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Looking for an inexpensive performance exhaust that won’t rust before your very eyes? On the market there is an answer, the new line of ceramic-coated exhausts… There have been many types of aftermarket exhaust available for the humble air-cooled VW. Some have been good, and some have been bad, and some well, have been just plain ugly. As was often the case, the cheaper options often fitted badly, suffered poor ground clearance or rusted away quicker than Brazilian chrome. Recently, though, manufacturers have bucked their ideas up and have started to produce quality items at a reasonable price. The exhaust featured here is the latest in a line of ceramic-coated exhausts from Bugpack. This Bus was in dire need of a new exhaust, so we dusted her off, wheeled her out of hibernation and gave her a tickle. We were pleasantly surprised with how well the exhaust fitted. Fitting time should be well under two hours for the novice DIY mechanic, and only a selection of hand tools were used. Why not save yourself a few quid and follow this simple guide?
The exhaust in question fits Type one and 2 VW’s. Our Bus is a kind of hybrid between the two. This guide will be similar for both Bug and Bus.
Remove the rear valance and rear apron tinware to expose the old exhaust system.
Soak all the exhaust fixing bolts with a good penetrating oil. Allow the oil to penetrate for at least 5-10 minutes for best results. Undo the upper nuts……..
….followed by the exhaust to heat exchanger clamps. Pull off the old exhaust and discard in the nearest sctap metal bin. Watch for sharp edges, though.
Our Bus is running twin carbs so it was necessary to block of the heat risers with welding. Alternatively, you could make plates from sheet steel and then drill holes for bolts.
Remember to fit the new exhaust gaskets for the cylinder head and heat-exchanger joints. It should not be necessary to use exhaust sealing paste.
Slide on the new header system. Use copper slip on the lower joints, as this will help the exhaust to slide on easily. Rock the header up and down to help.
Use copper slip on the studs before fitting new M8 nuts, prior to…..
……nipping up the nuts with a spanner. Connect the heat risers on stock carbs applications.
Use new lower exhaust clamps and tighten each nut evenly until it is fully secure.
Connect the muffler to the header with a new gasket and bolts. Clip header to muffler.
Finally, re-install the rear engine tinware and, on a Bus, the rear valance. Crank her up!
The finished item. Looks way cool and gives plenty of ground clearance. Nice and quiet, too.
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