Hey folks,

Just finished installin' the eBay replica of the the HKS Ti Duel Catback Exuast System. I've seen a lot of threads asking questions about this and none of them ask or answer the important questions. Here are a few questions and answers that I've come up with:

Q: How does it fit? Any exhaust leaks?
A: I'll be honest, it was a close fit; a little too close. There were a few times that we had to modify mounts and had to tighten down one side in order to fit. ZERO LEAKS.

Q:Hows the quality?
A: I was surpised how excellent the welds, type of metal and bends came out.

Q: I hear there is rasp and rattles, true?
A: False, for me yanyways. There are rattles when cold and idling, other than that no rasp or rattles.

Q: Does it have deep sounds/growl/roar?
A: Yes, big time. Sounds like a boat.

Q: Any droning?
A: A little bit when driving on the freeway.

More info to come!

 

Most rep exhausts do not fit perfect. You will most likely have to go to a exhaust shop so they can cut and weld your exhaust to get it to fit better. Too soon the blue tips will fade and turn brownish. The exhaust drones at cruising speeds and is highly noticeable in the cabin. Exhaust is too heavy & your muffler hangers might tear soon.

I only say this because i made the mistake of buying this exhaust when first purchased my Z a few years back and it all happened to me. As soon as i saved up enough I immediately threw it away and went with the real HKS system.

Although it looks and sounds nice I can't consider it an upgrade from stock exhaust unless all you wanted was sound. Its better to save those 400-600$ or whatever you spent on the fake and in a few months when you have another few hundred to go with trustworthy and proven brands.

Just my .02 cents for anyone interested in getting this.
Fake stuff don't belong on Zs.

 

Ill have to beg to differ. The one I have was actually lighter than stock. Also, it fit just fine besides having to bend one mount. Mine only drones if cruzing in a high gear at low speeds. Anything is better than stock. You can possibly tell me a single 2 1/2 inch pipe with a massive muffler and resonator is better than two 2 1/2 inch pipes with 2 tiny muffled and resonators. I'm also not don't with my review.

 

Compared to the real HKS, the metal is a lot thinner, more prone to cracking and drones because the packing material inside the muffler/silencers doesn't really do anything. I've owned several HKS exhausts, still do on my Evo X, and the difference is pretty significant once side by side and you look at the details.

 

You have to admit tho, its worth it for only $459 versus $2500+

Im going to watch for a while and five updates on how its holding up.

 

I got my hks for about 1700 which is reasonable for a quality exhaust for the Z.
If i was on a low budget i would of rather picked up either DC sports exhaust(700$) or like the invidia N1 or gemini(600-900$)

The rep will hold up fine though. Just check often for cracks, leaks and wear.

 

If a person CANNOT afford a part for their beloved Z, one SHOULD NEVER turn to Ebay and think it's "good enough" Ebay parts are crap and do not and should not ever be found on a Z... Save the couple hundred dollars and buy something that is worth the and is actually a worth brand and quality.

Poor ol Z is getting mod'd by Ebay parts when will the insanity end!

 

For $459 and some change, you could have gotten a good used exhaust... The Magnaflow X-pipe should help with drone...

 

Ill check out the x-pipe.

 

So, if I bought legit part off eBay, it still doesn't belong? What if i bought the entire car off eBay? Help me see your logic!

 

My question is, if its a good exhaust, why then is it being taken off and sold?

 

Some Ebay stuff are ok. I bought some Ebay parts for thrills.

I've been running my Ebay res-testpipes with my Greddy exhausts for 3 years (25k miles), getting scrapped 2-4 times a day coming to work and they're still fully functional, no leaks, no rasps, no issues.
A friend bought the ART pipes and it cracked on him a few weeks later.
So yea, Ebay parts are generally junk but not all. It's more like hit or miss.

Ebay stuff i wouldnt touch though are anything related to sensitive performance parts, like the engine, suspension etc.

 

i don't think you quite understand his post.

 

Contrary to what a lot of people think, I completely agree with you TheWoods. I had the HKS replica exhaust on my G coupe for three years and it worked and held up like a charm for me. Your review is spot on. Personally, I do not see it as being necessary to spend a thousand+ dollars on pieces of metal. I would much rather spend that money on quality suspension, tuning, wheels, and braks - all the things that you will actually notice differences on the car after installing. Let alone the four above categories actually matter for driver safety, not an exhaust.

 

For $459, I'd rather get a used AP single........ a used real HKS is around 700-900 depending on the seller and condition of the exhaust, which is around $250 more (on the low side) than the eBay one.

Actually, I'm surprised you bought the rep for that much. I thought the awesome GSP (aka real brand) exhaust goes for less than 300 shipped?

 

Are you talking about a single or true duel? And is it a catback like the Rep. HKS?

 

Are you kidding? You cant tell me you never saw this when you bought yours off of eBay..........

just search "350z exhaust" @eBay............

 

Really? They're trading in/selling and returning to stock. They're switching out for something different. They've gone a different direction with they're mods. The list goes on. This didn't really need it's own thread, there's already a hundred out there for hks knock-offs.

 

You're welcome to not post or read this thread. And in regards to "hundreds of threads" not a single one I read had any valid comments and was mostly filled with people just stating their invalidated opinions. I was hoping this thread would provide folks looking for a decent system on a budget with some hard facts; not rumors or unsupported psychobabble.

 

Ill he honest, I didn't. :/