Preserve the details that matter
Explain which visible features you want to retain, including outlet position and overall appearance. Reference material helps define the aim without promising factory authenticity that has not been verified.
Wardale Engineering · Lincolnshire
Classic Car Exhausts in Lincoln, Lincolnshire
A bespoke stainless system for a classic you intend to keep. Discuss fit, appearance and a comfortable sound with Tom, with free quotes and lifetime warranty availability on custom stainless exhaust builds.
Request My Free QuoteFrom £800
14 years’ welding experience · Speak directly to Tom
14 Years
Professional welding
NVQ Level 3
Welding & fabrication
Coded Welder
Thin-wall stainless tube
£2m Insured
Public liability
Lifetime Warranty Available
On custom stainless exhaust builds only • ask for terms
The service
A replacement shaped by the car, not an incomplete catalogue
Classic car exhaust work often starts with a practical problem: the correct replacement is unavailable, an old repair no longer fits properly, or the vehicle has changed since it left the factory. A bespoke system lets you discuss the actual car rather than depend on a catalogue entry that may no longer describe it. Wardale Engineering builds custom stainless exhausts for classic cars, Land Rovers and American imports from its workshop near Lincoln.
The right brief depends on how you enjoy the car. A standard-looking weekend tourer, a regularly driven classic and a vehicle with an engine conversion do not necessarily need the same appearance or sound. Explain what you want to preserve and what you want to improve. If originality matters, distinguish the visible details from the hidden route, and provide reference photographs where you have them rather than assuming the fabricator knows a particular factory arrangement.
Professional fabrication is relevant when the available space, original mounting points or existing components are unusual. Tom has 14 years of welding experience, an NVQ Level 3 in Welding and Fabrication and certified thin-wall stainless tube codings. These are confirmed qualifications; they do not establish undocumented model-specific expertise for every marque. Tell Tom which classic you own and discuss the proposed work before arranging an appointment.
Get the brief right
Do not let a temporary exhaust repair become the permanent plan
Repeated patches can leave a system with strained joints, awkward clearances and no clear replacement strategy. A rattle or leak is not always isolated to the part where it is heard. Before spending money on another section, explain the whole system’s condition and any known changes to the car. A planned replacement can be a more useful conversation than ordering an approximate part and hoping the installation solves everything.
One common mistake is choosing sound from a short video without considering the cabin during a long journey. Another is chasing a visually period-style outlet while ignoring supports and clearance underneath. If the car is used on the road, applicable noise and emissions rules still matter. Do not assume age automatically exempts every vehicle from every requirement, or that a custom exhaust guarantees an MOT pass.
From enquiry to completion
A clear next step at every stage
- 1
Tell Tom what you need
Start with the vehicle or project details and the result you want. For vehicle work, include make, model, year, engine and known modifications. Photographs can help explain the initial enquiry, but flag uncertainty about existing parts or condition rather than guessing. All custom quotes are free.
- 2
Clarify the scope and quote
Discuss which work or product you need and what information is required to confirm it. Ask what is included, what remains outside the scope and which terms apply. Published starting prices are guides to the named services, not fixed prices for every vehicle or an assurance that additional work is included.
- 3
Agree an appointment or order
Workshop visits are strictly by appointment; there are no walk-ins. For workshop work, agree the arrangements with Tom before travelling or leaving a vehicle. For manufactured parts, confirm price, availability and fulfilment directly. No deposit, payment schedule or delivery promise has been supplied for publication.
- 4
Complete the agreed work
The work follows the scope agreed for your vehicle or project. Ask Tom about any inspection, fitment checks or verification relevant to that scope rather than assuming every service includes the same test. If unexpected condition issues affect the job, the next work should be discussed rather than treated as automatically included.
- 5
Discuss handover and ongoing care
Confirm collection, any care instructions and applicable terms before handover. Lifetime warranty availability concerns custom stainless exhaust builds only, not every service or manufactured component. Workshop work takes place Monday to Friday; weekend drop-off and collection can be arranged in advance, but weekend work is not offered.
What matters to you
Practical reasons to plan it properly
Make touring more comfortable
Discuss sound during ordinary cruising, not only at idle. A clear comfort requirement helps keep the brief focused on how you use the classic rather than on a generic loud-exhaust trend.
Support long-term ownership
Stainless custom work is an option for owners looking beyond another temporary patch. Lifetime warranty availability applies to custom stainless exhaust builds; ask Tom for the written scope and conditions.
