Terry Houston down pipe ?

B

blipmode188

Member
Joined
Jun 28, 2007
Can I ask what is probably a really dumb question ?
Please keep the flaming to yourselves HA!
I have been looking on the PARTS FOR SALE site for a while now and whenever a TERRY HOUSTON down pipe gets listed its like totally SOLD many times over.
I am somewhat of a lamen here, but what makes them so special ?
Looks like a bent piece of tubing to me and wouldnt really be that hard to make, or am I missing something here ?

I have also seen ATR down pipes sell pretty fast, but not like the TH pipes.

What is the deal with these ?
Im thinking about getting one, back copying it and make a fortune.
Heckl I might even make mine out of MONEL.
Serious answers only.
Still learning

Steve
 
Th Pipe

blipmode188 said:
Can I ask what is probably a really dumb question ?
Please keep the flaming to yourselves HA!
I have been looking on the PARTS FOR SALE site for a while now and whenever a TERRY HOUSTON down pipe gets listed its like totally SOLD many times over.
I am somewhat of a lamen here, but what makes them so special ?
Looks like a bent piece of tubing to me and wouldnt really be that hard to make, or am I missing something here ?

I have also seen ATR down pipes sell pretty fast, but not like the TH pipes.

What is the deal with these ?
Im thinking about getting one, back copying it and make a fortune.
Heckl I might even make mine out of MONEL.
Serious answers only.
Still learning

Steve
Click to expand...

you haven't been the only one with that idea but the reason they go fast is because they where the best dp made.
 
dn pipe

ALVAROG1983 said:
you haven't been the only one with that idea but the reason they go fast is because they where the best dp made.
Click to expand...

Why were they the best ?

Something I am missing here.

Bending thin wall tubing stainless, carbon steel, whatever to clear a car body I wouldnt think is that hard.
Is there something special about connecting it to a turbo ?
I am not saying Im going into business to bend 40 or 50 pipes a year, but as a designer I see nothing that hard about the design.
I do this sort of thing for a living so dont blow me off so fast.
Not car piping, but pharmacuetical stuff where bending, welding piping is an everyday thing.

It must be ill fitting crap, versus someone who took their time and did it right
with a fairly high standard for quality control

What happened to TERRY HOUSTON

Was that an individual or a company name ?

For all of those to about to slam me, I am only asking.
There definetly is something with those pipes because they do fly off the
FOR SALE section almost as fast as they are posted.

Just curious.

Steve
 
My experience with TH down pipes vs other down pipes has been very good. I have never had a fitment problem with the TH down pipes like I have on others. Also have never had a problem with the wastegate like others. They have always been a bolt on and go. Bottom line is they fit good, flow well, and are of excellent quality. :D
 
Do a search on Terry Houston and you'll come up with some answers as to why they aren't made anymore.

As for copying one many have tried it. If you go the china route you tend to run into quality control issues. Then, when you don't have the resources to provide good customer service word spreads (fast) and people stop buying. I've never inspected a THDP but I think the deal is that they were a high quality piece and because of that, and the fact that they are not made anymore, people buy them. I personally don't agree with the "I'm going to rip off someones design and try and make it cheap" thing but if you do try it at least try and keep it in the USA. You'll probably have better luck that way.

As for your other questions the answer is no, there's nothing special about a downpipe. Just needs to line up with everything, clear everything, flow well, and be cost effective. No big deal.
 
BlackBandit said:
If you go the china route you tend to run into quality control issues. Then, when you don't have the resources to provide good customer service word spreads (fast) and people stop buying.
Click to expand...

While, "counterfeit" translates perfectly to the chinese language; they have no words for, "quality" or "accuracy". The two are totally foreign concepts on that part of the planet.
 
One thing to keep in mind is that the chinese are not breaking any laws by manufacturing stuff. If someone brings them something and says "can you make it?" and they say "yes" the real a-hole is the person that brought them the product to be copied. At least if copying the product was a no-no to begin with. Our laws don't apply over there any more than theirs apply to us. As for quality control I think you can get it as nice as you want it, you just have to bring them on board with the idea that you're actually okay with paying the little bit extra for the product and that concept is foreign to them.
 
blipmode188 said:
Why were they the best ?

