ACRX Headers

[plumcrazy]

lol, i dont even like BBG but he does sell a quality looking part. unlike those chinese ones.

 

[tzortzViper]

lol, i dont even like BBG but he does sell a quality looking part. unlike those chinese ones.

Definetely not the CNC quality of the ARH, but they cost less than $1k.

I do not expect the same hp gains, but it will be more than the stock headers.




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[plumcrazy]

it will be interesting to see what if any gains you net. please post before and after dyno numbers.

 

[tzortzViper]

Not that bad for what they cost.

Just finished today with the upper parts.


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Little dirty...

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Underneath pictures...

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Here are some pictures of the merge collector part, I admit the spike is not that well designed, but will keep the turbulences away from the merge center.

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The truth is that I had to port in some places myself in the collector to the TIG weldings, they were really sharp.

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[VicTxV10]

Not that bad for what they cost.{/QUOTE]

Maybe so, but the site supporting vendor on here I got these knock off's from sold them to me for $2200 which is close to what the real BBG/ARH cost. He claims he didn't know they were fake ones and is/was only selling left over stock from a Viper business that went out of business. I can only take his word that he didn't know. The Viper parts community is small, from Dan in the East to JonB in the West, there are not very many places to shop and it only takes a couple, maybe one sale, to ruin your reputation as an honest place to shop for your Viper parts. The vendor has fully refunded my money, should be getting a check today. I have forwarded the fakes to a different site supporting vendor in Central California for him to do with as he wishes. I hope the vendor I got them from got his money back also.

I want to thank Toddy at BBG for helping me out in this. He jumped in and offered to help out with the dent I had when these headers arrived. Great Site Supporting vendor service there, much like JonB and MarkJ at Woodhouse, where a lot of times we don't purchase from them, but we sure need their help after we get our fleabay items and they just don't work/fit right. I didn't buy the parts from BBG, but like a Viper brother would do, he offered to assist. He asked me to send some better pics of the dent. I mentioned in one of our emails that I thought is was strange that these headers did not have the BBG name plate welded on the tube and he asked that I send him more pics, which are posted above, and he informed me I was sold the fakes.

Murray

 

[FastGuy68]

Wow! I can't beleive some of you are supporting the OBVIOUS design theft that is going on with these!! If your going to buy cheap copies of USA designed and built products why are you even driving a DODGE VIPER?? Maybe WalMart will can install them for ya............

 

[Bill Pemberton Woodhouse]

I proudly paid Bad Boyzz Garage for my headers and I know the extensive testing done on these with American Racing Headers and Dodge. Somehow buying an illicit copy goes against the grain of what this car is all about, and after seeing all the stuff we have repaired over the years from ripped off parts , it is usually quite obvious you get what you pay for.

Don't think you are going to get any justification on this board for using a trademarked copy of an American made product and saying cost was the reason. The sweat and engineering was done here for a Legendary American Machine, and the support for those folks should be ethically shown.

 

[Slithr]

I proudly paid Bad Boyzz Garage for my headers and I know the extensive testing done on these with American Racing Headers and Dodge. Somehow buying an illicit copy goes against the grain of what this car is all about, and after seeing all the stuff we have repaired over the years from ripped off parts , it is usually quite obvious you get what you pay for.

Don't think you are going to get any justification on this board for using a trademarked copy of an American made product and saying cost was the reason. The sweat and engineering was done here for a Legendary American Machine, and the support for those folks should be ethically shown.

Amen Couldn't have said it better myself

 

[ViperTony]

I understand about being cost conscious and finding good deals when it comes to Viper parts. Experience has shown me that you get what you pay for. Been there done that. I think that the service and support we receive from our site sponsors makes what seems like a hefty price tag well worth it...on top of well designed and fabricated products. Whoever is selling these poor copy headers should be strung up by their testicles. But that's just my opinion on the matter.

But how can anyone take this merge collector seriously?

