Why NOT to use SSAutochrome

[rowlex]

The idiot that installed that piece installed it wrong, thats why it failed.

He hung a bigass turbo, o2 housing, and downpipe off of that with NO additional support. If my manifold (stock 2G) crumbled to pieces my turbo would stay exactly where it was with the manifold there, because my downpipe is bolted to my block like it should be.

 

[psychlow]

And how about their turbos?

Am I seeing this right? Did they actually GLUE the compressor housing together?!?!

 

[dsmpower1]

Well the biggest difference in cost is the fact that its outsourced to china for the build. Production costs are crazy low out there. Not to mention they have incured ZERO Research and development costs. they basically take a product that allready works toss it into a factory and make them as cheap as possible. The materials play a big part in this also. Our welds are nicer. the runners are wider, the material is thicker and a higher grade, and we warranty our manifolds against cracking. Thats just a manifold. They copied our EVO 8 FMIC and the thing made less HP then stock.....guess materials and build quality make a difference. Companies like SS autochrome that cannot engineer a product for themselves and continue to copy hard working tuners and engineers like AMS, Buschur, RNR, Road Race etc will slowy destroy this community and prevent people from engineering and testing new and better product. As a company the only thing you can do is try and patent you product but when it comes to the chinese/ asian market most of these international copyright laws mean squat. they will copy the product till they get caught and sued then disolve the company and start a new one. Its a sad sad circle. If you want to talk any more about this feel free to PM me. Thanks for reading. Please dont take this as a bash against the chinese culture either. I am in no way shape or form taking a shot at them. this is just economics.

Eric

well eric you def. have me convinced. very good statement.

 

[cutlass73]

I just think it's hillarious that this thread keeps surfacing

 

[~laser_craver~]

i dont think that thicker materials and better welds would add up another 350 bux personaly...

 

[eyebrowski]

Might as well stir it up a little more.

http://www.dsmloggers.com/DSM/sscrap2.jpg

 

[eyebrowski]

i dont think that thicker materials and better welds would add up another 350 bux personaly...

I would love to see you create a better product, sell it for dirt cheap to a niche market and make a living for yourself doing so.

 

[~laser_craver~]

i hae made headers and manifolds before just for friends tho and they bought materials and didnt pay anything for my labor.... i have also made downpipes.... most of em were for hondas but still materials for a turbo manifold for a honda only adds up to about 100-150 bux with wire for wire feed... so iono where people get off charging 500 bux for a manifold.... when i could make one and sell it for less then half that and it could be the exact same thing

 

[jmadison]

OBX = SSAutochrome = XS Power
They are all the same company changing their names to ditch the bad rep.

Care for any more SSAutochrome humor?
You are looking at a different car with a similar situation being held together with a hose clamp.
http://www.dsmloggers.com/stuff/sscrap.jpg

And how about their turbos?
http://www.dsmloggers.com/DSM/ssturbo1.jpg
http://www.dsmloggers.com/DSM/ssturbo2.jpg
http://www.dsmloggers.com/DSM/ssturbo3.jpg

This Sh T is amazing to me!?! How is it that they don't have a bunch of complaints to Better Business Bureau or something like that??? Do they warranty any of that stuff? Scary for me because I was (__) this close to buying one of their mani's myself! Goodthing I opted to spend a little more cash for a better product!

 

[eyebrowski]

i hae made headers and manifolds before just for friends tho and they bought materials and didnt pay anything for my labor.... i have also made downpipes.... most of em were for hondas but still materials for a turbo manifold for a honda only adds up to about 100-150 bux with wire for wire feed... so iono where people get off charging 500 bux for a manifold.... when i could make one and sell it for less then half that and it could be the exact same thing

There is the key, you weren't trying to make a living doing it. I bet you almost any product on the market is being sold for a fraction of the cost it takes to actually make it. But in the real world you have to pay for labor (which is probably around $50 an hour in a niche market), R&D, and the equipment it takes to make it.

 

[~laser_craver~]

my point is why do these companies charge 500 bux for a manifold they can make for 150 at the most? it only takes me a few hours of actual work to make one.... so at another 100 bux for labor and its still only 250 thats crazy that they can actually sell anything....

 

[Stapl3]

my point is why do these companies charge 500 bux for a manifold they can make for 150 at the most? it only takes me a few hours of actual work to make one.... so at another 100 bux for labor and its still only 250 thats crazy that they can actually sell anything....

Because people pay that much.

 

[eyebrowski]

my point is why do these companies charge 500 bux for a manifold they can make for 150 at the most? it only takes me a few hours of actual work to make one.... so at another 100 bux for labor and its still only 250 thats crazy that they can actually sell anything....

