Review / Installation of OBX Long-Tube Headers!

[JDP Motorsports]

It is a bummer that companies take designs and send them off to china. The people running those businesses are making bank but the people working in the factories are the big losers. I'm not going to argue with people but I do everything in my power to support American products and American people. I'm glad you like your headers, hopefully they hold up.

Kind regards,

Jordan Priestley

[klatterblast]

i have ARH lt's w/cats w/borla stingers we all know what that costs but at the time i had the $ to get them but not everyone can spend over $3,000 on exhaust so obx looks great for the $ and i think they worked hard to make headers of that quality , maybe not there design but still very hard labor intensive work. if kooks welders each make 40 sets a week then kooks gets about $60,000 a week out of each welder minus there pay and other expenses i think they could afford to share the market with knockoffs or go ahead and discount there product to a more realistic price and this goes for the other overpriced exhausts on the market also. when you say 2010 camaro the price goes up on nearly everything and that is B.S. i want to add that kooks is a very good product and i would buy them but just saying that there not the only game in town.

[EFI]

As for you saying you are paying for the name that’s not true. It just plain cost more to keep the manufacturing process here in our country. It’s that simple it has nothing to do with the name.

Ok so he's not paying for just the name, he's paying for the location. But in the end, he gets the same product regardless of what it's called or where it's made.

Some people are ok with paying 300% the cost just for the name and to know that it was made in the US. But there are others that can't justify that much for a name or to know that their pipes were bent in NC as apposed to China. I mean ok, if it was say $200 more then yeah that's not a big price to pay on top for supporting the US economy, but when the price is $7-$800 more that's a tough pill to swallow.

[CamaroCowboy]

I wasn't apologising for saying my piece I was saying sorry if it sounded like a rant....

[Hicompression]

Originally Posted by Georger@kooks

No you wont see the weld on our primarys because we have the machining to make the pipe in one piece. See here we have left and right hand bending machines over there they do not. So a cut and weld is needed to duplicate the pipe.

Thanks for the explanation. What you said makes sense.

Originally Posted by caverman

Are you talking about these?

My KOOKS don't have those at all. They are a solid pipe.

Yes.

[MillerTime]

Please help me understand why pacesetter offers steel headers for in the 450 area but bends you over for the ss lt's.. The design is the same, and the materials don't double the price...

[EFI]

And this is not just for OBX headers...what about Pacesetters or the like? They are made in the good ol' US of A by Bob, Pete or John. And they are developed by the same people in the same country. Yet ask anyone about Pacesetter headers and you get bashed on calling them crap and that you should have gone with a more expensive Kooks brand.

So just how some people in this thread have their heads "in the sand" over the fact that these are knockoffs, other people have their heads just as far down in the sand over the fact that if you don't buy EXPENSIVE American made products everything else is crap. Pacesetters...oh their pieces of shit. OBX...oh their knockoffs. If it's not Kooks or ARH, it's crap...they'll always find an excuse regardless of where it's made or what it's made of.

If you guys were truly patriotic and wanted to only see American made products, then a company like Pacesetter wouldn't get bashed on. But when their products receive the same BS as OBX, it's clearly not just a patriotic aspect...it's purely a narrowminded view that unless it's Kooks it's crap.

[MarylandSpeed]

Pacesetter does not steal other peoples designs, they are however made in mild steel and look like they were made in a high school shop class. Also they are MIG welded and not tig welded. TIG welding takes 3x as long and requires a welder who makes more. You also don't get a merge spike, merge collector, O2 extensions. Stainless obviously costs more. Lastly Pacesetters are made on cheaper equipment since several of their headers have primaries made of multiple peices like the ebay header.

Like I said..it's up to you...you can buy work based on stolen designs. Does not mean it is right however. It amazes me what lengths people go to justify it.

[JS]

I know this has nothing to do with this post but its a knock off no doubt it..In the end its the customers option to buy what he wants regardless of what most people think, sometimes people do what they have to do and thats it.

Our shop sells KOOKS and other companies headers and imho they are one of the best headers money can buy and we offer them to our customers. Again its totally up to what the customer wants to spend and if he wants to bring us a set of OBX we will give an opinion (NOT A GOOD ONE) and leave it up to them.

Now here is the BIG PROBLEM I HAVE WITH SOME OF THE VENDORS ON THIS SITE AND OTHER SITES...

They work out of a small garage, they dont install and they dont pay shop keepers insurance..They then put together buyins or gp's on parts that we as a shop cant possible buy at that quantity..What happens is they then pass off the savings to people on the board and we as a REAL SHOP DOING WORK FOR 30+ YRS get hosed because they do a PM pricing or go below MAP..

We then have to deal with customers saying, "WHY IS SO AND SO CHEAPER THAN U"..

I tell them becuase they are not really a shop, just a vendor working out of there house, small rental space, they have no walkin or people who actually put the parts on..

How does this hurt our business, it does the same way someone steals a header and markets it at 400.00...ITS TOTAL BS AND HAS RUINED THE SPEED SHOP BUSINESS..

If more companies would stick to MAP or SUGGESTED PRICING we would all do better.

I hate to say that because I am an end user too, but the companies on here that do this are just as guilty..They have no overhead nor really understand cars or how to make hp or even the workings of an engine, trans and electronics.

It all nonsense, My belief is one sponsor cuts another by 10 and soon we will all be out of business including the manufactures..I have called KOOKS AND ARH many times to complain about this PM pricing BS and they seem like they wanna help but in the end they at times look the other way..

