THE RADMAN

iTrader: (2)

are they still on the go? was on thier website looking for a dealer but when you try to find a local one the page is just blank

Rab

Powerflow are shite. They use 409 grade stainless, which is the shite thats left over after making real stainless. Go find someone that uses 304 grade

Loads of custom exhaust places about now

THE RADMAN

iTrader: (2)

any names? recommendations?

Retro Al

iTrader: (1)

http://www.haywardandscott.co.uk/services.asp

Oranoco

PowerFlow = Cheap nasty shit for the Max Power kiddies

MONSTER

Tube Torque in Macclesfield, had 1 made by those boys years ago for my xr2 and its still gooing strong now, plus it sounds the absolute tits

THE RADMAN

iTrader: (2)

only want a cat pipe making up so not bothered about quality as itll only be on the car for half hour per yr,lol, tried hayward/scott once before,amazing systems and prices to match

Rab

The powerfflow will rust away to shit in your garage mate, even if it's not on the car....

Kevin Sharp

iTrader: (3)

bollocks 2 of my mates are powerflow dealers they made up a section to decat my sprinter when the cat fooked up its a work of art as are some of the other systems i have seen them make

the problem with something like powerflow is all the exhausts are hand built so if they give a franchise to some idiot cowboys churning out crap..that gives the product a bad name ....

Rab

Isn't the steel used supplied by Powerflow? I realise that some people will do a better job that others but I have heard too many cases of the steel rusting away for it to be a bad fitment thing.

And just to add, the one I bought was badly fitted. It fell off 4 times!

NEIL A

iTrader: (6)

I agree with kev on this one , seen the guys he is onabout making a system for a cossied mk1 the other week and it was stunning, also had them make me a screamer pipe for when i had an external wastegate and never had any bother with it.

THE RADMAN

iTrader: (2)

just got to find a dealer then

Rab

Sorry boys, NOTHING would convice me to buy one again

Dan B

Me neither, £450 for a full system that lasted 9 months on the car, ended up with 60-70% full-coverage of surface-rust, and both Powerflow and the garage that fitted it (Top Gear, in Burnley) refused to even consider a refund (partial or full), as they both said a stainless steel exhaust is designed to rust that badly to "protect" it. Mine's now sitting in my parents' shed behind their house, since it's not touching a car again...

Now, with my dad having just retired from 40 years in the steel industry, he confirmed that grade-409 s-steel is designed to do that, but should only be used for cheap-stuff that doesn't need to look any good......an exhaust, however, should not use 409 if you want it to retain the sheen you'd expect from stainless-steel for anything longer than 6 months.

My backbox and one of the pipes, after 9 months on the car:





The garage tried to blame this on high salt-content in the air, at first (which my dad confirmed as rubbish, since I'd need to have been driving underwater for it to do anywhere near that to proper stainless-steel in 6-9 months), before they confirmed they were using grade-409 steel. But, since I didn't know the difference at the time of ordering it (despite me being pretty sure I remember saying it needed to look good, and stay looking good), I (and Trading Standards) were repeatedly fobbed off to the point where I would have had to open a case with the Small Claims Court, if I wanted to take it further (I'd had enough, by this point, plus work was taking up quite a lot of my time).

Rab

Thats EXACTLY what happened to me.

but I was given a free Magnex by the place that fitted it (Drivers, Glasgow) because I stood outside their shop with a picture of the exhaust on a board telling everyone that went in not to buy one

woodz77

i went to the one in St Albans and got a tiny thin shite exhaust system for my calibra about 2 years ago. told them to take the cat out and center box out and just put one box back in to get a bit of noise............. when i finally got the call to say come and get it i started it up and heard nothing....... they had replaced the cat and center box with to massive bloody boxes the then said they were busy but could take one of the boxes out another day. the joins looked crap and i could believe how small the tubing was . ive made sure everyone i know would never go there. money down the drain in my experience. i never bothered going back , i just swaped the calibra for a rs 2000 !!!!!

The Youth.

iTrader: (1)

I will go round my parents and photograph the powerflow exhaust that was fitted to my esc cos when I bought it.
shocking workmanship to say the least

as Kev said due to it being a franchise you have to get lucky to find a good place.
mine was built by a place near yeovil.

steve

Dan B

Wish I could have done the same......unfortunately, it was a 65-mile drive there, and I doubt work would have appreciated me taking random days off to do it!

I'll just be happy, despite the waste of money, with making sure everyone I know (and don't know, on forums) is aware of how their exhaust may turn out if they decide on a Powerflow...

Stavros

It could be worse, could go to Longlife instead...

ian sibbert

AFAIK Powerflow exhausts/material is imported from south africa, where as standard they use 409 stainless due to the corrosive nature of the south african climate....

So as it was explained to me you are buying standard south african exhausts......

I've seen a few different exhausts done by different franchises, some average, some passable, none outstanding, some even used mild steel fill wire (MIG).

As with most things, you get what you pay for....powerflow exhausts are low grade stainless'ish exhausts.

If you want a polished tig welded pukka job expect to pay a lot more than £300 for it....

Oranoco

My XR2i system cost me a wedge more than £300 but it was made of the good stuff and was mandrel bent and the welds were enough to make a grown man sex wee

Zetecfiesta

i used blueflame they were mint!

Dan B

If I'd been told ANY of the above while I was chatting to the Powerflow franchise garage about what I wanted it to look like, I'd have run a mile and gone with Blue Flame (who were more expensive, at the time, and for good reason, I now know).

SS1

iTrader: (3)

http://www.blueflameperformance.com/

due to my car being very low.. catching on speed ramps..

they converted my scorpion zorst system

cut out the middle box replaced it with a stainless insert

quality job

Deedum

I,m on my second and both have been fine.
I took my old system off, ok it was really shitty but definately no rust and was on there for quite a few years.

I,m not a boy racer though