Suzuki Repair: echaust system, suzuki sidekick, pipe bender

Question
Mr. Scott,

My daughter has a 1997 Suzuki Sidekick 4WD with a 1.8 ltr engine.  She has experiences a sort of rust break kn the tail pipe system.  Most auto parts dealers are saying that it is going to cost about $230.00 for the new part.  They say you have to purchase the unit as a single unit, including muffler and tail pipe.  He problem is near the tail end of the tail pipe.  Can sh purchase just a pipe from the muffler to the back of the car.

Thanks,

Phil Wallace

Answer
You can look around, and find a company nearby who has a pipe bender and can bend and install a pipe.  I assume that the vehicle is used for relatively short trips, due to the need to replace that pipe first.  Also consider drilling a 1/16 inch hole in the lowest part of the muffler to allow moisture (water and misc other condensates that are mildly corrosive to the muffler) to drain out instead of rotting out the muffler.  

I just had a thought .... start from here, I'm going to surf around and look for some info.  If I don't get back with you in a couple of days, get back with me.                             Scotty

Tried looking around on the web, and got nowhere, but a possible source is through whoever in your area is a "Five Star Muffler" dealer.  They may have the capacity to solve your problem at a relatively low cost.