[bluetorp]

Having been on both sides of the "budget" vs. "premium" header fence, I guess I'll throw my two cents in.

When I first got into LS equipped vehicles with my 2002 T/A, I bought Pacesetter headers. I would have loved to put a set of ARH's on there, but I simply couldn't afford it. They were budget headers, but they were well built and designed. They fit great, and they performed. I had zero complaints about them and have no second thoughts about recommending them to anyone who is looking at a budget header for a 4th gen F-body. Budget headers fill a needed role in the marketplace, and budget does not have to mean crap.

That being said, a premium header is a premium header for a reason. Premium headers typically have things that budget headers do not, like hand smoothed ports, tuned length primaries, HVMCs, and collector spikes. They're usually stainless, and most budget headers are mild steel. All of these things add to cost. You're also paying for the additional R&D costs that come from developing a premium header, and in the case of Kooks and ARH, you're also paying more for the fact that the materials and workmanship are all sourced domestically. So no, they don't cost more just because Kooks or ARH feel like they can charge more- they cost more because they are legitimately more expensive to design and produce for all of the reasons above.

It also means that in most cases, a premium header will outperform a budget header. After a couple years, the elements made it through the ceramic coating on my Pacesetters and they started rusting up. My financial situation at that point was different, and I bought a set of ARH headers to replace the Pacesetters. Peak power with the ARH headers was about the same, but I made more torque and more power under the curve with them over the Pacesetters. I definitely felt that the additional performance was worth the extra cost.

Now, as regards the OBX headers: I've never seen a set in person, but they look like they go a bit beyond what's typical of a budget header. They also look suspiciously identical to Kooks. Without having a set of both in front of me, I certainly can't say that they are direct copies. If they in fact are, that alone, regardless of material, quality, or where they were made, would ensure that OBX never got any of my business. It's an unethical business practice, and copying another company's header design allows you to undercut that company in the marketplace by default, because you don't have to pay the R&D costs associated with designing that header. I'm not saying that OBX has done this, but if they have it's completely wrong, and I'll certainly stand up and say that nobody should buy OBX headers because of it. Has anyone actually taken any detailed dimensions and measurements to prove or disprove the similarity of the OBX header to the Kooks header?

All I can say is that they're stainless, the materials and craftsmanship look solid whatever the source, and they appear to have tuned length primaries. As budget headers go, that would make them pretty fantastic. No idea whether or not they have HVMCs or collector spikes. I'd call them a great option for someone who cannot afford (or does not want to pay for) Kooks or ARH, but if they are in fact direct copies of the Kooks header, then OBX doesn't deserve to sell a single set.