another big name goes under

[20 til 3]

Well, looks like ARC went belly up, damn knock off parts are way to cheap for big name quality company's to compete.

NEWS - ARC International Bankrupt - Blog - Nengun Performance (http://blog.nengun.com/news-arc-international-bankrupt)

[dreadedfist]

I've wondered how they've been keeping afloat for so long as it is. Now that China is working in full force to produce what most people view as "the same" parts for an 1/8th of the cost, I think the Japanese big guns might have to start outsourcing to China as well, just to compete.

Hopefully they recover, Abbey Road Company is kind of legendary!

[FaLKoN240]

I've wondered how they've been keeping afloat for so long as it is. Now that China is working in full force to produce what most people view as "the same" parts for an 1/8th of the cost, I think the Japanese big guns might have to start outsourcing to China as well, just to compete.

Hopefully they recover, Abbey Road Company is kind of legendary!

From what I already understand some of the Japanese wheel companies have started doing this. They're going to make cheaper wheels in China but use their name. So you're not buying "knock offs" just cheaper wheels.

[Sergio180sx]

Fuck yea!! They where too expensive anyway haha, china is smart ass fuck!

[driftsilvias13]

Probably my favorite aftermarket company. Sucks...

[BustedS13]

tiny violin for another status symbol parts brand.

[Touge Noob S13]

Fuck yea!! They where too expensive anyway haha, china is smart ass fuck!

As expected from an IE douche.

[josephin510]

Man that really sucks!!

[Mitsuboost30]

They will be back up.. prolly restructuring...

BBS has done this a few times

[HyperTek]

Now that the market is saturated with inexpensive alternatives, it really takes its tool on originators.

Guys at Godspeed got job security and 401k .. haha nah jus kiddin i dunno

[KOUKIboy]

I've wondered how they've been keeping afloat for so long as it is. Now that China is working in full force to produce what most people view as "the same" parts for an 1/8th of the cost, I think the Japanese big guns might have to start outsourcing to China as well, just to compete.

Hopefully they recover, Abbey Road Company is kind of legendary!


Shoot I hope they dont!!! Cause the stuff that comes out of China is crap, low quality, and not safe, thats why I hate knock offs with a passion!!! ARC used to over price their parts way tooo much, thats why I think they went belly up, and the fact that the Japanese parts market is so competitive with many other manufacturers to choose from, that in the end they could not compete anymore, and also those damn knockoffs!!!!

[lawrenceyang]

Shoot I hope they dont!!! Cause the stuff that comes out of China is crap, low quality, and not safe, thats why I hate knock offs with a passion!!! ARC used to over price their parts way tooo much, thats why I think they went belly up, and the fact that the Japanese parts market is so competitive with many other manufacturers to choose from, that in the end they could not compete anymore, and also those damn knockoffs!!!!

your sig makes it painfully clear how much of a jdm fanboy you are

[tricky_ab]

It sucks to hear that another company has gone under :( The build quality on their ti exhausts were amazing. I guess my boy should hold onto the one he's running on his GTR.

[WanganRunner]

They will be back up.. prolly restructuring...

BBS has done this a few times


Yeah, the brand name and rights are worth too much, IMO.

Someone will probably buy the rights and use it to make cheaper parts.



Although some of these guys may want to jump off a cliff before selling their rights to a Chinese company.

[MadScientist]

Greddy went Bankrupt not long ago too... but they are still around... because of the lowball dealers and no Map pricing.

ARC is dominate in their technology and will not fall off the map that easy.
Endless doesn't do well in the US but they are a F1 provider and have great job security because the product is exactly what they claim... superior!!

China = quanity, Not Quality!!

-Drew

[BlackZenkiS14]

Dang :( I love ARC stuff.

[WanganRunner]

Endless stuff is too nice for US consumers, lol.

They need a few OEM contracts like Brembo has to raise the name awareness.

[Pure_JDM]

....sucks to hear, although I've NEVER owned anything from them. Too "Baller" for me, I guess. Would be cool to see someone buy the rights from them and start producing price-competitive products.

[DHall243]

Even though I have no interest in ARC's products, It's sad to see companies with such a long heritage, deteriorate over financial reasons. I always have and will refuse to buy any part that I know is a replica, replacement or rebuilt.

[raz0rbladez909]

Well, looks like ARC went belly up, damn knock off parts are way to cheap for big name quality company's to compete.

