Unfortunately I didn't read enough before I ordered my headers from you, I really should have.

 

If we do not stop buying junk from some countries that live like they are 3rd world than one day you won't have to buy it from them. You will buy it right here, from this 3rd world USA. It's no joke folks. I may even be wrong, we may not even be allowed to own these cars.
GOD help us

 

I know it also gives a few hp, but I usualy order jet hot headers for the protection against rust (on mild steel) more than the heat, so in my mind, stainless and jet hot is almost redundent to some extent

 

You need to seriously look into getting some anti-depressants.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that it is 100% impossible to never buy something from China. You probably do it on a weekly basis and you do it knowingly, but you just don't want to admit to it. The only difference with me is, I manned up and admitted it.

I bought these from a guy in Texas, who is an accounting student at the University of Texas. He obviously gave the guy in China less than $400 for them, so they way I see it, I'm just helping a kid through college.

This doesn't hold a candle to the amount of money Bush has given China in interest payments on the 100s of billions of dollars that he has borrowed from them. That's what you need to be scared about.



That 22% is $682 billion borrowed from China as of two months ago.

 

LG makes a great product and are A+ to deal with!

 

 

Please allow me to introduce myself(RollingStones) I see your candidate is going to fix the whole world...Cool. Depressants are sometimes needed, however not in this camp.
Now, You are correct, we all buy from China and not all of us are as happy about it as perhaps you and others are.Those that intentionally buy overseas may save alittle now, but will force us all to pay alot more later. Unscientific survey of mine is cars. Please for one week observe how many Americans drive foreign cars and also how many Foreigners drive American cars. Before you tell me that H and T are made here, the profits go home to those mother lands. If I were able, I would only buy my underwear from them.

GO AMERICA

 

I'm glad someone posted an honest, FIRST HAND experience on these headers in question. Answered every question I have had and now I know that I can (and hopefully will) get some.

As for the "morality" of it, yes, the leading manufacturers did spend money on R&D to create the designs. But that cost HAS to be covered by now (it's been 4 years) by all the people who HAD to have the "premium brands" right away. Costs and prices ought to be coming down by now. It's costs no more to make a LT header for a C6 than it does to make a header for a '77 Camaro.

2000C-5, Thank you for some excellent posts and pics!!

 

So the C6 itself is 4 years old...so it's R&D costs must be covered also? If some Chinese company knocked off the Corvette and had people selling it on ebay for $10K...only it was not called a Corvette and had nothing resembling a warranty and support you would buy it?

You can spin it however you want to not feel bad about buying them..but we all really know what the answer is when it comes to right and wrong.


As for your argument, the fact of the matter is..R&D aside, there is a HUGE difference between a company like say Kooks with 40 or so employees (making American wages), their own facility, tooling, dealer network, etc...and these ebay headers. The cost of being a real business is in many cases way more expensive than actually making the product. For instance the insurance (and the process of obtaining it) on these kinds of products is insane on it’s own. So it is simply not fair to compare that to these headers, which were likely shat out some bender in China in between runs of Walmart garden furniture. I mean the fact of the matter is...they were knocked off..and they are being sold out a driveway on ebay with not even a name. It's not a level playing field, and they are essentially cheating. I mean Kooks alone was a title sponsor to several major events last year. That alone likely cost more than this guys makes off 50 headers. But see...no one cares about stuff like that till their events have no sponsors.

That being said, it is America, and I concede that one of the things this country was built on is a free market. But also know...that the only thing out there protecting American business and production is the discretion of consumers to resist the temptation to buy the cheap crap flooding our shores...so that yourself or your neighbor might have a job. I mean..heck…I can live with the cheap stuff in China if I have to…however do things right. Design your own headers…setup a REAL business to sell/warranty them. Don’t cheat like these guys are doing.

I am sorry if I come across as mean or condescending...but it is how I feel. I also know some may discount my opinion because I am a dealer for whoever..but the fact of the matter is..I try and run an up and up reputable business. I know how much it costs to be in the business and do it legitimately...and I also know that the headers I sell are reasonable priced compared to their (American made) competition. As a business owner it is very frustrating to try and do everything right and then have all that not matter because the consumer is suddenly blinded by outrageously priced knockoffs being sold illegitimately out a driveway on ebay. What's even stranger is people who normally would not consider buying fake Rolex's or Foakley sunglasses have no issue putting knock off headers on a $50K sports car?

 

Ceramic coatings were actually initially designed for heat reduction way before corrosion resistance.

 

As a business owner it is very frustrating to try and do everything right and then have all that not matter because the consumer is suddenly blinded by outrageously priced knockoffs being sold illegitimately out a driveway on ebay. What's even stranger is people who normally would not consider buying fake Rolex's or Foakley sunglasses have no issue putting knock off headers on a $50K sports car?

Well said! It truly is not a level playing field, with all the governmental rules and regs of all sorts here and none in in China. You'd think the rat poison in dog food and baby formula would have been more of a wake up call for us. The one thing we can all do to help our economy recover is at least try our best to buy products made in the USA.

 

If I could buy a knock off Corvette for 10k I'd buy 4 to add to the real ones I have.

 

ok so what if those headers prove to be of good quality (do not rust or crak prematurely) and produce good hp gains? then what? the only hang ups will be they are not USA made...so then, it wouldn't be any different than shopping at Wal Mart...

 

So should we buy the "premium brands" b/c of the image they portray?? -So as not to "defame" the mighty "Corvette" image?? 'Cause that's the only reason I know of that one would buy a Rolex over a Timex. If you're (the vendors) are so "afraid" of losing business to import-made headers, why not import them and retail them yourselves?? Offer the "cheap knock-offs" (no evidence that they're actually cheap yet, BTW) for cheap asses like me, and sell the boutique names for all the brand-****** out there.

