If you’re an automobile or motorcycle aficionado, there’s a fair chance that stock parts no longer cut it for you, and as soon as you see a vehicle, you probably can’t help but start visualizing all the modifications that might be possible.
One major area of work is the exhaust pipe, but this is not something for beginners. However, if you have more advanced skills and the tools required, you can also customize this area – and to help, here are 22 great plans we found that explain how to make your own exhaust pipe.
1. Build Your Own Exhaust at Home
In this post, this blogger tells us all about the process of building and fitting a custom exhaust. As he writes, gone are the days when our options for performance exhaust systems were limited. Nowadays, there are so many choices in the form of exhaust kits, and many of them don’t even need a pro to help you fit them. The post also includes plenty of useful tips and advice, so if you’re planning to try something like this, it’s an invaluable read.
2. Beginner’s Guide to Building a Custom Exhaust
If you’re thinking of building a custom exhaust for the first time – or maybe if you’re not a first timer but still don’t have so much experience – this video is for you. In it, this YouTuber takes you through the steps and processes required to build and fit a custom exhaust. We like the way he explains everything so clearly, so just about anyone will be able to understand. Why not give it a watch and see if you can do something similar?
3. Build Your Own Exhaust System – The Motorhood
This detailed plan explains everything you need to know about building your own exhaust system, telling you about which tools to prepare, how long you’ll need to finish the job and how hard and complicated you should expect the work to be. It then takes you through the project step-by-step, so as long as your skills are up to it, it should be relatively simple to achieve similar results.
4. TFS: DIY Custom Exhaust from Scratch
As this YouTuber writes in the intro to his video, every car needs an exhaust system – and if you want something better than just a stock exhaust, you’ll need to know how to build one from scratch. And if you don’t already know how to do that, you’re in luck – because, in his video, that’s exactly what he teaches you to do. Check out how he built a custom exhaust for a Mazda FD RX-7 – and then see if you can recreate his ideas yourself.
5. How To Build a Custom Exhaust & Helpful Tips – MagnaFlow
Although, as this post admits, constructing a custom exhaust might not be easy, with the right skills and a good plan to follow it’s certainly achievable. The tutorial then goes on to talk you through all the steps, including preparing your tools, planning ahead and putting it all together. There’s also a section on tacking and welding, and the post includes some useful images – along with plenty of handy tips and advice – to ensure you make a success of your build.
6. Custom Exhaust Build with a Harbor Freight Welder
In this video, we get to watch as this YouTuber removes an old exhaust system and replaces it with a new, much noisier, more satisfying version that he designed and built himself. One of the best things about this video is that the guy in the video has obviously done builds like this many times before, so when he speaks, you know he knows his stuff. He’s also full of useful information, so he’s the kind of guy that most amateur mechanics will be able to learn a lot from.
7. Tech Corner: Fabricating Your Own Exhaust – The Engine Block
There are many reasons people decide to try to build their own exhaust – but whatever the reason, the advantages are clear since it gives you the opportunity to create something entirely unique using only a few simple materials. As this post goes on to point out, if you’re new to this, you shouldn’t set the bar too high – but at the same time, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t try. And if you’re still keen, this detailed tutorial will teach you how it’s done.
8. How to Build Your Own Exhaust
Building your own exhaust is not an easy job – although it doesn’t have to be so hard either – but one thing it doesn’t need to be is expensive, as this video shows. In it, we get to watch as this YouTuber takes us through how he built a new exhaust for his truck – using only pieces he bought on eBay for a total of around only $200.
9. How To Build a Custom Motorcycle Exhaust in 5 Steps – Lowbrow Customs
So far, we’ve looked at plans for building car exhausts – but here’s a tutorial for how to do the same for a motorcycle. This tutorial teaches you how to build a custom exhaust using a kit, which, for many people, will be the best option. The post takes you through the process in clear and easy-to-understand steps, and we like that there are also several tips throughout to help you if you want to try – all of which makes this post well worth a read.
10. Build a “Tuned” Pipe for a 2-stroke: 11 Steps (with Pictures) – Instructables
Here’s another plan for a motorcycle exhaust pipe, this time from Instructables, one of our favorite sites whenever we need a plan for just about any DIY project we can think of. Instructables plans are usually such high quality due to the clear instructions that are almost invariably accompanied by useful photos or diagrams – and this plan is no different. So if you want to make a custom exhaust for your two-stroke, this is a plan you need to see.
