SOHO Single Turbo Kit: My Honest Review!!
02-12-2013, 11:33 PM
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SOHO Single Turbo Kit: My Honest Review!!
This is my personal review of the SOHO Motorsports single turbo kit. I believe I am their first true customer if not one of the first. But I am pretty sure I am the first due to all the mistakes that was made. I am putting them on blast because I can 100% prove anything that I have to say.
I will TRY to make this review as short as possible. I first contacted SOHO and asked if their kit will fit with momentum headers because I was looking to go boost with headers, and they said multiple times on the phone that it will. So I placed an order for the SOHO single turbo kit basic (w/out turbo, bov, wg, and intercooler) because I already have the other parts. I paid in full (2 separate payments) in late October for basically the hot and cold piping and all the necessary items needed for the kit.
So in mid-December I received a packaged that included just the piping, coupler, clamps. The thing that bothered me was I was never at least notified by SOHO I was just getting those items because I can’t do much without anything else. I was expecting to get everything all at once. So I personally had to call them up and tell them specifically what I am missing from THEIR kit.
First package content: hot and cold piping, couplers, K&N intake filter, and clamps.
(had to let them know that I was short a 4in-3in coupler for the intake and the 4in clamp for intake, which I still have not received)
So in January 19, I then received another pack in the mail. Again I was never notified by email or phone/text the shipment of the package and its content. So I opened the packaged thinking that I got the rest of the kit. But no, that is not the case, I had to call SOHO and tell them what I am missing once again.
2nd package content: Clutch line with fitting, feed line for turbo, vacuum line for bov, power steering relocation bracket, sparkplugs, oil pan spacer, 2 ac lines, oil catch can and oil return line.
Here is another problem, since they never contacted me about the package; they never told me personally what was missing. I just hate the fact that the customer has to contact the consumer and tell them what they are missing.
I was missing fitting for oil pan spacer for the oil return line, sent me oil feed line without the fitting on top of turbo and the tee fitting on the oil sending unit. Sent me an oil catch can without any hose, not only that it only has one hose connection. Oil catch can should have two hose fitting (one to the pvc and another to the plenum). I am not even using it because it is useless. I then tried to relocated the power steering cooler with the mount provided, that also proved to be useless, so I also trashed it and was able to mount the cooler without the bracket. At this point my patience for this so called kit is boiling.
I then decided to fit the a/c lines and it just keeps going downhill from there. I called SOHO telling them that the low pressure a/c line they sent me was from a 04+ 350z/G35 because the on the 03 350z/G35 there is no break in the line, it continues all the way back to the firewall. They sent me one that stopped at the break booster. They tried to make an excuse saying that they sent me a G35 a/c line but I know for a fact they did not know the info about the difference in a/c on the 03 and 04+ until I personally told them about it. I even test fitted the a/c they sent me on my friend’s 05 350z and it lines up perfectly. Not only that, I have told them plenty of times I owned a 350z, I first contacted them on my350z forum why would they send me a G35. I am sorry to say but it’s just a lack of knowledge.
Okay so I then decided to fit some of the piping they gave me, I first started with the crossover piping. I got it to bolt up then realized all 5 bolts bolted up fine but one was misalign with the manifold flange. So I had to expand one of the holes from the crossover pipe flange to get it to bolt upright. I then removed the oem clutch line from the clutch reservoir to the slave and installed the line that they provided. I soon found out that that line provided was too short, it could not reach the slave because the crossover piping was in the way. I had to personally buy an extension to the line to make the line a little longer. I also had to buy heat protective sleeve because the line was too close if not touch the crossover piping. A so called kit, where I have to do my own modification and buy addition parts to make things work.
Again, my frustration level is on the rise. I then started to fit the downpipe and I was unable to get it to fit. So I contacted SOHO on Facebook, they told me all I need to do its drop the power steering rack and the sub frame. So I did what I was told, to get the dp up to the engine bay, again I just could not get the dp up to the engine bay. I called them again and told them I couldn’t get it to fit cause it was touching the engine mount shield, they then checked their 350z and told me that the engine mount heat shield had to come out. I don’t get it, I could have been told that beforehand. But again, I could not fit the piping up to the engine bay, I had to unbolt the driver side engine mount and lift the motor from one side to get clearance for the dp.
