Reason for not making a custom FMIC?

[Demonic-Speed]

Are there any reason's why one should not try to make a custom kit yourself? I would appear that I can get the parts for my FMIC & CAI for about 550 bucks. Include IC and Various 2.5 SS bends that I will need to piece together....

I will take it to the pro welder to have the pieces tig welded so it looks nice, then I will powder coat them...

So is there something I am missing? Why don't more people just do it yourself? Is it because of the time it takes? I figure a good solid weekend of cutting pipe and routing etc, will get the job done. Assuming I have all the pieces I need....

Thanks

[03MSP]

If you take it somewhere to get welded it is going to end up costing close to the same.

I payed 900 shipped (can get the HiBoost for 850 shipped from some place) and everything fit perfect! I did not have to worry about if it is going to work or not, I didn't have to get pissed off because I made a wrong calculation, it came to me as a direct bolt on kit and it wasn't that expensive.

I am in no way dogging on those that go custom, to me, it does not make it any less quality than a kit from a company, just in my opinion, buying a kit is easier and can save <b>potential</b> headaches.

[Demonic-Speed]

Yea I feel ya on the Hiboost...but I want to be able to upgrade the rad and I don't like the wait for other products...

[WoFo Speed]

i thought about buying the hiboost fmic kit, but the intercooler is too small for me. i would want a biger intercooler, so i might do a custom job.

[iON Performance]

Demonic-Speed (http://www.msprotege.com/forum/member.php?u=8583) - not all things are created equal. BTW, our next batch will be ready to ship in 3 weeks :)

[03MSP]

bigger isn't always better...especially when talking about intercoolers.

[03MSP]

Demonic-Speed (http://www.msprotege.com/forum/member.php?u=8583) - not all things are created equal. BTW, our next batch will be ready to ship in 3 weeks :)Yeah, Demonic-Speed, you will be able to upgrade the radiator to a P5 radiator with the iON kit as I am sure you know.

[sickspeed94]

you should head to your local tuning shop and see how much they will do a custom job for, at the shop i go to, the guy said bring him any core i like (approx $250 on ebay) and he'll plumb the whole thing with mandrel bends and tig weld for another 275, that's 525 for a nice custom IC kit and i just saved approx $400 which to me means a BOV, a short shifter, shifter bushings, synthetic tranny fluid, and lunch at checkers.

[II-Savy]

Dude go custom. Get EXACTLY what you want. Going with a vendor doesn't ALWAYS mean no problems. Funny how ION chimed in. You COULD have trouble whatever you do. Just don't think BECAUSE you went with a vendor all will be perfect.

[FC3s Boy]

we looked at making kits but the cost was to high $1300-1500 per kit, most of my guys use the hiboost it is $890.00 shipped and it is a bolt on affair. By the time you start adding every thing up a homemade kit can get pretty pricey (unlees you go with used parts)

here is a pic on the big kit we make for $1300-1500.00

[Demonic-Speed]

you should head to your local tuning shop and see how much they will do a custom job for, at the shop i go to, the guy said bring him any core i like (approx $250 on ebay) and he'll plumb the whole thing with mandrel bends and tig weld for another 275, that's 525 for a nice custom IC kit and i just saved approx $400 which to me means a BOV, a short shifter, shifter bushings, synthetic tranny fluid, and lunch at checkers.

Only problem is there is no shop within 100 miles that can do it.

[Demonic-Speed]

we looked at making kits but the cost was to high $1300-1500 per kit, most of my guys use the hiboost it is $890.00 shipped and it is a bolt on affair. By the time you start adding every thing up a homemade kit can get pretty pricey (unlees you go with used parts)

here is a pic on the big kit we make for $1300-1500.00

Nice kit, but I still want to go with the bigger radiator....I think I am just going to go with ION, I am going to send my money in tomorrow.

