What does anyone think of these intakes?

-
Dave, in terms of domestically produced automotive product i would say the OEM manufacturing and quality is much, much better. However, the aftermarket is not anywhere close. The aftermarket is not confined to the same requirements as OEM. Take a modern car and replace any sensors with aftermarket. They wil perform, but not as well ,and not for as long. Repair places know this and many of the good ones will not use aftermarket electrical products or those reasons. The price differences are not just in offshorre labor but also in cheaper quality components that naturally have a higher failure rate. It is simple free market economics. you can't make something with the same quality, using the same skilled labor, and expect to sell it for 1/2 the price. What comes with "cheapest (or cheaper)" is lower quality components or base metals (steel with impurities, aluminum that may or may not meet the specs), cheaper untrained labor (less enviro and HR requirements for the producers to have to pay for), poorer machining (because they are machined with cast-off equipment worldwide), and due to economics courses in college they are produced with a higher expected failure rate.
 
I find it deplorable that Edelbrock chose to design an airgap that only fits a LA or a magnum then turns around and charges $100 more for the magnum version. The could easily hve done what Professional Products did and make it fit both.
Click to expand...

Vic,is a businessman and is making money off both designs that are made in AMERICA!!! good for him,bottomline you don't want to pay the price don't buy it..i don't think he's losing sleep over it...
 
moper said:
Dave, in terms of domestically produced automotive product i would say the OEM manufacturing and quality is much, much better. However, the aftermarket is not anywhere close. The aftermarket is not confined to the same requirements as OEM. Take a modern car and replace any sensors with aftermarket. They wil perform, but not as well ,and not for as long. Repair places know this and many of the good ones will not use aftermarket electrical products or those reasons. The price differences are not just in offshorre labor but also in cheaper quality components that naturally have a higher failure rate. It is simple free market economics. you can't make something with the same quality, using the same skilled labor, and expect to sell it for 1/2 the price. What comes with "cheapest (or cheaper)" is lower quality components or base metals (steel with impurities, aluminum that may or may not meet the specs), cheaper untrained labor (less enviro and HR requirements for the producers to have to pay for), poorer machining (because they are machined with cast-off equipment worldwide), and due to economics courses in college they are produced with a higher expected failure rate.
Click to expand...

I don't really buy what your saying totally moper. The OEM's don't make the sensors and electronics they install in their cars, they source them from other companies that manufacture over seas (a perfect example is the Nipondeso Alternators and starters mopar uses). A recent example is the crank position sensor in my wifes PT Cruiser was acting up and the only place that had one in stock was Autozone. They handed me a Wells brand box and the sensor inside was was in a sealed poly bag with the Mopar brand logo and a Mopar part number on it. That tells me that whom ever makes the sensor for Chrysler is also selling it as an aftermarket product. Typically when I buy a sensor or a piece of electronics for a car they is no measurable difference between the two which is another indicator they were made in the same place. Machine parts are harder to tell because you can't see metallurgical differences but when you remove an old bearing from your car and the parts store Timken or National bearing is marked identically and says it's made in Malaysia you can pretty much figure the one you removed was made in the same place. As far as replacement parts for your car the aftermarket is required to meet the same minimum requirements as the OEMs are.

I was an engineer at Motorola for 15 years and was part of the development team that brought the first cable modem to market. We built 100,000's of them in Mansfield MA to an extremely high quality level but to keep our market share we had to move the manufacturing to the Motorola factory in Singapore where costs were lower. The manufacturing quality from the Singapore was significantly better than what was being done in the MA facility. I was also involved in setting up a joint venture manufacturing facility in Shanghi China about 25 years ago when I worked for a company that made process control instrumentation, I only wish we had the machining equipment that was in that facility in China. There was no cast offs their, everything was the latest CNC machining centers available where here in the US we were using cast offs from the early 50's from GM.

As someone else posted if some one asks a foreign company to make junk they mostly will, it's one of the things those countries haven't learned yet, that their reputation and future is built on what they produce today. My direct dealings with off shore manufacturing companies has always been very positive, they don't give you lip service, they take every issues seriously and they have just as well educated and talented people as those in the US.
 
stroked 340 said:
Vic,is a businessman and is making money off both designs that are made in AMERICA!!! good for him,bottomline you don't want to pay the price don't buy it..i don't think he's losing sleep over it...
Click to expand...

But Vic is always selling himself as a friend to the hobby and there is no reason for a $100 difference in the price other than he can get away with it. I don't have to and i didn't.
 
I bought one of these a few weeks ago. I haven't put it on yet but it looks pretty nice. For a 150 shipped it is a good deal.
 
Dave, your example is a perfect example of what I pointed out. I've worked in (up to ast manager) parts... Jobber, retail, and Mopar dealer. Bosch used to do that reboxing too. You would buy a Bosch part and open the box and it would say Audi, or Nissan. Now some companies do that when they cannot procure the right components or can't engineer the part cheaply enough to make profit, but they have to maintain "full vehicle" parts coverage. It's a marketing deal, not a sign of quality through the line up. I think you are placing the same expectations on automotive aftermarket that you had placed on the modems. Frankly, nothing could be further fromt eh truth. Cars are not "must haves" in terms of aftermarket parts support. I work for Travelers. Which is a higher priority for them? Some of the fleet of Chevies the adjusters use, or the fiber switch that feeds 500 employees? Again, I say it comes down to market demand which says "cheaper, we dont care" and profit every time. Companies now, especially startups who use venture capital, do product studies and see that they can make 40% profit with a 25% failure rate as long as they use the factory workers in China and Chinese supplied materials. Except China doesnt have the same QC, human resource, or industry standards the US markets do. Those associated costs that get amortized and passed to the customer. It's simple economics. As long as there are willing buyers, this crap will contnue to flow.
 
ham_r_down01 said:
The knockoffs remind me of birds.... cheap cheap cheap. i bought one of the ones that summit offers, i figured it was from them it should be good. NOt so much, it didnt line up well says made in china in big letters on the bottom of the valley. Leaks oil from the valve covers because its too tall wouldnt buy another one... should have just bought an eddy, but its my winter truck and i drive it 4-6 months a year. Im going to pull it off when i change the cam, and put an old eddy on.
Click to expand...

I have weiands,edelbrock performers that hold the lips of the valve cover up.

how at that angle you ended up with oil leak on the intake side is ???? to me.

I had to grind the intakes a lil.

if you mill enough from the block/heads....you'll have this issue with ANY intake.

They are both fine, one is just more affordable than the other.
 
dgc333 said:
That's an interesting statement. I can't think of anything that isn't better made today than it was in the 70's and 80's. Especially cars of the 70's and early 80's that was an all time low for quality in the US automotive industry.
Click to expand...

Turbododges...nuff said!!!!:-D
 
dgc333 said:
But Vic is always selling himself as a friend to the hobby and there is no reason for a $100 difference in the price other than he can get away with it. I don't have to and i didn't.
Click to expand...

Exactly, there is NO reason for it, Vic a friend to the hobby, don't make me laugh, I have the "crappy" chinese intake, its been on for a year now, it performs & fits fine IMO. I will say this, you can buy these intakes from 5 different vendors @ different prices, line them up & you'll find flaws on the cheaper priced ones, Its called "quality control", If an US company wants its cheaper & wants to shell out less for workmanship, you'll get cheaper quality, then they pass it on to you, now sometimes it can/will backfire, you buy from say an e-bay vendor that sells these intakes, his price is higher then most, so you think your up on the quality scale, you purchase it, then come to find out it has issues do to poor quality control, in a case like this, its most likely the vendors greed trying to line his own pocket.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top