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whats up guys!!?!?

so im getting ready to do a nice little up grade to my 2003 wrx.

just got an injen cold air intake and i have been bumming around on ebay looking for headers and turbo-backs

i have found an ebay company that seems to have really good prices and what not but they are no name parts. all made of stainless steel and what not.(its all the same right? if its steel>>? name doesnt matter?!?!?)))

i would love some feed back on the following items.

the ebay company is dpt motorsports.

here are some items i have been looking at

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayI ... 0425143754

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayI ... 0441196817

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/UNIVERSA ... ccessories

any input would be greatly appreciated!!!

thanks!

I had that exhaust on my wagon it worked good the up pipe sucked the turbo flange stud holes had to be re tapped so i just **** canned it.

I'd do some reading around the forums before buying all that stuff.

steve is that the exhaust i have now that is said "crap"

i like it just the up pipe doesnt match up perfectly with the turbo....

wow man if all of that stuff lines up and runs decent, just find the up pipe and you will have a complete block-back exhaust for like 500 dollars. crazy. That sounds like what the ghetto blaster rallybucket needs......

I've seen bellmouth dp/ uppipe combos going for only $75 on ebay. Mighty tempting...

i think if the whole thing was heat wrapped and lined up fine it wouldn't be too terrible. but i would bet the exhaust mani would crack soon. aps stuff still cracks and that's what.. almost a grand just for that?

Damn thanks for your help guys. i will send that company a few questions.. if even the abs systems crack might as well give it a shot eh?

i think i might give it a try i have been recommended to a shop up here called shop 7 over off 21st street. I hear that the guy there is really good with subies. im going to pop my head in there for a final say. a guy that i talked to the other day gets everything done with them so i will check it out. have you guys heard of it?

ive heard of shop 7......

I'm going to be the nay-sayer here I guess. I absolutely think that stuff is garbage, a waste of money, time, effort, and will cause you nothing but headache down the road.
Are you running any sort of engine management? If not, that's your first step, whether its open-source or an AP, you need to do that before you start opening up the exhaust.
I've modded every single car I've ever owned and I've learned a very valuable lesson. Do not skimp on any part that can effect the driveability, reliability, or performance of your car. Sure, there's stuff that's priced wayyyy up there, and that's not always worth the extra $$. But a quality engineered, tested, and proven part will save you money (a lot) in the long run.

Oh, and as for shops, Solid is the only place I take my car (if I have to).

that's what my post meant, I was just too lazy to type that all^^^

i've got an ebay downpipe and it works fine.

ya i agree on not skimping out. i will be getting a engine management installed or uploaded when i install all the parts.

i have been talking to he people who have actually bought these products and they have nothing but good things to say about them...

Not starting this debate. I know plenty of people are perfectly happy with their ebay stuff, and I'm glad they are.
But you are paying people to steal good designs and remake them in the cheapest way possible. Some manuf. are higher priced because they need to pay for the R&D they put into the design in order to assure a good fit, dependable quality, measured performance, and high-quality materials.
It's a personal choice for me. I never buy knock-offs for anything I care about. It kills the respective industry and rewards predatory behavior.

^^^ True.... but you also could argue that it is the responsibility of the parts manufacturer to not gouge the price of parts, solely based upon the or the reputation of their brand. Although much credit must be given to the companies that do the research, you can't still charge $1200 for an exhaust that was engineered in 2003 for the first WRXs, particularly since their are companies out there duplicating it for much less.

Perhaps if those same companies came up with something "new" and better, they could charge more for it..... but to charge triple or even quadruple the amount of money for the same part, simply because it says "Apexi" or "Invidia" on it??? That doesn't make any sense.

If we were to look at it from that perspective...... I guess we should all own GMs, because technically they invented the turbocharger, right? Wouldn't that be "staying true to the manufacturer"?

<<<< Has had an eBay X02Racing exhaust on his 06 WRX for over 3 years, and 35k miles...... through 2 winters here in Utah so far..... and it still works flawlessly and hasn't rusted out. Best $350 I've ever spent.

With that said, I have "heard" that some of the aftermarket header and uppipe companies have been known to leave small burrs from the welds, that can get sucked up into the turbo. So I would do a considerable amount of research on that particular brand before purchasing.

BOV? Yes, that BOV is just as good as any other BOV I suppose, except it is likely going to make your car run poorly, or stall at stoplights, and backfire. Buying a BOV will do absolutely nothing for your performance, at all. NOTHING. However, if you must have one for the cool sound, get a recirculating BOV (I had a GFB 50/50 on my car), so at least you are recirculating air back to the intake so it doesn't mess up your A/F ratios.

What it boils down to..... is quality. There are plenty of less expensive companies that make parts that are perfectly fine...... there are also plenty of companies that don't. There is a LOT of crap on eBay..... there are also a lot of good deals to be found.

My "personal" rule of thumb..... is this:

If the part should fail, would it render your car inoperative? (a broken TBE won't...... a broken uppipe/header will)

If it has complex moving parts (turbos), buy the trusted name brand.

For non-moving hard parts like strut bars, exhausts, etc.... save a little money

..... do your research!!!!!!!!

eBay parts I have bought and I'm happy with:
strut bars
exhaust
gauge pods

parts I have not skimped on:
gauges
intercooler
turbo
springs/suspension