Here is another huge problem, I bolted up the rear section of the down pipe to the end part of the y-pipe (beginning of muffler) and it was about a foot SHORT. The dp did not reach all the way up to the engine bay where it had to sit. I call SOHO again telling them the situation that the piping is short, and does not fit at all, I also ask them once more if this kit will fit the momentum headers bc I personally do not see it fitting, they again told me it will fit with the headers. I was a little reassured but that will be short lived. I was told the piping was mocked up to a 350z prior to shipping and it should fit. I sent them pictures’ proving to them it does not fit. They got back to me telling me that they will send me a new extended piping. If you say that you fitted the piping prior to shipping and it will fit, but now you have to send me an extension. They then try to make an excuse of saying that they also sent me a G35 rear piping, idk why they think I am an idiot. A 350z/G35 from the exhaust manifold all the way back to the end of the y-pipe is exactly the same. The only difference is the rear muffler section of the G35. If you say you sent me the rear section of the dp for a G35, I can guarantee that short piping (rear section of the dp) you sent me will not fit a G35 either. So eventually they sent me a new rear dp section and it was the exact same one as before but you can tell that it was cut at the flange and an extension was added and welded on bc the piping material was totally different from the rest. All I can say is measurements on the jig was short.
Not only that, once I got the dp up to the engine bay, the piping is not sitting where it needs to sit because it was hitting one of the runner on the headers! (I was told from the get go that this “kit” will fit momentum headers). Which did not enable me to put the dp where it needs to be. Out of desperation I removed the dp and started to bang the dp flat so that I can clock the dp to make it fit without hitting the runner. Ok now the dp up in the engine bay, time to fit the turbo. Nope, turbo did not fit either because where the dp needs to sit and turned a little, it was now hitting a second runner on the headers! I again removed the dp and bang it some more at a different location, this took about 15 times of taking the dp out/in to fit it. At this point I gave up the dp was not going fit with the turbo and momentum headers. I had to spend extra money to get an entirely new dp fabricated so that it can fit the turbo.
What I DO NOT like about this kit design, it does not fit momentum headers (would probably not fit another header brand because they are all made differently, all runners different) so you can only use oem exhaust manifold, power steering line and clutch line is way too close to piping, front mount intercooler does sit lower compare to anything else, you basically lose all the plastic covering on the car, with this kit you are only able to use one kind of turbo (Garrett GT/GTX35 turbos with tial vband) will not be able to upgrade to another turbo, unless fabrication work was done to fit a bigger turbo, there is no hose or breather for the driver side engine cover which usually is connected to the bottom of factory intake, was told this kit will be able to install in 2 hours but that’s not the case. This kit is not a DIY for a typical person; I had to use a car lift and transmission jack to lift the engine.
What I DO like about this kit, nice welds on piping, that’s about it.
Also the charge piping silicone sent was too long, I was able to compare it to the image on white SOHO 350z. I had to trim down both ends of the silicone, for the charge piping to fit correctly. And the list continues…
Received the new a/c lines for my car; I am not even going to bother test fitting it because I am sure it will make me more unease. The quality of the first a/c and the second a/c line is completely different. The second set has not heat protective sleeve. Not only that, the second set of a/c line does not have the spring lock like the first set and oem a/c lines. Without the spring lock inside the a/c, it could come loose and bust.
I am sure with all future orders, they will learn from their mistakes on this one.
All the questions and issues could have been answered with some type of instructions, I have waited since December for instructions. I was told when I first purchase the kit I will receive a pdf file of instructions, but I am still waiting. At the same time its a little too late.
I have contacted SOHO for a refund for the downpipe because it did not fit and I had to pay to get a new downpipe fabricated. Still no answer. They told me if anything, contact them, but commination throughout this transaction has been terrible.
Anthony
Sorry if there are grammatical typos, it is past 2AM and I have no time to proof read and edit. Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have.
I will TRY to make this review as short as possible. I first contacted SOHO and asked if their kit will fit with momentum headers because I was looking to go boost with headers, and they said multiple times on the phone that it will. So I placed an order for the SOHO single turbo kit basic (w/out turbo, bov, wg, and intercooler) because I already have the other parts. I paid in full (2 separate payments) in late October for basically the hot and cold piping and all the necessary items needed for the kit.
So in mid-December I received a packaged that included just the piping, coupler, clamps. The thing that bothered me was I was never at least notified by SOHO I was just getting those items because I can’t do much without anything else. I was expecting to get everything all at once. So I personally had to call them up and tell them specifically what I am missing from THEIR kit.
First package content: hot and cold piping, couplers, K&N intake filter, and clamps.
(had to let them know that I was short a 4in-3in coupler for the intake and the 4in clamp for intake, which I still have not received)
So in January 19, I then received another pack in the mail. Again I was never notified by email or phone/text the shipment of the package and its content. So I opened the packaged thinking that I got the rest of the kit. But no, that is not the case, I had to call SOHO and tell them what I am missing once again.
2nd package content: Clutch line with fitting, feed line for turbo, vacuum line for bov, power steering relocation bracket, sparkplugs, oil pan spacer, 2 ac lines, oil catch can and oil return line.
Here is another problem, since they never contacted me about the package; they never told me personally what was missing. I just hate the fact that the customer has to contact the consumer and tell them what they are missing.
