Ebay Headers
Pro
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 667
Likes: 36
I can summarize this debate fairly well:
Brand name parts are expensive, you are paying for a warranty of fitment and quality.
OBX makes pretty good parts; they have for years, and this is pretty well known; Not just for the Vette but across the industry. They do have the occasional QA issue, but normally you can get them exchanged.
Vendors that sell name brand parts hate when people start singing the praises of budget parts on a forum that they pay good money to advertise on; and generally over exaggerate the risks of buying cheaper parts because their business depends on people buying expensive premium parts.
I personally do not buy knock off parts, not because I feel that OBX is a bad brand, or that I will have issues with the parts, but because I have a moral objection in buying knock off parts made overseas that ends up hurting American innovators, businesses and families.
Brand name parts are expensive, you are paying for a warranty of fitment and quality.
OBX makes pretty good parts; they have for years, and this is pretty well known; Not just for the Vette but across the industry. They do have the occasional QA issue, but normally you can get them exchanged.
Vendors that sell name brand parts hate when people start singing the praises of budget parts on a forum that they pay good money to advertise on; and generally over exaggerate the risks of buying cheaper parts because their business depends on people buying expensive premium parts.
I personally do not buy knock off parts, not because I feel that OBX is a bad brand, or that I will have issues with the parts, but because I have a moral objection in buying knock off parts made overseas that ends up hurting American innovators, businesses and families.
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 4,231
Likes: 451
From: Maryland
All of this is wrong. He posted one picture of a bad weld. This is not indicative of all of them.
Cheaper headers have lower quality control, and lack merge spikes. I haven't found anything else that makes them inferior.
I bought and installed OBX headers. They fit perfectly, made the same power as the big brands (based on trap speed), and had good welds. I did the magnet test and it did not stick. Here is a pic of my primaries...
Attachment 47766118
Attachment 47766119
Attachment 47766120
And the stock manifolds ARE NOT good. The reason for longtubes would be to aid in scavenging among other things. This would be the only argument against cheap headers, but they have shown over and over to be equal in power to brands that cost $1000+ more.
Cheaper headers have lower quality control, and lack merge spikes. I haven't found anything else that makes them inferior.
I bought and installed OBX headers. They fit perfectly, made the same power as the big brands (based on trap speed), and had good welds. I did the magnet test and it did not stick. Here is a pic of my primaries...
Attachment 47766118
Attachment 47766119
Attachment 47766120
And the stock manifolds ARE NOT good. The reason for longtubes would be to aid in scavenging among other things. This would be the only argument against cheap headers, but they have shown over and over to be equal in power to brands that cost $1000+ more.
What's your best MPH so far and with what mods? 
Last edited by C7/Z06 Man; Feb 10, 2014 at 11:23 PM.
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 13,592
Likes: 187
From: Hudson WI
NCM Sinkhole Donor
No one is going to change anyone's mind, so I guess it is time to sign off!
Good luck and don't forget to get Walmart brand oil for your car at the next oil change because it is real bargain!
Good luck and don't forget to get Walmart brand oil for your car at the next oil change because it is real bargain!
Pro
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 521
Likes: 14
From: Denham Springs Louisiana
Now we have vendors comparing Chinese made headers with Japanese car sales?
Headers ARE headers. Tubing/bends/welds. Not much to it really.
ALL perform roughly the same. Now.. if brand Chinese made 30hp and brand USA made 65+hp..then you could argue cost to performance ratio. However, that's just not going to happen.
Headers ARE headers. Tubing/bends/welds. Not much to it really.
ALL perform roughly the same. Now.. if brand Chinese made 30hp and brand USA made 65+hp..then you could argue cost to performance ratio. However, that's just not going to happen.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 2,626
Likes: 195
From: On the east coast we drive until we die
LG has extensively tested and designed their "own" headers that have repeatedly shown to produce more power than the other brands. If you are trying to get every little bit of power out of your car then LG is the best proven choice. They are a small business and do their own thing, for that type of specialty they demand higher prices and get them.
Take Texas Speed vs AR, there's a thousand dollar difference between the two do you know why? I'll tell you why because Texas Speeds are made in China and AR are made in the states. Now AR gets their tubing from overseas and assembles them here. Is there any difference in quality or performance between the two? The answer is no! The price difference for labor is no where justified in my opinion.
The TS headers are a hundred more than Ebay, I will gladly spend a hundred more to support an American company, but not a thousand.
Take Texas Speed vs AR, there's a thousand dollar difference between the two do you know why? I'll tell you why because Texas Speeds are made in China and AR are made in the states. Now AR gets their tubing from overseas and assembles them here. Is there any difference in quality or performance between the two? The answer is no! The price difference for labor is no where justified in my opinion.
The TS headers are a hundred more than Ebay, I will gladly spend a hundred more to support an American company, but not a thousand.
Got it from Z06Vette.com, when AR and LG were having a disagreement. Was said that AR gets their collectors from cone industries (same as LG), they are castings made in a Chinese factory that builds Castings for GM and the Camaro. AR didn't deny this fact, so one would think it to be an accurate statement.
Could be totally false but It was not denied
Could be totally false but It was not denied
Aren't their Street Series Headers made overseas, or from overseas material, which is why they are able to offer them at a lower price than the Pro Series?
