So much hate for T1r.. definitely not going to buy their stuff now lol

 

some JDM parts not worth the money. fujitsubo exhaust for CRZ is $1400. insane price for a single stainless exhaust.

 

The JDM scene is overhyped... Not all after market mod parts from Japan are the best ... for example other companys like Koni, Bilstien, sparco,...ect have been in the race scene since the beginning too.. And some of their products are still superior to some of the JDM companies. Japan companies just have proof of actually testing the products on the actual japanes made car they we drive itself which is why they have more leverage when pricing it higher. But does it means its better? no.. Want Proof? Japanese cars use Brembo, Desmond, momo..ect & other brands on their cars & they aint JDM based companies... Besides in my 7 years of owning an S. I think its one of the most custom modded ride I've ever come across that didn't leap over towards Rice yet. So there's another thought for food. If you cant afford or think those JDM parts are over priced... Custom mod & make it yourself..Just keep it clean..

 

I think that there are good and bad JDM brands, just like any other country, but the really good JDM stuff just strikes a nerve with me. I love their minimalistic, form follows function attitude. Back in the day when JDM was getting big here, it was because you had a choice between a really clean Mugen kit nobody else in the States had, and a Wings West kit that looked ridiculous and was guaranteed to be on two other cars in the same parking lot.

I think it is a combination of very high craftsmanship, very clean design, and a focus on practical performance first that define the really good JDM brands. I have owned some crappy J's Racig parts (e.g. broken resonator) that cost thousands of dollars, but I have also owned really well made C-West parts that cost a reasonable price. If you buy a Mugen part, you know you are getting amazing quality, period. Just some examples of good and bad.

The Comptech stuff is nice too, the only thing I've bought from SoS is an NSX Type-R shift knob but I hear their stuff is good too. But with both of those companies, you are paying JDM prices. Wherever you go, you can find (a) innovative companies that charge a premium price and (b) cheap companies with cheap products. I choose JDM over USDM most of the time because they tend to have more experience with S2000s, I like the style of certain JDM companies better, and I like the exclusivity. Part of modding the car is creating somethig unique, why would I want to look like the ricer next door?

 

Funny you should mention this. A LOT of "JDM" parts are made in Taiwain. iPhones, iPods, Mac computers, etc are also made in Taiwan. In fact... There's some "JDM" coilovers that are made in the same factory as "cheap" or "garbage" coilovers.

What matters is the R&D and engineering, and quality control. Country of origin means NOTHING!


As far as quality of JDM parts, or why I prefer JDM over USDM, it really comes down to individual parts vs parts for me.

 

Been running my driver side rail for years with Bride & Recaro seats daily, in the mountains & on track with not a single issue. Great quality for sure on this particular piece!

 

I think you are very miss informed. Apple assembles their devices in a factory based in Shenzhen China run by Foxxcon. Comparing electronics which use many small intricate components sourced from manufacturers world wide is a far cry from exhaust systems made of sheet steel from China, but crafted in Taiwan with shitty welds and craftmanship versus hand crafted OEM quality parts manufactured by Mugen in Japan with the same Chinese raw materials.

To the OP, price is subjective, 3600 for an intake may be an acceptable price for some because they know its the best of the best and the quality is second to none with OEM or greater craftsmanship. At the end of the day the value of an item is perceived by the potential customer, I wouldn't be caught dead buying a pair of $600-$700 True Religion jeans (made in USA), yet thousands of people wouldn't leave the house without them. The materials are the same as AE jeans (Denim, thread, metal buttons rivets) but cost 5x as much due to styling, stitching and where its made which are the only differences I can see between the two products.

 

One thing to consider when comparing exhausts is that pretty much very single JDM tuner designs parts for NA, therefor it is no surprise that Asura's FI exhaust outperformed one of the lowest quality JDM exhausts designed for NA. You have to compare apples to apples.

The other thing is, if performance is so important and the JDM tuners under perform, why run a dual exhaust that weighs as much as the stock system, and then complain abou the tip style of a JDM single (obviously designed to be as light as possible).

As far as headers, the Hytech doesn't really outperform the Toda and J's as much as everyone hyped it up to. And another thing to consider is that the JDM headers have an inherent design constraint due the fact that tey have to make room for a steering column. Up until about a year ago (when Hytech were unobtainium, thanks Greg) there simply were no options for a decent US made header, which is why do many OG's are still running J's and Toda. I personally like the fact that I don't have to remove the header in order to install my Cat.

 

I think you are very miss informed. Apple assembles their devices in a factory based in Shenzhen China run by Foxxcon. Comparing electronics which use many small intricate components sourced from manufacturers world wide is a far cry from exhaust systems made of sheet steel from China, but crafted in Taiwan with shitty welds and craftmanship versus hand crafted OEM quality parts manufactured by Mugen in Japan with the same Chinese raw materials.

To the OP, price is subjective, 3600 for an intake may be an acceptable price for some because they know its the best of the best and the quality is second to none with OEM or greater craftsmanship. At the end of the day the value of an item is perceived by the potential customer, I wouldn't be caught dead buying a pair of $600-$700 True Religion jeans (made in USA), yet thousands of people wouldn't leave the house without them. The materials are the same as AE jeans (Denim, thread, metal buttons rivets) but cost 5x as much due to styling, stitching and where its made which are the only differences I can see between the two products.
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I guess I was wrong about the location of the factory, but the fact that it's in China further proves my point. Most people see "Made in China" as a horrible thing, yet Apples products do very well.

I'm not going to name any names, but I know for a fact that a certain coilover that is touted as better than all the "cheap" and "garbage" coilovers is made in the same exact factory as a few of them. The shipping documents are available for anyone to see. A JDM company is indeed having their coilovers made in the same factory as what a lot of people call cheap Taiwanese junk.

Not trying to cause any controversy... Just pointing out that country of origin is irrelevent. It's quality control, engineering, etc.

 

JDM is Louis Vuitton for men.