I just got a pre owned certified 2005 350z and noticed some rust on the inside of the exhaust tips and around the gasket at the muffler part..is this normal? I am just paranoid about exhaust leaks.

 

The Z is no more susceptible to rust than any other car. Your car probably spent more time outside, driven in the rain, near the ocean or snow, etc than the average car.

 

^^ +1, it's just been exposed to a lot of water. You can replace it with another stock exhaust if it really bothers you. There are a lot of members on here that sell their stock exhaust for cheap. Or you can use this as an excuse to get a new aftermarket exhaust.

take a look here:

https://my350z.com/forum/exhaust-423/

 

Looks like salt water corrosion. But its OK. A little polish will take care of the tips.

 

thank you for the replies. as long as it won't affect the performance (exhaust leaks from gasket) I am okay with it. you cannot really see the rust unless you get up close and angle the camera but from everyday viewpoint, it is not noticeable really.

 

Definitely looks worse than normal. Doesn't look like it would cause a leak or anything just kinda looks like crap. See if you can polish those tips at least but if not rear sections of the exhaust go for super cheap.

 

Any recommendations on what to use to clean just the inside of the pipe tips? I am thinking about a wire brush or some steel wool and maybe some light detergent and soap and water...

 

^ should do the trick. then use some sort of metal polish to clean them up a bit after.

 

The mothers metal plish in the little can works great! I use it on my Nismo every couple months, and it make it look absolutely brand new everytime!