Holy crap, there whole product range is copies. http://amszstore.com is basically copying all the designs out there and pricing isn't that great for some of it. At least be cheap if you're gonna copy. SZ dump pipes: http://amszstore.com/main/product_info.php?cPath=21_29&products_id=54 MS manifolds: http://amszstore.com/main/product_info.php?cPath=21_27&products_id=55 Suspension: http://amszstore.com/main/product_info.php?cPath=21_28&products_id=32 http://amszstore.com/main/product_info.php?cPath=21_28&products_id=35 http://amszstore.com/main/product_info.php?cPath=21_28&products_id=33 Probably more I didn't recognise...given the work some of these companies put in, that is just wrong. interesting...watch this thread: http://www.twinturbo.net/net/viewmsg.aspx?forum=general&msg_id=2110909
This is getting funny...On the other side of the pond the UK 300zx forum is, kinda, defending AMS and Zcenter (AMS fanboys). Given the forum is sponsered by AMS and Z! (well, so some of the messaged said) not too suprising: http://www.300zxclub.com/showthread.php?t=117883 UK vs America WW3 started on the 300ZX forums haha. Australia watched, laughed and didn't buy AMS products
I'm not a member there so cant read the posts, but find it funny that the only two logos I saw were for Z1 and AMS. I say boycott AMS, not sure on Z1, they still have my respect but if they continue to sell these blatant rip offs I will lose alot of that respect.
Piccies. The MS manifolds we all love and trust And the new AMS manifolds that look somewhat similar The AMS castings actually appear to be of better quality than the MS ones Althought I don't fully agree with people copying other people's products that have had a LOT of R&D go into them, in the end it is just a manifold which isn't terribly elaborate. On the note of manifolds there's a rumour going around that a local shop may be selling some nice looking stainless manifolds pretty soon...
We should have made something similar. Don't hear folks complaining that MS stole the Nissan design... pretty hard to make a log manifold any other way really.
Stainless will hold up to the heat, it's the heat up and cool down over time which will crack stainless if not adequetly support from the weight of the snail.
Spot on Egg. A lot of people usually forget about that important bit that without the item to inspire improvement there would be nothing.
When you're talking actual costs of material the difference between inconel and SS is really stuff all. Say the SS itself is worth $40 to make a set of manifolds even if the inconel is three times the price it's not that much more expensive in total. Though, companies spout on that it's inconel and charge double... sure it's a little harder to weld but not that bad.
The point I notice raised alot I agree with is, why both putting in a couple of years developing something if you know as soon as it's done your design will be cloned?
for me, there is sufficient difference to pick between the two brands .. particularly the bolt ridging ...??? edit: i wouldn't be getting too excited about it ....
Two years R&D? Hmmmm, you could do the whole thing on a decent CAD program in a few hours if familiar with the software. Just make ID of all runners the same size as the exhaust port on the head. Cast it a certain thickness, we know placement position is critical follow OEM lines. (with foresight for bigger turbos) Design it right no need to even bench-flow really. I'm glad they made these... least now the price will drop. I guess charging a shitload of cash for a pretty simple casting is what you get for being the first, there was another casting too I think, but poor design.
I must have missed something, where's the UK involvement in all this bud ? noticed nowt on our forum or on the others from UK peeps.. smithy
Oh my god!! I know this is going to appear like am attacking you again, but jesus H christ i've never read such crap from someone who professes to know a great deal about parts etc. I'll be sure to pass on this simple method to Mike in how to re design the nissan manifolds so much better than nissan did themselves and even better than 99% of the aftermarket manifolds on the market today, man this guy is gonna kick himself for NOT thinking as you did. All those times he removed an engine so he could fit manifolds on a Zed, dynoed the car and then removed them again and then did it all over again and that was before bench testing. Any more simple ideas on how to manufacture something, please let me know as after nearly 20 years doing it, i still ain't found the "simple" way to do it smithy
"Oh my god!! I know this is going to appear like am attacking you again" You said it smithy AGAIN. Next time you want to comment on one of my posts hit the little X in the top right corner instead of send please... or better still don't even read my posts. Thank you,
More just quite a few members of the UK forum saying they would buy it anyway, don't care if it looks identical etc. etc.
There is a reason this happened. 1) MS manifolds are a ridiculous price for what they are. I doubt they cost $100 a pair to get cast and machine faced. 2) The continuous delays in delivery of the MS product made getting them a joke. If you want to lose a monopoly. Over price a product, and make it hard to get. That almost guarrantees there will be copies made. IMHO MS had it coming. If he had marketed those manifolds at $500. No one else would have bothered copying them and he would have sold 10 times more of them. Basically their marketing screwed up. They went for a fast cash grab to recover design costs. This left them open to a raid by copy cat suppliers. A lesson learned, through marketing 101 Watch the price drop on these now.
Egg, I notice the lack of responce to the actual comments about production rather than coming back at me. Sorry bud, when i see something that is down right ridiculous, as a public forum, i just gotta have my say. It would pay me to have you come to the UK and manufacture/design stuff on a price per product, i'd be rolling in the ??$$ smithy
