What appears to be the original rear silencer, on our 2005 VRS, is doing the shedding it's skin thing.

 

We've had/still have several VAG vehicles, so I realise it's just the outer skin around the stainless silencer, but it's starting to look real rubbish from behind the car.  I've done a quick search on the old interwebs, but I can't seem to find an OE replacement listed anywhere, and all the usual big name "fast fit" type places don't list anything that looks standard.

 

I'm not after any perceived performance gain, or any change in noise, but I'd like a stainless one for longevity - Does anyone have any recommendations for stainless systems that will just bolt up to the standard downpipe?  I'd like to avoid going to Longlife, as I've had their stuff in the past and, whilst they're well made and last forever, I've found them really "drony" at constant speed/motorway driving.

 

Cheers

 

Dean

Can't help with the replacement, but my silencer was doing exactly the same - I cut off the shredded part with an angle grinder and gave the box a quick spray of black paint, didn't see the point in replacing it as underneath it still appears pretty solid, doesn't blow/leak, etc

If you want to renew, if you've got a place(s) nearby that make and install custom exhausts say for modified modern or classic cars then ask them as they can be good value and offer a well made custom product that'll be a better fit than most off-the-shelf boxes and you could have it same size as original but of even better material and if you want even quieter.

 

Edited 11 August, 20223 yr by nta16
spelling

The outer skin will shed, but it'll be fine. I believe @sepulchrave can confirm this information.

39 minutes ago, AliBongo said:

Can't help with the replacement, but my silencer was doing exactly the same - I cut off the shredded part with an angle grinder and gave the box a quick spray of black paint, didn't see the point in replacing it as underneath it still appears pretty solid, doesn't blow/leak, etc

Yeah, the outer skin seems to be mild steel whilst the inner one appears to be stainless, the same as on our SEAT Exeo - and that shed the outer skin some five or six years ago and is still fine.

 

Not altogether sure why VW took that approach....

11 minutes ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

The outer skin will shed, but it'll be fine. I believe @sepulchrave can confirm this information.

I was hoping someone else would confirm this - Our SEAT did it years ago and is still fine.  I'd taken the view this would be the same, but didn't want to just make the assumption!

Yes they built them with a double skin I would imagine to help manage the exhaust noise. You'll be fine by trimming off the decaying outer skin and leaving the rest.

 

The rear exhaust box used to be readily available from Skoda but is now NLA ( I wanted one for a parts stash and was too late), and any aftermarket one will be possibly quite different to the fit and finish of the original.

 

One of the quietest stainless steel exhausts out there, which look ok to the untrained eye is a Miltek system, alas they are not cheap and even a "cat back" system will class as a modification for insurance purposes, so be careful with that as well.

I cut my “curtains” off a couple of years ago with a Dremel and everything is fine with the silencer. Maybe does not look pretty from underneath but no issues from behind.