As the title says, just curious what your guys' hourly wages for a typical manifold end up being. The manifold I'm almost done with, my a20 sidewinder I posted about, if I sell it for 600, I'll make only $17.56 an hour. Doesn't really seem very good to me. I'd like to sell it for more, but I highly doubt anyone would buy it then.
So what are the rest of you guys making, if it isn't too personal of a question? I know I'll get these built more quickly in the future, and with better quality/appearance too, but still, I don't see myself getting That much better. I'd like to be able to sell that manifold for $900, (30.60/hr) but that will never happen. I have no clue how to market these things. I guess I need to get a website.
The last manifold I made, I haven't even been able to sell, people keep flaking or lowballing me outrageously bad. (like $6.66/hr) Right now I'm about to just say forget it and sell my tig.

 

imo, there is no money in manifolds on a small volume basis. i do it more for fun and to fill the gaps between my industrial work, which as of late, hasn't been any time at all.

you have to consider what people will be willing to pay for something when you price it. with my industrial customers there are also other things to consider like, how bad do they need it (or how fast) and how busy i am in the shop. if i'm slow, i tend to price low, if i'm busy i tend to price higher. i've done stuff that has worked out to over $200/hr but that is pretty rare. i never make money on any of the manifolds i do. now the flanges are a different matter altogether.

 

you want to sell a manifold for 900 that you're not even sure fits properly? seems a little outrageous to me.

 

Are you shooting for one-off custom work or fixtured cookie cutter parts? over 30 hours for a fixtured manifold is a little much. I've done full tig'd cages in that much time. I don't do manifolds, but I can't imagine one taking more than 10 hours, MAX, once you've fixtured it up and recorded all the cuts and bends. R&D, fixturing, tooling, etc... will never be paid for in the first couple of parts. It's hard make custom money unless you're actually doing custom work.

Good luck, if it was easy everyone would be doing it.

Gabe

EDIT: I just read your other thread. Wow! All I can say is GOOD LUCK. I tried making some wheels for a car once. I didn't have a tape measure or a wheel to copy, but I did see the car once, it was red and the wheels had 4 or 5 holes. Oh, and I think the wheels were a little bigger than the other ones that I saw the other day. Anyways, I have some wheels for sale, they fit a red car, I think.

 

sell your tig.

 

serisously 18hr in SD can't be that bad. Don't like it? go weld at a mine and be miserable.

 

To really make money from manifolds and such, you need to be bale to bend your own bends/make your own elbows and not buy from a middle man.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by danielm3 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">To really make money from manifolds and such, you need to be bale to bend your own bends/make your own elbows and not buy from a middle man. </TD></TR></TABLE>

don't forget flanges.

 

I figure I'll have about 23 hrs total in that a20 manifold. That was totally a one off thing, no jigs, nothing, just all cut from my imagination. That's no Too bad, but I imagine I could trim about 4 hours off of that in the future.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by gabepari &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
EDIT: I just read your other thread. Wow! All I can say is GOOD LUCK. I tried making some wheels for a car once. I didn't have a tape measure or a wheel to copy, but I did see the car once, it was red and the wheels had 4 or 5 holes. Oh, and I think the wheels were a little bigger than the other ones that I saw the other day. Anyways, I have some wheels for sale, they fit a red car, I think.

</TD></TR></TABLE>
A real smart ***, aren't you. No luck involved, just attention and planning. I guarantee it won't hit the hood, a/c, p/s, and the downpipe will clear the front motor mount. I've had a 3rd gen accord for the last 7 years, and was one of the first people on that 3geez site to build a turbosystem for it. Of course you'll have to move and thermal wrap certain things, like the power steering hose, which goes right over the manifold, and the a/c lines, and you'll need slim fans. If you re read my post, I said I couldn't use my car as a template because I don't have the a20, I have a b series. That didn't mean I was completely in the dark.

