the J's does tell what is done but...seems to me that the biggest difference is the headwork...this crate motor they sell is def not what is in their N/A race car

 

No, but it has the same rocker cover!

 

I think the whole JDM thing has got (rightly or wrongly) a stigma of "I buy it because it's made in Japan whether it's good or crap, but if anyone says a bad word about it I'll defend it to the death with all the brochures i can find".

There is no doubt there are many great products from Japan, but like anyone else, they are not infallible (Spoon shift knobs, JIC headers) and they are a little prone to creative advertising (Super Happy Smile Power!).

If you buy things because they are JDM then bully to you! But don't start telling me they are 'better' or worth the higher price just because they are JDM.

 

I think people buy JDM goods because there is no quality made US or other alternative. For example, US carbon hoods weigh as much as stock or more. So what's the point? JDM dry carbon hoods offer significant weight savings. Last time I checked, there were no US crate motor alternatives at any price. At least not one off custom built motors. J's and Spoon has motors in stock ready to ship. A lot can be said for availability.

While I can understand the dislike of buying JDM just to be able to say you have JDM, more than likely there is no domestic alternative that is cheaper/lighter/makes more power. I would gladly purchase US manufactured performance parts if they outperformed their Japanese counterparts.

 

No dyno as of yet on the J's motor. There was a guy with a Spoon crate motor from Opak Racing that dynoed 247 hp or so to the wheels. So it seems to me that you are paying for something. I doubt these companies would sell very many motors if they didn't make significantly more power than stock (as in the case of the Spoon motor, 50 more hp than stock).

 

Ouch! Someone local might want to defend that.

To me saying it is crap if it's made in the US is as much a generalisation as saying something is better because it is made in Japan.

I would much rather a 'bespoke' motor built by Alaniz to my specifications than an off-the-shelf (although probably very good) crate motor from someone I've never met.

 

Grr...argh...*scratch*...*pull hair*...all this fighting about justifying someone else's purchasing to one's self is funny.

terd: please have your friend dyno his engine. It will hopefully settle some disputes (but more likely ignite more about credibility, dyno settings, etc.).

If Joe put a shiney valve cover, I'd still go "ooh...ahh"...I like shiney things (and Joe's work is definitely the best I've seen). I shop for price, quality, and performance, regardless of what country that comes from. If someone else wants to purchase something elsewhere with a different set of criteria, that's fine with me, as long as they are happy with their purchase. I've worked with US and various Asian companies (tech/semiconductor companies, not car related) and must admit that Japanese companies do tend to have more pride in developing their products with the outcome being a more reliable, higher quality product (not all, but this trend is more pronounced there). But, that's not to say no US companies and other Asian companies don't have that same business model and attention to detail, I think there just happens to be more companies in Japan that follow that currently and the others countries are catching up in terms of number of companies that follow these business practices. In the end, there will still be high quality and poor quality manu's everywhere...and I just try my best to make sure I pick the best ones for me.

 

Case in point: I recently upgraded my clutch. I could have bought one of several brand name clutches for $USD1200 but instead I went to a highly regarded local clutch manufacturer and had an OEM clutch rebuilt and upgraded (higer clamping power and organic plate). Total cost was $AUD575 ($USD around 400). It nicely holds the power of my supercharged engine even on the track and has great drivability and feel. It doesn't look as cool as an Exedy but then who is going to see it?

 

I'm not a big fan of any domestic aftermarket companies that are local to me. The nearest place I know if is Inline Pro. I'm sure all of you have heard of there recent turbo kit they released. The kit runs a lot of boost on stock internals. Everyone is claiming good power which is good, but my car is a daily driver and I think there is no way this kit will be reliable down the road. I've seen many domestic companies do this type of thing. Also, I don't know any domestic companies that have built an S2000 for what it was made to do, circuit racing (not Drag Racing ) and won any type of racing event. I know some personal people who have had luck in Auto X and stuff. But has the USA built an S2000 that has become a NA track record. USA's best engine builders focus to much on drag racing which I think is not any imports strong point. Comptech is one of the few companies I would buy parts from. There R&D matches that of many JDM companies. Joe Alaniz might do great engine work, but I haven't seen any of his S2000's win any JGTC or SCCA or Time Attack races.

 

If you believe that I have a bridge to sell you I can even get you a JDM one if you want

*cough* dynapack *cough*