I was missing fitting for oil pan spacer for the oil return line, sent me oil feed line without the fitting on top of turbo and the tee fitting on the oil sending unit. Sent me an oil catch can without any hose, not only that it only has one hose connection. Oil catch can should have two hose fitting (one to the pvc and another to the plenum). I am not even using it because it is useless. I then tried to relocated the power steering cooler with the mount provided, that also proved to be useless, so I also trashed it and was able to mount the cooler without the bracket. At this point my patience for this so called kit is boiling.
I then decided to fit the a/c lines and it just keeps going downhill from there. I called SOHO telling them that the low pressure a/c line they sent me was from a 04+ 350z/G35 because the on the 03 350z/G35 there is no break in the line, it continues all the way back to the firewall. They sent me one that stopped at the break booster. They tried to make an excuse saying that they sent me a G35 a/c line but I know for a fact they did not know the info about the difference in a/c on the 03 and 04+ until I personally told them about it. I even test fitted the a/c they sent me on my friend’s 05 350z and it lines up perfectly. Not only that, I have told them plenty of times I owned a 350z, I first contacted them on my350z forum why would they send me a G35. I am sorry to say but it’s just a lack of knowledge.
Okay so I then decided to fit some of the piping they gave me, I first started with the crossover piping. I got it to bolt up then realized all 5 bolts bolted up fine but one was misalign with the manifold flange. So I had to expand one of the holes from the crossover pipe flange to get it to bolt upright. I then removed the oem clutch line from the clutch reservoir to the slave and installed the line that they provided. I soon found out that that line provided was too short, it could not reach the slave because the crossover piping was in the way. I had to personally buy an extension to the line to make the line a little longer. I also had to buy heat protective sleeve because the line was too close if not touch the crossover piping. A so called kit, where I have to do my own modification and buy addition parts to make things work.
Again, my frustration level is on the rise. I then started to fit the downpipe and I was unable to get it to fit. So I contacted SOHO on Facebook, they told me all I need to do its drop the power steering rack and the sub frame. So I did what I was told, to get the dp up to the engine bay, again I just could not get the dp up to the engine bay. I called them again and told them I couldn’t get it to fit cause it was touching the engine mount shield, they then checked their 350z and told me that the engine mount heat shield had to come out. I don’t get it, I could have been told that beforehand. But again, I could not fit the piping up to the engine bay, I had to unbolt the driver side engine mount and lift the motor from one side to get clearance for the dp.
Here is another huge problem, I bolted up the rear section of the down pipe to the end part of the y-pipe (beginning of muffler) and it was about a foot SHORT. The dp did not reach all the way up to the engine bay where it had to sit. I call SOHO again telling them the situation that the piping is short, and does not fit at all, I also ask them once more if this kit will fit the momentum headers bc I personally do not see it fitting, they again told me it will fit with the headers. I was a little reassured but that will be short lived. I was told the piping was mocked up to a 350z prior to shipping and it should fit. I sent them pictures’ proving to them it does not fit. They got back to me telling me that they will send me a new extended piping. If you say that you fitted the piping prior to shipping and it will fit, but now you have to send me an extension. They then try to make an excuse of saying that they also sent me a G35 rear piping, idk why they think I am an idiot. A 350z/G35 from the exhaust manifold all the way back to the end of the y-pipe is exactly the same. The only difference is the rear muffler section of the G35. If you say you sent me the rear section of the dp for a G35, I can guarantee that short piping (rear section of the dp) you sent me will not fit a G35 either. So eventually they sent me a new rear dp section and it was the exact same one as before but you can tell that it was cut at the flange and an extension was added and welded on bc the piping material was totally different from the rest. All I can say is measurements on the jig was short.
Not only that, once I got the dp up to the engine bay, the piping is not sitting where it needs to sit because it was hitting one of the runner on the headers! (I was told from the get go that this “kit” will fit momentum headers). Which did not enable me to put the dp where it needs to be. Out of desperation I removed the dp and started to bang the dp flat so that I can clock the dp to make it fit without hitting the runner. Ok now the dp up in the engine bay, time to fit the turbo. Nope, turbo did not fit either because where the dp needs to sit and turned a little, it was now hitting a second runner on the headers! I again removed the dp and bang it some more at a different location, this took about 15 times of taking the dp out/in to fit it. At this point I gave up the dp was not going fit with the turbo and momentum headers. I had to spend extra money to get an entirely new dp fabricated so that it can fit the turbo.
What I DO NOT like about this kit design, it does not fit momentum headers (would probably not fit another header brand because they are all made differently, all runners different) so you can only use oem exhaust manifold, power steering line and clutch line is way too close to piping, front mount intercooler does sit lower compare to anything else, you basically lose all the plastic covering on the car, with this kit you are only able to use one kind of turbo (Garrett GT/GTX35 turbos with tial vband) will not be able to upgrade to another turbo, unless fabrication work was done to fit a bigger turbo, there is no hose or breather for the driver side engine cover which usually is connected to the bottom of factory intake, was told this kit will be able to install in 2 hours but that’s not the case. This kit is not a DIY for a typical person; I had to use a car lift and transmission jack to lift the engine.