 

Like I said, good luck

If you honestly think you can price your stuff on par with professional fabricators that actually test fit and possibly dyno tune as part of their r&d, then good on ya mate. Hope you the best of luck.

I was just trying to point out that unless you're worth $50/hr, you probably ain't getting it. Just cuz something took someone 35 hours to make, doesn't mean someone else can't do the same job in 5 hours.

And just to make sure this is a true forum squabble, I'd rather be a smart *** than a dumb ***. Come to think of it, my wife calls me a smart *** everyday, hmmmm.

Hey, some one just dropped a box full of toothpicks on the floor, quick how many are there?

Gabe

PS - I changed my avatar, just for you

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ManBearPig4silly &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">sell your tig. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Anyway, back to the topic, any more $ figures floating around here?
Try to be a little more laid back too, if you could, people.

 

you guys are silly.

if your worried about money become a doctor

do fabrication cause its fun... and manly

ps.im currently working on a wheel chair for my dog, keep your eyes peeled

 

The Honda world isn't gonna make you rich making mani's. While I sell manifolds out of state, the majority of my mani's are made for locals. I gain leverage on complete kits by fabbing the system myself and charging for the labor on install. Guys have plenty of options buying mani's online. If your making 17 somethin makin a Honda mani then just take your money and run.

Use your TIG to make you money in other ways and you'll get somewhere. Like Weir, I've been doing all kinds of stuff locally. A TIG can make you loot, especially if you don't suck at it. I'm going to be welding some Harley chopped frames, doing some random jobs for some V8 cars, etc. Advertise your TIG skills locally and you'll make more than 17/hr easy.

 

Agree'd.

I wouldn't make manifolds expecting to become rich limiting the services to Honda turbo manifolds. Although their is some money in it, you'll need to find every way to cut costs and lower production time. If not you'll hardly (if at all) break even.

I'm a HVAC contractor Monday-Friday thank god and I make manifolds because it brings joy. Manifold projects nourish my passion to weld, develop & better my skill. Most profits come from labor for installs or engine builds that the Manifold was being belt for.

Basically RC000E, weiRtech, danielm3 hit it on the head

 

last 2 posts were good advice.

I never said I wanted to "get rich" here, just make enough to survive.
And I don't know if I can even get that 17/hr, that's IF I can sell it.

Advertising the welding services locally Have to try that.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by danielm3 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">To really make money from manifolds and such, you need to be bale to bend your own bends/make your own elbows and not buy from a middle man. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Do I need to create the metal as well ?

17.56 per hour seems good, you don't have a business from what I can tell, you really don't have your name out there, no one really knows who you are or what kind of quality you bring to the table.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by RCautoworks &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Do I need to create the metal as well ?
</TD></TR></TABLE>

I guess you didn't click his link..http://mazzurisuper.com It's all 16ga though. I would never build a 16ga manifold.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by rorik &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

I guess you didn't click his link..http://mazzurisuper.com It's all 16ga though. I would never build a 16ga manifold.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I deal with him almost every week, I know what he does

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by RCautoworks &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
you don't have a business from what I can tell, you really don't have your name out there, no one really knows who you are or what kind of quality you bring to the table. </TD></TR></TABLE>

I would like to change this though.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by rorik &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

I would like to change this though. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Takes time, and a **** load of other things. If your trying to get into this, and you think there is money to be made, think again.

 

Yeah, the manifolds come as part of a more grand scheme...at least that's how it works for me. The mani's are a byproduct of what I essentially needed to accomplish, and that's to make more money on installs of complete setups.

With the Aseries stuff your doing, there may be small holes in the market you can fill, but your not gonna charge 900 or 1000 bucks for no mani on top of the fact that your not gonna sell many.

Use it as a stepping stone man.

