Look at how cheap the XS Power kit is now!!

[GreddyGst]

I'm using the 2g XS kit. Holds very well, no problems at all. Even during hot weather and when is cold it works great too. I'm making 445whp with this kit and I plan to use it on my next car too which I hope will make more power. I can't complain.

At the same time, i'm sure a lot of vendors are concern about this ebay kits. I'm sure they have lost thounsands of thounsands of dollars. Sucks but you can't pass on things that have proven numbers specially when the price is well worth it.

 

[unlmtdndeavor]

im putting down 305awhp on a mustang right now...no problems yet. just incase anyone wants to know...i did a lot of custom work on my kit. had the hot side pipe relocated to the back of the endtank to work with a 1g awd. its a clean setup...and it is holding up well. the cold side fit with no problem..but the hot side comes really close to the alternator...but that seems to be the case with almost all the 1g's. but i dont mind it...just be prepared to get new couplers....the ones in the kit are kinda whack. one more things...the piping is cheap...but for the price..i guess you cant compain

 

[JayRolla]

You say you changed the hotsides endtank. Did you have to do this? Ive seen others with the 1g kit and had no problem. Just wondering what made you do this?

 

[Ludachris]

At the same time, i'm sure a lot of vendors are concern about this ebay kits. I'm sure they have lost thounsands of thounsands of dollars. Sucks but you can't pass on things that have proven numbers specially when the price is well worth it.

Unfortunately, this way of thinking is going to be a killer for our market. Pretty soon nobody will take the time to develop a good product by way of R&D and real world testing. Why invest in a market where your products will be copied and everyone will buy the copied version? More and more vendors will pull out of our market. Then all we'll have left is cheap, inferior immitations of products that got us where we are today. Why do you think the cheap kits have decent numbers? Because of the vendors who did the R&D before them. What happens when everyone stops doing the R&D? Good luck finding cheap kits then, let along "proven" ones.

You guys really should try and support the top vendors as much as possible. The guys who do the R&D on their products are the ones we need to keep around. They care about putting out a quality product, not just making some quick money. I don't care so much about the vendors losing money as I do about us being able to benefit from vendors who invest in our market.

 

[JayRolla]

Unfortunately, this way of thinking is going to be a killer for our market. Pretty soon nobody will take the time to develop a good product by way of R&D and real world testing. Why invest in a market where your products will be copied and everyone will buy the copied version? More and more vendors will pull out of our market. Then all we'll have left is cheap, inferior immitations of products that made our cars what they are today.

You guys have to try and support the top vendors as much as possible. The guys who do the R&D on their products are the ones we need to keep around. They care about putting out a quality product, not just making some quick money.

I agree with you here. Its going to kill the market and fast. I work in the computer reselling business and ebay is killing our business. Brokers look on ebay for parts now instead of calling me.

The only part I dont agree with is FMIC kits. If you cut open an intercooler the design is simple. Also piping is cheap and easy to bend. I dont see why these top venders have to charge so much for an intercooler kit. You got some pipes and a core and thats it. I think the kits are overpriced, meaning they are trying to make a quick buck right? I just dont see where they get charging $1000 for a core and some pipes that are usually not even polished.

 

[wishihadatalon]

I agree with you here. Its going to kill the market and fast. I work in the computer reselling business and ebay is killing our business. Brokers look on ebay for parts now instead of calling me.

The only part I dont agree with is FMIC kits. If you cut open an intercooler the design is simple. Also piping is cheap and easy to bend. I dont see why these top venders have to charge so much for an intercooler kit. You got some pipes and a core and thats it. I think the kits are overpriced, meaning they are trying to make a quick buck right? I just dont see where they get charging $1000 for a core and some pipes that are usually not even polished.

Quality metals that will not corrode, perfect fitment, quality control, good couplers, good clamps, good customer service, the list goes on to why a $1000 kit is better. Building a relationship with a shop could be one. You don't get that by winning an auction. You guys can order your cheap kits and feel special but I will continue to order my parts from people who planned, built, and race their products.

 

[THE REAL DEAL]

I was considering getting that kit not too long ago but because of the long piping, i didn't want to have to secure my bumper with zip ties like I had been doing up until a couple weeks ago. If anyone can think of a better way, let me know.

