Time for me to hit Barnes and Noble

 

You can bet I will

 

[quote=MiniMacPR]My budget right know cannot handle both a cat back and a header and I think the consensus is to go for the cat back before the header, right? quote]

I'd a OBX header and 1-ball before adding a Catback

 

I went with this set-up and have to tell you that I found positive gains both seat of pants and via my G-Tech. I really question how much of a "true comprimise" its is to re-use the stock cat for daily driving. The fact that OBX and such do not come with a high flow cat - is easily resolved since they are readily available via the aftermarket.

 

You will definitely find positive gains because a header works. How much gain? How much do you want to spend? A good high flow cat is $500 and up. And a Supersprint cat will cost you around $1000. http://www.supersprintna.com/product...arch_model/100

OBX must have a hard time knocking cats off, huh? You get what you pay for…

 

I think this is an excellent point. At the same time it is possible to overpay for what you get (or even not get). In the case of the OBX header, you get a lot of value for the money. Even after factoring in that the install might be a little harder* and that they do not offer a CAT.

* In my case the install was insignificant but following OBX threads it is clear that quality control at OBX is perhaps not the HIGHEST of standards. I do wish to point out that materials and welds were first rate in my experience.

Besides $$, TIME is a variable. We each place a different dollar value on our time. For those that place a high dollar value on time, OBX may not be the way to go because the threads point out that install time may vary, as well as having to source a CAT, welds, ect.... BUT it is a very viable alternative for many enthusiats.

Those that claim that OBX is a SS knock-off are "guessing" for their statement is not based on any shared facts. I have yet to see SS take any position that it was an unauthorized reproduction. I went as far as to ask them and they choose not to respond. That doesn't mean that it was authorized but it doesn't mean that it wasn't either.

Perhaps purely coincidence but since the emergence of the OBX Header - header prices have come down!

 

"Perhaps purely coincidence but since the emergence of the OBX Header - header prices have come down!"

Competition is a good thing

 

"You get what you pay for" is not necessarily true....especially with emergence of the manufacturing prowess of the Pacific Rim.....example....remember those DVD players for $20-25 at the gas stations about ayear ago...... they were actually among the best on the American market at the time.... for this simple reason...... in China they bootleg movies instantly and the copies are of poor quality..... the cheap decks that came over here had been modified to play even the worst quality DVDs so that they could be sold domestically in China..... it is estimated the original mfg made $1 or less per machine..... those DVDs would not play on the machines selling for ..... whatever Best Buy was selling them for..... the point is some of the best mfg in the world is being done in brand new very sophisticated plants with the best equipment available..... life is good when there is no "intelectual property law" no OSHA.....no pollution police....etc..etc ..etc...

 

I don't disagree. I acknowledged the point trying to make the point that it was not necessarily true.

I don't like it any more than you but the world is not a level playing field (it never has been). Americans only see when the playing field is tiltled away from them not when it is has been tilted in their favor in the past. The U.S. had its Industrial age, its gone and will never reappear. The U.S. is currently at the tail end of its Service age and it too will disappear. When you are at the top (U.S.) there is no where to go but down unfortunately.

 

As I mentioned I have headers in development. At least concerning my business I stand by my words that you get what you pay. Points to consider when purchasing a header:
Flange plate primary shape; simply round or "D" shaped like the exhaust port.
Design; 4-2-1, tri-Y, or stock shape.
Cat; MTH offers a Euro 4 rating, i.e., it is good for California. 3 cats will be offered (200 & 400 cell metallic, and 400 cell ceramic) as well as a test pipe.
Software: the ability to benefit from engine modifications.
Easy of installation, quality of build, warranty, etc.
Stay tuned…

 

Hi,

I really wasn't argueing your point but agreeing with you ...... also the mfgs of the world are big boys and they know the rules or lack there of.....these are the realities of the modern global market.

to Don's point......original ideas are not the forte of the Chineese mfg 800 lb gorilla etc...yet.... new and original ideas are always at a premium and deserve higher prices.... the life cycle just keeps getting shorter/compressed

 

I will take this opportunity to augment this list:
The quality of the flex joint. They are not all made the same, and lower quality/cost ones may take time to seal, or may never seal.
Not just the shape of the ports in the head flange, but also the size of the flange: the better headers have more material around the ports, not just to allow you to match them to enlarged head ports if you want/need to , but also to provide a larger area for the gasket to seal. The OEM head gasket has very large port holes and some Chinese header flanges do not allow you to use the OEM gasket.
The size of the mounting holes on the header flange. Better headers have smaller holes that are exactly aligned to the head. Cheaper headers have larger holes that allow for some alignment flexibility, but this also means the mounting bolts are not well set against the flange (of course, there are 8 of them so this is not a fatal flaw, but can be the source of potential leaks and gasket blow-outs over time.)
Placement of the o2 sensor bungs. Especially the pre-cat bung. One Chinese header places the o2 sensor against the heat shield right where the gear shift cables run--something has to wear, or you must do some serious remodelling of the heat shield that compromises its effectiveness.

There is a difference between headers, I have absolutely no doubt. I have seen an MTH header, ceramic coated. It's *very* impressive, but also very expensive. There are NO installation issues with it, though. This is true for other headers, I just use it as an example.

cheers,

 

Thank you, professor, for your thoughtful addendum to my list.

 

Thanks for the information.... in our industry there are copies that are so close that they even leave in the original company name on the circuit board.....an exact copy..... these guys are not that "good"...yet

 

Even though this thread veered towards a header discussion tangent with alot of interesting input, I just wanted to post a final outcome of the original thread. I ended up purchasing a used Milltek from the NAM marketplace and I am very pleased with the purchase .

I had heard about the Milltek "b@ner" in several threads here on NAM but never thought it was this obvious:

 

alta .alta, alta , ...why? because it's the one i bought ;and i'll be dambed if i'm gonna say it's anything but awsome.