Ap1super

It's like putting a Kia badge on a Honda.

It shows that they (VolK) must be feeling the pressure and are now giving into the masses to stay alive and sell products in the US.

1AP12NV

What it means is that I won't be supporting Volk anymore if I find that this is an authorized "partnership."

I won't support knock-off artists, or the companies that support them.

neveronlines2k

To be honost I dont think it reflects that at all. Volk/Mackin/Rays are still doing great business... probably so well that they are more willing to take chances (like partnering ventures with Seibon or making a Limited Edition wheel just for Hondas). IMO this venture with Seibon is a mistake, but in their eyes it could look like a good thing.

In Japan Seibon CF Parts fetch a pretty high price tag (Hoods for $900.00 U.S. dollars) . The grass is always greener on the otherside. We love JDM they love USDM . If you are volk and you see people paying top dollar for parts, it may have looked like a promising partnership through their eyes.

Just a thought.

JS2k.com

Where do I fall? My parts are authentic, but used.
Real Top Secret front, Racing Hart wheels, my girl's Work Meister S2r, Volk GT-Ns and Ro_Ja bumper on my old RSX.
If money permits me to buy and I like it, I will. It being JDM is a bonus. Maybe I'm not sophisticated enough to own all JDM parts. (like one thread where someone spent 5k on a watch). I would probably rather buy a 'fake' CF hood or hardtop over a real one, as the price difference isn't justifyiable to me. For reference, I'm a college student; I'm not rolling in cash.

FormulaRedline

I'm not sure I agree with the arguements that some companies are making competition "unfair" by "ripping off" parts designs. Honestly, if someone didn't consider the barriers to entry for possible competitors before you got into the business or made the part, whose fault is that?

In the meantime, let's yell and scream about Southwest and Ryanair because they didn't come up with the idea for the air transport business, but instead were cheap competiors. Who are they to take American and BA's market share?

1AP12NV

[QUOTE=FormulaRedline,Sep 21 2007, 08:37 PM] I'm not sure I agree with the arguements that some companies are making competition "unfair" by "ripping off" parts designs.

1AP12NV

Why not save for the more expensive, higher-quality, and original CF hood or hard top?

Not having a lot of money available to you simply means that it would take longer for you to aquire it, but if you were diligent in your saving for your goal you would be able to have it eventually.

What happened to the concept of setting a goal (for the purchase of a high quality item for example) and saving until we could buy it? Oh yeah I forgot this is America and we need to have everything now regardless of what compromises to quality or financial wisdom we have to make to get it

YellowStar, please don't take this as a personal attack. I admire your stance on purchasing only original products, even if you have to purchase them used. I'm simply using your post to illustrate that if you can't afford the more expensive product, one can always be diligent and save for it

1AP12NV

More accurately, if it was truly a "Seibon Edition" it would look just like a TE-37 from about 20 feet. Then once you got close up you'd notice that the material it was made out of was different, and each wheel fit a bit differently

neveronlines2k

Its your car and you should hook it up the way you want to!

I just dont understand the logic behind the "I would rather buy a fake hood or Hardtop" . I mean buying used parts is perfectly cool with me, I have used parts on my car too, but saying I want to fix up my car fast and dont want to save up and do it right is the part confuses me (if your logic is not to get the car done as fast/cheap as possible than I apologize). IMHO people need to have more patience.

Hoods for example; yes you could get a Seibon/VIS/etc. for around $450.00 - $500.00, but even at the best fitment it will not fit like OEM/Mugen/ASM + it will more than likely weigh more than the OEM one . If its a vented version than it wont even have channels to help keep rain and water of the motor like the Mugen and ASM (J's is an option to get the channels). You might as well buy a vinyll CF sticker and put it on the OEM hood , if the look is all your after.

Hardtops make even less sense . Mugen CF HT does cost alot (but the fitment is perfect and the fit/finish is like a wrok of art. Mugen knew the cost would be out of reach for tuners so they also offer an FRP version (Fiberglass which unpainted is less than OEM and still has the good fit and finish, Painted is just a little more than OEM). Then there is OEM (Alluminum/lightweight) with Defroster and excellent fitment (can be purchased for $1800-2300 used and new for $2650.00 - $29000.00)

If you buy Cwings/VIS/Seibon almost anything is possible to go wrong with it . I have seen windows that appeared to be falling out of the tops, also rear windows cracking like mad from heat or the sun beating on them (never seen it on Mugen even from peeps who live in Las Vegas with Mugen tops ), bad fitment - windows hitting the top when closing the doors, not being sold with hardware or weatherstripping and even one case of the rear window flying out of the car while on the freeway.

I'm not trying to flame, its just not the way I think about things I guess.... and in most cases after buying the cheaper part most people end up selling it and buying the better part later or they finish the car with lots of cheap parts and realize that they dont like the car the way it turned out and sell it. They would have been better of saving up and buying the quality part , the car would be nicer (they would probably like it more) and the industry would be stronger .

Its not about rollin in cash its about patience and determination to do things once and do them right (I know I personally have to really consider each and every part I buy as well as save up for all the parts I have on my car).

Sorry for the long post, but the last post got me thinking and its friday and I dont want to be here at work ....

JS2k.com

I don't think telling me to be patient is applicable in my case, but I definitely don't take it personally. I've saved for a car since I was 6. All that chinese new year money. Not that I had enough to buy the car, but I saved up a good amount of money. lol more than I can save now, even if I wanted to. I used to eat people's leftover food in high school and .... ketchup (don't ask lol) to save money by not buying lunch.

I guess I'll reconsider getting the knockoffs. I didn't realize the fitment was that bad, because on my RSX, I did have a couple of fake pieces that fit pretty well actually. A front lip, sides, and I think the rear fins.

I'd like the best quality stuff too, but for me it's hard to justify spending 2x the money, and have it fit a bit better and have water channels. In the end, after it gets fixed (alignment issues) it will look the same, which is why I bought a hood or bumper to begin with. Plus I'm EXTREMELY impatient when it comes to buying toys for my car. We'll see... I havn't even considered or looked into buying a hood or a hardtop, so I may just be an ignorant guy talking out of his ass, not knowing the pros and cons.

Although for some things, I will save up that extra money to buy better quality stuff like wheels.

I guess buying used genuine parts -> the seller buying even nicer genuine parts.