you must be kidding... Yea, up the price and lets see those sales drop.

 

No I am not kidding! The Plenum is simply worth more money for the gains that you will get from it. There is no reason why that Plenum shouldn't be priced at $595. The only reason I can see is that Doug loves what he does and wants all other Z owners to benefit from his work. He is not in it for the money. There is no other competition on the market and no other N/A mod that is giving these dyno proven results on the top end. Plus the Plenum is a DIY mod if there is any. No installation fees!! I couln't be more serious about another product I have purchased. This is simply a no-brainer, period.

 

I don't see what I am missing... you CUT the old front/upper part off, CUT the sheetmetal and FIT it to the remaining part of the old plenum, then WELD it back on and POWDERCOAT/CLEARCOAT it... seems like anyone with a jigsaw, sheetmetal and a welder could do this...

As for R/D, yes I understand the cost of trial/error R/D, but my goodness, its a piece of flat straight metal... not exactly a complicated design that would require the kind of R/D you are talking about.

Don't get me wrong for a second, I HIGHLY respect Doug and everyone at Crawford as they make truly great products such as the headers, but I just don't see why everyone thinks the plenum is such a technological marvel when it is a thin piece of sheet metal... I wouldn't buy it if it were $300 simply because it looks unfinished and I feel that there is room for improvement... until there is the "perfect" plenum, I will keep the stock and save my money, but of course everyone is entitled to their own opinions.

 

I find myself agreeing with you over and over again....

 

Its aluminum by the way!

Our techniques have been perfected over the last 120 orders. You are right, anyone with the proper tools can do it. But no one else has, there must be a reason. The only thing I can think of is still the price.

 

I can think of two off the top of my head:

1. REAL R&D
2. Something that looks like it belongs on the Z and not slapped on as a quick fix. Something that fits. LSD's comes to mind. Please don't speculate on why it is not to market yet.

My point is, I would definitley pay the price charged for the Crawford plenum. Just not for the Crawford plenum. I totally agree with wren57.

 

Ok guys the price is not going any lower I really thought about raising the price to $500 but we are giving everybody on the boards a discount. If you think you can build it cheaper then do it I don't have a patent on the design. It’s a lot more difficult then you think to build one of these and you definitely need mad aluminum welding skills. Trying to weld dirty cast aluminum to clean sheet aluminum is quit hard to do, thats why the welds are not quit as beautiful as some would like. Also you will need to build a heavy steel jig to keep the plenum from warping sh@#less when you cut it apart with the plasma cutter and weld it back together, o yeah I forgot the part about the plasma cutter we tried a jig saw ha ha that was a joke, we also tried a sawsall damn near killed little John with that one. Guys there really is a lot more to it then this, there is also alot of grinding we have already burned up one small grinder and one big one and then of course the powder coating and still more but I think I 've gone on long enough, now maybe you have some kind of idea.

Doug

 

Doug

Amen.

Guys, I was one of the early converts. I've had mine on my "G" for 4 month's now. I can honestly say, it's still the best bang for the buck out there. Nothing, I repeat Nothing, can touch it for Bang for the Buck Goodness. (Did I invent a new phrase?) If there is one mod you must do, this is it. It really opens up the breathing at the upper end.

Lou

 

Hey Tater why are you hating on us so much what have we ever done to you other then promise to give you an a$$ whooping in a car race if you would ever come up to Nashville. Man did we sell you something in the past that pissed you off I just don't understand.

And by the way what is your definition of R&D? A certain shotty custom exhaust come to mind?

While we are at it what should something look like that goes on the Z? A certain shotty custom exhaust come to mind? What would you like the plenum to look like maybe we can accommodate for a price.

As for waiting for lsd's plenum, keep on keeping on. Maybe in the mean time someone will let you drive their car with my plenum. Until you try one for yourself don’t knock it.

 

Hey fair enough on the exhaust that I HAD. It was pretty crappy and I had it replaced. Remember, I didn't build it. The new one is perfect. Also, I think something that I would want is a product that is not a hack job from a stock piece. I think that's all I am looking for. Fair enough? Geez, I have nothing against you guys. I just express my thoughts on parts. I guess there is too much "know-it-all" and "puffery" coming from "yer kneck of the woods" that I just can't totally agree with. Why is it a problem if I don't like the way your part is constructed? I am not the only one who comments on your products you know. Look around. Yes, some people are happy. Super! I am happy for you. Mind if I ask, how many plenums have you sold, honestly, how many headers have you sold? Just curious, please be honest.

By the way, no where have I tried to convince anyone not to buy Crawford. I have only expressed that there are some things I would not jump on of yours because I would rather wait for a better alternative. There is nothing wrong with that. Deal with it.

 

Since the website launch the plenums are constantly 20 units back ordered... it has shot far past the 100 unit marker.

Headers - I'm still waiting for a set. They were only released last week.

You're extremely negative - and a freaking know it all. No one's exhaust was good enough so you tried to make one?!?!? THEN FAILED! Thank GOD you admitted it.

