Ok, now I'm confused, normally there are two types of stainless used on exhaust systems, 409 & 304. I just replaced the exhaust on a 97 SSEi and have all the previous owners receipts and there was no receipt showing a replacement exhaust. Let me tell ya, this exhaust was not stainless and badly rusted. When I purchased the complete replacement I asked the auto parts store as well at Speedy, Midas and two other muffler shops what came stock and they told me 2.5" and it wasn't stainless.

That'* why I'm confused. By the way, thank for the reply vital49.

All 92-current Bonnevilles are stainless, mandrel bent. Probably dating back to 87.

Some possibilities:

Maybe you don't have every receipt. Maybe someone did some exhaust mods - new cat, new muffler; and at some point the entire system got replaced with mild steel at a muffler shop. In two years, it'* rust.

Or....the stainless pipes can get pretty rusty looking, eventually taking on the exterior appearance of a mild steel exhaust, but I have never seen a stock system rusted through to the point of perforation or loss of structural integrity. Was yours rusted through or broken anywhere, and had there been any exhaust mods?

If they quit using stainless in 1997, that is something I would be interested to know, because that stainless exhaust is one huge selling point of H-bodies for me. I doubt that 304 or other high quality stainless is used, because it does show a significant amount of rust over time, but it still performs 10x better than mild steel.

I removed the exhaust from both the 95 SSEi and the 97 SSEi and having worked and welded Stainless for over 14 years I can guarantee that both exhaust sytems were not 304. The rust was so severe on both systems that the muffler and front pipe that connects to the exhaust manifold had been replaced. On the 97 the muffler had rotten completely with about 10 open cracks. The connection point between the original cat and the resonator had rusted to the point that the clamp rusted right off and the pipehad pin holes which created exhuast leaks. If both exhaust sytems were stainless from factory then both should not have rusted this soon.

And that'* a Florida car, my exhaust in Canada was much worse, therefore do you believe that your exhaust is stainless.

I installed a Stainless slide on our play house about 18 years ago, we never covered it during our brutal winter and when I took it apart it looked as new as it was when I installed with the exception of scratches. There was absolutely no sign of any rust.

Stainless Exhaust systems normally last well over 10 years, easily. I'm surprised Bonne'* exhaust don't last much over 8 here in Ontario.

They stopped using salt several years back and started using sand I believe. Aluminum usually pits rather than rusts, wouldn't you think
Don?

Either way, if the exhaust on the Bonne is stainless for those particular year then it'* got to be the cheapest quality stainless I've ever seen.

My SSEi is 16 years old, and the exhaust pipes look VERY clean. Of course it'* probably been in Ohio for 2.5-3 years, and the rest of its' life was either in WV or SC.

Still, I have owned about 13 cars, 10 were GMs, and not a single one had rotted or broken exhaust pipes, and were all NE Ohio cars.