Hi guys and girls (hopefully), I got the bad news last week from my mechanic.While 355 was in garage for yearly small service, I was informed that left header had started leaking.After a week of brainstorming reviewing every possible options available (QV/JP exhaust headers refurbishing,Fabspeed etc...),I finally decided to go with aftermarket Tubistyle headers.I'm not going to go into details that led to that decision since most of us already know pros and cons. I was wondering if those among us that followed the Tubi road were entirely satisfied and if any downsides were to be reported. Also,since I already have a Tubi exhaust on the 355,I was wondering what to expect from Tubi headers in terms of sound and/or performance combined with the already fitted Tubi exhaust. Thanks for sharing. Cheers from Paris, Truly yours olivier
rest assured, you made the right choice. You didn't buy junk made in China and rebranded made in the USA, you didn't by a band aid QV product which splits the factory defected product in half and pretends to fix it with horrible welds, you bought an engineered product that is the best thing available for our cars. I'm sure that the lifetime warranty offered by Tubi will be more than satisfactory. I just wish more owners would pony up for the real thing, instead of the BS peddled here.
+1, I have had my Tubi Headers since 2008 and could not be happier. I also installled Hyperflow cats at the same time and have a Tubi muffler as well and I really like the sound and the system seems to have less back pressure. I studied all the alternatives at the time and Tubi was the only one both me and my mechanic were comfortable with.
Hello Olivier, Had mine installed last year. Nice fit, no problems. I didn't notice an increase in performance, though my mechanic says it goes quite well (I also have tubi test pipes and a Capristo 3). David
The price I have seen online is $7033.00 plus shipping, duty, brokerage fees and local sales taxes. The only problem is getting them in North America........when I contacted the UK to purchase a set they did not even bother to respond to my emails. And if they won't respond to a potential purchase , what can you expect on after sales issues . Some people forget to mention that even Tubi headers had fittment issues around 4-5 years ago......so who ever you purchase them from make sure they will stand behind the product should you have a problem. These are hand made after all.
I went for Fabspeed ceramic coated to join up with my MS Racing exhaust. Also went for Fabspeed sport cats, chip, airboxes, silicon hoses (made in black as I hated the red on offer) and airfilters. Parts should arrive Hong Kong this week. Will let you know what I think
x355 I've had the Tubi headers on mine for about 5 years now with no problems. There's really no difference in sound or power, but it's the only one I'd have on my car. Most of the current offerings weren't available when I had the Tubis installed, but my understanding is that none of them are really any better than stock when it comes to cracking. Seeing as though the OP is in Paris it might be easier to get them, so I'd stick with what's known to work well.
Could you please enlighten me on replacing cats by test pipes? No issues in terms of "contrôle technique",smog tes in Europe? What about the sound with tubi exhaust and tubi headers,isn'it a little over the top? Thanks
Best US price for tubi headers I found so far: http://www.bestexhaust.com.au/shop/product_info.php?products_id=1076
Normally you cannot pass CT with test pipes, that is correct. You should have the cats fitted to pass the emission test. I don't think the sound is over the top. When the valve is closed, the car is quite silent. It only starts to scream when they bypass valve opens. The only disadvantage of the test pipes is the smell of gas, but I can cope with it.
Are you sure they will ship them for free from there? I bought mine in europe 3 years ago for just about that price and the euro and sterling were much higher then to my Canadian dollar.
I contacted that company. The cost was more than that due to US and Australian exchange rate differences. Jimmy
Here are two small movies. The first one with the bypass valve closed: [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYndN4bx6Ko&context=C3d7fc48ADOEgsToPDskKiNrtqh7Gd4Fb-sBl_0tka[/ame] and the second one with the valve open: [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOT1kyjcNzw&context=C3d7fc48ADOEgsToPDskKiNrtqh7Gd4Fb-sBl_0tka[/ame] Sound quality isn't that great because it's filmed with an Ipad on a windy day.
By the look of things, the USD is stronger than the AUD, so you'll be in front... E.g. US$0.993 buys AU$1.00
Don't forget that the price for the Tubi-Style headers from Best in Australia INCLUDES shipping.... which happens to be (in my case) UPS Express saver. I orderd a set from their website in Australia on Monday PM here, they processed the order straight away and they are being drop shipped from the UK to my location around Atlanta Georgia. The tracking number says they should be on my doorstep Friday PM. THAT is service +++ Also.... communication with Mike via email was superlative. Very quick replies and constant updating of order status. Total came to just a tick over $5700 US. including a 2.5% PayPal surcharge (about $131). That was for the convenience as they also accept bank transfers as well for no additional $. In the scheme of things it's not bad at all. I'm not sure, forgot to ask, that there may or may not be a customs duty due bill from UPS when they arrive.. still waaay under the US based pricing. If y'all haven't surmised.... yep finally decided on the Tubi over the others after a couple weeks of research (web and talking with owners and installers whose judgement and experience is really beyond question). All have their compramises and individual idiosyncricies and potential issues....The only one I could find with the Tubi was it's price. Purchasing from Best mitigated the damage to a reasonable (imo) amount..Appologies: Matt, Glenn, Jeff, Tim and Daniel. Have to thank you guys for very good, fast and cortious, honest, and quick replies and info on your offerings, and will definately look you guys up for other products this year. JD
Thanks Jeff. Thats good to know. As from my prior post, I checked out Best as well. The price wasn't as good as it is now. Good deal. Jimmy
Headers arrived Friday afternoon Made an appointment with F.O.A. for Monday. As I mentioned, they were ordered Monday eve. (Tues. morning Aussie time). That was fast! Dropped shipped fromthe UK. Interesting that it was Eurospares that did the actual shipping (invoice enclosed), and that they have the headers listed on their site as well... In any case, it's nice to see international co-operation with distributors to make for happy customers. I can highly recommend Best. JD
Jeff - how much did FOA quote for installation? After bringing my car in for the 355 fuel line recall, my local dealership informed me that it's time for new headers... a question on the Tubi headers... will they change the sound of the exhaust at all? B/c of the wife, I would prefer the exhaust to be as quiet as possible (we have young kids & my wife gets annoyed when the exhaust wakes them up). Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thx!
