Took the Stillen exhaust off back to OEM
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 910
From: Alberta, Canada
Wow, it's too bad that this is happening to your exhaust. I know you were enjoying the sound and the performance of it as well as how shiny it looked when you first got it.
Let me be the first to vouch for Stillen's products, despite what was said before all of the other products that I've bought from them have been nothing but topnotch with stellar quality, fit and finish.
Maybe Stillen should just consider using the same type of steel on their mufflers as Cattman does and maybe this wouldn't be happening.
Let me be the first to vouch for Stillen's products, despite what was said before all of the other products that I've bought from them have been nothing but topnotch with stellar quality, fit and finish.
Maybe Stillen should just consider using the same type of steel on their mufflers as Cattman does and maybe this wouldn't be happening.
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,055
I am sure some of their other products are pretty swell but a reliable company would back their products. Correct me if I am wrong, they are doing anything but backing this defect or whatever we are calling it. Who sells a product they know is going to have ridiculous amounts of surface rust that might be followed up with just pure rust holes in the near future?
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Feel free to have them contact me directly with any concerns or if they aren't getting response from our customer service department. The exhausts are guaranteed against rusting through, and surface rust is common with stainless steel exhausts in extreme climates, this is typical with virtually all exhausts constructed of 409 Stainless Steel. Usually those areas are underneath the car, and shouldn't affect the tips or most areas of the muffler, and definitely won't affect sound or performance. Thanks for the PM, Josh
Yeah, I hear you there Bro. Don't get me wrong, I saw Josh's write up on this and it does seem like a regurgiatation of standardize advertising on the product when it's up for sale to say the least.
Personally I would've expected something in the neighborhood of "send it back to us (we'll pay for shipping) and we'll give you a complete refund" or something of that nature.
Or at the very least, send me a replacement with the rust issues corrected through the manufacturing process before they send it out, sort of a 1 for 1 exchange.
That is what you call Customer Service and that's the only thing to resolve this issue IMO.
As to the rest of Stillen's products though, I've had no issues with them and the fitment and finish has been nothing short of stellar.
I think Stillen better hurry up and do something about this here before the word gets out not to buy them, info on this website spreads quickly.
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 8,143
From: a meadow south of Atlanta
That looks almost like the 'corfam' steel they used to build the Omni Arena in Atlanta in 1972. It was shiny when it was built, but the steel was designed to gradually rust over, until every square inch was rust-colored. And it did.
BUT
The steel was designed to rust ONLY ON THE SURFACE, and the rust would NOT EVER EXTEND BELOW THE SURFACE. That seemed to be the case, as the steel inside the rust was as good as new when the Omni was eventually torn down and replaced with a new (Philips) Arena.
I would have felt Stillen would realize anyone **** enough to replace a perfectly good OEM exhaust system out-of-pocket with a premium Stillen system would be rather intolerant of rust, even if it is only surface rust. After all, the surface of the exhaust system is the only portion we see.
BUT
The steel was designed to rust ONLY ON THE SURFACE, and the rust would NOT EVER EXTEND BELOW THE SURFACE. That seemed to be the case, as the steel inside the rust was as good as new when the Omni was eventually torn down and replaced with a new (Philips) Arena.
I would have felt Stillen would realize anyone **** enough to replace a perfectly good OEM exhaust system out-of-pocket with a premium Stillen system would be rather intolerant of rust, even if it is only surface rust. After all, the surface of the exhaust system is the only portion we see.
That looks almost like the 'corfam' steel they used to build the Omni Arena in Atlanta in 1972. It was shiny when it was built, but the steel was designed to gradually rust over, until every square inch was rust-colored. And it did.
BUT
The steel was designed to rust ONLY ON THE SURFACE, and the rust would NOT EVER EXTEND BELOW THE SURFACE. That seemed to be the case, as the steel inside the rust was as good as new when the Omni was eventually torn down and replaced with a new (Philips) Arena.
I would have felt Stillen would realize anyone **** enough to replace a perfectly good OEM exhaust system out-of-pocket with a premium Stillen system would be rather intolerant of rust, even if it is only surface rust. After all, the surface of the exhaust system is the only portion we see.
BUT
The steel was designed to rust ONLY ON THE SURFACE, and the rust would NOT EVER EXTEND BELOW THE SURFACE. That seemed to be the case, as the steel inside the rust was as good as new when the Omni was eventually torn down and replaced with a new (Philips) Arena.
I would have felt Stillen would realize anyone **** enough to replace a perfectly good OEM exhaust system out-of-pocket with a premium Stillen system would be rather intolerant of rust, even if it is only surface rust. After all, the surface of the exhaust system is the only portion we see.
You are correct the type of stainless steel they are using is meant to have surface rust and it actually provides a layer of protection however I wholeheartedly agree with your comment about Stillen, if someone is going to replace the stock system they want it to look better not worse. It's too bad as Stillen is a great company and the products IMHO are of high quality and great design.
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 173
From: Louisiana
I can live with the muffler having rust, except the tips and the flat face plate that the tips connect to. These are areas that can be seen!!!! When you pull up behind my car, you can clearly see the tips and face plate. Will see what happens!
Member who somehow became The President of The SE-L Club
iTrader: (19)
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 16,024
A little 000 steel wool and that cleans right up. Use a little metal polish and you'll get the bling back. They make high temp waxes to protect the finish too.
That system can look like new and be protected very easily. I don't see anything wrong with it.
That system can look like new and be protected very easily. I don't see anything wrong with it.
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