[FC3s Boy]

Nice kit, but I still want to go with the bigger radiator....I think I am just going to go with ION, I am going to send my money in tomorrow.the PWR rad for the P5 are $360.00, and i am doing the install next week we'll see how it goes

[sickspeed94]

^^ ahh there's always a catch, i guess i'm fortunate to have this shop that does this, well if he does mine i'll see what i can do in having hinm save his blueprints and maybe he can ship out a couple kits of FMIC hardpipes minus the core, basically a DIY with everything but the core. i dunno sounds complicated because the width of the core varies but i could have him adjust to each specific one... we shall see my friend. he's also gonna make me a mandrel bent catback for 300 or turbo back for 400 with flexpipe and all flanges plus CEL fix, all prices are without muffler, but installed.

[Glowmunkey]

You COULD have trouble whatever you do. Just don't think BECAUSE you went with a vendor all will be perfect.
My sentiments exactly.

If you can get a custom kit made, at least look into it...

[NjMpSpeed]

chris what size is that core?

[FC3s Boy]

chris what size is that core?i believe it was a 26x6x3.5 but i would have to double check

[Demonic-Speed]

OK, I sent my money into iON. I kept pricing stuff and pricing stuff, but I like the fact that their pipe is SS and I like the routing of it. Plus if I did one myself, I would end up doing it the same design is what they did, and it did not seem right to just copy their hard work without paying for it. So I think it is 1300 bucks well spent...(Includes iON CAI)

[NjMpSpeed]

chris double check with me on that core size i may be interested in ordering one soon. also did you ever get that tracking number for the mm still aint here yet?

[II-Savy]

1300 ? Is that in dollars? Holy crap. (boom01)

Do you guys have a tree growing in your yard?(laugh)

1300 for about 10 feet of 3" tube.

"and it did not seem right to just copy their hard work without paying for it."

Why? How is it copying? So no one else can do a turbo back exhaust without copying them?

[thunder]

To me the only advantage of buying a ready-made kit is that you don't have to spend time researching, getting parts from diff. vendors and find a good shop. For some people this may be worth it but I think it's a lot of fun to go custom made and waaay cheaper if you take shopping seriously and explore other avenues... ex.: who said all those tubes have to be rigid and welded (and weight a ton)? Is it illegal to do it differenly? ;)

[Demonic-Speed]

Yes that is 1300 for 10 feet of tube, core, airfilter clamps hose etc.

The problem with going custom is:
1) I live in the cornfield and I think there is probably someone in Chi town that has a mandrel bender, but that would be about 3 hours a way.
2) Since I want to go with SS, I would need to buy prebent pipes and do piecing together. This is OK, except I don't have a welder nor do I know how to weld.
3) Core is going to cost about 350 bucks. Pipes about 400 Welder probably 300 (Rolled edges and tig welded) 100 bucks for a Filter. So right there is 1150 (Might be a little high) and I still have no clamps or hoses. Now I figure it will take 2 weekends of my time to cut and match up pipe etc. So that is a lot of my time.
4) About the design, iON has done the R&D on their product so for my to come in and purchase a core the same size as iON and route the pipes the exact same as iON, just does not seem right. I am all for doing things yourself, but when I don't have the right tools or skills and no one within 150 miles wants to even try and do the fab it makes things kinda hard.

[iON Performance]

II-Savy (http://www.msprotege.com/forum/member.php?u=5288) - FYI, Demonic-Speed (http://www.msprotege.com/forum/member.php?u=8583) is referring to our FMIC & CAI not our exhaust. As well, even if someone tried copying our exhaust; they'll definately have a hell of a time trying to do it! It's not how close it looks on the outside the counts, it's what's inside and how it perform that does.

Demonic-Speed (http://www.msprotege.com/forum/member.php?u=8583) - Got your email :) in regards to the core comment; it would be VERY hard to get the exact same sized core - as these are made specifically for us in Japan. The closest dimensions would be length and maybe height, but the 3.5" thick core is impossible to get in this same size.