NEWS - ARC International Bankrupt - Blog - Nengun Performance (http://blog.nengun.com/news-arc-international-bankrupt)

Meh ARC shit is wayyyyyyy overpriced anyways, you can't expect to stay afloat when your market can't even afford the products you are selling. I always thought ARC stuff was nice but there is no way I or anyone in their right mind would pay 2-3k for a catback exhaust. Blame knock-offs all you want but if the company doesn't want to go belly up you have to be competitive.

[240sx123$]

Anybody who is potentially buying ARC parts are in no way considering anything knock off. Knock off parts and legit parts are marketed to two completely different groups of people.

People who like to build cars, or people who like to look like they build cars.

Anyone rocking ARC shit would laugh at the thought of Megan Racing being considered "competition."

[raz0rbladez909]

Anyone rocking ARC shit would laugh at the thought of Megan Racing being considered "competition."

I think anyone would laugh at that thought, thats not even a close comparison lol

[240sx123$]

Not that there's any shortage of people on this forum that will tell you "Megan has gotten much better." :keke:

[VROOOM]

5K for an exhaust for my Evo X. no thanks it should be made of gold for that much.


for 5k you could get close to 400whp on the Evo or a fancy exhaust.

[raz0rbladez909]

5K for an exhaust for my Evo X. no thanks it should be made of gold for that much.


for 5k you could get close to 400whp on the Evo or a fancy exhaust.

LOL Exactly what I'm saying, with that much I can buy a gas saver for a daily lol

[TurboSE]

Now I'll never find one of their S13 grill mount oil coolers...wait, I probably wasn't going to any way...still sad to hear...

[BustedS13]

People who buy ARC shit think they drive show cars

[DreamN]

I'm down to buy used ARC stuff, but the anything new is way out of my price range.

[HyperTek]

too much japanese competition, i usually think and go for HKS before apexi , blitz , tomei, arc. And hks parts are better priced imo though not alot of people here are willing to spend $800+ on a fmic kit here. I think their brand awareness is alot better than ARC.

[BlackZenkiS14]

I love the genuine quality that ARC offers. I have had their intake and blwo off valve on past cars, and plan on getting more pieces for the new one.

Superior quality shit. I dont buy knockoff stuff though.

And besides, Im a big Beatles fan. What Beatles fan would love Abbey Road Company?

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/516d1jud2FL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

[ronmcdon]

5K for an exhaust for my Evo X. no thanks it should be made of gold for that much.


for 5k you could get close to 400whp on the Evo or a fancy exhaust.

Same here.
I'm not going to buy an exhaust that costs 1/6th the price of my evo!
I don't see any reasonable justification for that.
Maybe they should have developed & marketed their products for luxo cars if they demanded such prices.

What does ARC offer that competitors don't besides shiny parts & higher prices?
I see no reason to care.

Now if it was a quality parts company, with reasonable rates, & sold something I actually wanted, (i.e Tomei, Koni, AMS, etc) I would feel bad.

[sidewaysil80]

as it's been said numerous times already:
i don't think knockoffs are killing these "industry giants"...it's their prices.

lets check out some of ARC's pricing shall we...
$150 dollars for an oil cap, $270 for a cooling panel, $260 for a coil pack cover? c'mon seriously. the mark up has to be RIDICULOUS...and don't even try to blame that on shipping costs or R&D lol.

EDIT:
damn those dasterdly knock offs from china...they forced ARC to charge $8,400 for a 350z exhaust :(
http://www.nissanraceshop.com/product/330651/titanium-exhaust-back-350z-exhaust

[TheWolf]

damn those dasterdly knock offs from china...they forced ARC to charge $8,400 for a 350z exhaust :(
ARC Titanium Exhaust (CAT Back) 350Z Z33 - arc exhaust - ARC (http://www.nissanraceshop.com/product/330651/titanium-exhaust-back-350z-exhaust)

you got to admit. That exhaust looks complex as hell. a pair of flanges and a straight pipe. Oh and a muffler..


ARC going out of business would be like saying cheap casio digital watches put rolex out of business.

[stockbee]

Didn't have time to read the article, but define "belly up" I assume bankruptcy is being referred to, but while people have one definition of bankruptcy in their mind, there are in reality a few types of bankruptcy that can be experienced, some that aren't so bad at all really.

Having said that, ARC might be back at it sooner than some of us think.

[FRpilot]

ARC is dominate in their technology and will not fall off the map that easy.
Endless doesn't do well in the US but they are a F1 provider and have great job security because the product is exactly what they claim... superior!!
-Drew

that's equivalent to obtaining a US government contract if you are a weapons and defense company or building contractor. i think more high end aftermarket car parts manufacturer need to follow this route and obtain contracts from race car teams or just stay small like some of the small japanese auto shops or clearcorners.com who build quality parts for a small market.