Something I am missing here.

Bending thin wall tubing stainless, carbon steel, whatever to clear a car body I wouldnt think is that hard.
Is there something special about connecting it to a turbo ?
I am not saying Im going into business to bend 40 or 50 pipes a year, but as a designer I see nothing that hard about the design.
I do this sort of thing for a living so dont blow me off so fast.
Not car piping, but pharmacuetical stuff where bending, welding piping is an everyday thing.

It must be ill fitting crap, versus someone who took their time and did it right
with a fairly high standard for quality control............Steve
Click to expand...

OK Steve, you asked, so I will give you info on how and what it takes to make a "quality" downpipe like G Body Parts sells.:smile:

First you need a 1/2" stainless steel flange that is precision machined. Then the puck assembly must be fabricated from stainless also, and properly fitted [welded in a fixture] and located.

The stainless 3" pipe must be mandrel bent to exact tolerances. A jig must then be used to weld the flange and pipe together.

Unlike the TH pipe, the G Body pipe has a stainless flange and a precision machined puck assembly.:biggrin:

Then to complete the package, you must build a test pipe and a dump pipe to offer the customer a choice.:confused:

I will let you estimate how many $$$$ would need to be invested for material, fixtures, jigs, machine tools, etc.

Of course if this is done in China, I will also leave the question of quality of workmanship and materials to the imagination!;)
 
Nick Micale said:
OK Steve, you asked, so I will give you info on how and what it takes to make a "quality" downpipe like G Body Parts sells.:smile:

First you need a 1/2" stainless steel flange that is precision machined. Then the puck assembly must be fabricated from stainless also, and properly fitted [welded in a fixture] and located.

The stainless 3" pipe must be mandrel bent to exact tolerances. A jig must then be used to weld the flange and pipe together.

Unlike the TH pipe, the G Body pipe has a stainless flange and a precision machined puck assembly.:biggrin:

Then to complete the package, you must build a test pipe and a dump pipe to offer the customer a choice.:confused:

I will let you estimate how many $$$$ would need to be invested for material, fixtures, jigs, machine tools, etc.

Of course if this is done in China, I will also leave the question of quality of workmanship and materials to the imagination!;)
Click to expand...

Is this the "quality" piece your talking about?
GBodyParts.com Online
 
What happened to Terry Houston should have no bearing on this thread. I did not know that he was in trouble, and "out of trouble now" could have several meanings / interpretations. This is just my personal opinion but I don't believe that anybody else other than what is currently being made now, if any, will ever be able to bring out an American made of similar quality and integrity down-pipe, primarily due to the fact there is no way to compete with the Chinese made copies. And although there are a few people like me that would pay for the American made quality factor, there are not enough out there that can afford to do it or are willing to do it. I think that Nick Micale's post pretty much stated that in a round about way. HTH
 
terry

Gary Wells said:
What happened to Terry Houston should have no bearing on this thread. I did not know that he was in trouble, and "out of trouble now" could have several meanings / interpretations. This is just my personal opinion but I don't believe that anybody else other than what is currently being made now, if any, will ever be able to bring out an American made of similar quality and integrity down-pipe, primarily due to the fact there is no way to compete with the Chinese made copies. And although there are a few people like me that would pay for the American made quality factor, there are not enough out there that can afford to do it or are willing to do it. I think that Nick Micale's post pretty much stated that in a round about way. HTH
Click to expand...


ask Lou to tell you the story Gary
 
This is also only my personal opinion, but what happened to Terry Houston should have no bearing on this thread or the making of down-pipes. I would like to believe that I have enough dignity to avoid gossiping about another TB.COM member and / or supplier, whether past, present, or future. And if I don't have enough dignity to avoid gossiping about this subject, I sure as hell don't want the whole turbo Buick community being made aware of it.
 
i agree but when people start asking what ever happen to him why not no more dpipes they just wonder i myself ate trying to gossip.
 
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