Help => need a Mandrel Bender in North East USA

[VictorCrown]

Hi Guys,

I've been everywhere in Vermont looking for a shop with a Mandrel tube bender, and they all say that the equipment is too expensive so they offer to upsize the tubing and put in huge crimps narrowing the pipe substantially at every bend. Maybe this is okay with forced induction engines but I am going natural and need high speed flow without backpressure.

I'm ready to drive as far as Boston or Montreal to get this car fitted with proper exhaust.

Does anyone here know of a place that has a MANDREL Bender within driving distance?

Thanks greatly for any suggestions or leads!

Vic

[DTRMiguel]

PM Natehawk

[VictorCrown]

PM Natehawk
Hi Mike,

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll send Natehawk a PM but his guy is way down in Maryland, which is around a 12 hour drive each way on a car with a "limp only" temporary chip which I'd prefer to avoid doing...

This isn't for installation on an '03 or '04 Marauder, but an 1993 Aero Crown Victoria being fitted with a brand spanking new Marauder crate engine. So the tubing has to be custom fitted to the car, especially as I'd like to use some excentric muffler mounting to test out a theory, that mufflers near the rear bumper burble more than they squeak. :coolman:

If others here have any ideas closer to Boston, Connecticut or New Hampshire/Maine, let me know. Maybe places that do exhaust for HotRods?

TIA.

Vic

[Mr. Man]

Got to think there are shops in or near larger cities. How about Manchester NH, Springfield Mass or like you said Boston area.

[Blown3.8]

You can try this place. Not sure if they bend it or if they can make a system for you with pre bent pipe. Hope they're somewhat close to you. This was just a quick search.

http://www.bsmhotrod.com/

or this one
www.enhancedstreetperformance. com (http://www.enhancedstreetperformance. com)

[VictorCrown]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for those suggestions, they are right there up in my neck of the woods. I'm also looking into this shop in Montreal which posted an interesting thread in their local exhaust forum:

http://forums.montrealracing.com/rawtek/470452-why-mandrel-bent-exhaust-systems.html

At least the title is inspring. I'll keep you posted. :cool:

The other lead I'll follow is to contact Hemmings Motor News which is located... in Vermont! Maybe they'd know who bends things the right way up here in Vermont. After all, a collector car must seem original in all aspects, and having giant crimp marks in a replacement exhaust would cost them lots of points in a car show. :bigcry:

Otherwise this shop in Wilmington Massachussetts seems to do mandrel bending using their "Digital Master Bend 5000":

http://www.eastcoastautoworks.com/custom-exhaust.htm

Vic

[babbage]

Another suggestion, just go with 2.5" stainless - with the bends it will go back closer to 2.25" which is still far better than factory (2") I'd have more concern that it's stainless pipe than mandrel bent.

[VictorCrown]

Another suggestion, just go with 2.5" stainless - with the bends it will go back closer to 2.25" which is still far better than factory (2") I'd have more concern that it's stainless pipe than mandrel bent.


Hi Babbage,


After a long winter spent overseas trying to eek out a living, I'm back home trying to get the Mutant Marauder on the road. I'm still needing to find that Mandrel bender, but wouldn't mind saving some bucks if it won't hurt performance.


So I think I'll be trying to get that custom stuff built anyhow because it will need to hook into the twin hi-flo Cats, the central X-pipe muffler and straight back to a pair of Mustang Borla Stingers... not easy to do anyhow, so might as well get it done right.


It's hard getting the momentum back up for the project after being forced to abandon it for so long. I think that hearing the engine roar, in a week or two maybe, will help breathe some enthusiam back into the old Vic.


Thanks for the suggestions,


Vic

[FordNut]

I've settled on getting mandrel bent pipes, then cutting and welding them together. Hard part is finding a really good welder around here.

[VictorCrown]

I've settled on getting mandrel bent pipes, then cutting and welding them together. Hard part is finding a really good welder around here.

Hi FordNut,

That's the way to go. I went to a Custom Car Shop here in Vermont, one of the few which does performance exhaust, and they showed me their crimped exhausts. I can't get myself to weld THAT on the back of the Stainless Works headers. The crimping was deep and sure to create HP robbing turbulence, plus it really wasn't too sexy looking, plus would have cost near the same in overpriced Vermont. So I'll be in for a few days down South.

I'd only go crimped if you've got a buddy with a crimper and can buy and weld your own pipe. Then it would be the best bang for the buck. But if paying expensive shop prices anyways, go for the best your money can buy.

Vic

[Paul T. Casey]

Somewhat near to you is Jeff Hezzleton (sic) owner of Jeff's Garage in Charlton, MA. Makes killer exhaust for some serious hp applications I personally know of.

[Paul T. Casey]

Jeff did the exhaust on this 10 sec., street car. The exhaust looks as good as the car.

[VictorCrown]

Somewhat near to you is Jeff Hezzleton (sic) owner of Jeff's Garage in Charlton, MA. Makes killer exhaust for some serious hp applications I personally know of.


Hi Paul,


Thanks for the suggestion. I'd rather go with a guy whose known for the quality of his work than a shop just because they have a digital bender. He's also the same distance from me, by another route.


However, I'm wondering how these shops are going to take to me coming in with all my own stuff, just needing them for the cheaper dirty work of bending and welding, with no profits in sales of parts other than 2 1/2" tubing?


One reasons is that due to the high cost of this total engine swap I needed to keep an eye on prices, as the total keeps on climbing. The second reason is because I have to have this done out of State, and I don't want to spend a week in a motel waiting for parts to arrive.


I guess I'll just have to pop him the question, and see if it can be done in a day trip with an early morning departure and a late night return. The chip will be set in 'limp mode' to enable me getting there and back without damage before I get the final REAL tune and dyno benching.


Have you met Jeff, or did you just see his handycraft? He's bumped up to my first choice, although he might find the task frustrating or demeaning given that I've already made all the building choices (headers, cats, x-pipe, mufflers) for him... Maybe all I need is a proper tube bender and welder and not waste his competence on routine work. Also, he's probably used to using huge tubing on Turbo fitted Hot Rods, and may want to go too wide for an N/A engine? Just a concern, 'cause I don't want to lose that back pressure as the low end torque will maybe be lesser than with the original 2-valve engine.


Thanks for the advice!


Vic

[RacerX]

http://louscustomexhaust.com/locations.html
Locales in NH and MA. They can do ANYTHING! Excellent prices too.

[vtwoodsman]

Vic--- I'm having problems finding a shop that will weld stainless exhaust, yet alone try to do any stainless bends, (In Burlington, VT area). Most shops say stainless is difficult to bend without crimping, and almost impossible to expand without splitting.

[babbage]

Zoro Muffler is probably too far for you (Buffalo, NY or Hamilton, Ontario) but they do fantastic work and it's stainless welds, stainless pipe, mandrel bent.

[VictorCrown]

Vic--- I'm having problems finding a shop that will weld stainless exhaust, yet alone try to do any stainless bends, (In Burlington, VT area). Most shops say stainless is difficult to bend without crimping, and almost impossible to expand without splitting.

Hi Vt Woodsman,

I plan to go down to Worcester Massachusetts to get my exhaust fabricated. There is NO PLACE in Vermont. I asked last summer and even the Custom Car shop way behind the Airport only crimps. Tim Quintin of drag racing fame told me that since this spring, a few shops will mandrel bend SMALL tubing but nothing like 3" pipes. So as of this date there isn't demand for this in Vermont or else nobody wants to invest in equipment without being sure they'll get customers.

Oh, I just saw your PM so I'll reply ASAP.

Vic