Survival UK Forums

I got the car I have now.. ex boy racer car complete with big bore exhaust...
Far to noisy for my liking but I don't fancy paying £30 squid for a new back box possibly £15 from the scrappers.. still to dear for my liking...

Cheapskate you may say but I found a tip on the internet that really works!!
Wash out 5-6 brillo pads to rid them of their soap, or use wire wool from the decorating section, shove them firmly up your tailpipe as one amorphous blob of wire wool, like a big steel tampon...

cross two bits of wire over the tailpipe opening and jubilee clip them on, as this stops the wire wool tampon being ejected out of the exhaust under fierce acceleration and there you have a now super quiet exhaust!!

Apparently you have to replace the tampon after so long as it gets gummed up with the cars natural exhaust emissions.

As mines a petrol, I'd assume you'd have to replace it quicker if it were a diesel with all the crap they pump out.

But I am using it in mine and it does work its now a super quiet prepper worthy car instead of a boy racer mobile.

Even if you don't need it all the time as I do, Its worth keeping in mind if you have to bug out and your cars a bit noisy and you don't want the neighbours knowing... or the wife knowing you've crept out again...

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I'm personally thinking of replacing mine if I feel a performance dip in my car, that should be about the right time.

One MAJOR issue I'd have with that, being an ex Roy Bacer (haha, that's always funny, Roy Bacer) and tuning a 1.2 Nova to pop out 120mph and have everyone think I had a 2.0 V20 XE (Yes the Red-Top), I'd be more concerned with the knowledge that H2O was a major constituent of the exhaust fumes and wire wool and water makes major rust. Moreover, that same rust will be indiscriminate about the metal it goes for, Brilo-Pad or Steel exhaust. It could shorten the lifespan of your exhaust system. Better off forking out the £30 in the short run, that forking out £120 for a new exhaust system from the cat back.

Anyway, how long do you intent do keep the car? How often do you need to change the brillo's? How much does a cluster of Brillos cost? Might be cheaper to just take the £30 hit and go from there.

If you do go for the Brillo option, make sure you take it out for the MoT. It's an obvious thing, but it's easy to forget.

£1 from the pound shop for a box of brillos.
You can however replace them with either the copper ones or the stainless steel.

Length of back box life not a major concern if you change/ inspect on a monthly basis as I plan too.
But seeing how your exhaust traps water along all its length, a little bit more wont make any difference for me anyway.

I personally don't have the £30 quid free right now so... nor do I intend spending more on it than necessary, I've gone down that route with cars before, blow loads of wodge on them and the missus either writes it off or it gets nicked or fails the mot terminally. That is unless you want to send me a new back box... citroen xsara 1.4i v reg... some of us arent as well off as you seem to be...we have to manage by the skin of our teeth...

(4 January 2013, 12:52)Prepper1 Wrote: [ -> ]£1 from the pound shop for a box of brillos.
You can however replace them with either the copper ones or the stainless steel.

Length of back box life not a major concern if you change/ inspect on a monthly basis as I plan too.
But seeing how your exhaust traps water along all its length, a little bit more wont make any difference for me anyway.

I personally don't have the £30 quid free right now so... nor do I intend spending more on it than necessary, I've gone down that route with cars before, blow loads of wodge on them and the missus either writes it off or it gets nicked or fails the mot terminally. That is unless you want to send me a new back box... citroen xsara 1.4i v reg... some of us arent as well off as you seem to be...we have to manage by the skin of our teeth...

Current job pays £6.50 an hour. If you're earning more, feel free to send me some cash.