In a message dated 16/11/2005 1:39:21 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
LISTSERV@GERRY.VANAGON.COM writes:

Re:  Ceramic Coat Catalytic Converter?

STAINLEES STEEL is the only way to beat this  exhaust loss problem.  My
system on my '87 Westy is now over eight  years old and still intact except for the
damn flanges that DANSK so unwisely  put on their stainless steel header
pipes, another bright idea by  imbeciles.  I've fixed that now by getting CINTUBE
of Montreal to make up  all the header pipes with stainless steel flanges.
I've got a garage full  of those pipes now and have spent the better part of the
last eight years  getting all the exhaust parts for all waterboxer engined
Vanagons in  production.  Now every part is available in stainless steel except
for the  cast iron collector on the 2.1.  CAT's are Stainless Steel bodied,
and  cannot last a lifetime as the internals are wearing out as you drive.  It's
 a part that you will ALWAYS have to replace if you drive.  The cast iron
collector on the 2.1s are still going to be cast iron and slowly rust away,
typically 10 ~ 15 years so we have to live with that.  But, the header  pipes,
J-pipes and muffler tail pipe assembly will be there long after your  outta here
!  Yes, I know a  lot of you feel that it's quite expensive  but change your
system twice and you've just paid for a system that would have  lasted you a
lifetime.  See my _STEBRO/Vanagon Stainless Steel  Exhaust System_
(http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/stebro.htm)  wepage for complete details.  Sorry for the
commercial  but, really, if your keeping that Vanagon of yours for any long term
why would  you fool around doing anything else ?  We have enough other
projects on  these vans to keep us busy !

Cheers,

Frank  Condelli
Almonte, Ontario, Canada
'87 Westy, '90 Carat, '87 Wolfsburg  (Forsale) & Lionel Trains
Vanagon/Vanagon Westfalia Service in the Ottawa  Valley
_Frank Condelli  & Associates_ (http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/busindex.html)
_Vanagon Stainless Steel Exhaust  Systems_
(http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/stebro.htm)
_BusFusion_ (http://members.aol.com/BusFusion/bfhome.htm)  a VW Camper
camping event, Almonte, ON, June 08 ~ 11,  2006