Re: Why??
well since i stumbled across this thread i would like to add my $.02. Although no personal flames were taken against RPM in particular, i think it's pretty obvious that many of the prices were quoted from our website. I would like to defend myself as well as all the other syty vendors, as it seems there is some learning to be had.
Prices are determined from one thing. Supply and demand. It is impossible to compare our specialty market to anything else. In the case of a crankshaft, you aren't going to get anyones attention to stop a million dollar production run of V8 cranks to build (1) billet V6 crank, no matter how much profit margin there is. It takes special tooling, machine setup, knowledge, etc not to mention actual run time, and material costs. You need to take this into consideration when you are talking small quantities. You may claim to get a brand new billet crank for $1500, but it aint happening I dont care what you say. Go ahead and give someone your 50% deposit, and 6 months later be happy if you even get your deposit back (without interest of course) I've been there done that with more then one company. 10-15k out of my pocket for 6 months for a lousy 2-3 cranks... if i was making $200 a crank my money would be better off in a money market account down at the local bank.
The same holds true for other products. You guys want intercooler kits, downpipe kits, suspension kits, etc which take alot of time and money to design and build a quality product. Figure you manufactor 10 of each product (which is a joke from a manufactoring point of view), and you are easily sitting on $50-100k in inventory just on parts you manufactor, not to mention all the small things like fuel injectors, bolts, gaskets, engine parts, etc. Calculate the profit margin on that expanded over a 4-12 month period, and you begin to wonder why any of us are stupid enough to even invest in the high perf. automotive industry yet alone a market of SYTYs that died off 5 years ago.
You are complaining about vortec heads being expensive, yet i sell brand new guarenteed castings for less then a normal cylinder head shop would sell you USED cores for. I was able to do this by purchasing 150 SETS of cylinder heads from GM (and anyone who has been to our shop can vouch for me) Had i sold them immediately you all would be paying closer to double for new heads.. Yes you can go to the junkyard, spend a few hours pulling some heads off a salvaged truck and pay $50, but by the time you have them surfaced, magged, pressure tested, guides honed, etc you are definately more then $200 into a set of heads. Yes you can throw heads together for alot less then we charge but thankfully there are people who can afford and appreciate quality. When you take into consideration what is involved in assembling our vortec head package, i sincerely doubt you will get the same end result for a much cheaper price from the local machine shop. Saying you can buy 18 or 23 deg aluminum heads that bolt on with more performance for less then vortecs is a flat out lie. The only way it is going to cost you less is if your parts are used or stolen. How could you when Brodix sells a BARE casting for $1500. Add a 5 angle valve job, complete port job including combustion chambers, GOOD valves, etc you are smoking crack if you think your not gonna be $3000-3500 into your heads less rockers!
As for the headers.. The only people who think they can do it cheaper are those who have never done it before. I guess if you have someone willing to work for $10/hr it can be done for a bit less, but the only person who is willing to weld in the United States for $10/hr probably cant even figure out how to turn the MIG welder on. Did you guys forget how much material costs have gone up in the last year or so? Have you ever sat down and added up the parts list of what is involved ? Of course not.. Regardless if you have a jig or not you still have to hand cut and trim each piece. Close is not close enough when you are purge welding the tubing, and expect something to hold together. If it was easy, those guys who have already built custom headers for the syty's would have done it again, but chances are they'd never build another set..lol
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There are also some other things to consider.. For one, RPM is located in Los Angeles, Ca. Home of the $3.59/gal diesel fuel and $20/hr day laborer who cant even speak english. Our cost of living is atleast double of many of yours, so in order to survive, many people are either forced to move or increase the pricing. It isnt a matter of greed, its a matter of survival. If you can compare apples to apples, the prices are not far off. Instead of venting like it is your first day building a race car, talk to some people who have built cars that run.. Not just SYTY's but NHRA, NMRA, NMCA, PSCA, OSRA, etc. It doesnt matter if its a Camero, Mustang, Viper whatever. A high quality hand fabricated part is gonna cost you the same regardless of what it is.. Heads, Headers, Suspension, whatever..
So in conclusion, i think some of you have some learning and/or research to do. Can i blame you for installing a junkyard bone stock 1000hp supra motor in your syclone, or a 500hp naturally aspirated LS7 motor into your typhoon for pennies of what it takes to build a 4.3 V6 beast? absolutely not! I can understand and appreciate where many of you are coming from b/c i am a consumer and racer myself. Do i think many of the stuff is overpriced? of course, but not any more overpriced then in other similar markets.. Like i said.. it all goes back to basic economics class... i guess i'm still busy trying to figure out why my diesel fuel costs more then premium unleaded yet it is the least refined oil out there.
Support your vendors while you still have them b/c as more and more of us start to fade away into different markets you will look back at the days when parts were still plentiful and affordable... Rest assured in 5 years, the pricing of syty performance parts will be inflated just like the cladding is today!
