Header brands and proven dynos

[Obioban]

They partnered up with Fabspeed. At one point they were even advertised as “Fabspeed by VAC”.

VAC also makes their headers in China.

[DropTopKingM3]

VAC also makes their headers in China.

First VAC doesn’t make any headers , now they make them in China. Supersprint products aren’t made in china and we see how their products look like after a few years. Hell, even their recent group buy blew up in their face. But hey as long as they keep leaving products at your doorstep right ?

[Obioban]

First VAC doesn’t make any headers , now they make them in China. Supersprint products aren’t made in china and we see how their products look like after a few years. Hell, even their recent group buy blew up in their face. But hey as long as they keep leaving products at your doorstep right ?

By “VAC doesn’t make headers” I meant they don’t produce them. They contract them from China, like fabspeed.

The only header l recommended in this thread was OE Euro.

That said, while SS clearly has had some quality issues during Covid, they’ve also invested thousands of hours into developing parts for this chassis… aka not just ripping off someone else’s design and/or deleting cats.

[Arith2]

For what it's worth, when I was a Porsche tech, we put alot of Fabspeed headers and mufflers on. Most had the bungs welded in the wrong spot, the mufflers or the headers were off EVERY SINGLE TIME. We did well over 10 in the year I worked there. My dad put Topspeed headers(still chinese) fit the first time with only a need to push the exhausts together. That's normal though. Fabspeed is trash. The welds look good but they don't ever fit. Last week, I was walking past another track build and the Fabspeed headers didn't fit. It really sucked because they gave it to a new tech and old tech that thinks the aftermarket is Satan's child.

My Megan headers fit great and withstood getting hit by an exploding piston. They have my bill of approval. Once I fit the SS V1s to a CPI section 1, I'll probably sell them so someone else can enjoy them.

[jet_dogg]

Lol. "xenophobic throw away" is, by your definition, not wanting to buy products from a country where slave labor is used on a massive (and government sanctioned) scale?

An intellectual property rights aren't enforced to any degree, so things like copying a header design doesn't even enter the conversation?

So weird that they're cheap. How do they do it.

And, yes, the company is shitty. Run by shitty people, making knockoff products.

My favorite topic it seems. People are always lured by the proposition of a good deal no matter what the non-monetary cost entails. However, if DTK or Arith were the ones who had developed the header design I'm quite sure they'd have a different stance on the matter.

First VAC doesn’t make any headers , now they make them in China. Supersprint products aren’t made in china and we see how their products look like after a few years. Hell, even their recent group buy blew up in their face. But hey as long as they keep leaving products at your doorstep right ?

Cherry picking what happens in a recent group buy amidst the two decades they've been in service hardly seems like a bad track record to me.

I know many don't care, but I avoid buying from the CCP like the plague, and that's just one of the reasons. It can be very challenging, but I'll spend hours online to buy American goods, if not, anywhere but China. Just trashing our economy even more than it already is.

This is what I've been doing for a long time. I think only my iphone and mb pro are chinesium, but the majority of everything else I own including tools, appliances, and clothing is made in Eu.

[Casa de Mesa]

Owner.

I wouldn't be surprised if the section 1 is made in the USA-- much less labor intensive than headers.

This is super disappointing to hear. I genuinely try to support USA made, EU made, South African made, etc., anything but Chinese for all the reasons mentioned above. But this just sux to hear about a US company. Same thing with SG - why can't they get their poop in a group?

The owner. What a douche.

[DropTopKingM3]

jet_dogg a lot of things were good two decades ago that no longer aren’t. You said so yourself when Bosch switched manufacturing iirc.

[Arith2]

There are some really ridiculous insults happening in this thread over metal pipes made in China. It's quite stupid how far this got and it need to tone down. There's nothing "xenophobic" about anything we are doing so keep your political insults out of this forum.

These are metal tubes and OP literally wanted opinions on brands.

My favorite topic it seems. People are always lured by the proposition of a good deal no matter what the non-monetary cost entails. However, if DTK or Arith were the ones who had developed the header design I'm quite sure they'd have a different stance on the matter.

The biggest reason I vouche for Megan Racing headers is there are a few hundred out there and moment someone had fitment issues, they fixed that customer's headers and then the next batch. Mine fit great with no modifications out of the box.

I don't care about how good engineering is if the product never fits. A manufacturing engineer is in charge of this and they failed. Hard. If I was there for the actual engineering, every header would be test fitted rather than wasting logistics, the customers time, riskings bad PR over an initial investment to save hundreds of hours and thousands in shipping costs.

I don't care if Fabspeed is made down the street in the most renown American factory or on Mars by Elon Musk himself. This product is consistently flawed where headers verified to be made in China do actually fit. My service advisors also take the brunt of anger from a customer over Fabspeeds lack of caring. Porsche owners are a different breed and many of this forums members fall into that category. We want it right the first time and our time not wasted.

[jet_dogg]

jet_dogg a lot of things were good two decades ago that no longer aren’t. You said so yourself when Bosch switched manufacturing iirc.

Help me understand, you're saying SS is no good because of the fitment issues of some faulty pieces in a recent group buy? SS is still made the same way, in the same factory, by the same people and is in no way remotely similar to bosch finding another factory to produce their coils.

