NOS Exhaust Search: BMC 1800 MK3

[Guest]

Right then, trying to progress the state of my 323 Estate/Wagon/Break/Shitbox and I thought I'd re-enter the exhaust problem.

 

 

This is what I need, the whole lot. Unfortunately, the above manufacturer (Bosal) list these as obsolete. eBay doesn't have a bean. Timax don't seem to do them either. The site I nicked this image off have Bosal ones priced up, but it'll cost over £150 and I suspect all that'll happen is that they'll print it off, take it to Bosal, be told "no" and refund me. So I'm going to pretend that doesn't exist or is an absolute last resort for now - will contact them to confirm but either way, £150! I'd rather make an exhaust out of bogroll tubes sellotaped together and dusted over with wheel silver and take my chances.

 

The rundown is I need an exhaust for the 1976-85 Mazda 323 Estate - mine's a 1.5 but the same parts come up for the 1.3 so that'll do. 1985 is a crossover year, I don't want the 1985-87 or whatever one.

 

I'm sure someone (Ratdat I think?) was able to locate a backbox for it, if it was you, gimme a shout and I'll sort it out!

 

Other than that, what do you usually do in a case like this? I've never had a problem getting an exhaust before, all my crocks have had stuff floating about on eBay for pennies, this is the first one I've had trouble with. Funny how the least rare motor turns out to be the most difficult. And no, it is beyond bodging! And I don't want to have to get a daft stainless one for £££.

 

Here's an old picture of it for your amusement:

 

Help, suggestions and verbal abuse welcome.

[Volksy]

Didn't realise you still had this one Mr H. Have you tried Mazda? May seem mad but you never know...

[trigger]

Sadly not of much help but have you been round your local friendly motor factors to see if anything measures up the same, You might be able to make a system that fits from other parts, Failing that theres always a powerflow custom made system but i guess that will be expensive, and shit.

 

This bloke on ebay is selling exhaust parts for the saloon, Maybe some you could use these and modify the rear parts.

 

http://stores.shop.ebay.com/GRAYS-MOTOR ... m14?_pgn=1

[pandamonium]

My local tyre shop have managed to source a full system for my 929, so I can't see why yours should be a problem.I'll ask, as he appeared to have some 'contacts' that he rang to acquire a price as his usual source let him down.

[Guest]

Yeah I've still got it kicking about, looks quite funny at the moment as there's yellow primer all over the place. Didn't think of trying Mazda, they're pretty harsh with their pricing, but might be worth a go I guess.Grays are my first stop for any "shite exhaust" shopping, sadly they don't have this. I suspect the saloon ones are for the FWD model (the RWD Estate crosses over quite a few years). Really want to avoid a Powerflow or something like that - as much as I like it, it's more just a runaround so I don't want to pump loads of money into it. Crappy mild steel systems are my bag.And cheers Pandamonaiaaiauum!

[andrew e]

Have heard your stock exhaust upload on YOUTUBE why change it? This should not help, thanks.

[Guest]

Oh yeah, sounds terrific man!

 

For anyone curious, the sound of the wagon:

 

For the full effect, turn it up so loud that you have to shout over it.

[andrew e]

Could you not play

through a PA system whilst your croozing round town, snareing the Ladiezzz?

[TheScrapman]

Oh crap, sorry Hirst, I know I promised to send the downpipe.In fact I'm sure I still have the whole system from the saloon. You may be able to tickle it to fit the wagon.At Latitude festival this weekend, will get on it next week...

[M'coli]

Dan, there's a chap in Pool/Otley that I've just bought a downpipe and centre section for the Avenger from for 30 quid who's been dealing in exhausts for over 30 years, and he'll look to see if he's got one in stock. He's on eBay but doesn't mind dealing off it. His eBay username is glynnexs, or if you prefer PM me some contact info to pass onto him and you can deal with him directly.

[seth]

There's a Farina specialist in Heanor that say they make exhausts for anything. Earlpart. I presume you've got one to copy? Whats wrong with it? Would some bends and a universal box or something not solve the problem?

[Guest]

Cheers Scrapman! I'm sure it'll help in some way - much appreciated.

 

I think I've tried that Glynnexs chap a while ago to be honest, I'll double check my Emails though and if not I'll give him a shout. Nice one.

 

Seth - the difficulty with making a copy of the original is how much isn't there. Basically from just after the centre box to the back box is just completely missing - that incorporates a few awkward bends and the bit where the two bits connect together. I imagine something could be fashioned, but they'd surely need the car on-site and my problem lies there - it has no test and is pretty much undriveable as-is. So with all the cost of transporting it around, on top of them having to do a custom job with only a crap diagram of what the exhaust should look like, I could imagine it ending up costing me a small fortune. Unless there's some super easy way of doing it that I don't know about, I'm really not an exhaust expert.