 

[Ludachris]

I agree with you here. Its going to kill the market and fast. I work in the computer reselling business and ebay is killing our business. Brokers look on ebay for parts now instead of calling me.

The only part I dont agree with is FMIC kits. If you cut open an intercooler the design is simple. Also piping is cheap and easy to bend. I dont see why these top venders have to charge so much for an intercooler kit. You got some pipes and a core and thats it. I think the kits are overpriced, meaning they are trying to make a quick buck right? I just dont see where they get charging $1000 for a core and some pipes that are usually not even polished.

As the guy above said (you guys should really put your names in your sig), there are many factors that cause a vendor to set a price higher than what you will find on ebay. Much of the time R&D is figured into the price of a FMIC kit. A lot of testing has been done for maximum flow and fitment. Quality materials are used. One person above recommended buying better couplers. I'd imagine the clamps might be inferior too. How's the thickness of the material used for the end tanks? And is the vendor able to answer your questions about flow numbers? FMIC kits might not be the best example for this argument but it's still a good example.

 

[95blackGsTurbo]

I agree. Someone should flow test or do an infrared test on these eBay core's and kits to see how they perform. I wouldn't think it would be that hard to do the infrared test like Slowboy did on their's. Just to see how well they are cooling and how cool the air in the pipe's is staying when it does through a heatsoaked engine bay with that thin piping. Could always heatwrap it which is what I will do again since I live in AZ anyways. I bet they would sell a lot more kits if they had some specs on it besides the core dimensions...like the flowrate and efficiency rating.

 

[BGRIPTP]

You don't have to go out and buy one to do a comparison. All we have to do is have one person who owns the cheap core post numbers and compare those to the big name cores if the numbers aren't already provided by the manufacturer. I'm really surprised that more people aren't looking for this data before they buy this kit.

Your talking to a bunch of DSMers... we're cheap.

 

[JayRolla]

Quality metals that will not corrode, perfect fitment, quality control, good couplers, good clamps, good customer service, the list goes on to why a $1000 kit is better. Building a relationship with a shop could be one. You don't get that by winning an auction. You guys can order your cheap kits and feel special but I will continue to order my parts from people who planned, built, and race their products.

I understand all of this. But all you have said is still not enough for me to spend $800-1000 for a top brand kit. Maybe if they would be more reasonable like around $500-600 I would have spent the extra money. So thats why I went and spent $200 shipped on a complete kit that people have layed down great #s from. Even if the top brand kit is better how much more efficient can it be. What would I gain, maybe 5-10whp, just an example. The price is just to good to pass up like others said.

 

[BGRIPTP]

Basicly what it came down to was I can spend 800 bux, or 250. If I spend 800 bux, I can get a couple more horsepower and have a little more effecent setup. But if I save 550 bux, and put that money somewhere, like cams, and make more power and have a better power range from the cams and ebay intercooler, woudlnt that make more since?

 

[BGRIPTP]

Quality metals that will not corrode, perfect fitment, quality control, good couplers, good clamps, good customer service, the list goes on to why a $1000 kit is better. Building a relationship with a shop could be one. You don't get that by winning an auction. You guys can order your cheap kits and feel special but I will continue to order my parts from people who planned, built, and race their products.

Alot of people run the SS Autochrome one. It comes with silicone couplers, and Tbolt clamps, we where able to pressure test it to 35psi, nothing gave. Fitment is RIGHT on in the 2g bumper. People always comment on how well it looks and fills up the whole front end.

 

[timloomis]

Any chance that big front pipe can fit in the stock uicp location?I wouldn't want to get rid of my uicp I have now,since it's already flanged and set up for blow-through.

 

[BGRIPTP]

Any chance that big front pipe can fit in the stock uicp location?I wouldn't want to get rid of my uicp I have now,since it's already flanged and set up for blow-through.

I just cut my upper IC pipe and put jb weld around the pipes and they hold. Theres a pic on page 1.

 

[suicidal2af]

Quality metals that will not corrode, perfect fitment, quality control, good couplers, good clamps, good customer service, the list goes on to why a $1000 kit is better. Building a relationship with a shop could be one. You don't get that by winning an auction. You guys can order your cheap kits and feel special but I will continue to order my parts from people who planned, built, and race their products.