DONT THROW STONES WHEN U ARE JUST AS GUILTY AND OBX..I AM SICK OF THIS BS, ITS REALLY SAD WITH WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THIS INDUSTRY AND GUYS LIKE US WHO REALLY RACE, TUNE AND BUILD SOME OF THE FASTEST CARS ON THE PLANET GET HOSED..

My opinion is it wont change so to people that are spending there hard earn money just buy what makes u happy. We will still tell people what WE BELIEVE IT THE WAY TO GO AND THATS A PROVEN AMERICAN MADE DYNO PROVEN PART LIKE KOOKS

[Hicompression]

Originally Posted by EFI

So just how some people in this thread have their heads "in the sand" over the fact that these are knockoffs, other people have their heads just as far down in the sand over the fact that if you don't buy EXPENSIVE American made products everything else is crap.

Yes, it get's annoying doesn't it? The 2010 Camaro is made in Canada. I think a lot of people forget about that. My JBA midpipes were made in Mexico. The Racetronix O2 extenders I purchased are made in Canada. It's hard to not buy foreign made products these days.

I stand by my original evaluation of the Camaro OBX headers. The material and workmanship is outstanding for the price. Would buy again. A++

[JDP Motorsports]

Originally Posted by EFI

And this is not just for OBX headers...what about Pacesetters or the like? They are made in the good ol' US of A by Bob, Pete or John. And they are developed by the same people in the same country. Yet ask anyone about Pacesetter headers and you get bashed on calling them crap and that you should have gone with a more expensive Kooks brand.

So just how some people in this thread have their heads "in the sand" over the fact that these are knockoffs, other people have their heads just as far down in the sand over the fact that if you don't buy EXPENSIVE American made products everything else is crap. Pacesetters...oh their pieces of shit. OBX...oh their knockoffs. If it's not Kooks or ARH, it's crap...they'll always find an excuse regardless of where it's made or what it's made of.

If you guys were truly patriotic and wanted to only see American made products, then a company like Pacesetter wouldn't get bashed on. But when their products receive the same BS as OBX, it's clearly not just a patriotic aspect...it's purely a narrowminded view that unless it's Kooks it's crap.

We offer Pacesetter and Dynatech here as well and neither option is crap IMHO. I think the KOOKS/ARH stuff is a nicer overall product but we support those companies as well. It is impossible to offer USA made products only but I try my hardest, the problem here is someone took someone's product and sent it to China. That is wrong. Pacesetter and Dynatech didn't copy anything and they have a solid product that is well priced.

I will also say just because something is made overseas doesn't make it crap either, but there is a lot of it that is!

Kind regards,

Jordan

[MarylandSpeed]

What exhausts costs over $3000? I saw someone say the prcie difference was 300%. That is not the case...I don't understand why people exaggerate.

Originally Posted by klatterblast

i have ARH lt's w/cats w/borla stingers we all know what that costs but at the time i had the $ to get them but not everyone can spend over $3,000 on exhaust so obx looks great for the $ and i think they worked hard to make headers of that quality , maybe not there design but still very hard labor intensive work. if kooks welders each make 40 sets a week then kooks gets about $60,000 a week out of each welder minus there pay and other expenses i think they could afford to share the market with knockoffs or go ahead and discount there product to a more realistic price and this goes for the other overpriced exhausts on the market also. when you say 2010 camaro the price goes up on nearly everything and that is B.S. i want to add that kooks is a very good product and i would buy them but just saying that there not the only game in town.

[GMRULZ]

Personally I beleive in competition, free market. But sending someone elses product overseas to be copied is just wrong. While I believe the major header brands here probably could sell their units a little cheaper, I could be wrong on that, but, they could never compete price wise w/ the knock offs in China. I bought ARH because I know they work, make the power and stand behind them. I mean why did you guys buy a Camaro? When you could have had a Hyundia Genesis? I mean the Genesis quality is pretty close. It is faster than the 6cl Camaro. For some of you it might be that its American company, or the name of the car ect like myself...

Anyways, to me it comes down to something as simple as right and wrong. Compromise your priciples to save a buck supporting morally deploarable practices( sending off someones work to be copied in China) or do the right thing and spend a whole lot more. In the end it has to be a decision "you" are comfortable with. To me its like the reason I won`t buy veal, lamb or Fagua(sp) becuase of the conditions the animals are kept in. I do eat meat though, just not those varieties as the way they are kept is morally wrong to me and are not treted humanely. So morally wrong things I wil not support if at all possible. I do not expect everyone to have the same moral compass as myself and as such everyone is entitled to their own opinion and should proceed as how their moral compass leads them.

End of Philosphy class..

[MillerTime]

Originally Posted by MarylandSpeed

Pacesetter does not steal other peoples designs, they are however made in mild steel and look like they were made in a high school shop class. Also they are MIG welded and not tig welded. TIG welding takes 3x as long and requires a welder who makes more. You also don't get a merge spike, merge collector, O2 extensions. Stainless obviously costs more. Lastly Pacesetters are made on cheaper equipment since several of their headers have primaries made of multiple peices like the ebay header.

Like I said..it's up to you...you can buy work based on stolen designs. Does not mean it is right however. It amazes me what lengths people go to justify it.

I'm not looking for beauty, I'm looking for performance at a decent price. MY OBX headers have everything but the extensions and i didn't need extensions anyways. Stainless dosn't cost THAT much more... The least of my concern is an extra weld on the primaries... I think these companies are forgetting that a majority of us aren't running 1--- hp and the 1/4 in 5 seconds... drop the SS LT's to the 700 region and I'm sure they would more than double the units sold... You won't change my mind and I won't change yours. You say it's a stolen design... I say prove it.