I'm considering searching Ebay.com for some needed parts. I'm looking for:

cold air intake
header
catback (maybe)...
front lip/rear lip (maybe)...

How bad is it to buy the stuff off of Ebay? I mean, for air intakes, there's not much difference. Why does it matter if you spend $50 or $250?

 

well ive bought a front and rear lip before off ebay. they both arnt as wide as the car is, id say by a inch or two. so they are kinda ghetto rigged on

 

What about for headers/intakes/exhausts?

 

I'd go for it on the i/h/e, no no name suspension componets and turbo parts. I would get a different muffler though Im sure the one included sounds like crap and would rust out.

 

i have a full ebay exhaust and lemme say you get what you pay for my catback had to be modded to fit and it rattled against the car. but the header and test pipe arent that bad but the pipe running threw the muffler to stop the packing from coming out the welds brke and all the packing came out it sounds good but once i put on the full exhaust it sounded inda like a subaru and its just retarded loud without any packing

heres a video of the ebay catback alone
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EK0_xu1wzd8
on the dyno
catback alone
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5OHNttbbcI
this is an ebay 4-1 header ebay test pipe and ebay catback before the packing fell out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDnEXzDDDtA

 

the lips are crap as well i bought that too and it fit ok but it didnt come with any mounting hardware and shipped in abag no box or nothing

 

don't buy any cheap *** ebay brand parts. you get what you pay for. buy good quality the first time and it will last.

 

id say youd be ok with the intake and maybe header. im sure the exhaust will work but as stated about, might need some modding to fit right, and prob wont last as long as a name brand one

 

There's nothing wrong with buying reputable parts on ebay. Just don't buy noname junk and expect to get gold. And don't buy super cheap namebrand stuff and expect it to be not fake.

I got my Rotas on ebay (let the hate begin lol). Sure, I know they're not Spoon, but I also know that they're a very decent wheel for the price. I knew exactly what I was paying for, and was convinced that it was worth the price. You can't always say that for random ebay junk.

As long as you stay away from stuff that no one has ever heard of, and stuff that's super-duper-uber-JDM at too-good-to-be-true prices, you'll be okay.

 

My son has been running a used auto parts company from ebay.com for several years. His are not Honda parts, so I won't give out his company name, but from my experience I would say go for it and get the parts. Most of the parts he sells are from autos that have been in wrecks, but for instance only the rear end is damaged, so the front is fine. The cars are often low mileage. Don't expect the parts to be like new, because they are definitely used.

By the way, ebay seller ratings don't mean as much anymore because sellers are not allowed to post feedback, only buyers, I would still pay attention to the overall rating, but having a couple negatives isn't a big deal. I would still look for sellers that have lots of sales. Like in the thousands of sales. Also, make sure there is a 30 day warranty or more. It might be good to order from a company that specializes in only Honda parts exclusively, because they will know their products way better.

 

I would trust ebay more than craigslist. at least you can look at their feedback and stuff.

 

Thanks for all of the replies.

I'm diggin the Honda-Tech.com stickers by the way!!

 

I wouldnt buy any ebay parts that are highly visible or important. Either buy name brand or just save up. Every generic part Ive bought has been a waste of money.

 

Intake- how can you screw up an aluminum tube?

Header- Can be acceptable. Won't perform like a name brand one, but meh.

Exhaust- the piping itself isn't a bad deal

Intercooler piping- again, it's piping...you can't screw it up.

Mirrors and corners- say what you like, they are functional and cheaper than OEM.

Traction bars- They work, apparently the tubing is thin and the heim joints wear out, but...oh well.

The log style turbo manifolds, blow off valves, some stuff like that is said to be OK.

Name brand is certainly better, but some of us are broke and it is a way to get something serviceable for less money.

 

Use your brain... think about what you can get by with even if it isn't so well made... Personally, I would look to craigslist if you live in a big city. True there's no feedback, but you get to go look at the parts before you buy them! I've gotten great deals on stuff down here in Miami and in NC.
Integra seats I got for $60
Like new Tein s tech: $65
ECU: $40
Y8 mani w/sensors, tb, I forgot what I paid, point being, good stuff for cheap, just be smart.