What I DO like about this kit, nice welds on piping, that’s about it.
Also the charge piping silicone sent was too long, I was able to compare it to the image on white SOHO 350z. I had to trim down both ends of the silicone, for the charge piping to fit correctly. And the list continues…
Received the new a/c lines for my car; I am not even going to bother test fitting it because I am sure it will make me more unease. The quality of the first a/c and the second a/c line is completely different. The second set has not heat protective sleeve. Not only that, the second set of a/c line does not have the spring lock like the first set and oem a/c lines. Without the spring lock inside the a/c, it could come loose and bust.
I am sure with all future orders, they will learn from their mistakes on this one.
All the questions and issues could have been answered with some type of instructions, I have waited since December for instructions. I was told when I first purchase the kit I will receive a pdf file of instructions, but I am still waiting. At the same time its a little too late.
I have contacted SOHO for a refund for the downpipe because it did not fit and I had to pay to get a new downpipe fabricated. Still no answer. They told me if anything, contact them, but commination throughout this transaction has been terrible.
Anthony
Sorry if there are grammatical typos, it is past 2AM and I have no time to proof read and edit. Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have.
02-12-2013, 11:38 PM
#2
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My text message to SOHO:
I want to let u know that this "kit" has been personally hell for me and a local shop trying to fit the down pipe. I was told multiple times the kit will fit momentum headers but thats not the case I can guarantee you that it does not fit at all.
Can you truly prove to me that you have a soho single turbo kit with momentum headers?
I had to personally bang down the down pipe cause it was hitting a runner to get it up, once it was in it was then not sitting straight once we got the dp in cause it was hitting a second runner. Nothing is fitting including the turbo. Not only that, to get dp in, the driver side engine mount has to be lifted, which I was told I didn't have to do. I was told I just had to remove the subframe and drop rack. Its a "kit", I shouldn't have to modify anything. The whole transaction has been a terrible one. Missing parts has been a nightmare in itself. I personally have to let you know what's missing. Down pipe is too short. Clutch line is a lil short I have to buy an extension to make it a lil longer cause it was hitting cross over pipes. Not only that, clutch line and ps is extremely close to piping. One of the crossover pipe flange did not line up with the oem manifold OR momentum headers, I had to expand a hole for me to bolt it up. Powersteering bracket was useless, those holes did not align up with any of the holes on the frame, I ended up not even using it and was able to mount it without it. Then realized the coupler to the intake(charge pipe) is too long and had to be trimmed to size, you can clearly see from the one u sent me and the one on soho z, the size are different. You sent me an oil catch can without any hose, oil catch can should have an inlet and outlet but it only has one connection. There should be a hose from PVC valve and one from the plenum to an oil catch can. So I can't even use it.
Now the fittings you just gave me is not fitting into oil pan spacer. Do you not test fit things before you send them to me.
You first told me that you test fitted the dp on a 350z prior to shipping. I then proved you otherwise. The dp is too short and then you told me you will send me an extension. But at the same time you said that it will fit. did you fit it on a shorter 350z?
I hope you truly understand my frustration.
I paid top quality money for a top quality kit. But all I got was a whole lot of stress and wasted time. I for sure do not feel like I got the $$k I paid for (basically just piping). Things have to be modified and nothing is going right.
I am sure I am one of the first if not ur first true customer that bought the kit and it's not looking good.
I have been so patient with this "kit" but your service has proven to me you don't know what you are doing. I just don't know what to do. I should have wait when your company was more ready but I wanted to give you a chance. My hard earn money down the drain. Long story short, that dp is not fitting at all with the headers. But I was told it will. I had to pay additional money to get a new dp fabricated. I would like some type of refund for the cost of the dp.
I want to let u know that this "kit" has been personally hell for me and a local shop trying to fit the down pipe. I was told multiple times the kit will fit momentum headers but thats not the case I can guarantee you that it does not fit at all.
Can you truly prove to me that you have a soho single turbo kit with momentum headers?
