this is not a moral discussion .... that has been done..... this is technical

are the welds good.... is it all stainless...... do the plates match up to the head cleanly..... is the tubing the same gauge as the competitors etc..

I don't want to hear about Supersprint....if you want to go there revive the old thread

 

I too would like to know the above mentioned. So any input? Early BUMP

 

everythink looked real good less one item I'll get to in a bit. The ports and holes on the flange lined up with the gasket perfectly. Weld quality appeared very good as well. The only problem is that one of my primaries didn't go into the flange perpendicularly (Is that a word even?) and combined with a larger weld bead, didn't allow for the original bolt to be used. Had to use one stud there with a nut.

I've had the header on for quite a while, and it puts off more heat, that's for sure. I wish I'd had it coated before putting it in. Now when I yank it to coat, I'll have some down time, and that's always a drag. But I haven't had a single header related issue at all, and I'm still a happy camper...

Matt

 

what about sound/performance? any differences

 

I believe the OBX and the Megan are both made in China. The welds appear to be very high quality--even and complete. The material is stainless steel but of a thinner guage than many headers made in the US that I've seen. The Megan flex joint is smaller than others, and I don't believe the OBX comes with a flex joint.
I think the thinner guage could explain the heat radiation. I wrapped my Megan and it certainly dissipates less heat than either an unwrapped Megan or the stock header. I'd say this is true for the OBX as well.
I hope this helps,

 

wrapped with what j/w haha

 

can anyone say definitively the gauge of steel used and is the plate stainless?

 

Let BahamaBart chime in!

He has one and looks like he loves it!

 

How abouyt the Meghan?

 

I had my OBX header installed at a place that normally installs Porsche performance parts; the mechanic had never seen an OBX product before and he commented on how nice of a header it was. He said the welds were excellent and the quality was top notch. He asked me how much I paid for it and when I told him $200 bucks, he laughed out loud. I am extremely satisfied with it.

 

I haven't installed my OBX headers yet. The welding is good, but there are a couple of problems....

1) A couple of the primaries do not line up with the prots on the flange perfectly. i.e. there is a bit of a "step" between the port and the pipe itself.

2) The ports themselves aren't straight, they're quite wavy (check gallery for pics)

3) The gasket isn't brilliant at all

You get what you pay for. If i had more money, i'd buy a better set of headers

 

I am also interested in getting a header soon

deciding between OBX and Megan.. Let us hear some things about them..!


O plus, how much do people charge for installing headers (on average?)

 

well with the OBX you have to use the stock cat, and to cut it off the stock headers and weld it onto the OBX, and the install itself, i was quoted AUD120 = USD90

 

I'm getting ready to install my obx header this month. What are you guys coating it with or wrapping it with in order to cut down the heat? Like to know this now, before it goes on... TIA Michael

 

Here is my 2 cents. It is my beief that headers as a MOD add a limited or relatively small amount of HP/TQ on thier own. That being my view, I look at the HP/TQ to dollar gain. There are many threads on the OBX that discuss pros & cons. The Cons primarily being a moral argument on SS.

I am delighted with my OBX Header - for the following reasons

1) build quality was good - bends and welds.
2) install was overall easy, I had difficulty w/ one bolt. The holes lining up - I honestly didn't measue but saw no visible problems. (see old threads if need be)
3) 10,000 miles no issues with header, nor gaskets.
4) OBX drove price drops in others.

I was so delighted with the VALUE aspect that I am also running the OBX catback. Rather than drop a dime on a just a catback I managed tp purchase a header and catback (not a true full catback) for 500 in parts! My belief is that my set-up makes more HP/TQ than any Catback alone on the market.
I would recommend both to any budget minded enthusiasts.

 

You could rap it but you would be best off with a powder coat.

 

You can add any CAT you like - you are not limited to the stock cat.

While there is a lot of talk about the stock cat not being flow thru enought - I have the obx header + stock cat + stock straight pipe + obx exhaust. I personally don't see the need for increase diameter straight pipe not aftermarket cat to obtain SOP gains.

 

powder coat with what? get it done where? Rough idea of cost?

 

I had my OBX coated with Jet-Hot and it seems to work pretty well. I had the local muffler shop weld on the stock cat for $5 and my installer charged $150 or so to put it on. One stud was used since it didnt match up perfect, but other than the nut falling off of one of the exhaust/cat flange its been great. Great value for the money.

 

The OBX has been in my 2003 S mini for about a year and a half. One of the best mod for the MINI S. It hads a LOT of torque on the low end, because it is a 4-2-1 configuration. Unlike our 4-1 OEM stock header that is more configured for HP at the high end. I love it. Had no problems doing the installation myself, but had to drive the cat-less MINI to a local shop to get the stock cat installed. Let me tell you that the MINI cat-less requires earing protection and you will not go past 2500 RPM or you will loose your mind.

There is a lot of information on the original OBX thread. The first page has Dyno numbers. I posted pictures of the install in page 4, including the Cat installation.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...&highlight=OBX

I did this with the stock cat-back and the low end torque was amazing. When I installed the less restrictive cat-back, I lost some of that low end torque for higher end HP. Nice balance, but at times wish I want back to the OBX with stock cat-back to get that torque back. Enjoy.

Bomboasy

 

sorry, i didn't mean to imply that the stock cat was the only possible option, i just meant that OBX doesn't supply you with a cat.....

 

Thanks to all for your posts.....

 

just wanted to be clear for others. By the way the obx w/ stock cat is a great combo.

 

on "thermal barrier coating" in your favorite search engine..... You can often find local companies that will do it for you.

Matt

 

I am running the OBX header on the stock cat attached to the M7 pipes and I really like the combo. Sounds great! However, there is no flex joint in the header and it did not come with a donut gasket. I went and got one, installed it, but I did have a heck of a time getting a rattle eliminated... It would buzz from like 2800-3k rpm. I had to install some longer bolts and stronger springs on the flange. Worked like a champ.