long tube install. obx stainless 304.
 

hello c5 members. installed long tube headers this weekend. i have read some of the other threads here on the obx. first i want to say i am a 46 yr old mechanical engineer/ electrician. i have worked in the automotive oem factory's for over 28 yrs. usually i build my own headers. and that was the plan for my 2011 2SS/RS/m6. i ran across the obx on ebay and seen they where close to the same price as buying u bends, collectors, autocadding flanges and having them cut. not to mention my time.fill rod and gas for the tig. first on the quality of the material on the obx. i checked the thickness of the pipes. .063'' 16 gauge. checked the material with magnet as 304 is totally non magnetic. the magnet would not stick any to none of the header material. flanges.pipe.collector.etc. however it would stick to the connector pipe's. it must be 409 or 316 or some other grade stainless. the port dia on the flanges was 1.800'' tube i.d. 1-7/8''. install was probably one of the easiest i have ever done as i did it by myself and took me about 5 hrs and that was not getting in any kind of hurry. the welds where very good quality. the only thing i would i have done differently if i have built my own would have been nitrogen purge on the welding. that eliminates any burn through inside the pipe while welding as i took a mirror and checked the welds inside the pipe on the obx and seen some but minor inside the welded tubes on the obx. i am a very picky person when it comes to quality and the obx satisfied my level of craftmanship and quality, flange flatness was very good. the only thing i had to modify was mid pipe on drivers side i had to cut off 1/4''. start up with no leaks they dont hang down any lower than stock pipes. if you are going to install these by yourself get you a couple of 8mm set screws. after removing stock manifolds. put set screws one in the front and one in the back flange bolt locations you can put the stock gasket on them and pull the header up and hang them on them till you get a bolt in them and remove the set screws. to minimize hangdown lift headers up before tightning bolts. i installed mid pipes first then put header up in place and set them on the set screws. never had to touch the rear exhaust. these may be a copy and are definately made overseas. too cheap (price that is) to be made in the states. but an exceptionally good set of headers.

I love these threads! For the money, nothing beats OBX in quality.

Coudnt agree more :)

Very nice review!

Not sure how other header flanges are, but these flanges look exactly like my Kook's.

Is there a merge spike in the collector?
Pics? Thanks

How much were the headers? You can PM me if you don't want to post here.

It was already established in a previous thread that they were knock off Kooks. I think everyone decided it's okay however because the wallet matters more and everyone buys stuff from Walmart that is made in China(?). So far no one has been burned by fit or quality because well..it is welded pipe. If you scew up copying someones welded pipe you deserve what is coming. However do your research because there are threads on other forums of people who have had issues with stuff made by this brand and been left high and dry.


I know the same 5-6 people who populate these threads will jump all over me..but whatever. I think it should always be mentioned where these headers come from. Just like Walmart, it is easy to feel good about a cheap price untill you realize what is really behind it. Your basically buying a stolen design, made over seas with no warranty and support. I am sure kooks could match their price if they were allowed to skate by with that level of support and service and their only sales outlet was ebay. If you want to mod your car with the equivelent of a fake Rolex than more power to you.

LOVE my OBX Headers......

Yes.

http://www.camaro5.com/forums/attach...1&d=1284505217

i dont think there is any issue with telling you price. as anyone can find them on ebay and i am not selling them. they were $405.00 delivered to my door.

:popcorn:

I also am VERY pleased with my OBX headers

a little update after the install. this thing is a little louder than i expected it got a real aggressive raspy tone. noise inside the car dont seem to be that bad. but outside the car is big difference with a little throttle. i am going to give it some time to see if it grows on me. might have to add another muffler. any one else surprised at the db increase.

You can buy cats to add to this. Every LT manufacturer has the option to go with HF cats or catless. Does that make ARH, Kooks, Dynatec, etc pieces of shit too? It says they are made from 304 SS. How many different versions of 304 SS are there? As for welds, the people that have posted about them say they are very good. From the pics, they look pretty good too. I'm not going to debate the ethics of these headers but since you didn't mention that, you apparently don't care. As for quality, it appears as though it's pretty damn good, especially for a set of sub $500 304SS headers. What's your next arguement?

Hey, First off, Thanks for Your Sponsorship of this Forum,

It is in my opinion, the best car forum available...

I stayed out of the other thread as a non-player, but I wanted to give an opinion. I am still a relative non player, as my Twin Turbo aspirations do not require headers, (hope that doesn't make me one of the evil ones) but I want to ask if you realize how you come across here on the forum.

I know from reading another OBX header thread that it's a burr in your side, but...

Do you think you are winning any customers when you go off on one of these tangents...
People shop at Wal-mart due to many other companies pricing themselves out of business. (Yes Wal-Mart was the big chain that bought more stuff and therefore had greater buying power... but what makes them any different than what you do with items you buy and re-sell... other than size...) The U.S. automakers tried to do the same, in a number of ways. I realize that Kooks, ARH, and many others spend money on research and developement, buildings, electricity etc...

I also realize many people in this two adult working family society are struggling to make ends meet. Is it really that wrong for a few folks to buy what they can afford, rather than doing without. Obviously you can afford to buy what you want, but not all people can... Military folks do not make as much money as business folks, but they allow us the freedoms to do what we want. Police Officers and Firefighters don't make as much as some folks, should they all go without.

Free trade agreements allow this to happen, and U.S. businesses are way into to outsourcing items. I venture to say that most of the items you use in your daily life are from overseas.

American arrogance and ego have made us think anything made in a foreign country is inferior. No, it's not in all cases, in some cases yes it it.

I dont' understand the vehemence you display. Those that are buying OBX are obviously not taking money out of your pockets, as they can't afford what you are offering... or choose not to pay more for what appears to be basically the same thing.

If Kooks has a problem with it, then they can pursue international copyrights violations charges... I'm not an attorney, but there is probably some option for them... but then I guess that cost would be passed on to the customer as well.

Automated manufacturing has taken hold and most anything can be made by machines, much faster, and of better quality than people can... Not in all cases, but in most....

Do you think all of the OBX headers are made on a machine... I doubt it... So, after the initial run, by Kooks, ARH etc...which I venture pays for most of the developement and set up cost, why do the prices not come down... they do in virtually every other market.

I for one pay attention to the conversations and attitudes displayed by Vendors when I am reading a thread... and make a lot of my purchasing decisions based on what I hear/read...

Lighten up, look at the items around you, and determine if anything in your business or home is foreign made... If there is anything, then you would be the pot calling the kettle black... Have you ever driven a foreign car, watched a TV made in Japan, etc... I realize you base the backbone of your argument on the copying of a design, but that goes on everywhere, and it is for the OEM to pursue it, not someone on an automotive forum.

I personally am getting ready to lay out a huge sum of money, for an American made and designed product for my Camaro, several of them actually... but that certainly doesn't mean that in some cases, I would not buy from a foreign company.

Wal-Mart, one of the largest employers in the country... helping the ecopnomy in so many ways.... let them go out of business and see how much unemployment goes up...

Oh, and do you manufacture anything, or do you simply buy, mark up and re-sell things??? Just curious... if thats all you do, then how are you benefitting anyone other than yourself....???