Expensive !@#$%^ Downpipes

[nickygn23]

Why are down pipes so expensive? Its just a pipe that goes from the turbo. I understand the preformance gains from a bigger pipe but why so much???????? I purchased a brand new Hooker Exhaust system and it cost less than one frigging downpipe. Someone please explain why.

 

[grocerygetter]

very small car market compared to an exhaust that works on a g-body (broad market)

 

[TurboTGuy]

You could always make your own.........

 

[charlief1]

Have you priced stainless tubing lately? 3" tubing isn't cheap and then you have to cut, fit, and weld it. Unless you can do it yourself it costs some $. Just the tubing for my headers will cost me a couple of hundred and that doesn't count the fitting and welding to put it together.

 

[m233roller]

Yup, have you ever tried making one??

 

[nickygn23]

Still though. Enough venders are making these. Prices should come down. I just saw a member buy a used, rusted, dented one for like $350.

 

[lolo86GN]

If you are in the market for one then try and look for a good used one on the board. They can be had for roughly 60% cost of a new one. New ones are expensives for the reasons stated above.. good luck

 

[charlief1]

It also depends on who made it. TH down pipes command a premium.

 

[Phoff]

The prices have not increased in over 10 years.

 

[jpwalt1987]

I think I paid $400 in 1998 for a terry Houston 3 inch down pipe. I made my own 3 1/2 dp and I would rather just spend the coin on one already made. It was a PITA!!!!

 

[bison]

Go look at the cost of materials, the tooling, and skill needed to make a nice pipe and you will see they aren't a bad deal at all. A high quality stainless ex system isn't cheaper either. The best systems are fabricated for each specific car. $1200 would not be outrageous for a complete system. Stainless tubing is likely 3x as expensive as it was in the 90's.

 

[Chuck Leeper]

Just bought some 2.5", 304... $10/ft. The real stuff, not some Chinese crap, that's claimed to be 304, yet a magnet sticks to it....

 

[Mike Licht]

If your going to make something with an internal gate try getting all that to work right on the first try, that is why the TH pipes bring a good price
Mike

 

[nickygn23]

I'm not even talking about internal gates. I understand about the the stainless that goes into it costs more but an entire PYPES Exhaust system that is stainless steel for under $350. Still don't get it.

 

[KEVINS]

I know what you mean.. but MFR's need to make $$ and I do believe they are making plenty of $$ once the development is done.
I made my first one, complete with internal gate, out of 3" mild steel from bends that were purchased at an auto parts store and it fit under the factory shield. I had $45 total in it and it lasted 15+ years before I recently replaced it with a SS version.

They are outragous in price but they know they can sell them..

ks

 

[Blazer406]

The stainless ones do bring more..... I bought a used THDP in 3" SS internal gate with the WB 02 bung already installed for about $300 or $350 I can't remember.... it was about 6 years ago...... they still bring similar money.

FWIW, there are alot of other pieces for these cars that are much more $$ than it ought to be... it is beause of the relatively low market share...... look at a BHJ harmonic balancer..... and a JW "the wheel" flexplate...... you can drop over $700 in those two pieces.

 

[Mike Licht]

I know what you mean.. but MFR's need to make $$ and I do believe they are making plenty of $$ once the development is done.
I made my first one, complete with internal gate, out of 3" mild steel from bends that were purchased at an auto parts store and it fit under the factory shield. I had $45 total in it and it lasted 15+ years before I recently replaced it with a SS version.

They are outragous in price but they know they can sell them..

ks

Kevins,
with all due respect to you and your ability to do this yourself how many hours did you have in thas project? How much did the tools cost? How many cutting tools would you use up in the process and how much was that cost? What was the REAL total cost for you to do that? There is also a HUGE difference in me selling a pipe made from a bunch of bends welded together (no matter how nice) compared to paying a CNC mandral bender to bend one piece pipes, get a cost on having one of those done at a time and these pipes will look like a bargain. Not to mention the bad mouthing and complaints we would get about selling a pipe that is a made that way. This is a tough crowd to please. Quanity is the only way and this market is shrinking making 100 of many items to get the cost down is no longer an option you will have your money ties up for a year plus, small production runs drive the cost up. By the time a vendor has a flange cut from stainless, a pipe bent, the hardware to make the wastegate flapper machined from high grade metal, get a welding fixture made, pay a fabricator to fit it up and weld it up, pay for our welding consumables, payroll tax, unemployment tax, test fit it on something, buy a box and packing, pay someone to box it up take the order and process it, trust me no one is getting rich. We have not even talked about rent for a building or utility bills but if you don't look at that you won't be in business long. If you don't believe me then please show me a better way and I will be happy to do it and save everyone some money. Hopefully this will help you understand. Maybe someone should ask Pypes if they want to make downpipes and see what the prices would be?
Mike

 

[GetOwnedVette]

All in all you tend to get what you pay for. Which in most of the downpipe company cases is a real sweet piece! You also have to take into consideration you are comparing the price to some of the least expensive headers and exhaust systems they make for our cars. Some of the cars on here have over $2000 in headers, downpipe and exhaust 0.o But when you look at them you just know...quality shines.

 

[kidglok]

The pypes system is 409 stainless, cheaper stuff, 409 is basically a grade above mild steel

 

[TurboTGuy]

Yup, have you ever tried making one??

Clearly the sarcasm in my post was lost.

The point is the people who have the knowledge, experience, equipment and skills to build these parts can and will charge for their work accordingly.

It's a simple equation. Limited model specific part, meduim difficulty level to produce and not very much demand = get your wallet out.

It may suck, but it is what it is.