The detail behind the decision
Original engines, conversions and retained components
The vehicle’s current configuration is essential information. State the year, make, model and engine, then list known conversions, gearbox changes and alterations to the exhaust route. Older cars may have undocumented work from previous owners, so flag anything you are unsure about. Clear photographs of the existing system and connections are useful enquiry material, but they do not replace any assessment needed before the final scope is agreed.
Decide what is being replaced and what is being retained. Confirm the scope of the custom build and any components to be retained. The published starting price of £800 is for full custom exhaust systems, not a fixed quote for any classic car or a price for a small repair. Ask what the quotation includes, where the new work connects and whether other deteriorated components need separate attention.
Stainless fabrication without unsupported promises
Stainless steel offers a different material choice from a conventional replacement, but the actual grade, dimensions and methods must be confirmed for your build. Wardale’s brief does not specify one universal stainless grade, wall thickness or welding process. It is more useful to ask how the proposed material and layout suit your car than to infer a specification from a photograph of a polished system.
Think about future servicing, access around surrounding components and the appearance of the finished outlet. These are practical discussion points, not a claim that one arrangement suits every classic. No fixed service life, measured noise figure or power gain has been supplied. The goal is a suitable bespoke system for the car and its use, with any originality preferences, limitations and warranty terms clear before you proceed.
For a cherished classic, keep the practical and visual brief separate. Note any parts you want returned, any original features you want retained and whether the vehicle has documented changes from standard. A previous owner’s repair may not be a reliable template for a replacement. If you have original reference material, share it as context and agree which details are achievable rather than assuming the whole system will be reproduced exactly. Avoid taking unsafe measurements beneath the car; provide the information you already have and ask what is needed for the next discussion before arranging the workshop visit.
Further guidance
GOV.UK: MOT exhaust noise and emissions requirementsYour questions answered
Before you book or enquire
How much is a bespoke classic car exhaust?
Full custom stainless exhaust systems start from £800. Your car’s layout, the components retained and the agreed scope affect the quotation. Custom quotes are free; provide the vehicle year, model, engine and any modifications for a useful first discussion.
Can you make a classic exhaust look original?
Discuss the appearance you want with Tom and provide photographs or reference details where available. Wardale offers bespoke fabrication, but factory-authentic replication for every model has not been confirmed. Agree the visible details and practical limitations before booking rather than assuming an exact reproduction.
How long does it take, and when can I book?
No fixed lead time or turnaround has been supplied for this work. Ask Tom about current availability and the expected arrangements for your specific enquiry before planning travel. Workshop visits require an agreed appointment; sending an enquiry is not confirmation of a booking or a completion date.
What information should I send for an enquiry?
For vehicle work or parts, send the make, model, year, engine, known modifications and what you need changed. For fabrication, include dimensions or drawings and the intended use. Describe existing damage or uncertainty honestly; photographs are useful context, not a substitute for any assessment needed to confirm suitability.
Does this service include a lifetime warranty?
A lifetime warranty is available on custom stainless exhaust builds. Detailed conditions and exclusions have not been supplied here, so ask Tom for the applicable terms before agreeing the quotation. Do not assume it covers unrelated retained components or every service offered by the workshop.
How long will the result last?
No fixed service-life figure has been supplied. The application, condition, use and ongoing care affect what is appropriate to expect. Ask about the proposed material or treatment and any relevant maintenance. A starting price or warranty statement should not be read as a promise that the result never needs checking.
Do you offer emergency work or walk-in appointments?
There are no walk-ins and no published emergency or same-day service promise. Contact Tom to ask about availability. If a vehicle has fumes, insecure components or another safety concern, do not keep driving on the assumption that an enquiry guarantees an immediate repair slot.
Where is the workshop, and can I visit at the weekend?
Wardale Engineering is at Unit 4, Burton Cliff Farm, Middle St, Lincoln LN1 2RG. Hours are Monday to Friday, 7am–6pm, strictly by appointment. There is no weekend work; weekend vehicle drop-off and collection may be arranged beforehand. Agree access with Tom before setting out.
Related services
Serving Lincolnshire
All workshop visits take place in Lincoln, by appointment.
Free quotes on all custom work
Keep your classic usable, with a properly defined exhaust brief
Send the vehicle or project details and the result you want. Tom can discuss the appropriate scope and next arrangements; there is no need to guess a product specification or arrive without an appointment.
Free custom quotes. Deal directly with Tom. Workshop visits by appointment only.