Now I'll never find one of their S13 grill mount oil coolers...wait, I probably wasn't going to any way...still sad to hear...

that's exactly the one item i wanted from ARC, but it was discontinued years ago and you would likely have to get it used. i've seen some importers get used ones in, but they are based in australia. only other thing i wanted from ARC is one of their intercoolers since ARC is known for it's advanced cooling technology, but i bought a blitz LM since it took forever until ARC started to be distributed by Mackin.

[FRpilot]

Didn't have time to read the article, but define "belly up" I assume bankruptcy is being referred to, but while people have one definition of bankruptcy in their mind, there are in reality a few types of bankruptcy that can be experienced, some that aren't so bad at all really.

Having said that, ARC might be back at it sooner than some of us think.

i always thought the term "belly up" has its origins and referred to dead fish such when goldfish die they float to the top usually with their "belly up"?

you are right. usually companies can go into chapter 11 and chapter 13 bankruptcy to reorganize and get rid of some of their debt (allowed to walk away without paying it or only paying pennies on the dollar) until chapter 7 bankruptcy, where they are forced to liquidate to pay off remaining debt and shut its doors.

[mrmephistopheles]

Fuck yea!! They where too expensive anyway haha, china is smart ass fuck!

Yeah, who needs quality parts, anyway? Lets force all the companies who give a damn about making a quality product out of business and only buy from the cheapest, poorest quality manufacturers out there! I have no doubt that you're leading the way on this front. :squint:

you got to admit. That exhaust looks complex as hell. a pair of flanges and a straight pipe. Oh and a muffler..


ARC going out of business would be like saying cheap casio digital watches put rolex out of business.

I think it's less about the design and more about the material and manufacture process. Consider that stainless steel is between $0.85 and $2.25USD/lb, depending upon the form you get and the quantity you order (shipping not included). Taking an exhaust with an example cost of $500, that makes the ratio between material cost and final product cost 1:333 (assuming an avg cost of $1.50/lb. For the full Ti exhaust (catback, no Y-pipe back and not just Ti muffler or tip), it is 1:466, assuming the lowest cost I could find for Titanium ingots of $18/lb. I'm sure the production stuff they use for making the exhausts is more expensive as it has to be formed and pressed. I'd be willing to bet that cost would bring it to ~$25/lb, given that the higher ingot pricing was $22/lb. At $25/lb, the ratio is then 1:333. Now I'll grant you that a SS exhaust weighs less than a Ti exhaust, and so that pound goes further with Ti, but from a material standpoint, the price makes sense. I don't know if Ti is any more difficult to weld than SS, but I'm sure it takes specialized training and/or equipment.
Yes, ARC stuff is expensive. VERY expensive. Have I looked at the prices of some of their products and thought they were exorbitant? Of course. Do I think that their high pricing is a good reason for them to go out of business? No.

They could have lowered their prices to generate more sales at ANY time. That they chose not to in an effort to keep their quality standards high says more to me than anything else.

Obviously the sentiment I have isn't shared among you, and we're all entitled to have and maintain our own opinions - I just hope that everyone's opinions are based more heavily on fact than feeling.

[VROOOM]

im sorry, but $4800 for an exhaust is a joke. i could get 4 titanium Tomei exhausts for the price of the ARC exhaust.

[ronmcdon]

^^^
And what purpose would even a $1k Tomei exhaust serve, over say a $600 Greddy exhaust?
I understand the idea of buying genuine well designed products for a reasonable premium.
I don't understand, in terms of practical function, buying some super-high class product for an exorbitant premium.

[DreamN]

Companies like that simply cater to a different group of people. You and I can't justify it nor understand because we are not that group.

When a company limits its consumer base to such a small percentage it realizes the risks it is taking.

[jamg]

did they even create and innovate car parts?

more like polish it and jack up the price 10x that what's it worth.

no wonder they went bankrupt

[killerGSR]

that's exactly the one item i wanted from ARC, but it was discontinued years ago and you would likely have to get it used. i've seen some importers get used ones in, but they are based in australia. only other thing i wanted from ARC is one of their intercoolers since ARC is known for it's advanced cooling technology, but i bought a blitz LM since it took forever until ARC started to be distributed by Mackin.
arc intercooler...pretty cheap
JDM ARC International front mount intercooler - eBay (item 260711061592 end time Mar-22-11 00:38:33 PDT) (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/JDM-ARC-International-front-mount-intercooler-/260711061592?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3cb3971858)


i love arc products...It's a shame.

