>For what it's worth, I am working on importing a similar (if not identical)
>setup from Europe, supposedly for less money.  However, it is likely to be a
>good 8-12 weeks away.  I will probably have pricing info within a couple of
>weeks, though, so you'll know if the savings is worth waiting for.  $775 is
>over $300 more than what I sell the stock system for, which is quite a price
>difference.  Especially considering that one of the main causes of failure
>of the Vanagon exhaust is not rust, but stress cracks, and I don't know
>whether stainless will solve this problem or not.  (If the system doesn't
>rust, but instead cracks as soon as the stock system would have, then it
>will not have been worth the extra money.  Not that I think it will, but I
>don't know if it will. Anyone know if stainless would be any more resistant
>to this?)  I'd like to see the system come in at closer to $600 if possible,
>which would make it a bit more palatable.  I don't know yet if this is
>possible.  I'll keep you posted.

Most types of stainless are more suceptable to cracks than mild steel. This
is why stainless systems are usually VERY HEAVY, since they use thicker
pipe to keep this from happening. This, and the expense, is why we don't
see a lot of new cars with stainless exhaust, but they do exist, and will
probably become more common as time goes on.

Joshua Van Tol -- jjvantol@lear.csp.ee.memphis.edu