knowing that by the following year, they will stop the trading name and open another company if your exhaust falls off or breaks then that won’t concern them.
Costs for custom-built exhausts can vary, and a lot depends on several factors like the company doing the work, products used etc. there was a time when budget exhaust companies would build exhausts for the same price as what we would spend on the products alone, needless to say, all these companies have changed their tactics to generate work. What budget companies are now doing is they will price jobs at almost the same as exhaust specialists like us to give the customer the impression that they are getting a top-end exhaust, only realised after the system is built and issues develop.
You do get what you pay for, but one thing is for sure here at Profusion Customs, you will receive the best quality products at a fair price.
OEM Exhaust
OEM exhausts rely on baffles and Chambers to keep the sound down, whereas performance exhausts have a straight-through perforated tube surrounded by sound-deadening material. Customers who purchased a cheap exhaust often complain of the noise becoming much louder and more embarrassing, fuel consumption increasing, and loss of power apart from cracking and leaking joints. However, when asked why they decided on that exhaust system, the answer is always because it was cheap. That says it all; people think a budget system will work exactly like a professionally built one.
The sad thing is, in their endeavour to save money, customers spend more money in the long term to fix the problem apart from all the aggravation. We try to give you enough information to avoid falling victim. However, we have noticed that some companies have raised prices but continue to supply inferior products to make you believe you have paid for a top-end system. That’s like paying for butter, thinking you are getting butter, but you get margarine and are left with a nasty aftertaste.
We hope this exhaust-buying guide helps you and identifies what to look for when you are on the market for a new exhaust system. We often get praise from customers who have taken the time to read this. If you still need guidance, we are always here and eager to help you. If you still have questions, please run your car over to us; we are always keen to assist you.
Reviews
Considering reviews posted, it can be challenging to determine which company to have to do your work. Sadly, reviews can be fabricated by the companies themselves to make out that you are dealing with a reliable company but quite the opposite. Social media has allowed some companies to make unfounded claims of being in business for 15 years along with other lies so that you can be duped into parting with your hard-worked money; how would you feel if that happened to you? Therefore, we say, look deeper and use your judgement to avoid these Unscrupulous methods.
Profusion Customs have many reviews posted on social media and google but proud to say every review is genuine. We have built exhaust systems for thousands of customers with exceptional results, so speak to our exhaust technician to get the correct information to help make your decision.
Ready-Made Exhaust System
You have probably seen some beautiful shiny-looking exhausts on the internet which are tempting to purchase and ready to bolt onto your car; however, there are things you need to be aware of. First, producing stainless steel exhausts in this country is nearly impossible due to costs in raw material and professional staffing and manufacturing costs; therefore, most of these systems come from China, even though they might be rebranded with a European name.
China produces some great products, however when it comes to exhausts, they have learned that by making it look great, customers will buy it purely on that basis, and the fact that they are cheap, people don’t look at the most crucial area, and that is how the system is manufactured and what’s inside the mufflers.
There are four main problems with these types of exhausts. Firstly, the mufflers have minimal sound-controlling properties and are sold because these will give you a sportier sound. However, you will only realise that the packaging has disintegrated after driving, and all you’re left with is an empty can-producing drone. Secondly, the tubing is so thin that it creates resonance, giving you a raspy noise. Thirdly, cars worldwide are not the same due to emission laws, systems vary, and when asked to fit it for our customers, we refuse as we know they always have fitting issues and you cannot alter them. Finally, even though they specify stainless steel, it might not be the correct grade of 304 by a much lower quality of stainless which is mirror polished to look impressive.
It is always better to have a custom-built exhaust which compliments your car and driving; speak to us here at Profusion Customs for a quotation.
Conclusion
All custom-built exhausts are not the same, so use your due diligence our advice is not to make your buying decision on price alone. Most companies never show you the underside of your vehicle; as stated in our exhaust-buying guide, they don’t even show you the mufflers or the workmanship; all you get to see is a pair of polished tailpipes; here at Profusion Customs, we are proud to document our work, by photographing before and after pictures, and making sure our customers are satisfied with the work we propose to do as in the exhaust-buying guide.
We believe in clarity and giving you the correct information to enable you to make the right informed decision. Below you will see an illustration of a typical Profusion Customs muffler identifying areas that set us apart from other mufflers available in the industry. Of course, not all mufflers are the same, and there are significant differences; what you see on the outside is less important than what’s inside. We will identify each area of the muffler and explain its pros and cons in our exhaust-buying guide.
For a first-class job completed the first time, speak to us here at Profusion Customs.
Exhaust Buying Guide
|
|
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Body |
Ribbed Body to compensate. |
Usually made in-house. |
Fully Polished. |
|
End Caps |
Recessed to meet body. |
Usually cut from flat sheet. |
Heavy-gauge press curved end caps. |
|
Internal Core |
May not be Stainless Steel. |
Low grade steel. |
304 stainless steel. |
|
Internal filling |
Cheap glass fibre mat. |
Cheap glass fibre mat. |
Fine stainless-steel wire mesh. |
|
Fully polished muffler |
Made to look shinny and impressive |
Only polished to eliminate scratches. |
Profusion mufflers are fully polished. |
CASE STUDIES
“Imagine finding your ideal exhaust company with ease, only to realise afterwards that you’ve made a costly mistake. Unfortunately, we’ve seen this happen too many times, and it breaks our hearts. Customers are lured in by low prices, flashy advertisements and even fake reviews but pay over the top for shoddy work. That’s why we want to share real-life examples of the issues we’ve fixed and the difference a little research can make. By reading this guide, you can save yourself the headaches and extra expenses down the road.”
Here are a few case studies showing the type of issues we resolve.
Case Study - 01
Suppose you pay for a 3” exhaust and realise later that the exhaust shop did restrict your flow by installing cheaper 1.5-inch mufflers instead, which caused loss of performance and possible engine damage. We see these tricks all the time.
Case Study - 02
Converting your car from a single-sided tip to dual tailpipes can dramatically change the look of your vehicle to make it look sportier; however, when it’s done like this, you may regret your decision, so it is vital to go to a reputable exhaust builder.
Case Study - 03
An X-Pipe is a perfect solution to increase your vehicle’s performance; there is only one correct way to build this. Still, not all exhaust shops understand the science behind a properly functioning exhaust system. Unfortunately, this example takes the biscuit.
Case Study - 04
Profusion Exhausts have over 180 different mufflers designed to suit different cars. Unfortunately, some exhaust companies only use a handful of mufflers and dangerous tactics to control the boy racer sound in luxury cars; here’s a perfect example.
Case Study - 05
It’s incredible the lengths some exhaust shops will go to cover the fact that they are supplying loud mufflers and resort to hiding baffles in the system to try and keep the sound down; this is a sure way to cause problems in the future, so do your due diligence.
Case Study - 06
There are always situations when you need a louder or quieter exhaust; it all depends on the mufflers used and how the system is built. Profusion Customs has decades of experience to make sure we deliver the results you are looking for.
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