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2 month ago, I bought a set of used R34 dump pipe because I was told they were the best upgrade over the R32 oem dump pipe and way cheaper than Tomei,hks or RS*R.

I just bought a kit of HKS GT-SS and the seller gave me his OBX ebay-branded dump pipe. So, I thought I could post some pictures.

- Inlet is ALMOST identical

- the OBX pipe on the left is sligthly longer than the R34

- The one on the right has 2 inlet Vs. 1 from the R34. I heard the divided pipe help with turbulence.

- Both fit the same on the hks gt-ss turbos

The OBX sell for around 150$ on ebay while an used set of R34 can go for 150-200$ but seriously, I can't see how those ebay-branded can be AS BAD as most people say it on the sau forums.

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there is a clear distinction between brand related products on ebay and no-branded products on ebay

the no-branded / foreign unheard of items are the junk items on ebay

ie a HKS item on ebay is a HKS item

a "performance pro" cam gear on ebay is junk

With simple stuff like this, it really doesn't matter, Chinese brand stuff is just as good as Japanese. For something more complex like a turbocharger it is probably better to go with a Jap brand, but there really isn't much you can do different on something as simple as a pipe.

What most people don't realise is that most Japanese companies do what we do here in Australia... Get everything made in China. So even most Japanese brands are actually made in China because it is cheaper there. That being said, there is some crap Chinese stuff out there, as well as some crap Japanese stuff. Gotta be able to tell the difference.

OBX carries a lifetime warranty

Ive recently received the OBX GTR twin manifold, tuned length, $250

and the OBX split front pipe, with flex pipe, $130

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hbxfrontpipe.jpg

hbxpipe.jpg

quality in the flesh is excellent

With simple stuff like this, it really doesn't matter, Chinese brand stuff is just as good as Japanese. For something more complex like a turbocharger it is probably better to go with a Jap brand, but there really isn't much you can do different on something as simple as a pipe.

thats where research and development come into play

there is more to it than just the looks. The angle of re-entry for gate gasses.... the fact the obx gear has no mounts for heat shields means more heat radiation into the bay and the fron dump radiates heat directly to the rear comp cover etc so it is all small things that make the R34 items the ones to use....

couple those shiny dumps with shiny manifolds and you have some crazy heat issues especially on the rear turbo as its getting blasted from the front and above, the only way to use staino gtr manifolds is to wrap them.

OBX in the USA is equivalent to aussie Just Jap, generally a big buying house that brands the better gear as thier own. OBX dont make anything.. just source.

With simple stuff like this, it really doesn't matter, Chinese brand stuff is just as good as Japanese.

sorry but that is way off the mark. intake and exhaust piping is some of the most critical components affecting a performance car's performance. and it looks simple but is so easy to f*k up. you would be surprised how badly many cheaply made dump pipes, front pipes and exhausts are made and how many problems they can cause. poor welds, poor internal finishing, bad angles, bad collectors, flanges that are not true and wont seal, and stuff that just won't fit, add to that inappropriate pipe sizes for application and inferior grade of materials etc etc i could go on and on. .. take a look at the ebay copies of the trust intake pipe kits as an example. the trust kit costs $1000 and the cheapo ones are couple hundred. but the cheapo ones simply don't fit, they are poorly finished, they come with shit clamps and shit joiners. there is a lengthy thread here on them. I know which one I'll buy. the trust one may cost $1000 but there is a lot of work done in it's development to ensure that it fits perfectly (very difficult in a complicated engine bay), it flows beautifully, it's finished properly both inside and out, all the pipe joining angles are carefully thought out, the silicone joiners are high quality, it even looks pleasing to the eye and most importantly it performs it's job faultlessly.

piping either intake or exhaust is one area I won't skimp on. actually there is no area I will skimp on for a performance car but exhaust and intake are mission critical stuff. chose poorly and you get left wondering why your set-up with the same basic 'spec' as another car doesn't quite perform as well...

I've used OBX parts before, expecting inferior quality but to my suprise they are a great bit of gear, i only speak for their catch cans and exhaust work (I've used a dump, N/A headers and a front pipe), but it's quality is actually amazing! Very impressed.

I'll regularly buy OBX stuff now...

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