Answer me this: Why is a LT header for a C6 $1200+ and a LT header for a C4 is $414? Are Hooker Supercomp LT headers "Chinese"? Bent tubing, welded to a flange and a stamped collector, should be no more expensive on a C6 than for an '88 Mustang. And therein lies my beef w/the current "high end" headers. I don't care where my headers come from, but I do care about spending $1200+ on header; I won't do it.

And FYI, Since you're making assumptions about people's behavior, I won't buy a Rolex either; real or fake. One is a waste of money, the other, poseur. I'll buy a Timex. Get's the job done, at the right price.

 

I am waiting for future reviews on those headers to see how they hold up...this should be very interesting whether it is positive or negative

 

 

No...the difference is Walmart is a business...and most of the stuff they have is insured on some level and has a warranty..and hell even a name. These are headers being sold out someone's driveway with no name, no insurance, and no warranty. Again...like I said..it costs money to be a real business...THAT is why these are so cheap. Every bit of common sense would tell people to stay away but they are blinded by the cheapness.

Answer me this: Why is a LT header for a C6 $1200+ and a LT header for a C4 is $414? Are Hooker Supercomp LT headers "Chinese"? Bent tubing, welded to a flange and a stamped collector, should be no more expensive on a C6 than for an '88 Mustang. And therein lies my beef w/the current "high end" headers. I don't care where my headers come from, but I do care about spending $1200+ on header; I won't do it.

And FYI, Since you're making assumptions about people's behavior, I won't buy a Rolex either; real or fake. One is a waste of money, the other, poseur. I'll buy a Timex. Get's the job done, at the right price.[/QUOTE]

Blah.....you just don't get it. If Kooks said...screw it...we are closing our manufacturing line and sending all our production to China...several things would happen. First off they would be villified as soon as word hit the aftermarket..because while you have no issue with it..Chinese made stuff has a stigma. Secondly...at most you would save a hundred or two dollars on a set of headers. Kooks would still be a business, still have to warranty their stuff, market it, and support a dealer network. The problem is, it costs money to design your own products and be in business the right way. My whole point is these guys are skipping that.

Also know..on thing the knock off headers are famous for doing is selling their first run or two at break even or a loss to get them out there. If these stay around...the price will go up. I have seen it in other markets.

As for the Hooker comparision...those header designs are over 20 year old steel MIG welded designs that have been sold in much greater volume. On top of that..Hookers quality is nothing to call home about...they are all about volume (which is why they do not make headers for new Vettes). In most cases they also do not include cats or an X-pipe. Considering Kooks are stainless, TIG welded (takes 3x as long), and come in a whole range of sized and various X-pipes. The price is not out of line. Especially if you call around for pricing on them. One thing your not seeing is ARH, Kooks, LG...they are all VERY competitive. If one company could undercut the other by a few hundred..they would do it. Also..what did a C4 run new? I am willing to bet it is less than a C6.

Either way..you can buy whatever you want..and justify it however you want...but a fake Rolex is a fake Rolex no matter how you spin it.

 

Fair enough. I"ll remind you that I'm the "Timex" guy....because it WORKS. And steel tubing welded to a flange and a stamped collector is a HP increasing bolt on, that WORKS....boutique brand or otherwise. I know Hookers are mild steel. I also know how well they function and last; way longer than most people on this board will own their cars.

BTW, A C4 cost more in those days' dollars than a C6 costs now -and the number of C6's on the road is only going UP.

Edit: I'm starting to think that YOU don't "get it". There is NO NEED, for a tig welded, polished, stainless steel, $1200+ header on a Sunny Sundays recreational car. A decent, mild steel LT header will function and survive well enough for that duty. There is a market for a ~$500.00 header, and I'm it. MAKE the value header a legitimate business! Frankly, I'd much rather buy it from you than from someone's "driveway", as you describe it. Sell a product to us, or miss out.

 

Blah.....you just don't get it. If Kooks said...screw it...we are closing our manufacturing line and sending all our production to China...several things would happen. First off they would be villified as soon as word hit the aftermarket..because while you have no issue with it..Chinese made stuff has a stigma. Secondly...at most you would save a hundred or two dollars on a set of headers. Kooks would still be a business, still have to warranty their stuff, market it, and support a dealer network. The problem is, it costs money to design your own products and be in business the right way. My whole point is these guys are skipping that.

Also know..on thing the knock off headers are famous for doing is selling their first run or two at break even or a loss to get them out there. If these stay around...the price will go up. I have seen it in other markets.

As for the Hooker comparision...those header designs are over 20 year old steel MIG welded designs that have been sold in much greater volume. On top of that..Hookers quality is nothing to call home about...they are all about volume (which is why they do not make headers for new Vettes). In most cases they also do not include cats or an X-pipe. Considering Kooks are stainless, TIG welded (takes 3x as long), and come in a whole range of sized and various X-pipes. The price is not out of line. Especially if you call around for pricing on them. One thing your not seeing is ARH, Kooks, LG...they are all VERY competitive. If one company could undercut the other by a few hundred..they would do it. Also..what did a C4 run new? I am willing to bet it is less than a C6.

Either way..you can buy whatever you want..and justify it however you want...but a fake Rolex is a fake Rolex no matter how you spin it.[/QUOTE]
You get what you pay for!

 

Then why did you get a 'Vette instead of a Ferrari?