I had to personally bang down the down pipe cause it was hitting a runner to get it up, once it was in it was then not sitting straight once we got the dp in cause it was hitting a second runner. Nothing is fitting including the turbo. Not only that, to get dp in, the driver side engine mount has to be lifted, which I was told I didn't have to do. I was told I just had to remove the subframe and drop rack. Its a "kit", I shouldn't have to modify anything. The whole transaction has been a terrible one. Missing parts has been a nightmare in itself. I personally have to let you know what's missing. Down pipe is too short. Clutch line is a lil short I have to buy an extension to make it a lil longer cause it was hitting cross over pipes. Not only that, clutch line and ps is extremely close to piping. One of the crossover pipe flange did not line up with the oem manifold OR momentum headers, I had to expand a hole for me to bolt it up. Powersteering bracket was useless, those holes did not align up with any of the holes on the frame, I ended up not even using it and was able to mount it without it. Then realized the coupler to the intake(charge pipe) is too long and had to be trimmed to size, you can clearly see from the one u sent me and the one on soho z, the size are different. You sent me an oil catch can without any hose, oil catch can should have an inlet and outlet but it only has one connection. There should be a hose from PVC valve and one from the plenum to an oil catch can. So I can't even use it.
Now the fittings you just gave me is not fitting into oil pan spacer. Do you not test fit things before you send them to me.
You first told me that you test fitted the dp on a 350z prior to shipping. I then proved you otherwise. The dp is too short and then you told me you will send me an extension. But at the same time you said that it will fit. did you fit it on a shorter 350z?
I hope you truly understand my frustration.
I paid top quality money for a top quality kit. But all I got was a whole lot of stress and wasted time. I for sure do not feel like I got the $$k I paid for (basically just piping). Things have to be modified and nothing is going right.
I am sure I am one of the first if not ur first true customer that bought the kit and it's not looking good.
I have been so patient with this "kit" but your service has proven to me you don't know what you are doing. I just don't know what to do. I should have wait when your company was more ready but I wanted to give you a chance. My hard earn money down the drain. Long story short, that dp is not fitting at all with the headers. But I was told it will. I had to pay additional money to get a new dp fabricated. I would like some type of refund for the cost of the dp.
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02-13-2013, 07:29 AM
#16
Having put funds in FI as well I understand how much this must suck, but I have to say I saw it coming a mile away. Guy buys "partial" kit from new company because for some reason already had various parts and wanting it to fit headers not meant for kit. First customer more than likely will be trial by fire. This kit is like S&Rs, it was meant to be installed in-house by SOHO so they could deal with all the bull. They shouldn't have told you it fit the headers though. That's a little sketchy. I feel bad for you man. There's another member on here that got the kit installed by SOHO and everything is doing great.
Give us some updates on what transpires. I was gonna have some work done by them, may rethink that.
Give us some updates on what transpires. I was gonna have some work done by them, may rethink that.
Last edited by Nismo350z#0310; 02-13-2013 at 07:36 AM.
02-13-2013, 07:39 AM
#17
A good turbo kit should be able to be installed by anyone, not just the manufacturer… that’s just poor manufacturing. And the fact that it was a “partial” kit means absolutely nothing, the turbo they use is just an off the shelf Garrett, same with the BOV and Wastegate, nothing special there…
02-13-2013, 08:42 AM
#18
hatersgonnahate
iTrader: (162)
you should cross post here
https://my350z.com/forum/engine/565122-soho-motorsports-single-turbo-kit-sale-2.html
i was laughing to myself when they introduced their 8k turbo kit.
Sorry to hear such a horror story. Hopefully they give you a refund.
Seems like a lot of shops come out swinging and then dissappear (soho, momentum, SR and a few others from the west that i cannot recall)
https://my350z.com/forum/engine/565122-soho-motorsports-single-turbo-kit-sale-2.html
i was laughing to myself when they introduced their 8k turbo kit.
Sorry to hear such a horror story. Hopefully they give you a refund.
Seems like a lot of shops come out swinging and then dissappear (soho, momentum, SR and a few others from the west that i cannot recall)
02-13-2013, 09:13 AM
#20
Registered User
In Response
Anthony,
My name is Kevin from SOHO Motorsports. I have not handled anything on your account end during this entire ordeal as I work at SOHO part time and my design company the other half, so some things I am not involved in. But having seen what has occured here, I am going to be taking over point on this and making sure that you are not only taken care of until your kit is perfect and you are happy, but also resolve any issues that you or anyone else believes may be wrong with the kit. SO please be patient in my response to this post.
First I would like to apologize for your problems with our kit and assure you that we will stand behind our product and make it correct for not only you but everyone who will potentially buy it. Also I understand your frustration and your need to bring it to the attention of the public on this forum, as if I were having the issues you had then I would probably do the exact same thing.
Let me start with saying that the following is in by no means a rebuttal to what you said, but rather some background info as to my understanding of what happened to help you realize what was happening and also to clear up this situation to everyone reading on the forum.
