I think that you get what you pay for, but I don't like to pay for bragging rights. I play a Mexican made Telecaster, and if they don't ask I don't tell. If they could tell the difference they wouldn't ask anyway. A fool and his money is soon parted.

 

its not just the name its the quality. why half ass

 

What you say is true, it is a fact though that at times you will get more than what you pay for, if a prestigious label isn't part of the package.

 

So this has all been good info, and I think I'm going to be going with a test pipe instead and keeping the stock headers for now, because FI is in the future, just not sure when. (Def. after my wedding at least, so not for another year or so)

I have to say that with Fender, it's rarely much of an issue if you have the U.S. or overseas spec guitars, but the comparison hit home for me because I play Bass, and I own one pre-Gibson handmade Tobias bass and a Gibson made out-sourced import Tobias and the different in sound, feel, components, etc. is like night and day. The mass produced one still sounds great, but when I have them side by side, the choice is very clear.

A-spec cat delete it is...

 

I think that the stock Exhaust "header" is very well suited for all but highly modified engines. As for Gibson guitars, I own a Dobro electric resonator guitar that I paid more for than any 2,3 or 4 of the other dozen or more guitars I own. It doesn't get played much either, it is made by Gibson and can't touch a decent Asian built resonator guitar that sells for 1/4th the price. I don't know one chord, but play slide in open tunings, and diatonic and chromatic harmonica. Blues of course. Born and raised in Oak Cliff Texas. It's a natural thing.

 

im just saying because yeah your trying to save a buck but what makes you think they arent trying to do the samething.

most of those companies dont test thier products at all

 

I don't know about most companies not testing their products, but the way that so many things of low quality are being marketed on the net it is a persons best interest to research a product and seller very thoroughly. Of course a brick and mortar establishment is going to be the safest bet and most of the time worth the additional cost.

 

save ur moneys and go forced induction, bolt on parts practically do nothing.

 

Agreed Redrumm, if a product is sold for CHEAP (especially THAT cheap) then expect it to have been made, tested, and designed for even CHEAPER (if tested AT ALL). whats funny, i bet the seller took a stock header from a FIT, polished it and cleaned it up and is trying to pass it as a "performance header" for $60...ya never know.

 

did you get the stainless steel CAI? after one oil change my intake filter was drenched in motor oil. it is so hard to keep the skidplate clean from motor oil during an oil change. ;/ it did perform just fine until the filter was destroyed and i decided to put on the factory intake. 60$ air filters every oil change + scrubbing the skidplate aint fun ;D fitment was also doo doo. was unable to secure it at the mounting points. it pretty much was held in place by the skidplate.

 

It's a short ram intake, looks similar to the weapon r secret intake... 90 degree elbow from the TB then a 90 degree curved tube in the opposite direction puts the filter in front of the battery and nearly into the fender. I kept the stock rubber pipe thing and inserted it into the inner cone of the filter and it works awesome. I clean it about once a month - usually a little dusty on the outside, maybe a couple bugs, but never any oil... I could see how oil could become a problem with a longer CAI setup.

The company is n-Take on ebay. They actually had a pretty lousy original setup with just a 90 degree bend and pipe that put the filter right behind the radiator. I check my scan gauge and on the same day I put it on, check intake air temp, and then put the OEM box back and checked the temps and it was like 5 to 10 degree difference; cooler with the OEM box. So I sent them some photos and suggestions and they sent me new parts to put together what I have now. They now sell that kit. It's worth the 50 or 60 they are selling it for. Good materials too.

But as mentioned above, stainless steel headers/exhaust is definitely something different altogether.

 

I think that a lot of the lesser "knock-off" companies survive on the placebo effect that comes from bolt on parts. Especially in the case of the Fit where the gains to be had are pretty small. They figure if you paid 60 bucks for thier header and it doesn't blow your skirt up what have you really lost? Whereas with a Js or Mugen item after you pay through the nose for something you are going to want more than "I think it feels a LITTLE stronger" Bear in mind that there is no free lunch, a 60 dollar header may be a knock-off of a good design, but in the end the finished product simply won't be the same as the real thing (ie the guitar examples qouted above) I'm all for saving money on my mods where sensible, but I'll do it by buying quality stuff USED.