One thing that immediately grabbed me is just how many cheap Chinese parts are available and how tempting it must be when on a limited budget to go down this route. It's funny, but after a few years of owning a reasonably high performance car, the amount of stories that filter back on blown turbo's and cracked manifolds add up.
It's difficult and tempting for the layman not to be lured in with the promise of great performance and power for pocket money prices. Although with turbo's in mind it is easy to have a copy housing, it's what lurks beneath that counts and a domestic $1000+ Garrett isn't remotely the same as a copy pretending to be one. I can only assume at these sort of prices the compressor wheel is made from Fairy Dust.
Anyway, from one extreme to another. I found this most excellent film on You tube which if nothing else is good for a laugh, in it they test a Holset turbo to destruction and then copy turbos. The commentary is amusing, if probably a little misleading and there is a part where they ask 'what if this turbo was on a school bus?' A real laugh out loud moment!
As many would say, the best way to counter fakes is simple, manufacturers, reduce your prices! But then if you can't afford it then maybe you shouldn't be playing the game (Pretty much like all hobbies, drinking, drug taking, gambling).
Anyway here is the video
Or, we could just do it the old fashioned way, of patiently saving up to buy the real thing. I think one legitimate reason why the real parts are expensive is the time and effort needed to make the original part. Copying is easy.
ReplyDeleteIt's just like studying for an exam. Doing well requires diligent studying. But copying is easy...