Headers INSANE prices

[Blownfogger540]

All the stainless headers and exhaust look good before you weather them

but stainless steels are all not created equal you can have many qualities/grades of 304 SS that most companies use

and from my own experience you get what you pay for ARH being the best looking down the road/time that is

some guys don't care what the bottom side of their car looks like some do
same size headers from one company to the next is not gona make you go any faster

[GMTool]

Originally Posted by Nor Cal ZL1

So I guess that supporting American Labor and materials makes one an idiot these days. I mean why pay an American worker a decent wage, where maybe, just maybe he can retire, or possibly send a kid through College. When you can just weld em up with near slave labor overseas.

I would rather spend a few extra to put some food on the table of an American worker any day of the week.

You and me would get along great. I buy Made in USA all I can.

[blakjak55]

Originally Posted by Nor Cal ZL1

So I guess that supporting American Labor and materials makes one an idiot these days. I mean why pay an American worker a decent wage, where maybe, just maybe he can retire, or possibly send a kid through College. When you can just weld em up with near slave labor overseas.

I would rather spend a few extra to put some food on the table of an American worker any day of the week.

While I agree with your sentiment, the markup on headers is ridiculous. There's no way to justify those prices given that it doesn't take that much time, materials, or research these days. A large amount of the R&D has already been done and once the jigs and forms are in place or the program has been validated on the machine, the price to produce goes down drastically and in a hurry. It doesn't cost $1000 to make a set of headers. They're not made out of titanium nor are they all hand cut and welded like something from Racefit. I like my money to go as far as it can, same as the American worker trying to make that decent wage.

[supergt99]

Originally Posted by Redrocker1958

I have heard this before.why is that?.they offer GM multi layer gaskets and new bolts for $35. And are the factory bolts good to use for headers..I had considered buying locking bolts..as I don't wanna have to get back in there to retighten aft the install

if they are stock gm multi layer gaskets you will be OK. the headers i bought came with some paper/fiber gaskets, they went in the trash as soon as i opened the box. also i reused stock bolts and didn't re tighten.

[motorhead]

I've bought many sets of headers over the years, and it pays to buy quality if you want then to last. Not sure about today because I don't buy headers anymore, but back then if you bought cheap you got cheap.

The best headers I've ever owned (that were custom race headers) were over $1,200 over 16 years ago. They still look like the day they went on my 460 in my 78 bronco.

[Nor Cal ZL1]

Originally Posted by GMTool

You and me would get along great. I buy Made in USA all I can.

Absolutely at every opportunity.

[Nor Cal ZL1]

Originally Posted by blakjak55

While I agree with your sentiment, the markup on headers is ridiculous. There's no way to justify those prices given that it doesn't take that much time, materials, or research these days. A large amount of the R&D has already been done and once the jigs and forms are in place or the program has been validated on the machine, the price to produce goes down drastically and in a hurry. It doesn't cost $1000 to make a set of headers. They're not made out of titanium nor are they all hand cut and welded like something from Racefit. I like my money to go as far as it can, same as the American worker trying to make that decent wage.

Those race fit are badass. Reminds me of some of the trick 2 stroke pipes from back in the day. I am a worker, I try to keep money flow back to the American worker, which some find foolish. They ask why pay more and that is my answer. Better overall product, better warranty, better flow of spent money. If people felt like the upper tier prices were to much to bear, the price would drop due to lack of sales, or the production would be forced overseas.

[shibbs]

Texas-Speed FTW. $500 shipped to my door for 2" primary diameter headers that fit perfectly.

[Redrocker1958]

There isn't a guy here more American than me..how many of ya got Nissans..Toyota's ect in your drive??..won't find one in mine EVER..my point is ..3 times the cost it should be is ripping off the good ole American boy..some good points have been made in this thread..food for thought...thanx for your input..

