Sorted

Need exhaust back box for 2004 tf,anyone got one to sell please,located in north east but will travel to collect

Have you tried Darren and all the usual suspects yet. I replaced the rear box on my last TF last year and just went with a mid priced one in mild steel for £ 140. I didnt think it was worth going for stainless as the standard exhausts on TFs last for years.

Don’t know about Darren,prices no bad on eBay for the back box but my local exhaust man says I need the cat as well as the flange is badly rusted,thanks for advice though

I am looking for a cat at the moment. All sorts of prices and stories that cheap eBay ones will only do a couple of MoTs. I am even looking at a custom build because in some cases it is cheaper.
Ash

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There’s a strata of folk on here who turn to Darren at ‘Bitz as first port of call. I was down there a couple of months ago picking up a manifold, flexy pipe & supporting cast.
I’ve no doubt there’ll be suppliers where a couple of quid might be saved but whenever I’ve received, via carrier or picked up in person, everything has been spot on.
They have one of the tidiest workshop & warehouse I’ve visited; the parts they fit come out of their stores & you receive the same.
I’ve never had to draw a mounting hole or debur any part they have supplied & isn’t that worth a few more quid, when you’re in the drive, sprawled under the car with it spitting for rain. You then offer up a heavy item only to find that your inexpensive part doesn’t fit.
It’s something to consider.
M

Thanks,I’ve heard some horror stories too, some cheap stuff on eBay though but paying for quality stuff might be more than the cars worth, still pondering

I ended up replacing the cat on mine at the same time as the back box for the same reason; the flange had almost disintegrated to the point of making a welded repair unfeasible. My advice would be to check the state of the flexi pipe down from the manifold too and be prepared to replace that unless you know it has been recently renewed. I thought mine was visually ok but when the cat was removed it became clear the bottom part of the flexi pipe had come adrift at the hidden joint*.

*I had better clarify the term hidden joint refers to the joint in the downpipe which is hidden by the mesh flexi section - not anything involving Rixlas.

There’s a fine line to tread with parts but some parts are critical to keep your car on the go.
Brakes need not be top drawer but neither should you consider bargain bucket knockoffs from a back street in Bombay.
Tyres although less critical on an f than on a tf, should focus your mind & if your exhaust & cat aren’t up to scratch your not going to get an MOT.
Running any car on a budget is a balancing act but our cars are well supported by companies who had the foresight to lay in new old stock parts when you have no other route & because some ex owners haven’t had the staying power, there are bags of donor vehicles.
My pet scrappy doesn’t have any of our cars on at the moment but there are a number of parts that bleed through from Rover cars. I spent a full £3 earlier on oddments including OEM fuses, Littlefuse fuses blow at the value moulded on to them; I tested several unbranded fused a while back & non failed at the rated value. Not so with OEM.
Don’t loose heart, once sorted you’ll be rewarded with some great drives. Unless, that is, you live in a low emissions prison.
M

El cheapo cats often have an inferior quality matrix inside made of a foil folded back and forth to make up the matrix, this shit takes no time to break up and pass down stream throughout the exhaust system, blocking the muffler etc.
Where as better quality cats have a proper ridgid honeycomb matrix, this too can break up but it takes a lot longer to do so

Thanks to all for cogent advice,bought cheaply off eBay but on confirming car reg was told it was non compliant and a compliant one was available but at over twice the price, got refund ,ignored wallet and got a proper one from mgftfbitz for a reasonable price.
Local exhaust fitter will fit all for reasonable cost also

Its an easy enough job to do yourself if you are minded. Trolley jack and an axle stand, basic socket set and normal sizes of spanners.

I did also notice that you said you didn't want to spend more than the car is worth earlier. That's always been a bit of false equivalence as the monetary value of the car isn't necessarily related to what it's value is to you. If you enjoy the car and it helps you do what you want to do, in a way that gives you enjoyment, then isn't that a better comparison to decide if something is worth it? While it would be daft to spend more than needed, trying to make the sums add up all the time will result in abject failure; if that were the overriding factor, none of us would drive these things at all probably.

Glad you got good results from mgfntfbitz; I don't know of anyone who has been let down by them, absolutely straight-up folks. You are definitely in the right place for advice here as the experience on offer will help you avoid the false economies too.

SC