The going rate for labor is $50, so there is $300. What about the tools and R&D costs? There are only a few companies that put in the R&D for these products and it’s not like they are millionaires. If companies like SS keep copying and undercutting the real shops where is the incentive for them to keep creating innovative products?

 

[Ams2gJim]

my point is why do these companies charge 500 bux for a manifold they can make for 150 at the most? it only takes me a few hours of actual work to make one.... so at another 100 bux for labor and its still only 250 thats crazy that they can actually sell anything....

Man that sounds awesome I would like to see the quality of your work do you have any pics of your headers and welds.

Jim

 

[Red97Eclipseboy]

my point is why do these companies charge 500 bux for a manifold they can make for 150 at the most? it only takes me a few hours of actual work to make one.... so at another 100 bux for labor and its still only 250 thats crazy that they can actually sell anything....

Maybe because after bills, payrole, supplies, etc... it's a little more expensive than a guy making one for his friends. Running a business isn't a close comparison to what you do. Even after all those bills, someone still has to make a pretty penny... after all, that's what people go into business for. Not to please a few people who whine about prices.

 

[XtReMeToYz]

The going rate for labor is $50, so there is $300. What about the tools and R&D costs? There are only a few companies that put in the R&D for these products and it’s not like they are millionaires. If companies like SS keep copying and undercutting the real shops where is the incentive for them to keep creating innovative products?

FWIW, Most of the companies making fairly inexpensive ( in comparison to a full race header) haven't done much if any research and development. They are all of the same basic design, and if I remember correctly logic used a DNP manifold to base their design off of. So don't just blame SS autochrome and OBX, they aren't the only ones doing it.

 

[JCMDSM]

Laser Craver there is no way to build cars on a budget. You can find used parts and you can find deals on parts (quality parts of course) but thats about it. It comes down to the over all cost of building the car. Not just the cost in money but the time spent replacing broken cheap parts, the time taken from work, fun, friends and actually driving the car. Then there is the peace of mind knowing that if installed correctly, quality parts will not fail. The choice is really up to you but maybe this will help you. Everytime I have to spend another $300 on parts I say to myself Do it Right or Do it twice. If you can honestly evaluate how much it will cost to achieve your goals using quality stuff then you'll save yourself the heartache that goes along with being way over budget. Best of luck -Jon

 

[Red97Eclipseboy]

FWIW, Most of the companies making fairly inexpensive ( in comparison to a full race header) haven't done much if any research and development. They are all of the same basic design, and if I remember correctly logic used a DNP manifold to base their design off of. So don't just blame SS autochrome and OBX, they aren't the only ones doing it.

Comapring Logic to SS Autochrome and OBX is not a good comparison... at all. They didn't "base" their design off of anyone seeing as how they don't claim that manifold to be theirs. Formula Fabrication is not Logic. They also sell DNP manifolds. You don't see OBX selling Apex-i intercoolers along next to their rip-off model do you?

 

[prostreetdsmx1]

now i am not one to rave about a competitor but places like AMS are the reason that the DSM kicks ass as much as it does. I have had a few of their products come through the shop and all i can say is wow! My hat is off to the AMS staff for the great products that they make.

You get what you pay for and i think it is just hilarious that people seem to think us vendors just pick a price off the top of our head and slap a price tag on things.

Now that we are doing more fabrication it is unbelievable how much costs add up. Welding equipment, safety equipment, welding material you name it. THAT SHIT ADDS UP QUICK! With just the intercoolers we are doing we can't believe what it takes, in man hours alone that is, to make up even just one.

It is going to be a sad day when us vendors just say "#### this" and let everyone buy up the cheap shit that is flooding the market. The market will be destroyed.

 

[Mr.Tao]

Actually it will never be a sad day because there will always be those people who will sell quality over quantity, and there will be those who will have money to mass produce quality and people will buy when they have had enough of those cheap products. So it will never be a sad day.

 

[Amar1995]

my point is why do these companies charge 500 bux for a manifold they can make for 150 at the most? it only takes me a few hours of actual work to make one.... so at another 100 bux for labor and its still only 250 thats crazy that they can actually sell anything....

It is called Supply and Demand. If the demand was higher then that in turn would lower the price. If this was not a fair price for their product the market would force them to change it until said product met it's selling equilibrium. The name of the game is volume. Simple economics

If what you are saying is true about your fabrication abilities and pricing, then I suggest you start making manifolds and down pipes to sell to the DSM community

 

[psychlow]

It is called Supply and Demand. If the demand was higher then that in turn would lower the price. [...] Simple economics

Umm.... did you fail econ?

If the supply is higher than the demand, that lowers the price.

More demand = more people with $$$ willing to buy = higher prices. Less product to go around.

I think what you were referring to is more involved with production volume - if more people wanted the manis, then they could invest in a production system that would allow them to produce pieces less expensively, then they could lower the price and still maintain a profit.