For those who haven't already made the mistake that I did...

Sc61 $700
Pwr $485
Piping $300
255lph $100
Injectors $300
Inline pro manifold $400
38mm wastegate $250
Xs boost controller $100
Hondata s200b $450

Total=3085

I bought the drag system and ended up replacing or will be replacing every major component...what a waste! I could be wrong or maybe I'm missing something...just a thought...

 

You're also forgetting a BOV, downpipe, couplers, clamps, misc bolts, nuts, washers, and gaskets. Not to mention Oil feed and return lines. Plus vacuum hoses. It all adds up. It isn't cheaper to build a kit, but you get exactly what you want.


Modified by blackANESE at 10:46 AM 1/27/2004

 

I think the whole "custom kit is the best" thing is an overused term.

Back when the only kits available were Drag FMAX and Greddy, sure, piecing together a kit could be cost effective and beneficial to performance.

Now there are a million kits out...Drag, RH, Greddy, FMAX, Spark, Full Race...even "piece together your own" kits, etc...for people who just want to make 250whp and slap on a kit, these kits are just fine. I think a lot of people who recommend "just going custom" have no idea about the fabrication and miscellaneous cost involved.

However, if you piece together used parts to make a kit and dont mind some extra work, you can have a top flight setup for as much as your average RH or Drag kit. For some of us though, it just isnt worth the time, patience, or hassle.

 

If you don't know **** about your car=ricer, get a kit.

IF you want know how everything works and have a clue whats going on under your hood=custom. This way you learn and get better parts for around the same money. I spent $3050 including hondata AND tuning on custom kit.

At least with custom you end up with better parts if you do your homework, instead of rubber oil lines, log manifolds etc.....

 

You might want to rephrase that...

A lot of people know more than "****" about their cars and choose to get a kit based on simplicity, and because it will accomplish what theyre looking for out of the box.

 

Yeah I did forget the bov and oil lines but the couplers and things I included with the piping price...so even if the oil lines come out to be 200 bucks you are still on the same price range BUT a better set up IMO...

Mainly I thought about it because I'm looking back and there is very few parts kept from the drag kit I purchased initially! Most end up doing the same thing, atleast most that I personally know...

I wish I sat and searched the archives and listened on honda-tech for a year and THEN purchased everything.

 

My custom kit is costing way less than any kit on the market with all good ****.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by mike1114 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">If you don't know **** about your car=ricer, get a kit.</TD></TR></TABLE>
That is not a fair statement. I think a ricer is a broadly used term and people get confused. You might not know anything about your car but as long as you dont have neon washer squirters and a 36" aluminum wing your not quite rice material.

 

In my opinion custom is better if you can fabricate stuff yourself. For the price of a drag kit and hondata ($3199), you could have a custom kit with all the extras like, gauges, tuning, walbro 255 pump, dsm injectors, 3" exhaust, turbo timer, manual boost controller, good oil lines, and dumptube.

 

custom allows you to buy used parts if you want. that is what can save you money and make it cheaper. like for instance i would buy a used intercooler if it looked to be in good condition. this can save me money that i can A) choose not to spend on anything else, or B) allow me to spend more money on newer parts -say get a better turbo- at least this is the way i take the whole custom thing. plus, in the process of figuring out what parts to get and why, you can learn a hell of alot about cars/turbos. thats my 2 cents

 

It's only better if you know what you are doing.

 

First off if you dont understand how to put on a turbo kit, then you shouldn't be putting one on. PERIOD. You're going to **** something up. You ALSO need to know how to work on your car. If this is a daily driver and you NEED this car to survive, why would you turbocharge it? **** happens, be prepared and know how to fix it yourself. Otherwise learn....Haynes is your friend

IF you choose a custom kit it provides you with more than your average kit.... here's a few..

1. You get the parts YOU desire NOT what's going to make the company money.

2. You get the fuel management you desire

3. You *can* (but not always) save money. This is especially true when buying from a company and not a person.

4. You gain *VALUABLE* and I mean VALUABLE knowledge. You WILL need this knowledge later down the road so might as well start now. The problems you come across when building the kit will help you in the future. Plus you'll learn how everything works.

5. You gain valuable reputation w/the buyers and sellers of HT.com

Anyone care to add?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by racinskittle &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Otherwise learn....Haynes is your friend </TD></TR></TABLE>

Oh hell no you didn't.

It's H E L M S!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

custom kit is the way to go if you have the resources, ie garage to work in, mig welder (for DP) tools and etc. otherwise, buy a kit.

i personally pieced my kit together. my only issue was the DP because i don't weld. other wise i would have done everything myself. also, not everyone has a garage to work in either.

 

Racinskittle: exactly! Except haynes

 

I think alot of times when they say pieceing together a kit is cheaper its cause they are talking about buying used parts.
So far my setup consist of nothing but used parts... hope it holds together. lol

 

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

Oh hell no you didn't.

It's H E L M S!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!</TD></TR></TABLE>

lol why dont you guys like haynes? I have both. I've looked through both, and they're both helpful, but overall for the beginner Haynes is a better book.

The Helms doesn't explain anything. It just tells you how to fix it. It doesn't have any diagnostics in it either(for the most part).

maybe im missing something though

SOMEONE TELL MY WHY!!!!

 

it depends of your goal... at the begining 200 whp was going to be fine with my Greddy kit, after I have to change many parts to get 260 whp... now I want more power again... so do it with the right parts the first time and find a good reputed shop to put all this togheter ...man if I knew what I know now I would be rich !!!! ( all the mistakes I made and all the crap I tried )

 

I think if your price out the same exact parts they will end up being more than the kit with the same parts. However most ppl end up upgrading or modifyin the peices to fit their project - turbo, bov etc.

However if you wanted to go cheap as possible and willing to try used parts you can make a nice kit for much less.

 

I dont know any turbo kits that come with hondata... so I would take that off the list.

 

if haynes is your friend, then helms is a hot *** bootycall that dont tell your current girlfriend seriously the helms is much more complete and descriptive than the haynes

 

wait i think i fucked up. who makes the factory service manual?? I've got the FSM. I've always heard that's the helms. IF NOT where can I get the Helms?

WHERE O WHERE DO I GET THE HELMS (unless i've already got it)

 

custom kit the best, because you get it the way that you want it...;

 

It seems it would depend on the application. If your going full drag and only going to use you car as a drag car, a "kit" would be pointless. If your car is going to be a daily driver and you just wanna beat down on some 5.0's then for simplicitys sake just get a kit.

 

Custom all the way. Don't know about cheaper though. Here's what I've got in it so far:

RC Engineering 550cc Injectors $200
TiAL Blow Off Valve $209
P28 ECU $30
T3/T04E Turbocharger $460
Sidewinder Manifold $850
3” Flex Pipe $40
Oil Line Kit $125
Intercooler $240
Fan $50
TiAL 40mm Wastegate $330
3” High Flow Cat $99
Thermal R&D Cat Back $600
2 ft. of 2.5” Silicone Connector $50
Silicone 2” to 2.5” Transition Connector $20
Charge pipe and down pipe materials $174
T-Bolt Clamps $35
Hondata S200B $495
Hondata Installation $65
Tuning $150
O2 Bung $75
ECU Socketing $65
Downpipe Fabrication $75

You add it all up...I think I'm gonna be sick if I do.