First Im posting the email that Nik sent to you yesterday explaining the issues (the ones you listed in the email you sent, not necessarily everything in this post)
"Anthony,
I understand your frustration that has occured from the issues with our kit, and it seems like we are making excuses anytime something has gone wrong and I would like to apologize at this time. These issues that you are having is not due to the lack of knowledge on our part but rather an honest mistake and mixup between the two cars during our design phase. We accidentally used a G35 catback pipe to measure how long the 350Z adapter pipe coming from the downpipe would need to be , which is why your adapter piece was 8 inches short because the G35 exhaust piece extends 8 inches further forward on the car. We apologize for this mistake on our part due to a miss marked exhaust piece in the shop, and we are working non stop to get it fixed not just for you but for all the kits. You were the first customer with this kit and after test fitting your exact pipes on our 2005 350Z we did not foresee any issues with clearance, but we were wrong. The adapter pipe that was sent to you was already premade and we modified it to get you going as quick as we could, but the downpipe issue occured with the Momentum headers and now it has set you back once again. For the downpipe as I am sure you can see, the Momentum header tubing protudes in a manner that is unique to other headers on the market and the stock ones. We assumed as like any other header, the Momentum headers would fit without issue but unfortunately that is not the case. If you were using stock manifolds it would have no issue what so ever. In an effort to fix your problem immediately and to avoid this on future kits we change the downpipe design to be compatible with all setups. Once again i apologize for this oversight and I can have a corrected downpipe to you by the 26th of this month and maybe sooner, I just want to be able to test it numerous times to ensure that it will work and also to adjust the jigs. If this seems like it is going to be to long of a wait then we can fully refund the kit and offer your money back. Yes, we have made a lot of mistakes and we once again would like to apologize but we are trying to resolve these issues as quck as we are coming across them and we are also trying to ensure that we can keep you happy, which may not seem like we are not, but you have moved to priority with any issue that has occured. As for the AC lines, we are aware there is a break in the AC line for the 2003 models and instead of having a seperate line for one year we made one line that works for all and have added the schrader valve in a location that was away from the turbo, and can easily be accesible. I am not sure if you were aware on the Momentum turbo kit you were instructed to bend the low pressure line at the muffler section of the line until it was out of the way of the downpipe and we did not want to go that route with our kit. We appreciate your business and your patience with us on this and we can assure you that we are going to do everything in our power to make this right, thank you."
- Nik
Okay if you read that email then that explains our issues on the extension pipe and also why the downpipe doesnt currently fit. When we saw your issue on Monday Nik and I went to the shop and pulled the kit off of Nik's car and put it up to an 03 to make sure everything worked at 4am the following day, trying to find the same issue you were having. Then we used one of the extra momentum headers we had and immediately we realized the DP issue, as it did not clear the runners designed by Momentum. We sincerely appologize for this oversight and I am even more sorry that someone in this process told you that it would fit perfectly, because at the end of the day and being completely honest they didnt know, we assumed it would since others would... and we were wrong. We all know what assuming does.
Having explained what your issues on the downpipe stem from, we are already working on a solution. Our fab guy is making a downpipe that will have an extra bend in it that will allow it to snake through that area where some aftermarket headers protrude in a unique way. Not only are we fixing this for your kit but also adjusting our jigs so that all other kits made will have that bend and allow install on unique header setups without the issue you have seen. Now I read that you had someone make you a downpipe, as I hope that is not the case, I could completely understand your impatience as our customer service on you leaves much wanting. But I can assure you that wont be the case moving forward, I will be handling your order from here on and I will make sure that all is resolved. Being an owner of a race G myself I get frustrated just like you when **** doesnt go right and it seems you have been way more than patient. If you have made a downpipe to work like you said then yes we will refund you that obviously and even some more for your trouble. At the end of this we just want you and your vehicle happy and driving fast. But if you havent made a downpipe then we will be test fitting (with multiple header designs) later today or tomorrow and then shipping to you by this weekend. (Note: I want this to get to you asap but I am also concerned with making it 100% perfect so this issue doesnt occur with anyone else). This was an over sight by us and I cant say how sorry I am that this happened to a good customer like you.
Also I saw your sentence about missing couplers, according to Nik that was sent in the ac box last week. Please advise if this is the case. Also when you said you ahd to trim your intake coupler, that confuses me some as we put that on Nik's car and it worked fine. Please ellaborate on that some if you could.
Next id like to respond to this :
Yes the momentum headers dont fit currently as you discovered, we are fixing that as we speak and will be a non issue moving forward.
Our intercooler is a lower design than some but it fully away from anywhere it could recieve andy road damage in normal conditions. Also what plastic are you referring too?
As for the kit designed to work with only one type of turbo you are correct. We only use the best turbo on our kit which is the Garrett GTX35. Because of the design of the kit, tight spaces in the engine bay, and the fact that the turbo is a vband clamp this means that only that turbo will work. But at the end of the day we saw the best numbers with that turbo and we want anyone who buys our kit to use that, also why we where a bit hesitant on selling just the pipes to you.
