re: Catalytic converters and mufflers

[Jay Negrin <jmnegrin@domain.elided>]

I had a complere new exhaust system installed on my 76 Alfetta GT for
less than $350.  Parts, labor, new cat and muffler.  All were NON Alfa
Romeo parts.  Generic cat, generic turbo muffler (only one with no
resonator) and all the tubing, with the required splits done with
gasketed joints.  My Alfetta GT may be similar to your 76 Spider (Spica
cars), but dissimilar to the 88 (Bosch car?)

It is possible, I guess, that if you get OEM/OER parts, and pay for the
labor to remove and replace the old stuff, that there could be more
hours labor than a shop that does custom stuff for a living.  But THAT
much more????

Huth Muffler in Encino, CA  (shameless plub, no affiliation,  just a happy
customer for MANY years) has been doing this stuff as long as I have
been diddling with cars that need custom exhausts.  What I want is what
I get, at what I believe is a fair price.

I don;t think the name on the shop is as important as the experience of
the workers and the quality of the workmanship.  One Midas may be
golden, and the next pure s**t.
Good luck in your search for good work!
Jay Negrin
76 Alfetta GT
ARO Southern California

Has anyone had any experience with Midas changing catalytic converters
and mufflers (middle and back) for Alfas? I just got an estimate from a
'speciality' shop for $1229 (parts and labour), with the labour coming
in at about 7.5 hours (assuming no mark-up on the parts; bad
assumption??). Then I called Midas and, with me supplying the parts from
Int'l Auto Parts, the guy estimated about 2.5 - 3 hours labour!

What's the deal? Is the Alfa exhaust that different that there's going
to be a problem going with a non-specialty place like Midas?

Kim Life - '88 & '76 Spiders
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