[FaLKoN240]

There are clothing companies that make suits that cost as much as our cars. I can't name any of those brands because I don't shop for that stuff, nor have I ever considered it.

But if you were into collecting suits, you would probably damn well know the brands and why they're so expensive.

Same goes for ARC, just because we're all poor and driving 15+ year old cars and pinching pennies to toss into our money pit, doesn't mean everyone else is.

Stop thinking so small people.

[BlackZenkiS14]

Same goes for ARC, just because we're all poor and driving 15+ year old cars and pinching pennies to toss into our money pit, doesn't mean everyone else is.

Stop thinking so small people.

exactly. Very well put.

[VROOOM]

There are clothing companies that make suits that cost as much as our cars. I can't name any of those brands because I don't shop for that stuff, nor have I ever considered it.

But if you were into collecting suits, you would probably damn well know the brands and why they're so expensive.

Same goes for ARC, just because we're all poor and driving 15+ year old cars and pinching pennies to toss into our money pit, doesn't mean everyone else is.

Stop thinking so small people.

thats just it. the people buying 5k plus exhausts arent driving 30k evos and 350z's

[Davidna2fi]

Just to chime in here with what I have seen in my area...

There is a hospital and a bunch of medical research offices that have high dollar cars, and yet I see them staying in my $1K a month apartment complex only durring the week, like monday through thursday night. They leave their Aplina B7 or AMG Mercedes under covered parking and then take their econo Lexus hybrid on the weekends to wherever they actually live... Basically saying it's more efficent to just have a place to sleep and relax durring the week instead of actually going home with a 2 hr comute back to who knows where in TX. And believe me, there are some insane housing in TX in the middle of no where...watch MTV cribs [PLUG]

So ARC catering to those people, ya I can see that.

[BustedS13]

Just to chime in here with what I have seen in my area...

There is a hospital and a bunch of medical research offices that have high dollar cars, and yet I see them staying in my $1K a month apartment complex only durring the week, like monday through thursday night. They leave their Aplina B7 or AMG Mercedes under covered parking and then take their econo Lexus hybrid on the weekends to wherever they actually live... Basically saying it's more efficent to just have a place to sleep and relax durring the week instead of actually going home with a 2 hr comute back to who knows where in TX. And believe me, there are some insane housing in TX in the middle of no where...watch MTV cribs [PLUG]

So ARC catering to those people, ya I can see that.

http://i.imgur.com/uhJfl.jpg

[mrmephistopheles]

http://i.imgur.com/uhJfl.jpg

:rofl::rofl::rofl:

Well played!

[godrifttoday]

the problem is that 240sx are not ferrari's, where 5k exhaust are common, most 240sx owners can justifiy paying these high prices

[mau5trap]

http://i.imgur.com/uhJfl.jpg

:bowrofl::bowrofl::bowrofl:

[Red Square]

auto select Yellow Shark is beast.

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w25/RedSquareGT/cars/yellowshark.jpg

ARC is stuff is nice. hand made and pretty..... performance-wise nothing too spectacular. but they produced some cool stuff.

[mau5trap]

HKS on top homie!!

[chiboy002]

All i'm saying is "why the hell would i pay $800 for a new Bride when i can get two for $600? A seat is a seat, fiberglass is fiberglass, and as long as it holds me fine then i'm happy..."

[raz0rbladez909]

All i'm saying is "why the hell would i pay $800 for a new Bride when i can get two for $600? A seat is a seat, fiberglass is fiberglass, and as long as it holds me fine then i'm happy..."

Because one may actually prevent you from dying in an accident while the other one allows you to look fashionably dead in your pictures after you're in an accident. Its safety equipment dude, not something I'd really be interested in cheaping out on. There are somethings I could justify going with a lesser brand on, but if you are looking for bucket seats Sparco and Momo make great entry level seats that actually are tested unlike that taiwan/canada/china bride crap.

Just because I can't justify paying the price for ARC products doesn't mean I support knockoffs, it just means i'll be taking my money to a legit company that produces a quality product that doesn't rape my wallet.

Honestly they may be a niche company, but if there isn't enough customer base in your niche willing to pay the price for your product, obviously you should be rethinking something about your company if you want to continue to exist.

And last but not least a few of you keep talking about their grill oil cooler, how hard do you guys really think it would be to fab up? Get a thin oil cooler and run some lines and a thermostat, really shouldn't cost you in the $1k range to create, and you can mount it however you'd like.