As for the breather tube that you have seen get routed back into the intake (like Momentum), that is a TERRIBLE design. All of the oil gets dumped into the intake and shoved into the intake manifold where it builds up over time. We saw this many times on other kits when used on track, so ours dumps that blow out oil into a catch can that we sell. This way is much better for the engine and kit.
Also not sure where you heard 2 hours from but we cant even do it in 2 hours, in fact we call for nearly triple that time in most instances.
Lastly I want to make something clear, yes you were one of the original purchasers of this kit. And it was a decision we made to sell it to you because you were so anxious about getting one. We had multiple discussions about selling a kit and not installing it here, but we took the chance, knowing we would have to do it at some point in the future, so why not now with a customer willing to work with us. Having said that, it does not excuse anything that has happened to you at all. We should have quadruple checked everything on every model and now we are seeing the issues. I ask for you and everyone on here to have some patience with us through these growing pains. I can assure you this will be fixed, you will get whatever money back you want and in due time your car will be loving the new kit. Anthony I ask you or anyone on here if they have questions or concerns please contact me directly on my cell phone at 240 925 9158 and I will do my utmost to solve any issues or questions anyone has.
I dont blame you one bit on this post, maybe im too honest in saying this, but as someone who builds his G if I was in your shoes I would be saying the same things and maybe be even more frustrated and angry than you are. I completely understand your frustrations and I can assure you that you are my only priority right now and I promise Anthony that I am going to fix all of this for you, no matter what that means on our end from refund to money back to new kit or anything. I know your working right now so once you have read this please call me so we can discuss further at 2409259158. Thanks and I look forward to hearing back from you.
My name is Kevin from SOHO Motorsports. I have not handled anything on your account end during this entire ordeal as I work at SOHO part time and my design company the other half, so some things I am not involved in. But having seen what has occured here, I am going to be taking over point on this and making sure that you are not only taken care of until your kit is perfect and you are happy, but also resolve any issues that you or anyone else believes may be wrong with the kit. SO please be patient in my response to this post.
First I would like to apologize for your problems with our kit and assure you that we will stand behind our product and make it correct for not only you but everyone who will potentially buy it. Also I understand your frustration and your need to bring it to the attention of the public on this forum, as if I were having the issues you had then I would probably do the exact same thing.
Let me start with saying that the following is in by no means a rebuttal to what you said, but rather some background info as to my understanding of what happened to help you realize what was happening and also to clear up this situation to everyone reading on the forum.
First Im posting the email that Nik sent to you yesterday explaining the issues (the ones you listed in the email you sent, not necessarily everything in this post)
"Anthony,
I understand your frustration that has occured from the issues with our kit, and it seems like we are making excuses anytime something has gone wrong and I would like to apologize at this time. These issues that you are having is not due to the lack of knowledge on our part but rather an honest mistake and mixup between the two cars during our design phase. We accidentally used a G35 catback pipe to measure how long the 350Z adapter pipe coming from the downpipe would need to be , which is why your adapter piece was 8 inches short because the G35 exhaust piece extends 8 inches further forward on the car. We apologize for this mistake on our part due to a miss marked exhaust piece in the shop, and we are working non stop to get it fixed not just for you but for all the kits. You were the first customer with this kit and after test fitting your exact pipes on our 2005 350Z we did not foresee any issues with clearance, but we were wrong. The adapter pipe that was sent to you was already premade and we modified it to get you going as quick as we could, but the downpipe issue occured with the Momentum headers and now it has set you back once again. For the downpipe as I am sure you can see, the Momentum header tubing protudes in a manner that is unique to other headers on the market and the stock ones. We assumed as like any other header, the Momentum headers would fit without issue but unfortunately that is not the case. If you were using stock manifolds it would have no issue what so ever. In an effort to fix your problem immediately and to avoid this on future kits we change the downpipe design to be compatible with all setups. Once again i apologize for this oversight and I can have a corrected downpipe to you by the 26th of this month and maybe sooner, I just want to be able to test it numerous times to ensure that it will work and also to adjust the jigs. If this seems like it is going to be to long of a wait then we can fully refund the kit and offer your money back. Yes, we have made a lot of mistakes and we once again would like to apologize but we are trying to resolve these issues as quck as we are coming across them and we are also trying to ensure that we can keep you happy, which may not seem like we are not, but you have moved to priority with any issue that has occured. As for the AC lines, we are aware there is a break in the AC line for the 2003 models and instead of having a seperate line for one year we made one line that works for all and have added the schrader valve in a location that was away from the turbo, and can easily be accesible. I am not sure if you were aware on the Momentum turbo kit you were instructed to bend the low pressure line at the muffler section of the line until it was out of the way of the downpipe and we did not want to go that route with our kit. We appreciate your business and your patience with us on this and we can assure you that we are going to do everything in our power to make this right, thank you."