11. Building a Custom Stainless Exhaust System in 3 minutes
Most of the plans we’ve seen for building exhaust systems need at least several hours to complete, so we were suspicious about this claim of “in three minutes”. However, they didn’t really complete the job in three minutes – that refers to the length of the video since what you get is a timelapse shot of these YouTubers working – speeded up to fit into three minutes. It’s fun to watch as it takes shape though, and it’s a great short introduction to the work entailed.
12. How to Build a Custom Exhaust System
We’ve seen regular cars, trucks and motorcycles, but here’s a plan for building a custom exhaust for an antique automobile. If you have a classic car, you’ll probably need to learn how to take care of it, and this post will teach you how to build a new exhaust for it when the old one has seen better days.
13. Building a Custom Motorcycle Exhaust System
One reason you might need to build your own motorcycle exhaust system is if you start making adjustments to your motorcycle and then realize the stock system you have now doesn’t fit. In that case, a custom exhaust build becomes the obvious solution, and this blog post tells you how to deal with the problem and how to set about tackling the project.
14. Building a PVC Pipe Exhaust Templet
Here’s an interesting video that anyone planning to build their own motorcycle – or making modifications to their existing bike – would do well to watch. As this YouTuber explains, if you want to play around with a few exhaust pipe ideas and test what works, the best way is to make a templet from PVC pipe. That way, you can see how everything looks before you start building the real thing, saving you time and money if you make any mistakes.
15. Performance Exhaust System Design and Theory
Since making a DIY exhaust system is not exactly like making a set of DIY shelves, you’ll need to know a bit about the theory involved before you get started. That’s where this post comes in since it teaches you the basics of exhaust system theory. Then, armed with this knowledge, you can start designing an exhaust of your own, something this post helps with too.
16. So You Want to Build a Custom Exhaust, You Say?
Like the post above, this is the kind of article you’ll want to read before you embark on your custom exhaust build. In it, you’ll learn about what the kind of project you’re considering entails and the kind of skills it requires. That way, you’ll be able to make an informed decision about whether it’s something you really want to try – and whether it’s something you’re capable of completing.
17. Exhaust Repair Without Welding
This video is not about making an exhaust from scratch – rather, it’s about repairing a damaged one without the need for welding. However, if you’re considering building a whole new exhaust to replace a damaged one, doing something like this instead could save you a lot of work – so it’s worth watching before you start a much more complicated project.
18. Building Custom Exhaust Systems: It’s the Little Things That Count
Often, as this blogger writes, a “custom” exhaust is basically a plug-and-play system that comes ready to go and is designed to be easy to fit. However, sometimes one like that won’t work, in which case you’ll have to design a truly custom setup. If that’s the situation you’re finding yourself in for the first time, any hints, tips and pointers are likely to be invaluable – in which case, this post will be essential reading.
19. How to Build Your Own Exhaust System and Headers – Redline360
Here’s a comprehensive guide to building your own exhaust system. It deals with using exhaust kits as well as making an exhaust yourself from scratch. As the post notes, there are few things that give automobile enthusiasts more pleasure than firing up an engine and hearing that custom exhaust you built yourself for the first time. And by following this tutorial, it’s a sound you’ll be hearing before long yourself.
20. DIY Custom Exhaust – Custom Flowmaster
If you like watching skilled mechanics at work, this is a video you’re going to love. In it, this YouTuber takes us through how he built and fit a custom exhaust to his Vega, and for anyone who is planning on trying anything similar, he has loads of useful information you’ll need to know before you start. It’s quite a long video, and parts of it are fairly technical – but that’s just what you need for this type of job, so watching it will be time well spent.
21. How To Build a Custom Motorcycle Exhaust System
In this article, you’ll learn about everything involved in building a custom motorcycle exhaust. The post also includes some useful comments about things like the legality of replacing a motorcycle exhaust, which is the kind of vital information you need before you start working on modifying or replacing the one you already have.
22. How To Build Your Own Custom Exhaust Crossovers
In this video, this YouTuber explains how to build custom exhaust crossovers. As he mentions, this is his favorite part of the job, something comes through in the video since his passion for what he’s doing is obvious. He is also an experienced and talented mechanic, so most people will be able to learn a lot just from listening to him. Check out the video and you’ll see what we mean!
Plenty of great ideas to copy
As you can see, there’s no shortage of great plans online to copy, allowing you to make the perfect custom exhaust for your car, truck or motorcycle.
We’ve enjoyed collecting these plans for you, so we hope you’ve enjoyed reading and watching them too. And above all, we hope we’ve helped you find the ideas and inspiration for building a custom exhaust of your own.