[BustedS13]

There are clothing companies that make suits that cost as much as our cars. I can't name any of those brands because I don't shop for that stuff, nor have I ever considered it.

there are companies that make suits that cost ten times what an s13 is worth. that's all i really wanted to say.

[FaLKoN240]

there are companies that make suits that cost ten times what an s13 is worth. that's all i really wanted to say.

This as well.

[an_orange_s2k]

wow sucks that theyre going out of business. my buddy had an ARC exhaust on his NSX and it sounded amazing...pretty hefty price tag though but it sure was purrrty

[FRpilot]

^^^
And what purpose would even a $1k Tomei exhaust serve, over say a $600 Greddy exhaust?
I understand the idea of buying genuine well designed products for a reasonable premium.
I don't understand, in terms of practical function, buying some super-high class product for an exorbitant premium.

why spend $600 on a greddy exhaust when you can get megan exhaust for $275... then why that when you can get ebay exhaust for $200... and why that when you can just get a 3'' steel pipe welded by an exhaust shop for less than $100?

All i'm saying is "why the hell would i pay $800 for a new Bride when i can get two for $600? A seat is a seat, fiberglass is fiberglass, and as long as it holds me fine then i'm happy..."

ask a girl who is into purses why she buys a 3k gucci purse instead of one from target for $30 or why some guys spend $300 on a LV belt buckle and another $500 on an LV wallet. there are other people out there with more money than us or into certain high status items that they spend most of their money on them.

[ronmcdon]

There are clothing companies that make suits that cost as much as our cars. I can't name any of those brands because I don't shop for that stuff, nor have I ever considered it.

But if you were into collecting suits, you would probably damn well know the brands and why they're so expensive.

Same goes for ARC, just because we're all poor and driving 15+ year old cars and pinching pennies to toss into our money pit, doesn't mean everyone else is.

Stop thinking so small people.

But yet, ARC makes ritzy parts, like a 1,300 radiator for old 'pos' cars like our 240sx's.

ARC-Auto Rod Controls Nissan 240SX Auto Rod Controls SMC Radiator ASMC36S14 (http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=ARC+240sx&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=11977092861814638414&sa=X&ei=GTlvTceALYv4swPziqG-Cw&ved=0CGwQ8wIwDA#)

No doubt not everyone isn't cheaping out on buying ARC parts.
There's just not enough of a market to support that type of business, apparently otherwise they would be doing just fine.
To be fair, it is impressive they stayed in business as long as they have.

[drift freaq]

http://i.imgur.com/uhJfl.jpg

Credit where credit is due. LOL very well put :boink::boink:

[Touge Noob S13]

But yet, ARC makes ritzy parts, like a 1,300 radiator for old 'pos' cars like our 240sx's.

ARC-Auto Rod Controls Nissan 240SX Auto Rod Controls SMC Radiator ASMC36S14 (http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=ARC+240sx&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=11977092861814638414&sa=X&ei=GTlvTceALYv4swPziqG-Cw&ved=0CGwQ8wIwDA#)

No doubt not everyone isn't cheaping out on buying ARC parts.
There's just not enough of a market to support that type of business, apparently otherwise they would be doing just fine.
To be fair, it is impressive they stayed in business as long as they have. The Japanese are willing to spend that money or ARC would not have made it in the first place. It is a status symbol.

[madd ocx]

People seem to forget we are in a recession. So the average guy that might have been balling probably don't have no job right now to afford his car, let alone some overpriced aftermarket parts. Maybe if they did lower prices they might of fared better as well..

[speedgod^s13]

An item is only worth as much, as someone is willing to pay for it. Apparently, people have been willing to pay that much for ARC parts, or they wouldn't have stayed in business for this long. ARC isn't much different from a lot of other tuner companies. Sure, you are paying for R&D, but I think a lot of the cost is due to their name and reputation. If ARC dropped their prices though, i'm sure they would have no problem reestablishing their company. There ARE still people out there, that will pay good money, for quality parts. ARC has to realize that in this economy, they have to adjust to the buyer's market. If they at least lowered their prices to compete with HKS, Apexi, Blitz, they would already grow their market by great lengths.

