Jump to content

Need a muffler, long long way from home


Grumpy
 Share

Recommended Posts

My daughter's '97 Pathfinder apparently needs a muffler from the cat back. She is away at school, 1,000 miles from home. Midas quoted her $450. I got a retail price of around $330 for parts alone from a local CT supplier, without my usual fleet discount. I would rather use an independent garage, and have no experience whatsoever with Midas. If push comes to shove, what is Midas all about?

 

Can anyone recommend a good and reasonable garage in the West Ashley / Charleston, SC area?

 

If she were home, I'd do it myself, but I'm at the mercy of her distance.

 

Thanks

Edited by Grumpy
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Midas is just a chain, which means you get a pretty good warranty that follows you around, which may be beneficial in your case. However, I am not familiar with the Charlston area, but in the California (all the major cities) there are specialty independent muffler shops, and I have had one in Sacramento put on a muffler for 100$. That was just the muffler. I believe that if you need a system replaced starting back from behind the cat., it wouldn't be more than 100 more. However, if the cat. also needs replacing, add another Franklin. My local muffler shop (Firehouse muffler in Sac.) quoted me 450 to replace my entire system (91 pathy) with larger tubing starting from behind the headers (included new cat and cheapo muffler); this was about 2 years ago.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

wait, how does a 97 need a complete new muffler from the cat back? if its the muffler...then just the muffler needs replacing. its rare to need your ENTIRE cat back (which consists of piping and a muffler and a tail pipe all the way back which is about 3/4 of your exhaust system) replaced. i dont buy it..your girl is getting taken for a ride. if the muffler needs replacing..so be it. she can go to autozone, get a generic muffler and have an independent shop cut off and weld on a new one. thats crap. i spent a grand total of $70 to get a muffler, have the old one cut off and new one welded..and a new tail pipe section bent over the axle per oem specs. only reason i wanted a new rear section cuz the tip of my exhaust was lookin kinda chewed up. go somewehre else...you could get a COMPLETE new system with hi-performance parts and bigger pipeing for less than what they want.

 

i have all the rest of my original pipe on my 91, so unless you have horrible salt...their feeding you a line. have her take a guy friend or...any guy..even a teacher or preacher or SOMEONE who is a responsible MALE..and that BS will stop right there.

 

and even if she chooses to get a midas muffler put on...thers no effin way id pay more than $100 labor included. thats ludicrous

Edited by DSM_guy
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I paid $400 fo an entire exhast syestem from the headers back with flowmaster 5o series with 2 1/2 inch pipe dual exhast. Quality work to but the place is a local shop that mainly does hot rods and race cars here in az.

Edited by subwaydiet
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yep, you are getting ripped off!

I just had to replace my entire exhaust from the Catalytic Converter back a few months ago. I got a replacement muffler from Bosal for $132.00 a $2.00 gasket from Pep Boys, and did the job myself.

 

However, before I did it, I called Midas and Mieneke in Philly, PA for a quote, and even they only quoted me $286.00 to do the job. I think Mieneke may have been a little higher at $300.00.

$450 seems a little extreme.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

gyees...i thought 100 with cat muffler and all the piping was bad...it was nothing fancy just some stock parts at the exhaust shop back home....

 

the semester is almost over...is she driving back home for the summer break? if so i dont think it would mess nething up if she drove back you could fix it....but i donno how bad it is...if its a hole or if its hangin off or what...if thats the case tell her to get 1 of her guy friends if she doesnt feel comfortable doing it tie it up with a clothes hanger until she can get home

 

i have an old friend down there and i donno if she knows an exhaust shop but i'll shoot her an email and see if she knows of any places

Edited by unccpathfinder
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mine was just muffler and tailpipe, less than $200.

 

http://npora.ipbhost.com//index.php?showto...=0entry113144

 

You might want to call for estimates instead of in person. The sight of young college student asking for estimates in person may automatically inflate the price. I would be interested to know if the same price would be quoted to an older person. :shrug:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes Sir, they are all right... On my 95 it was about $300 for cat back, 2 1/4" stainless, Magnaflow muffler and a chrome tip exhaust. Thats in Cali, so I can't see SC being more expensive.

 

B

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd agree that she's getting a B.S. quote. I had a Flowmaster 40 installed on the Pathy for $100, and a complete cat-back done on my old Prelude, minus turbo muffler I supplied, for $100. On top of that, in my experience, Midas is run by a bunch of thieves and their warranty is absolute crap. They've screwed me not once, but twice, and never again.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

trust the Midas touch? helll no thieves crooks you get the idea like un said try to find independent dealer a little local mom and pop muffler shop pull the out of state plates off too try to "borrow" a s.c plate they see out of sate plates they are gonna wanna rape you

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  trust the Midas touch? helll no thieves crooks you get the idea like un said try to find independent dealer a little local mom and pop muffler shop pull the out of state plates off too try to "borrow" a s.c plate they see out of sate plates they are gonna wanna rape you

 

i know this isnt a suggestion a dad wants to hear but...

 

tell her to take a hot friend or a couple with her and make them wear a low cut shirt and short skirt to counterballance the out of state tags and with a lil flirting they might could get a cheaper price...this should work at a mom and pops type muffler shop :hide:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So Grumpy, what was the end result. Did the work get done?  Did you get a better price. Just being nosey.

Her friend's father owns a garage. He is going to fix it when exams are over this week. As far as I can tell, the muffler seperated from the pipe and is still hanging on it's brackets and hangers.

 

Thanks to all for the help.

Edited by Grumpy
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Her friend's father owns a garage. He is going to fix it when exams are over this week. As far as I can tell, the muffler seperated from the pipe and is still hanging on it's brackets and hangers.

 

Thanks to all for the help.

yeah...and somehow midas thought she needed an entire cat back eh? what a rip.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...