 

i used to make about $30~$40 an hour after parts on manifolds when i was on my own. working for somone else, if your just a welder and decent fabricator, you should be making $15~$20/hr. average tig welder makes $17/hr in any field.

set your price so its worth it. if no one buys anything at least you didn't lose out. if you want to do it bad and get your name out, you'll have to take a hit on profit to move product.

i wouldn't more then 10 hrs on any 4 cylinder manifold if its a jig setup.

making honda manifolds isn't a money maker. if you do, you need to offer somthing you can't get anywhere else. you would probably make more money building nice top mounts for d-series, then b-series just because they arn't available.

cornering the market is how to make money.

i usually come up with a price based on ((parts*1.3) + (labor hours * $30) + shipping (avg~$20)) = sales price. if i'm working for myself. budgeting product while working at a shop sucks. usually i have to work with a $70~$90 labor rate which is insane.

only thing you can really play with is your margins. usually depending on the customer you can take money off. also, don't just buy materials from the same place every time. be competitive with pricing on your materials.

you also have to remember that building just the manifold is retarded. sell everything that compliments the system and thats how you make the most.

 

manifoldmiketyson,
Interesting take on it. I'll have to stew on that for a while.

I usually come out with 40-50 dollars an hour. I don't work full time only on the weekends and thursday afternoons... so for me it pays for my tuition, insurance, rent, electric bill, gas, etc.

I do a lot of custom work (one off manifolds) with downpipes and dumptubes. i work in a niche market right now... staying plenty busy for the time I can put towards it.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by RCautoworks &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

If your trying to get into this, and you think there is money to be made, think again. </TD></TR></TABLE>

If you guys truly believe that, then why are you doing it?

There is decent money to be made in this industry, you're just not going to make it if you're making the same **** as everyone else...

In my opinion, when you price a product, you have to price the time out at your labor rate. If your shop labor rate is $75/hr (very reasonable for a legit business) and you have to price your manifolds at $30/hr to sell them, why bother? If that's your approach, then yes, there's no money to be made that way.

I think it's safe to say Full Race is one of the most accomplished manifold companies in the industry, in my opinion the most, by far. They started out just like everyone else building manifolds, except quality was always first priority and the price reflected that. They make the best and most expensive stuff, and because they make a profit in what they do, they were able to grow into a pretty good size company. You can bet your *** if they were pricing their products where they were making $30/hr or less they would still be the same size as they were day one, if they were even still around.

We don't build many manifolds here because we use FR manifolds in all our projects if they have a manifold for the application. If they don't have one, we build one, and it generally costs more than a FR manifold because it's not being built off a jig. If we don't make close to our hourly labor rate doing it, it's not worth it to do. If you take that approach in what you do, you'll find you can make a lot more money.

Don't pay attention to the volume of work you're doing, because if you're not profiting from it, you're just doing a lot of work.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by tony1 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
If you guys truly believe that, then why are you doing it? </TD></TR></TABLE>

Cause it helps pay the bills, we don't just build manifolds or else we would not be in business. It also helps with other things, like RC000 said, its sort of like a stepping stone.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by tony1 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
In my opinion, when you price a product, you have to price the time out at your labor rate. If your shop labor rate is $75/hr (very reasonable for a legit business) and you have to price your manifolds at $30/hr to sell them, why bother? If that's your approach, then yes, there's no money to be made that way. </TD></TR></TABLE>

$75 an hour is reasonable but does this guy have a business ? Is he paying over head, is he registered as a business ? A lot of factors come into play when you ask how much you should be making. And some people can't charge $75 or else no one would be buying anything.

I shouldn't of said there was no money to be made, there is money to be made, just not a lot.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by .RTErnie &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
I dont agree at all RC. I think if you cant charge what its worth for a manifold... your **** is subpar.</TD></TR></TABLE>

See your doing this more as a hobby, or more so to pay personal bills. Look at all the manifold makers on this site and take a look at the price, take a look on this board. The Honda/Acura seen is over flooded, there is more money to be made else where.





Modified by RCautoworks at 3:38 PM 2/24/2008