So what happens when you have a cheap one that doesn't corrode, fits perfect, comes with tbolt clamps and silicone couplers, and respond to emails within 24 hours, and costs $250 shipped?

As was said earlier, most of us would buy from shops if they charged a reasonable price. However, an fmic has roughly $60 worth of materials. Something that takes a shop $60 and 2 hours worth of labor to put together, and then is sold at $1000, is not good business. It's rape.

 

[Coup D E'Tat]

I have two friends that, as earlier stated, have corroded/pitted cores.

Just my .02.

 

[wishihadatalon]

So what happens when you have a cheap one that doesn't corrode, fits perfect, comes with tbolt clamps and silicone couplers, and respond to emails within 24 hours, and costs $250 shipped?

As was said earlier, most of us would buy from shops if they charged a reasonable price. However, an fmic has roughly $60 worth of materials. Something that takes a shop $60 and 2 hours worth of labor to put together, and then is sold at $1000, is not good business. It's rape.

$60 worth of materials? um I spent $70 alone on my couplers, another 80 on my bends, I had the various straight pieces I needed, another $20 on the t-bolt clamps, and then there is a core. Remember the thread about slowboys kit? They had thermal imaging of their kit working in a controlled environment. Thats not cheap and they need to make the money back to make it worth their while. Also quality fitment as in using non ghetto looking super long pipes but rather nice looking pipes that could almost look like they are stock.

Oh yeah and my name is TJ.

 

[twack]

Hey tim it does fit on that uicp you might need to cut and work it but its do able with out to much hassle

 

[BGRIPTP]

I have two friends that, as earlier stated, have corroded/pitted cores.

Just my .02.

Are they the SS Autochrome kits?

 

[suicidal2af]

$60 worth of materials? um I spent $70 alone on my couplers, another 80 on my bends, I had the various straight pieces I needed, another $20 on the t-bolt clamps, and then there is a core.

Yes, YOU paid that. Those couplers cost the company that made them probably about a buck each, the pipe cost that company probably around 5 dollars, the t-bolt clamps cost that company somewhere around 20 cents each.

Go to a supplier and tell them you want to buy all of those parts in a quantity of 15,000 and then tell me if you still pay that much.

Remember the thread about slowboys kit? They had thermal imaging of their kit working in a controlled environment. Thats not cheap and they need to make the money back to make it worth their while.

Let's say it cost them $5000 for the thermal imaging. Figuring that, at most, it costs them $150 to make the kit, with a selling price of $1000, they break even after selling 6 kits. Here's the fun part -- the price doesn't go down. Usually, it goes up as demand goes up.

Also quality fitment as in using non ghetto looking super long pipes but rather nice looking pipes that could almost look like they are stock.

Take a look at the 2G kit -- they're perfectly capable of making a good short-route setup.

 

[suicidal2af]

I have two friends that, as earlier stated, have corroded/pitted cores.

Just my .02.

Everybody's got a friend who had x experience with y product.

There's been multiple people in this thread with this one who have not had it corrode on them, or had ANY problems with it. All the problems that 'exist' are from people who don't have any direct experience with the product.

I'm not cheap. I'll pay money for something I feel is worth it. However, I won't spend a hell of a lot of extra cash on something just because it has a name on it.

 

[JayRolla]

Well if people have problems with these corroding why doesnt anyone in that 2000 post thread say anything about it.

 

[Coup D E'Tat]

Everybody's got a friend who had x experience with y product.

There's been multiple people in this thread with this one who have not had it corrode on them, or had ANY problems with it. All the problems that 'exist' are from people who don't have any direct experience with the product.

Nice try, but these are close friends, and I helped put both cores on, as well as welded the piping up for them and such. I've seen these cores on a daily basis, so I'd consider it a personal experience.

 

[SBstar]

You know the more I think about it the more I agree that we should support those vendors who put in the time and research. The only thing I guess I can hope is that these ebay knockoffs will eventually help lower the price on the real thing. Spending 700-1000 dollars still seems rediculous even for a good FMIC kit. I may be wrong but I'm going to agree that the materials and time do not cost close to that after the initial R&D have been paid off, although I have no proof of that. I'm not bashing any of our vendors for their prices, please don't take this post that way, I'm just saying I hope that if anything good does result from these knockoffs its that quality kits will be made more affordable to those of us DSMer's who can't afford them at t he present.