[peterdouglas]

Back to the original topic of this thread, I did a lot of thinking lately. Upon closer examination, I noticed that not only was the front pipe still OK, but so was the muffler, although it was mounted upside down (the drain hole is in the wrong place). The only really bad part was the intermediate pipe which was patched in about 3 places, and the tailpipe was rusty.

There were two logical choices:

1. Replace the bad intermediate pipe and tailpipe, which is about half the length of the entire exhaust ($200 cash, no receipt)
2. Go all the way and get a good quality custom exhaust, front to back ($600 to $1000 + tax, or a partial exhaust at Midas for $450 + tax - for an intermediate pipe, muffler and tailpipe)

Since my funds are a bit limited right now as I plan for my move out west, I opted for choice #1. Man, I never knew a BJ60 could be so quiet! I can actually hear other noises I was never able to hear before. No more raspy exhaust! And I'm quite confident the exhaust won't break apart on the 4000+ km drive out west and make me go deaf. It will probably last a year or maybe even a few years.

The guy also put on a tailpipe with a downward spout. Although it still comes out at the back in the stock location, I'm hoping the diesel soot will go on the ground and not on the car parked behind me or on the garage door (I always back in). Not sure if this new setup will last a long time or not, but when it goes, I'll get a nice custom exhaust front to back, no expense spared. Thanks for all the great tips. I know how to put together a great exhaust for my BJ60 now. Not sure if I'll add turbo, but it's up for consideration.