Exhaust Systems & Components

VW Exhaust Systems — Beetle, Bus, Ghia, Type 3 and Buggy

Exhaust is the one part of an air-cooled VW where sound, power, ground clearance and heat all get decided at once. Pick with the whole car in mind.

Start with what the engine is

A stock 1600 with a single carburetor is happiest with a stock or mildly upgraded system — a big header on a small engine loses low-end torque and gains you nothing you can feel on the street. Once you are at 1776cc and up with dual carbs, a proper header and a free-flowing muffler are worth real power.

Then decide about heat

Heat exchangers are the only heat a Beetle or Bus has. Deleting them looks better and flows better, and it also means no defroster and no warmth in the winter. If the car is a driver, keep the heat. If it is a fair-weather car or a buggy, delete it and gain the clearance.

Ground clearance and body style

A shortened Manx-style buggy or a lowered Beetle will not clear a system designed for a stock-height car. Buggy and off-road systems tuck the muffler up and in; stock-style systems hang lower and sit further back. Measure before you order, especially on a narrowed or shortened chassis.

What we carry

Stainless dune buggy and off-road systems, headers and header bolts, mufflers, heat exchangers, flanges, gaskets, clamps and the hardware that always goes missing. Stainless where it matters, because a mild-steel system on a car that sits outside is a two-year part.

Ask us

Tell us the engine, the chassis, and whether you need heat. We build and restore these cars in Orange, California and we have fitted most of these combinations. It is a short conversation and it saves a return.