turbo build cost?
11-21-2008, 09:57 AM
#41
My old job I took my engine to work and built the headers and hot side piping on it. Materials averaged about $300. All stainless. Labor being the first of its kind was about 8 hrs into it all. I know what material costs, I know what welding rates and times are. So $60. an hour is $480. + material round that to $800. for a full tubular header setup and hotside. Where do places get $2k for hotsides from? ...and above? $1k tax? I used to pipe natural gas compressor stations.. Ive worked with some S...L...O...W people....that take 10 hours to do 1 hour jobs. So yea I can see how people milk stuff out. Basically it boils down to the problem of the entire society.... we americans dont want to do any work and then charge up the a$$ for what little we do. People wonder why GM is in trouble...or all of the big 3.
Last edited by frcefed98; 11-21-2008 at 01:12 PM. Reason: Josh no longer sponsors tech.
11-21-2008, 12:59 PM
#44
That price is quoted from him. Im just saying "turbo" headers are no different than any other form of exhaust, headers....ect. I know places that do custom headers and exhaust, all TIG welded (all purged) and stainless. My friend is having the guy that does this do his BBC headers on a 3rd gen...all mandrel bent SS for $600. total. Thats taking the car there and making them for that exact app. Now mass produced Jig welded stuff should be able to be made at a percentage less.
As the financial stuff....If I paid someone for 10 hours of work and all they got done was something that could be done in 2, thats how this is. Your paying (example) $1000. and out of that material is say $100. weld time is 2 hours at $100. hr shop rate....You have an item valued at $300. and then sold for $1000. The shop rate should cover all the overhead...hense the name "shop" rate. Maybe you financial gurus and the majority of everyone else cant see this. My background makes it very clear to me and I think its a joke. ASME TIG welder for 9 years, and now I am a maintenance manager at a larger metal fabrication factory. I deal with lasers, powder coat lines, welders, presses, punches, everything related to metal fab pretty much except machining. Im very familiar with this feild. I dont know anything about your stocks and what not, but if someone tried selling you a $100. something for $1000. and only you and your feild of work knew about it.....wouldnt you laugh and say.."what is this joker doing?" Thats how I see this. Im just the one who tells it like it is. People dont mind paying a lot, thats cool. But if those people actually knew....they'd probably be a little pissed. But for the majority....they never will know so they just go with the flow.
98Z28MASS
11-21-2008, 01:21 PM
#46
I'd have to agree with powertrip, you can do this for a bit less than people think. I've done it a few times already and can't see why people charge so much for a bit of tubing SS or mild steel.
A crossover for a truck manifold set up is as basic and easy to make as one would want. There isn't 1000 dollars of work or materials in a crossover/ DP for a truck manifold kit.
If some would just take the time to DIY they'd see that its no big deal. BrokeEF and Sideways240 would agree with me as well as some others that have tackled a set up like this before on their own.
A crossover for a truck manifold set up is as basic and easy to make as one would want. There isn't 1000 dollars of work or materials in a crossover/ DP for a truck manifold kit.
If some would just take the time to DIY they'd see that its no big deal. BrokeEF and Sideways240 would agree with me as well as some others that have tackled a set up like this before on their own.
11-21-2008, 01:26 PM
#47
That price is quoted from him. Im just saying "turbo" headers are no different than any other form of exhaust, headers....ect. I know places that do custom headers and exhaust, all TIG welded (all purged) and stainless. My friend is having the guy that does this do his BBC headers on a 3rd gen...all mandrel bent SS for $600. total. Thats taking the car there and making them for that exact app. Now mass produced Jig welded stuff should be able to be made at a percentage less.
As the financial stuff....If I paid someone for 10 hours of work and all they got done was something that could be done in 2, thats how this is. Your paying (example) $1000. and out of that material is say $100. weld time is 2 hours at $100. hr shop rate....You have an item valued at $300. and then sold for $1000. The shop rate should cover all the overhead...hense the name "shop" rate. Maybe you financial gurus and the majority of everyone else cant see this. My background makes it very clear to me and I think its a joke. ASME TIG welder for 9 years, and now I am a maintenance manager at a larger metal fabrication factory. I deal with lasers, powder coat lines, welders, presses, punches, everything related to metal fab pretty much except machining. Im very familiar with this feild. I dont know anything about your stocks and what not, but if someone tried selling you a $100. something for $1000. and only you and your feild of work knew about it.....wouldnt you laugh and say.."what is this joker doing?" Thats how I see this. Im just the one who tells it like it is. People dont mind paying a lot, thats cool. But if those people actually knew....they'd probably be a little pissed. But for the majority....they never will know so they just go with the flow.
As the financial stuff....If I paid someone for 10 hours of work and all they got done was something that could be done in 2, thats how this is. Your paying (example) $1000. and out of that material is say $100. weld time is 2 hours at $100. hr shop rate....You have an item valued at $300. and then sold for $1000. The shop rate should cover all the overhead...hense the name "shop" rate. Maybe you financial gurus and the majority of everyone else cant see this. My background makes it very clear to me and I think its a joke. ASME TIG welder for 9 years, and now I am a maintenance manager at a larger metal fabrication factory. I deal with lasers, powder coat lines, welders, presses, punches, everything related to metal fab pretty much except machining. Im very familiar with this feild. I dont know anything about your stocks and what not, but if someone tried selling you a $100. something for $1000. and only you and your feild of work knew about it.....wouldnt you laugh and say.."what is this joker doing?" Thats how I see this. Im just the one who tells it like it is. People dont mind paying a lot, thats cool. But if those people actually knew....they'd probably be a little pissed. But for the majority....they never will know so they just go with the flow.
