Okay, I think I need help.
I recently ordered a magnaflow #12266 muffler to upgrade my SE from single to dual outlet exhaust. It hasn't arrived yet. Now I see there is magnaflow #14266 which appears to be the same muffler in 409 stainless steel.

One reason I'm even bothering to do exhaust is because I noticed my exhaust hanging a bit low, so I had my dealer check it out. He said there is a slight bend in my pipe. I presume he means the long pipe from the resonator to the muffler. (My car was involved in a pretty nasty wreck, so a bend is not inconceivable.) But it isn't a major bend, because I can't even see anything bent. ANYWAY: Dealer said to just go to an exhaust shop and have them see if they can unbend it or replace the pipe. -That sounds reasonable to me.

Now I haven't had it to an exhaust shop yet, but I figured this would be a good time to go from single to dual outlet exhaust. Yes, I know that on my N/A SE engine this is really a mod just for looks. But now I'm reading a bunch of stuff about stainless steel exhaust that has me worried that I ordered the wrong muffler.

Is our factory pipe from the resonator to the muffler made of stainless? (I'm led to believe it is.) -and if that is the case, shouldn't I use a stainless muffler? What is an "Aluminized" muffler anyway, and will it rust sooner than a stainless one?

I *hate* rusting exhaust and I *hate* dealing with muffler places, I prefer to just get this done ONCE if at all possible. I don't want to be going back in two years to get rusty pipes replaced.

Do any of the major muffler shops carry 409 stainless pipes anyway? Midas? Car-X? Meineke? It would suck to get a new pipe that rusts before my new muffler. Should I get the stainless muffler instead? I'm stumped!

Hrmm, just called the justmagnaflow.com people, and they say both the aluminized and stainless mufflers have a lifetime warranty, so that'* somewhat reassuring. He did say that most muffler shops don't weld with stainless wire, and that the welds will typically rust before the pipe or the muffler. Do any of the big chain shops weld with stainless wire? And would it even matter if I'm mating an aluminized muffler to a stainless pipe? Ugh, how confusing.

rusting only occurs in ferrous metal, the aluminum (non-ferrous) coating on the aluminized muffler should protect your exhaust from rust better than the stainless steel (ferrous). aluminum is very corrosion resistant.

I would recommend not going to "Midas? Car-X? Meineke?" but find a local mechanic or exhaust shop to do it they will take more pride in there work and usualy offer a better price because they want repete customers and referals. Other shope like these but mostely do not need them because of it being a chain and usualy ina more busy area.

so, in this case, bigger isnt always better? but they do have the lifetime warranty stuff. does that hold any value?

That is the muffler has the warrenty i get the same thing through my local mechanic because it is offered but the manufacture and not the shop. I have life time berak pads on my car for the past 6years and they keep the records for me so i do not have to worry about remembering it.

dont get aluminum mufflers

i can only speak for areas in which the weather hits both extremes, hot in the summer and alot of snow in the winter

i had aluminum mufflers on my aurora. dynomax. all the piping was done in 2.5" aluminum.

the Y started to rust out. it was the worst at the welds, but the pipe itself rusted pretty bad. when i sold it, it was no longer just "surface rust", it was eating through. the mufflers started to rust through too, mostly on the inside. its hard to explain, but the shell was actually multiple layers of aluminum or somthing, because it expanded and rusted....its hard to explain what im trying to say

but ill never buy alimunum mufflers again, at least in minnesota, were they LOVE to load the roads up with salt in the winter.