Do you ever get that feeling where setting the garage on fire seems to be the only solution to your car building issues? Today was that day where said feeling has reared its ugly head again. As I had left it for so long, I felt today was time to trial fit the exhaust and figure out where to cut/weld and also to add hangers etc. This should be a simple process, and one that would doubtless have been considerably easier if I'd simply bought a centre-exit system. But oh no, Mr Clever thought it would be a good idea to make his own.
The first issue I encountered was a pretty obvious one I should have considered beforehand, but for some reason never thought of. For those that don't know, the Midas has a 3 3/4" longer rod mechanism than a Mini. A Mini RC40 or Maniflow front pipe has a bend in it to clear this. My exhaust will clear this easily won't it? Nope. The bend comes EXACTLY where the bracket for the mechanism is fitted to the car. If I leave it as it is it will knock like an absolute pig. So before I do anything else, I will need to extend the front of the exhaust by said 3 3/4". So that will have to come off again and be modified. I *think* I have enough spare pipe lying around.
Second issue is that nothing seems to line up at the back either. Because of where the exhaust will hang, the hangers I have are a couple of inches too short and in slightly the wrong place. Because of the issue at the front of the exhaust I cannot make any notes of where the hangers should be or line up the back box for cutting/welding.
Add to the fact that I am working on my own lying underneath a car that won't play ball with a heavy exhaust that won't stay put, I have locked the garage door and will come back to play another day when I feel more like it. It's at times like this I REALLY want a lift in my garage, but it won't fit, and I don't have the money. I have to admit I was sorely tempted to coat the car in petrol and casually toss in a match. However, over time I have come to realise that nothing fits properly on this car and I have to deal with it. I will come back to it another day. Now is not the day to try and do stuff - I will only make things worse,
Front pipe won't clear rod change bracket (the blue bit)...
...which means nothing this end will be right. Time to reassess.