Good for Doug for calling you out, since you obvious are the god - thus the master of combining parts for the most power. Bring your junk and run us... you can take your pick. Your car vs. Dougs, Mine, or Adams.

If you want pretty... sell your freaking Z and get a TT or Lexus. You want to identify something real quick? THE PRIORITY IS POWER! If you came to ANY road event,with your crying *** attitude "it's not pretty" you would get laughed out.

As for the "yer neck" comment, you're lucky your making such snide remarks behind the safety of your keyboard and screen kid.

That's my statement, I'm sticking to it.

 

Wow, way to represent crawford.... won't even think of dealing with you guys after reading this.

 

Dude, I don't work for Crawford's... all I do is buy his parts and hang out all the time.

If you take what I say, as Dougs philosophy - knock your socks off. Displays the way you lead yourself.

Mind you from every post I have EVER seen from you - you've also complained like Tater. Thus your reaction isn't shocking.

 

Well, with all of this crawford stuff you have in your signature, advertising and whatnot, I figured that you did. I take what I said back then, but your post is still un-called-for. No one insulted you, why start insulting everyone man?

 

Calm down everyone, just a couple of different views here. I think everyone agrees the crawford makes good gains, but just by looking at its design, it doesn't look as though it makes optimal power, and I think some people (myself included) are waiting for someone to develop the absolute best plenum possible, preferably keeping the stock strut bar but its not THAT important. The best plenum would deliver gains, be affordable, and look clean. I would pay upwards of 600 for something with gains similar to crawfords, keeping SB if possible, keeping cover and looking like a single finished piece instead of a couple parts glued together... That, of course, is the decision that I have made. I am glad people love your product and stand behind it, but personally it isn't for me and I am merely stating my opinion as just that, my opinion... I am not claiming to be stating the facts, just my opinion, and if someone doesn't like me having an opinion different from someone else's, then they are in the wrong country.

 

It's called respect...

Something I have a GREAT deal amount for Doug. He has busted his *** bringing parts to the market that work FAR AND BEYOND anything else out there. NO ONE has done a plenum. NO ONE has made headers that touch his. Though people can sit here and personally insult? The "slang" comments are what set me off... it's tacky and shows low character on his part.

Doug has had his car over a year, and it's been on the road HALF of that time. It's been on the rack taken apart the rest, donating his pride to the community. Where's the thanks? BLAH BLAH too expensive, BLAH BLAH too ugly. It gets REAL old, REAL quick.

 

Some people have no idea how hard it is to run a profitable business, not a clue. He's in business to make a profit-that's the American way-and unlike alot of businesses out there he's selling a product w/some merit. I don't have the plenum-yet, but I certainly think it's worth the price for the performance trade off. Like I said this is America, nobody is stopping you from doing a better job and selling it cheaper-you've heard of the better mouse trap? Give it a whirl, you'll see what a headache running a business can be and why you have to make it worth your while.

 

This is a typical reaction to criticism of your work. Nothing less than I would have expected. I am not going to drive up to race you. I am a know it all because I don't like your plenum? Ok.

Individual is someone who obviously changes his screen name all the time, gets himself photoshopped by pissing people off on other forums, and informally represents Crawford and many people probably think he works there in some way. I mean, he is photographed with Doug on the homepage for petes sake.

Ind, please don't provide false info by saying that I tried to build an exhaust for myself. That is ridiculous. Why do you have to try to act like a big man all the time? You always throw out challenges. It is childish. Simple criticism of a PLENUM is not an attack on Doug and certainly not you. Do you think I somehow care that much about you? I don't but I do care enough about other forum members to help them make a decision informed from BOTH sides of a perspective. I do not make a dollar off my opinion while you guys obviously make money off yours. We have very different motivation. Pardon me for speaking my opinion. They have classes on self esteem you know.

Besides, didn't we just agree to disagree over PMs a LONG time ago?

 

Well said - I cannot tell you how many countless hours were wasted trying to figure out how to deliver such a plenum.

How many drawings, models, etc.

First off... to create something "pretty" a custom mold has to be formed. $7-$10k ALONE. YIKES!

As for keeping the strut bar, it's just impossible without replacing the lower plenum. Which means MORE parts, in turn MORE cost.

I think Doug, and anyone else would have loved to make the "utopian" plenum. Looks stock, plugs right in, and makes BIG power.

Unfortunately when you're working within the confines of the Z, limitations occur. IF it were possible, someone would have made it. People know, and have known for almost 6 mo that a plenum WILL MAKE POWER. Why have they not released something? It's cost analysis - the R&D necessary to do it and the cost required to produce it isn't worth the price they would make trying to sell it. Ever wonder why the Dreamworkes SC is so much more than the Vortech? A custom fitting SC is going to cost you DOUBLE what a simple SC setup will.

Just think about it...

 

Still doesn't give you a right to bite at me for calling you out on your crude behavior. You say every post I have made was negative? I beg to differ. I just don't understand the hostility. Respect or none, you still have no right to be insulting other people who have done you no harm.
I agree with wren57, I want a full piece plenum not a few things glued together. We are both in the same boat on this one, and like he said, if you dont like our opinion thats fine, but we have a right to give it.