Stainless exhausts need maintenance too!

[mr rusty]

Mine was bought from the TSSC by a previous owner, I believe their systems are made by Bell, although whether that was the case when mine was bought I don't know. Whoever made it though, it's a quality system and so it should have been for the price!!

[m.thaddeus]

Yup. Rimmers.

The correct term is 'semi-stainless' or 'Bright' steel. And I think that perhaps we should get the mag to ask some of the suppliers to clarify the situation here. We the punters buy 'Stainless' items because Stainless doesn't rust and we are willing to pay a premium for exactly this.
If these stainless parts do subsequently rot out, then perhaps we have a right to gripe about it.

[JPB]

They (and in fairness to Rimmers, other suppliers can be just as guilty of this) should tell the buyers whether they're getting this ferritic "semi-stainless" stuff or an austenitic grade of steel that genuinely does withstand corrosion.
It's not as though the Rimmers system was that much cheaper than a "built on the car" bespoke one in a decent grade of austenitic steel but at least that option is open next time.
At the present rate of decay of my exhaust system, I expect to be having a new one made within the next couple of years.

Funnily enough, my chosen M10 clamps, although made from BMS and not claimed to be anything else, were found to be fine for reuse when I reassembled the repaired system.
'Tis a funny old world.