[ChocoTaco369]

Originally Posted by Redrocker1958

Granted it's been a few yrs since I bought a new set of SB headers..but not so long ago in a far far away land I remember one could buy anywhere a set of headers for $300. Or less..now fast forward to a far distant future aka 15 yrs later I get me a 6 year old Camaro....and I see from these companies on cam5 and all over the net summit..jegs..ect.." Get this great great chepest price ever. Set of headers...and they start @ $1500. and only go up from there...now I'm no rocket scientist ..but its still 4 tuned tubes into one collector..yes there is a cat or cat delete pipe ( in some cases)and a threaded nut for o2 sensor added.but at the tune of $1200 plus for a cat n couple nutz...really..can anyone shed light on this travesty....I mean damn I gotta get a loan for simple new set of headers really...

Companies are opportunistic. It is their job to be.

Go back to the LS1tech days. Even though the headers for the Camaro/Firebird and Corvette were essentially the same, the Corvette headers sold for 50% more. Why? Because everyone knows the average Corvette owner had more money than the average 4th Gen F-body owner. I paid $700 for headers, which were the most expensive headers on the market at the time. Now, I'd be at the bottom of the barrel in cost.

The 4th Gen F-bodies were cheap cars. These cars are way, way more expensive. Companies know this, and have scaled their prices higher to increase their margins. They can sell $1,500 headers because people buy them. That's how the market works. The truth is, it's all the same crap. They're bent pipes. The only real difference between $500 headers and $1,500 headers is branding. You are paying for a brand, which simply increases the company's margins. If you are buying 4-figure headers, it's because you want to give a company more of your money for a welded label. In return, the customer gets to pretend they got something better for their money and feel superior.

Don't get me wrong, there are some junk products out there. But in terms of actual, reputable companies, there isn't much difference. A great example is Stainless Works vs Stainless Power. One uses US labor, one uses Chinese labor. The Stainless Works headers are much more expensive, but they aren't "better" (the welds may be a little more consistent because American products are typically more precise, but I have no proof of that statement). It's up to you if you want to spend far more money to support US labor. That's your choice to do so if those are your personal politics, but you're not getting more performance for the money.

They are literally just pipes.

[ChocoTaco369]

Originally Posted by Nor Cal ZL1

So I guess that supporting American Labor and materials makes one an idiot these days. I mean why pay an American worker a decent wage, where maybe, just maybe he can retire, or possibly send a kid through College. When you can just weld em up with near slave labor overseas.

I would rather spend a few extra to put some food on the table of an American worker any day of the week.

That's up to you if you want to spend extra money to make yourself feel better. It's your right to do so. But consider this:

Apex sells Stainless Power headers for $742 and Stainless Works headers for $1,102. They are the SAME headers, except you're spending $360 extra dollars to support American labor, like you said.

Except your money is finite, so now that's $360 gone from your pocket that can't flow to anyone else.

Let's pretend I purchase the Stainless Power headers. I save $360. As a result, I'm still sending my money to an American company. All the same players see a benefit except a handful of professional welders. However, with that extra $360 dollars:

- I spend $100 on Amazon.com and get some toys.
- I take the wife out on a date. We go to the movies and spend $40, we go out to dinner and spend $100, we hit a couple bars after dinner and spend another $90.
- We get pretty loaded to we spend $30 cabbing it home.

All that is possible because I had extra cash. You may have supported a couple welders somewhere, but because I bought the more economically valuable product, I was able to support dozens of warehouse workers, shippers, UPS drivers, movie theater workers, film crews, actors and actresses, waitresses, line cooks, bartenders, restaurant owners and cab drivers. ALL Americans.

I actually wound up supporting far more American workers in my scenario because I was smarter with my money, and therefore I was able to increase its velocity and spread it to more and more people.

Think about that. When you're paying extra for a BRAND, you're actually supporting LESS people because you're giving a higher margin to a couple guys.

[Redrocker1958]

[QUOTE=ChocoTaco
Well put

[rickyrocket]

Well put indeed

[chuckstacamaro]

I bought a complete Kooks exhaust system from LT headers, Hi flow Cats, X pipes and race mufflers for under 1700. Wait for the Black Friday or Cyber Monday sales.