[Markp]

Originally Posted by StefVan

Well you didn't because your so-said Fabspeed headers were produced 100% by Jim Technologies in Taiwan, shipped to Fabspeed in the USA (at 700USD), and shipped to you in NZ (at 3000USD)...That's a lot of shipping...

I hope you'll still be happy with these headers in 50.000km

A decent header from a reputable builder will set you back quite a few more dollars. If there is some evidence of the fabspeed headers (regardless of who actually builds them) failing, that would be important, I have seen no evidence of that.

[a1exander]

Originally Posted by NelsonPK

However I see there are strange comments on this forum regarding them being made in China/Taiwan, it is true that the well made "lost wax" cast stainless flanges that are used come from the orient, the rest is made in the USA!

It has been established that the headers are made in Taiwan.The only thing that is made in the USA is the sticker price and for that Fabspeed should be ashamed
Questions posed to Fabspeed have returned nothing but evasive answers.

You are welcome to do some research and you to will establish that fabspeed are lying about what it is that they do.

In the case of tubi Capristo etc they do not have the manufacturing outsourced to anyone and they do their own production.

I have just sent an e-mail to Jim Technologies asking for prices and will let you know what they quote me.
Just for interests sake.

[Markp]

Any quotes?

I ended up getting a set of these, I have little doubt they are made in Taiwan. Still they'll do the trick for at least a little while, they actually look reasonably decent to tell the truth. Anything better is at least 25% more.

I'll sell them later and replace them with something nice down the road.

[Autoholic]

Something for you chaps to think about...

you get what you pay for unless you are talking about factory parts.

If you want a proper set of headers, you need to have them done by a company that specializes in custom headers or anti up for Capristo's. Headers can reach extreme temps, enough to weaken stainless steel. If you want headers that will last, you need to have them made out of Titanium or Inconel. Then to handle heat, have the finished headers ceramic coated. Jet Hot is a well known company and has a great reputation for how well their products work on cutting down temps.

The problem with Stainless Steel is that when it heats up, the cyclical heating and cooling causes the metal to crack. This causes the metal to fail due to creep deformation, where the stresses are under the yield stress but are done in cycles. To make this easier to understand, think about how you work out. When lifting weights, you have a maximum weight you can lift. Then you have a maximum number of repetitions you can lift a weight that weighs less than your maximum. Same thing applies to materials. It's called cyclical fatigue stress.

Inconel is a special type of alloy where the material forms a barrier against oxidation when heated up. It also takes a lot longer for Inconel to harden due to thermally induced aging. Most metals harden over time til they reach their maximum hardness and then they start to get weaker. Temperature can be used to speed up the aging process, much like that of wine where the colder it is stored, the faster it ages. Except temp. induced age hardening is using extreme heat instead of cold. When a material hardens, it can become brittle depending on the material. Stainless Steel when exposed to lots of heat and then rapid cooling forms a crystalline structure called Martensite. Martensite can be very strong but metals that are really strong are often brittle and very sensitive to temperature. This is not something you want your exhaust to be made out of for a high performance vehicle. You want a metal that is flexible, able to expand and contract without creep deformation being a concern. You want a metal that resists thermally induced age hardening.

[a1exander]

Thank you most informative.
I hear that Inconel headers will cost me a second mortgage on my house which I can ill afford

[Autoholic]

Originally Posted by a1exander

Thank you most informative.
I hear that Inconel headers will cost me a second mortgage on my house which I can ill afford

Inconel headers will cost you about twice as much as quality stainless steel. If you get headers made out of high grade steel alloys and then ceramic coat them, they will last. The key is heat dissipation. The problem with heat shields on headers is that they trap heat around the headers. This causes the headers to get even hotter, which in tern heats up the heat shield more. Ceramics take a while to heat up and when they do, it takes a while for them to cool down. They release heat slowly, which is why ceramic coatings are great for headers. Cooler engine bay temps help the longevity of all the parts in the area and help keep intake temperatures down, resulting in a more efficient engine. Will you notice any of this? Probably not unless you have a huge problem with heat or actually measure it with a thermometer.

Since we are talking about headers, I might as well pass on something I heard. That header wraps are bad for your headers, that they trap moister and end up rusting the headers. You have to keep header wrap dry. Places that sell header wrap even say that it needs to stay dry and if it gets wet, replace it. The band-aid fix is just that, you'd be better off with a ceramic coating. Oh and for anyone not entirely in the know about coatings, there is a huge difference between powder and ceramic coating. Powder coat your headers and it will get very ugly.

While doing a full custom exhaust can be expensive, it can greatly improve your engine's power and cut down temps a lot. I've never been a fan of the valved exhaust system idea, it is used when you want to bypass cats with horrible flow. A properly designed exhaust system doesn't need to bypass the cats in order to produce more power and an amazing sound.

Oh and for Inconel headers, if you have a custom shop build them they will probably cost about the same as a name brand's headers out of SS. The $8K for Tubi Style could probably cover Inconel or get close to it when done by a shop not known around the world. The well known brands charge a premium just for the name. Also, Inconel headers by a local shop could end up increasing the value of your ride more than the cost to have them made. The important part in cutting down the cost of any project is to try and do some of the work yourself if possible.

[NelsonPK]

I fitted a set of Fabspeed headers (US$3000) to my 355 Challenge, they work better than the originals, look beautiful, and I love them! Why buy Tubi or failure prone originals when these are so good?
Nelson, in New Zealand

[gothspeed]

Everyone on here who has posted and replaced any exhaust components needs to participate in this poll!! :

355 owners only! More data samples needed! Anonymous poll!

[Granucci]

had a question about the test: 355 owners only! More data samples needed! Anonymous poll!