Can someone explain the insanity of charging $350 for a catless DP ?

I mean it's just a piece of pipe, 2 flanges, a mounting bracket and an O2 bung. Can't be more then $25 in material and maybe 2 hours labor.

Back in the day a cat test pipe was about $50 at most.

Or is it just because it's for a MINI

 

its because people want to spend that much money and talk down to the $100 test pipes

i seriously think its the car community as a whole and not just mini or in my case the 370z community

 

Or maybe it's because stuff just costs more now that gas isn't $0.25 a gal.

Someone had to make it, sell it, ship it, etc. it all ads up.

Besides it is a lot cheaper than an oem catalytic converter

 

the only problem is that china can do it for $100 and still make money off it, some things are just stupidly priced for what it is, look at HKS, they want $2500 for their exhaust, china can make one that out performs their exhaust for less then $300(check 350z hks vs rep) and still make money off it
what some people fail to realize is that some things are worth the money(like pistons, bearings, ect.) while other things are not worth the price big name companies want(intake, exhausts, downpipes, ect.)


thats a really **** poor comparison you made btw if that was the case, why are laptops and mobile devices getting cheaper and cheaper every year and pack more and more into them?

 

I build and sell my own DP's, and to do it properly, with high end materials and for it to fit correctly, the parts alone are way more than you would expect. It was a huge learning curve and eye opener, on how much money, time and talent it takes to build something you can be proud of. I even, Extreme Ceramic Coated them to keep heat out the engine compartment and in the pipe.

 

Totally agree!

 

ok you build and sell your own downpipes, i respect that, not many people can say they do that and on top of it you ceramic coat your downpipes, you're not even competing with most downpipes out there since most of them are stainless steel

however lets talk brand vs brand
you cant possibly tell me this http://www.cntracing.com/CNT-Racing-...dp-mini-nc.htm
is worse than this
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rennenstil-Performance-Exhaust-Downpipe-for-R55-R56-R57-Mini-Cooper-S-2007-2012-/371022774988?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&fits=Model%3ACooper%7CSubmodel%3AS&hash=item5662ae42cc&vxp=mtr
the CNT downpipe even has a resonator which in theory will make it more expensive than the Rennenstil downpipe, i sure as hell know they both will make the same power(within 5hp of each other give or take) but why does one costs nearly double the price of the other?

thats a classic example of name brand mark up, i see it all the time and its even worse in the 370z community(that was literally you have 2 pipes exactly the same in every way, but the name brand costs $350 and the no name costs $100)

 

I bought and installed a CNT racing catted dp I did have to grind out the top O2 bung to get the sensor in but apart from that bolted straight in. I did read some where they are made in China what other manufactures are Charing is just ridiculous.

 

everything is made in china now a days, better profit margins for companies

 

Besides making mine of 100% 304stainless steel and having the flanges cut by a Wet Jetter, my DP's fit. My first reason was to make a DP, for the average garage mechanic, to install it with out fitment headaches. The high quality materials was a no brainer, because I hate cheap crap.

Below are a few pix of my competitors DP's, notice the horrible fitment where the flange meets the turbo. Even if you can mange to get the flange to fit, inside it's way off, making the air slam into a metal wall.

 

CNT is advertised as stainless steel and had 304 stamped on it been on the car for over a year with zero rust. As far as made in China is concerned look at all the big brands now getting products manufactured there no price drop for consumers but an instance boost in profit margins.

 

This is a good looking dp! Where can one buy one of these and how much are they?

 

Agreed, I would also be interested

 

You guys must be trying to make Mario . Those pics he posted are of a competitors dp that he saying is low quality compared to his

 

Nah, if you look, they're quoting his earlier post where he is showing his DP

 

+1...he's shown me pics of his via email. I was impressed.

 

Oh, wait... I already did, LOL...

Great product. Those $300ish DP's cannot compare... And why buy a DP w/a high flow CAT that still restricts flow and may also trigger a CEL.

 

FYI when cats came out in 74/75 gas was not .25

 

Sorry, I'll get my coat

 

+1 on that. IMHO we install DP's for two reasons.
1. To reduce back pressure for quicker spool and better top end.
2. To eliminate the extra source of heat after shut down that tries to cook our turbo bearings.

I guess you could say three reasons for some people as it certainly gives the exhaust a more aggressive tone.

 

#2 seems more important to me... I would not want a high flow catted DP that would cook the turbo the same as the stock one.

And waiting ten minutes after a drive with your car on is quite silly.

I'm curious about the ceramic coating though. I want the stock look so my heat shields are going to stay installed either way, but I'm not sure the benefit one would see from a ceramic coating if you've still got your heat shields. Anyone wiser?

 

I'm excited then, I got the high flow DP so that means I'll be able to get a new turbo put on eventually:-). Gives me an excuse.

 

I guess I need to ask if anyone on this thread has kids or grandkids first ? Then have they read that breathing issues, Asthma ETC are up 70% in 10 years. That begs the question, why would you take off your Cats (breaking the law not withstanding) for a few HP , you cant keep saying 1 car wont make a difference or let the future generations worry about it.

 

Yes I do. Google Hygiene Hypothesis, then ionizer air cleaner and ozone. Finally please see the attached.

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db121.htm

Skin allergies are skyrocketing whereas respiratory and food allergies appear to be increasing at the same rate in recent years.. In point of fact respiratory allergy levels are actually lower than they were in 2000-2002.

 

If you care so much about the air you breathe, keep it to yourself. We like to mod cars, and if you don't agree we don't need you to police your thoughts. Thanks.