Quote:
Originally Posted by SS 376
I 1000% agree with you on China. There's no way America can compete with near-slave labor and a manipulated currency. And I'd support a 100% tariff on Chinese goods until they let their currency appreciate. China needs us a whole lot more than we need them. After all, I'm pretty sure the US was ok before China Inc. showed up, but China was 'the sick man of Asia' before we came along.
Still, that's a separate matter from whether ARH, Kooks and Co. are keeping prices somewhat artificially high... If ARH or Kooks are barely scraping by on a 3-5% profit margin, then I would say foreign-made stuff like OBX, Pacesetter and JBA (made in Mexico) is killing them. But if it costs $150 or $200 for Kooks, etc. to make headers, then it's hard to feel bad. And this is coming from someone who ONLY has American-made stuff on his car.
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Eh, I'd say call around I just got catted Kooks for about a G. These are $400 shipped add on some decent cats and your talking 700 shipped, it's really only a few hundred dollars more for the real thing. If they sell the chinese knockoffs for 400 produced by machines/kids/beaten women etc... there's no way Kooks cost is anywhere near to that. I'd imagine 600-800 per catted set material and labor. So depending on what you pay for them their net on each is 30 to 40%, compared to most industries, that's pretty low, hell anything under 100% is pretty low for a business that is not high velocity but specialty.
Check this video out
it's a tour of their shop in NC it gives you an idea of what goes into making these, it ain't cheap!