I think people fail to realize these are handmade products welded one by one. I've had very expensive cuban cigars that I've had to toss because they didn't draw well and that's just the name of the game.

There are some really ridiculous insults happening in this thread over metal pipes made in China. It's quite stupid how far this got and it need to tone down. There's nothing "xenophobic" about anything we are doing so keep your political insults out of this forum.

These are metal tubes and OP literally wanted opinions on brands.

The biggest reason I vouche for Megan Racing headers is there are a few hundred out there and moment someone had fitment issues, they fixed that customer's headers and then the next batch. Mine fit great with no modifications out of the box.

I don't care about how good engineering is if the product never fits. A manufacturing engineer is in charge of this and they failed. Hard. If I was there for the actual engineering, every header would be test fitted rather than wasting logistics, the customers time, riskings bad PR over an initial investment to save hundreds of hours and thousands in shipping costs.

I don't care if Fabspeed is made down the street in the most renown American factory or on Mars by Elon Musk himself. This product is consistently flawed where headers verified to be made in China do actually fit. My service advisors also take the brunt of anger from a customer over Fabspeeds lack of caring. Porsche owners are a different breed and many of this forums members fall into that category. We want it right the first time and our time not wasted.

I don't read all of the above but the reason you chose what you chose is primarily because of price. If they were 2k would you have purchased them for their superior fitment? And again, I'm sure if this was your product you wouldn't be very happy with people stealing money from under you or am I wrong on that as well? On second thought don't answer because we already know.

[DropTopKingM3]

Help me understand, you're saying SS is no good because of the fitment issues of some faulty pieces in a recent group buy? SS is still made the same way, in the same factory, by the same people and is in no way remotely similar to bosch finding another factory to produce their coils.

I think people fail to realize these are handmade products welded one by one. I've had very expensive cuban cigars that I've had to toss because they didn't draw well and that's just the name of the game.



I don't read all of the above but the reason you chose what you chose is primarily because of price. If they were 2k would you have purchased them for their superior fitment? And again, I'm sure if this was your product you wouldn't be very happy with people stealing money from under you or am I wrong on that as well? On second thought don't answer because we already know.

Since I bought my first e46 in 2002, I always felt that the more expensive options were basically useless. I remember when the SS fanboys were buying the race version bc they were considered “loud”. I purchased a B&B exhaust for a fraction and it sounded better.. also a lot of other people agreed.

SS dropped the ball with their last group buy. When ecs had 50% off cyber Monday 2017 I’m sure they sold more products in that one day than the group buy 2020 combined. How come none of their products had problems back then? Obviously something changed. And please don’t pull the Covid card bc that’s a shotty excuse. I own a bunch of rental properties and it was business as usual. If anything I worked harder. If I can do it, so can a company like Supersprint.


Props to Megan for making a set of headers for less than $300 that compete with companies such as SS, fabspeed Bimmerworld, etc. Even the ones that didn’t fit well were immediately replaced a few years back.

As mentioned above, people pay for a product they expect it to fit and last! Meanwhile back at the ranch there’s a bunch of upset forum members who spent their hard earned money thinking they would get a product that would at least fit right with little or no modification. The time and labor whom some probably paid for. You still have to pay a shop to lift the car and try and install a piece.

[///Mangler]

"Here is a SSV1 complete, swapped over to the AR header (only change). Both tuned on same dyno, both by us, both on Emtron. Note – SAE number too."

[bigjae46]

You pretty much have 4 headers to choose from

SS V1
ARH 6-1
Euro
Various euro copies

I have the Megan headers which went on without issue using stock hardware. I had the headers swaintech coated. The coating is ugly as hell but the temps under my hood are much lower. I have an aluminum coolant expansion tank in the drug bin. My coolant temps are about 10 degrees lower ever since I installed the headers.

Power...Megan headers, BW 3.5 race (no resonator), injen intake and PC tune. I had the tune adjusted based on a dyno run and have not re-run. Hit 316 on a dynojet. I think I could get quite a bit more by optimizing the tune, a better intake. Over 320 or maybe even 325?

[maupineda]

I read the info on the ARH items, they seem pretty effective.

[Cronenberged]

"Here is a SSV1 complete, swapped over to the AR header (only change). Both tuned on same dyno, both by us, both on Emtron. Note – SAE number too."

Is the ARH the red line and SS blue?

[DropTopKingM3]

You pretty much have 4 headers to choose from

SS V1
ARH 6-1
Euro
Various euro copies

I have the Megan headers which went on without issue using stock hardware. I had the headers swaintech coated. The coating is ugly as hell but the temps under my hood are much lower. I have an aluminum coolant expansion tank in the drug bin. My coolant temps are about 10 degrees lower ever since I installed the headers.

Power...Megan headers, BW 3.5 race (no resonator), injen intake and PC tune. I had the tune adjusted based on a dyno run and have not re-run. Hit 316 on a dynojet. I think I could get quite a bit more by optimizing the tune, a better intake. Over 320 or maybe even 325?

Oem euro is my pick. The one think that does bother me about them is that hint of rasp they let out at around 3k-4k. Otherwise they’re the best bet.