- Nik
Okay if you read that email then that explains our issues on the extension pipe and also why the downpipe doesnt currently fit. When we saw your issue on Monday Nik and I went to the shop and pulled the kit off of Nik's car and put it up to an 03 to make sure everything worked at 4am the following day, trying to find the same issue you were having. Then we used one of the extra momentum headers we had and immediately we realized the DP issue, as it did not clear the runners designed by Momentum. We sincerely appologize for this oversight and I am even more sorry that someone in this process told you that it would fit perfectly, because at the end of the day and being completely honest they didnt know, we assumed it would since others would... and we were wrong. We all know what assuming does.
Having explained what your issues on the downpipe stem from, we are already working on a solution. Our fab guy is making a downpipe that will have an extra bend in it that will allow it to snake through that area where some aftermarket headers protrude in a unique way. Not only are we fixing this for your kit but also adjusting our jigs so that all other kits made will have that bend and allow install on unique header setups without the issue you have seen. Now I read that you had someone make you a downpipe, as I hope that is not the case, I could completely understand your impatience as our customer service on you leaves much wanting. But I can assure you that wont be the case moving forward, I will be handling your order from here on and I will make sure that all is resolved. Being an owner of a race G myself I get frustrated just like you when **** doesnt go right and it seems you have been way more than patient. If you have made a downpipe to work like you said then yes we will refund you that obviously and even some more for your trouble. At the end of this we just want you and your vehicle happy and driving fast. But if you havent made a downpipe then we will be test fitting (with multiple header designs) later today or tomorrow and then shipping to you by this weekend. (Note: I want this to get to you asap but I am also concerned with making it 100% perfect so this issue doesnt occur with anyone else). This was an over sight by us and I cant say how sorry I am that this happened to a good customer like you.
Also I saw your sentence about missing couplers, according to Nik that was sent in the ac box last week. Please advise if this is the case. Also when you said you ahd to trim your intake coupler, that confuses me some as we put that on Nik's car and it worked fine. Please ellaborate on that some if you could.
Next id like to respond to this :
What I DO NOT like about this kit design, it does not fit momentum headers (would probably not fit another header brand because they are all made differently, all runners different) so you can only use oem exhaust manifold, power steering line and clutch line is way too close to piping, front mount intercooler does sit lower compare to anything else, you basically lose all the plastic covering on the car, with this kit you are only able to use one kind of turbo (Garrett GT/GTX35 turbos with tial vband) will not be able to upgrade to another turbo, unless fabrication work was done to fit a bigger turbo, there is no hose or breather for the driver side engine cover which usually is connected to the bottom of factory intake, was told this kit will be able to install in 2 hours but that’s not the case. This kit is not a DIY for a typical person; I had to use a car lift and transmission jack to lift the engine.
Our intercooler is a lower design than some but it fully away from anywhere it could recieve andy road damage in normal conditions. Also what plastic are you referring too?
As for the kit designed to work with only one type of turbo you are correct. We only use the best turbo on our kit which is the Garrett GTX35. Because of the design of the kit, tight spaces in the engine bay, and the fact that the turbo is a vband clamp this means that only that turbo will work. But at the end of the day we saw the best numbers with that turbo and we want anyone who buys our kit to use that, also why we where a bit hesitant on selling just the pipes to you.
As for the breather tube that you have seen get routed back into the intake (like Momentum), that is a TERRIBLE design. All of the oil gets dumped into the intake and shoved into the intake manifold where it builds up over time. We saw this many times on other kits when used on track, so ours dumps that blow out oil into a catch can that we sell. This way is much better for the engine and kit.
Also not sure where you heard 2 hours from but we cant even do it in 2 hours, in fact we call for nearly triple that time in most instances.
Lastly I want to make something clear, yes you were one of the original purchasers of this kit. And it was a decision we made to sell it to you because you were so anxious about getting one. We had multiple discussions about selling a kit and not installing it here, but we took the chance, knowing we would have to do it at some point in the future, so why not now with a customer willing to work with us. Having said that, it does not excuse anything that has happened to you at all. We should have quadruple checked everything on every model and now we are seeing the issues. I ask for you and everyone on here to have some patience with us through these growing pains. I can assure you this will be fixed, you will get whatever money back you want and in due time your car will be loving the new kit. Anthony I ask you or anyone on here if they have questions or concerns please contact me directly on my cell phone at 240 925 9158 and I will do my utmost to solve any issues or questions anyone has.
I dont blame you one bit on this post, maybe im too honest in saying this, but as someone who builds his G if I was in your shoes I would be saying the same things and maybe be even more frustrated and angry than you are. I completely understand your frustrations and I can assure you that you are my only priority right now and I promise Anthony that I am going to fix all of this for you, no matter what that means on our end from refund to money back to new kit or anything. I know your working right now so once you have read this please call me so we can discuss further at 2409259158. Thanks and I look forward to hearing back from you.