These are things I've read on here so please correct me if I misinterpreted it or am not remembering the info correctly. I'll be honest, I don't know much about where the big 3 header companies source their material from. (LG, ARH, Kooks)
Advanced
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 88
Likes: 0
My set looks like dev1360's, and I'm happy about that. But I question whether ugly welds or metal overlap has any material effect on performance (horsepower, torque, installation on the car, or durability for the first 10 years).
We should put together a bail-out package for the U.S. header manufacturers. If GM gets one to fend off Hyundai, Header Co. should get one to fend off China Co. Too big to fail.
I've yet to see a knock-off intake or knock-off exhaust. Maybe there are none for sale. I wouldn't expect the best value proposition to lose much of the time in the U.S. economy. But I guess the thing that is supposed to make this industry exempt from the same forces that have crushed other U.S. manufacturing industries (and jobs) is that there is no such thing as value when you are modifying a car. Hey, at least GM has had to adapt and maintain price competitiveness.
We should put together a bail-out package for the U.S. header manufacturers. If GM gets one to fend off Hyundai, Header Co. should get one to fend off China Co. Too big to fail.
I've yet to see a knock-off intake or knock-off exhaust. Maybe there are none for sale. I wouldn't expect the best value proposition to lose much of the time in the U.S. economy. But I guess the thing that is supposed to make this industry exempt from the same forces that have crushed other U.S. manufacturing industries (and jobs) is that there is no such thing as value when you are modifying a car. Hey, at least GM has had to adapt and maintain price competitiveness.
Last edited by cmorales515; Feb 10, 2014 at 04:09 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 6,449
Likes: 371
From: Maryville TN
St. Jude Donor '06-13,'16-'17, '19
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 2,626
Likes: 195
From: On the east coast we drive until we die
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 4,231
Likes: 451
From: Maryland
Un-lumped/Smooth Transition = faster, good.
PS: My headers had "Speed Bumps" too! Now they only have some internal undercutting (which is below the metal surface level) See/read my thread.
Edit: Do not remove "Speed Bumps" unless you know what you are doing, because you could make the tubing to thin or worse.
Last edited by C7/Z06 Man; Feb 10, 2014 at 11:43 PM.
Advanced
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 88
Likes: 0
Yeah, I know what looks bad and what looks good. That's really not tough. But what do the looks matter? How much HP or TQ are we talking about? Is it material? That's all that matters to me. If I just went by what looks good and what looks bad, I'd have bought different stuff. That's a net that high $ vendors use.
Last edited by cmorales515; Feb 10, 2014 at 11:40 PM.
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 4,231
Likes: 451
From: Maryland
Yeah, I know what looks bad and what looks good. That's really not tough. But what do the looks matter? How much HP or TQ are we talking about? Is it material? That's all that matters to me. If I just went by what looks good and what looks bad, I'd have bought different stuff. That's a net that high $ vendors use.
PS: "Heavy" Grand Sport "Bolt-on" records; the guy right behind me is over 6 mph slower and is running the same "type" of stuff. I think he has a professional dyno tune where mine is not and aftermarket CAI, etc. In General I think the long tube 4 into 1 works best and I use 1 3/4" primaries for more torque/muscle.
Last edited by C7/Z06 Man; Feb 11, 2014 at 12:43 AM.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 3,807
Likes: 508
From: Oshawa, Ontario
perfect
I always buy the Mobil 1 5w30 synthetic and proper GM oil filter that are always 1/2 price at Walmart.dont even have to go to the dealer.hard to beat that
Intermediate
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 27
Likes: 0
Now we have vendors comparing Chinese made headers with Japanese car sales?
Headers ARE headers. Tubing/bends/welds. Not much to it really.
ALL perform roughly the same. Now.. if brand Chinese made 30hp and brand USA made 65+hp..then you could argue cost to performance ratio. However, that's just not going to happen.
Headers ARE headers. Tubing/bends/welds. Not much to it really.
ALL perform roughly the same. Now.. if brand Chinese made 30hp and brand USA made 65+hp..then you could argue cost to performance ratio. However, that's just not going to happen.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,044
Likes: 5
From: Canton MI
One thing I never got is people spend all this money on a Corvette. Then they go out and spend even more money on pretty lights, shiny chrome stuff, and so forth. Then they spend even more money on an intake and $1000 exhaust.
Yet as soon as it comes to headers, it's time to go thrift shopping on ebay? I mean there is a TON of overpriced stuff out there, that does nothing for performance and it sells without a gripe. Yet headers, which can add 10% or more power they turn into Scooge Mcduck.
) and I went 11.9@120. So thats roughly, 4 tenths and 4mph faster than GM's time? That cost me 700 dollars. 1800 bucks and maybe I go 11.7? 
Hell, at that rate, I am 35% of the way to 200rwhp with an ECS/AA kit . Or a complete nitrous kit that is 150-200 rwhp. That's why for some of us that maybe don't make six figures, the half priced header w/ the same power makes a lot of sense.
Just trying to enlighten you to the thought process. No jabs here. I think your a solid vendor, you have informative posts, and I'll likely purchase from you again in the future.