[FRpilot]

An item is only worth as much, as someone is willing to pay for it. Apparently, people have been willing to pay that much for ARC parts, or they wouldn't have stayed in business for this long. ARC isn't much different from a lot of other tuner companies. Sure, you are paying for R&D, but I think a lot of the cost is due to their name and reputation. If ARC dropped their prices though, i'm sure they would have no problem reestablishing their company. There ARE still people out there, that will pay good money, for quality parts. ARC has to realize that in this economy, they have to adjust to the buyer's market. If they at least lowered their prices to compete with HKS, Apexi, Blitz, they would already grow their market by great lengths.

i would agree. obviously, this won't work if each item is selling at a lost but they can make money by selling in larger quantities at lower prices as long as they have a solid margin.

[SimpleS14]

http://i.imgur.com/uhJfl.jpg

I know this has quoted three times already, but it's just too damn funny lol :bowrofl:

[Matej]

If a company whose products no one on here will buy goes down, does it make a noise?

[HyperTek]

There are clothing companies that make suits that cost as much as our cars. I can't name any of those brands because I don't shop for that stuff, nor have I ever considered it.

But if you were into collecting suits, you would probably damn well know the brands and why they're so expensive.

Same goes for ARC, just because we're all poor and driving 15+ year old cars and pinching pennies to toss into our money pit, doesn't mean everyone else is.

Stop thinking so small people.

Good point, look at watches, im sure alot of people here have $50 watches... as opposed to watches that cost over a G.

[UtahKouki]

Overpriced. Not surprising considering the economy and lack of brand awareness

[ixfxi]

I don't know if Ti is any more difficult to weld than SS, but I'm sure it takes specialized training and/or equipment.

in addition to the materials costing more, welding titanium requires more skill and prep as the metal needs to be completely free of oxygen during the welding process.

what you failtards dont understand is, that this is not your typical "titanium burnt tip" bullshit exhaust.. morons. this is a full fucking piece of titanium, the entire thing.

i swear, its like you morons buy a carbon FIBERGLASS laminate hood and think you're buying the same carbon used in the mclaren f1. ask seibon or whoever if they have an autoclave thats used for their 100 dollar s13 hoods (yeah right).


its amazing how few people here understand, and i mean really have a true understanding as to what is involved when it comes to building and designing the products that are on your car. this is why so many cars are held together with zipties and bungee cords, people are stupid - with or without money, complete fucktards

[PoorMans180SX]

I would also like to say that:

A. ARC intercoolers have some of the best-designed end-tanks I have ever seen.

B. ARC is the ONLY company I know of that actually produces their own intercoolers/oil coolers/radiators from scratch. They owned a fin-bending machine that costs somewhere in the $1M range.

[nathanong87]

i painted ARC on my ebay intercooler. works great.

[yokotas13]

I would also like to say that:

A. ARC intercoolers have some of the best-designed end-tanks I have ever seen.

B. ARC is the ONLY company I know of that actually produces their own intercoolers/oil coolers/radiators from scratch. They owned a fin-bending machine that costs somewhere in the $1M range.
and IIRC the only bolt in Vmount for a car other than an FD

[sidewaysil80]

in addition to the materials costing more, welding titanium requires more skill and prep as the metal needs to be completely free of oxygen during the welding process.

what you failtards dont understand is, that this is not your typical "titanium burnt tip" bullshit exhaust.. morons. this is a full fucking piece of titanium, the entire thing.

i swear, its like you morons buy a carbon FIBERGLASS laminate hood and think you're buying the same carbon used in the mclaren f1. ask seibon or whoever if they have an autoclave thats used for their 100 dollar s13 hoods (yeah right).


its amazing how few people here understand, and i mean really have a true understanding as to what is involved when it comes to building and designing the products that are on your car. this is why so many cars are held together with zipties and bungee cords, people are stupid - with or without money, complete fucktards

ok mr. know it all, explain to me why the FULL titanium j's racing exhausts are only 1800 dollars?

[ronmcdon]

explain to me why we even need a 'full titanium' exhaust systems, as opposed to a decent built $600 'stainless steel' exhaust ?

what justifies the premium? The only argument I've heard so far is that it's a 'status symbol' among the Japanese. I don't understand the Japanese, & probably never will, so I won't dispute that.

I don't think most Americans are going to be impressed by a POS car with a 6K exhaust, so probably no status symbol here (except for the car show nerds, whom I also can't understand, nor care to). What other function does a $6k ARC exhaust provide, that decently built Greddy/HKS/Apexi, for a fraction of the price, can NOT ?

Maybe a 6K exhaust would make sense to that guy with the $80k GTR, whom more likely has more disposable income,
or it's pocket change some rich dude who has a $300k Ferrari.

Trying to keep an open mind here, but you guys arguing for ARC aren't being very persuasive here.