Exactly, im not trying to start a huge debate, just saying it happens in every industry. If the going rate on this site was approx. $1500 for a set of turbo headers then id bite the bullet and purchase a set as I dont have the ability, know-how, or tools to fabricate my own. It honestly happens all the time in the financial realm. Some funds charge outrageous fees just for investing in their financial instrument but 99% of the public doesnt even look at the prospectus that lists out the fees that they will be paying. Then there are fees for withdrawing early, etc, etc. I look at some of the funds out there and what they charge (front load, back load, fixed fees, asset based fees, etc) and its absurd that people will invest in them at all! I think we are both on the same page and do agree that buying something for triple or quadruple the actual costs sucks but if its the going rate what can you do? Anyways sorry for hi-jacking the thread, back to the original poster, have you made any decisions yet on your setup?
11-21-2008, 01:33 PM
#48
It comes down to skills and time and money. I can't weld worth crap.I wanted a kit that would fit and look near stock and keep my air . I didn't want to do a bunch of fabricating and got my short block done but assembled the top end and installed the new 408 and the kit but had paid help to do that at a more reasonable 20 bucks /hr instead of 80 shop rates. My helper was worth every penny and it was still 85 hours to do the engine and the turbo kit install . My kit is extensive install. But end results are also professional and very good.
I respect people that can weld especially tig and fab up all this stuff. Local guy did a master power t70 and fabbed up his turbo setup on his third gen. Its running 11.23 at 126mph and there is likely more there.
So sure you can do this stuff a lot cheaper but you have to have the skills and time.
I respect people that can weld especially tig and fab up all this stuff. Local guy did a master power t70 and fabbed up his turbo setup on his third gen. Its running 11.23 at 126mph and there is likely more there.
So sure you can do this stuff a lot cheaper but you have to have the skills and time.
11-21-2008, 02:25 PM
#49
How many places/people do custom exhaust work? Theres got to be a place in damn near every town....or every other. Thats all a turbo setup is basically. A custom exhaust system routing the exhaust to the turbo. Thats the hot side and what people think is so hard and costs so much. Packaging is another story. Usually a place will do a whole custom exhaust for less than 500. so bending/welding up a simple crossover between manifolds should be cheap....very cheap.
Oh well.
11-21-2008, 02:28 PM
#50
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That price is quoted from him. Im just saying "turbo" headers are no different than any other form of exhaust, headers....ect. I know places that do custom headers and exhaust, all TIG welded (all purged) and stainless. My friend is having the guy that does this do his BBC headers on a 3rd gen...all mandrel bent SS for $600. total. Thats taking the car there and making them for that exact app. Now mass produced Jig welded stuff should be able to be made at a percentage less.
. Labor rate here is at least $140 an hour and it takes a little time to make a cutom set from scratch. I agree, if have the tools and know how, I don't see it being a big expense. You don't even want to know what a 25.2 cage is costing me . One thing for sure is everywhere BUT west coast labor rates gets you alot more dollar for dollar.
11-21-2008, 02:53 PM
#51
Exactly, and its not like a complex setup either, a couple elbows at most....what is the major difference between this crossover pipe between manifolds and say an Off-road Y-pipe that places sell for a few hundred bucks? ...its got an additional T4/T6 flange on it...thats all. I see them HIGH priced and some arent even stainless.
How many places/people do custom exhaust work? Theres got to be a place in damn near every town....or every other. Thats all a turbo setup is basically. A custom exhaust system routing the exhaust to the turbo. Thats the hot side and what people think is so hard and costs so much. Packaging is another story. Usually a place will do a whole custom exhaust for less than 500. so bending/welding up a simple crossover between manifolds should be cheap....very cheap.
Oh well.
How many places/people do custom exhaust work? Theres got to be a place in damn near every town....or every other. Thats all a turbo setup is basically. A custom exhaust system routing the exhaust to the turbo. Thats the hot side and what people think is so hard and costs so much. Packaging is another story. Usually a place will do a whole custom exhaust for less than 500. so bending/welding up a simple crossover between manifolds should be cheap....very cheap.
Oh well.
it's just what the person thinks their time is worth.
i've spent i'm going to guess about 7k on the turbo stuff, or maybe a little less. but i payed for it by this being my first time and having to order parts twice because i didn't get the right part the first time. or over ordering parts that i don't need. but mine isn't your basic log setup either, has a lot of twists and turns to be able to keep my AC.
you basically are able to do it cheaper your next time around as you now have a good idea of where everything needs to come from.
like what i said, it's all in what the person believes their time is worth.
for me it was a challenge to myself to do it and have everything stay in the same spot minus the radiator being moved forward
11-21-2008, 05:35 PM
#52
I'd have to agree with powertrip, you can do this for a bit less than people think. I've done it a few times already and can't see why people charge so much for a bit of tubing SS or mild steel.
A crossover for a truck manifold set up is as basic and easy to make as one would want. There isn't 1000 dollars of work or materials in a crossover/ DP for a truck manifold kit.
If some would just take the time to DIY they'd see that its no big deal. BrokeEF and Sideways240 would agree with me as well as some others that have tackled a set up like this before on their own.
A crossover for a truck manifold set up is as basic and easy to make as one would want. There isn't 1000 dollars of work or materials in a crossover/ DP for a truck manifold kit.
If some would just take the time to DIY they'd see that its no big deal. BrokeEF and Sideways240 would agree with me as well as some others that have tackled a set up like this before on their own.
Sean
