Installing a GT-takeoff dual exhaust system on a 99+ Mustang V6



From 1999 to 2003, stainless steel Mustang GT exhaust systems were readily available as takeoffs sold by vendors such as Midwest Mustang in Kansas (email: ped5stang@aol.com),   Saleen in California (800-888-8945),   and Mustang Parts Specialties in Georgia (770-867-2644).   After the 2004 model change these 1999-2003 takeoff exhaust systems became more difficult to find.   You may have to look in a junkyard or find someone who is replacing the stock exhaust on a 1999-2003 GT.   Are you a member of a Mustang car club?   Ask around.

Before installing GT-takeoffs on a 99+ Mustang V6, you have to buy a few more parts and make a couple of decisions.

  1. You need exhaust hangers for a 99+ Mustang GT.  As you can see in the drawing above, the GT has hangers at the exhaust pipe tips, while the V6 does not.


    Two rear tailpipe hangers (part XR3Z-5A246-AA) and one passenger-side muffler hanger (part XR3Z-5C263-AA)   You can have the hangers made up by a muffler shop, but I recommend buying the Ford units.

  2. If you use the Ford rear hangers without modification, your pipes will not clear the stock V6 bumper.
    You need to decide how to deal with this. You can:

    1. put shims under the rear hangers so that the pipes hang under the stock V6 bumper, or
    2. buy a GT-rear bumper cover with cutouts for the pipes, or
    3. make cutouts in the stock V6 bumper.



  3. You need to remove your "Y" pipe,  but leave your catalytic converters (assuming you want to stay emissions legal).


Ask the muffler shop to cut off the "Y" just behind the catalytic converters and weld on short sections of pipe to connect the cats to the GT-takeoff flanges.   When making these short sections of pipe, the shop can salvage and reuse flanges from the stock single exhaust that comes off your car.   Below are pictures of my installation.

 


Or you could ask the shop to fabricate an "H" pipe like the this.   But as you can see,   I chose to go with straight pipes.   Here's why.

If your GT-takeoffs are like those shown at the top of this page (not cut in half for shipping), the muffler shop mechanic may tell you he has to "cut the pipes" before he can get them on the car.  That's not true.  Just tell him to raise the car by the body and unbolt the shocks to let the rear axle hang low.  Then the takeoff exhaust pipes can be manipulated over the axle, working from the front of the car.

The total cost of my installation (in March 2001) was $280.00   That included: GT-takeoff exhausts ($89) plus shipping ($35), Ford hangers ($40), nuts & bolts for hangers ($6), and muffler shop charge ($110)

Last updated: 04 July 2007