Crome Exhaust Tips

[batman]

Is there a correct length for the chrome exhaust tips?

I think that maybe my exhaust tips are a bit too long, in the sense that they are protruding too much?

Can anyone help.

thanks

[mbzse]

Is there a correct length for the chrome exhaust tips?

Here is a Press release factory photo of a 230SL. The exhaust chrome tips seem to extend to just beyond the bumper's rearmost point.
/Hans in Sweden
.

[Jonny B]

The inner tip extends a bit less than 2.5 cm from the edge of the bumper. Overall the tip is 17.5 cm long, and I believe it to be be original, even with the squared off rolled end.

[batman]

Thanks for the comments.

My Tip is 3cm forward of the rear bumper - so more than you indicated but not significantly so I think

[RobSirg]

Hate to admit this Mark but yours is definitely longer than mine. We can compare when we meet next. 

Mine is just beyond the bumper about 1" I'd say. My exhaust was replaced by a local guy so I think he got it right by luck.

Rob

[Jordan]

Just out of curiosity, is the tip suppose to be square or rolled?

[batman]

I understand that originally the tips were "squared-off" but are now rounded

[Jordan]

So I guess the repro makers can't be bothered to make a correct muffler tip.  So if you have a rounded tip make sure you stand in front of your muffler tip when the judges come looking.

[RobSirg]

Mark, this is John (49er)'s car when it was a few months old. Camera angle doesn't help greatly though.

[Jonny B]

My understanding is that the squared off tips have been way long out of production, as in 25+ years. I lucked into two sets late last year from a source in Australia. I continue to keep my eyes open for them, but have not seen any. No worries about the judges, the square tips are almost never seen anymore. No points off on that one, at least in the US/MBCA

[ja17]

Jonny, by "edge of the bumper" do you mean the inner edge or the rearmost part of the bumper?  Also note the location of the rear chrome trim in relation to the bumper. It is incorrectly installed on a lot of these cars after body and paint work.

[49er]

Sure wish I had a digital camera back when my car was new Slides were a real luxury back then and I kick myself now because of only the few pictures I took of my car. Could have answered a lot of questions these days. That said, I believe Jonny is correct, just a tad beyond the trailing edge of the bumper. The "rounded" tips I have on now extend maybe an inch but not too worried about what a judge will say. Looks fine too me

John

[hauser]

This has been discussed before.  Doug Kim discovered the differences between new and old chrome tips.  If memory serves me right the old tips were made of brass while the newer ones are of a lesser material.

[RonB]

I have some "after market" not MB tips. Really hard to keep bright.

The old tips where so easy to keep nice.

[Jonny B]

I measured it from the rear most edge of the bumper. I was looking at it from above, and measure the distance for the inner tip, as the bumper trailing edge curves around a tad. Agree also about making sure the orientation of the bumper is correct. All sorts of little damn measurements!

[kampala]

Is there any truth that having these tips extend past the bumper risks cracking the exhaust manifolds in case these tips get bumped by a minor rear impact? 

I have heard this from a couple of folks very familiar with 60's Mercedes when they saw my chrome tips which extend about 25mm beyond the bumper.   

Thoughts?

[batman]

I just had a new SS exhaust system from SLS Germany installed and my old chrome tips transferred to this new system. I am pretty sure that the tips now extend further than previously.

Over the past few days I have looked at hundreds of images of the rear ends of our cars regarding the issue of length of exhaust tips. There seems to be massive variation. Most seem about level with the leading edge of the right side bumper and many are 5-6cms (2 inches) past and quite a few don't seem to make it past the bumper at all!

Would it not be logical that the tips do NOT extend past the bumper because if they do then they are "exposed" and in effect doing the job of the bumper, although of course US versions have the overriders for extra protection.

[batman]

After research, all comments below and the many images online, I decided to reduce the length of the Tips from 3.5cm to 1.5cm/0.5 inch past the outmost edge of the bumper. I think is the perfect amount - see below.

If they extend to far past the rear bumper I think it spoils the lines at the rear, becomes too noticeable and creates the potential problem of minor bumps.

If they don't extend far enough (i.e. not past the bumper at all) then they lose their impact.

[RobSirg]

good move Mark - looks better.

(Not too many men out there can proudly say they had a problem of being too long and got it cut back)

[batman]

Rob - I could be one in a million !!

[Alex D]

Just a side note.  A few years back, my 7 year old son was running in the garage past the Pagoda, and let out a large scream that I heard all the way across the street.  I ran home, and saw his right knee with  significant amount of blood dripping, not knowing what happened, I asked him and he said the it was from the car.  Not knowing what he was talking about, I asked him to show me.  He pointed to the exhaust tips.  Once we returned from the Emergency Room, with 15 stitches in his knee, I took a closer look at the exhaust tips, and realize they were a cheap aftermarket brand, with sharp protruding burrs on the ends, not even Mercedes exhaust tips.  His knee caught the burr on the end of the exhaust tip.  Next day I ordered new exhaust tips from Classic Center.   The cheap aftermarket exhaust tips where on the car when I got the car, at that time, exhaust tips where the last thing on my mind, too many other things to worry about. 

Wife was ready to take a very large sledge hammer to the car.  I'm sure there is a lesson to be learned from this, just not sure what it is.   

[Raymond]

Not having them extend beyond the bumper allows more exhaust gasses to work on corroding the bumper.  These are not parts of a Swiss watch, they're pipes.  I expect there are lots of significant variations when.   When I put the new chrome tips on my car in 2005, they stuck out too far for my liking.  I used a rubber mallet to get them to a more pleasing length.  Of course, now the only way they'll ever come off is with a saw.

[hauser]

Not having them extend beyond the bumper allows more exhaust gasses to work on corroding the bumper.  These are not parts of a Swiss watch, they're pipes.  I expect there are lots of significant variations when.   When I put the new chrome tips on my car in 2005, they stuck out too far for my liking.  I used a rubber mallet to get them to a more pleasing length.  Of course, now the only way they'll ever come off is with a saw.

The gasses will also affect the plastic tai light lens.

[Jkalplus1]

There are "turn down" tips that look like the normal tips but are cut underneath to prevent this gas damage to lens & bumper.  If you paint the inside black it is hard to tell they are not the straight tips.  I also believe they are genuine MB item.
Jerome

[66andBlue]

While visiting a prominent restoration shop today I took these photos showing the tips on two well sorted Pagodas.
The left tip on both cars is about 1 inch away from the bumper when looking straight down and in line with the chrome end of the bumper guard on the car on the left in the photo.