 

Meanwhile there's probably a full system lying around in some backstreet motor factors who would be glad to finally see the back of it for a crisp fiver. I suspect this will be discovered shortly after I've sold various internal organs to have one made out of polished titanium.

 

Thanks for all the help so far by the way. Autoshite is the best!

[Spottedlaurel]

Oh crap, sorry Hirst, I know I promised to send the downpipe.In fact I'm sure I still have the whole system from the saloon. You may be able to tickle it to fit the wagon.At Latitude festival this weekend, will get on it next week...

If I can get this during the next week, and assuming it’s in short enough bits to fit inside the Laurel, I could bring it along to Billing for you Hirst?

[Guest]

That would be absolutely excellent teamwork!

[TheScrapman]

Finally got around to it..

 

Surprisingly, it does look a little different to the diagram above, but it has the important bits like the collector off the manifold etc, so you should be able to cobble something together with these bits. There is just 1 small pinhole in the front box that could do with a blob of weld, but it's otherwise very solid.

 

I could do with the manifold back (or a manifold back) one day as the engine is destined to eventually go in my friends Morris Minor. I don't have the right tools to remove it. Absolutely no hurry though.

 

SpottedLaurel will be along to pick the bits up this eve.

 

Have fun!

 

 

 

 

Pin hole and minor scrape where I had car too low...

[Mr_Bo11ox]

No use I know, but I bought a brand new, complete genuine Hyundai exhaust system off eBay recently for my Pony. The price was ONE POUND!

[Mr_Bo11ox]

YO HIRST,

 

is this not the front half?

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120450593089

[TheScrapman]

YO HIRST,is this not the front half?http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120450593089

Ooh, good spot MrB. Same part as mine. Check to see see if this fits, if so, buy a nice shiny new one!

[Guest]

Cheers you lot! Best call would be to compare the old exhaust on the car and go from there I guess.

[Albert Ross]

Late into the fray on this one. I used to use a company called "The Exhaust Agency" when looking for odd old bits. never let me down up till ten years ago, when I stopped needing them. Might even still exist!

[Cavcraft]

Chester Exhaust Supplies, Bumpers Lane, Chester are apparantly very good at obsolete stuf and there warehouse is huge, could be worth a try?Failing that as you have the diagram could you measure the dimensions of the bits you do have and work out lengths, bends and dimensions you don't by comparing to picture? For example if picture shows front pipe as say 10cms in diagram and 'real pipe' is 3 foot could you work out what the bits missing should be and where any bends are?I know that might sound a bit mad but if you could then you could possibly mock up the missing bits from other old car exhausts or even wood or something?

[Spottedlaurel]

Exhaust collected, I’ll bring it to Billing this weekend. Make sure you bring an old travelling rug, pair of chintzy curtains, bedspread or something to wrap it up in, as you won’t get the back half of it into the boot of your Charmant or whatever you choose to bring – it wouldn’t fit in the Laurel’s boot.Front of the Laurel now rather impressively plastered with flies after last night’s journey to collect the exhaust. I suppose flies nowadays think they’re just going to whoosh over the top of most cars on the road, they hadn’t bargained on the rather perpendicular lines of my ‘brick’ (as Scrapman has called it).

[Renault18]

Chester Exhaust Supplies (C.E.S.) recommended for sure.Mild steel Renault system (no longer the aluminised stuff it used to be) now over £200 Thieving bastards.Walker/Bosal from C.E.S. £80

[Guest]

Just to say I got it back OK and it looks like I'll be able to do something with it. Excellent!

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I need an exhaust now, towed my old landcrab to the local supermarket car park yesterday in order to drive it about and pop the seized clutch free. Did that OK, but the abuse was too much for the flexi joint in the front pipe which gave up after about 15 seconds! New front pipe required for a BMC 1800 Mk3 single carb/manual gearbox plz!

[dollywobbler]

Try BL Transverse in Londinium? Or Earlpart in Derbyshire? They're on 01773 719504. Not got a number to hand for BL Transverse though.

[Guest]

Changed the title to reflect Mr B's request - it's going to cost him, though.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Oh yeah? I aint paying jack.

 

 

KO!

[Guest]

We'll see who's laughing when you find the hacked-up front clip of the Pony in your bed.

[seth]

Try BL Transverse in Londinium? Or Earlpart in Derbyshire? They're on 01773 719504. Not got a number to hand for BL Transverse though.

I think Torsten knows the BL transverse blokey.