 

[plumcrazy]

i dont have a problem with people knocking good parts off but to represent them as the original....NOT GOOD.

 

[JonB]

R+D to most honest folks means "Research and Development". Unfortunately, to the the less-scrupulous, it means "Receive and Duplicate."

In my case, the ONLY time we ever copied a part was AFTER the mfr announced it was being discontinued. So we bought out the entire manufacturer's remaining supply in the USA. When we got close to selling that out, we asked em again to Please Build More. They refused. So, we went thru the work and expense to clone it, and we called it a copy. [Our manufacturer agreed they would produce it exclusively for us, but I saw them selling em on flea-bay after about 18 mos.]

Daves Big Brakes-Dave was maddened that 2 vendors copied his stuff, inferior materials, slightly lower costs.

Even in this thread, some posterss state that "less HP but only $1000" seems ok, or "Ok to copy good stuff well, but not make crappy copies " or some such. Really? It seems that internet ethics has no relationship to the Golden Rule.

 

[2BADD-4U]

Fellow VCA Members Domestic & Abroad,

We want to chime in here to state facts only:

I have been handling issues with VCA members over the past several months with problems they are having with these Chinese copies of our OEM ACRX Headers. Consumers have been misled into purchasing these headers under the impression that they are getting a great deal on a real American Racing Headers product only to be surprised, angered & completely unhappy with a poor attempt at good old American Header Technology! Keep in mind our Viper ACRX =BAD BOYZZ SERIES= Headers are manufactured to the highest domestic standards utilizing U.S. 304 stainless steel and state of the art bending equipment.

Please note that the Ebay photos of the ACRX headers are showing a photograph of our 5 into 1 merge collector "NOT" the Chinese collector which has misled (Dooped) the consumer with out doubt into purchasing a set!

I highly recommend that anyone who has purchased a set of these headers contact me directly and discuss our resolution program. I will definetly help you resolve your current delema and put you into a set of the "Real Deal" ACRX Headers (for that needed piece of mind).

Thanks for your consideration,

BAD BOYZZ GARAGE, INC.
Toddy Gomez - President
[email protected]
(916) 505-9026

=DISTRIBUTORS OF POWER=


Below is what a Fellow VCA Member recieved when his shipment arrived just recently:

Primary Tubes with Chinese version of precision port work? Definetly Sub-Standard!



Collector with a NON-FUNCTIONING SPIKE! Very Crued looking & we have no clue what this is? It's definetly not from any racing technology that we have ever seen!



Another picture of the NON-FUNCTIONING Collector?



Another primary tube with Chinese Version of precision port work! Again Sub-Standard!

Toddy "THANKS" for explaining the details of this situation. It doesn't surprise me what some so called "vendors" will do to make a sale. Don't know how they sleep at night. I will definately be calling "YOU" when I am ready for them!

Best of Luck!

Dave

aka ROBINHOOD

 

[Glen97]

Not that bad for what they cost.{/QUOTE]

Maybe so, but the site supporting vendor on here I got these knock off's from sold them to me for $2200 which is close to what the real BBG/ARH cost. He claims he didn't know they were fake ones and is/was only selling left over stock from a Viper business that went out of business. I can only take his word that he didn't know. The Viper parts community is small, from Dan in the East to JonB in the West, there are not very many places to shop and it only takes a couple, maybe one sale, to ruin your reputation as an honest place to shop for your Viper parts. The vendor has fully refunded my money, should be getting a check today. I have forwarded the fakes to a different site supporting vendor in Central California for him to do with as he wishes. I hope the vendor I got them from got his money back also.

I want to thank Toddy at BBG for helping me out in this. He jumped in and offered to help out with the dent I had when these headers arrived. Great Site Supporting vendor service there, much like JonB and MarkJ at Woodhouse, where a lot of times we don't purchase from them, but we sure need their help after we get our fleabay items and they just don't work/fit right. I didn't buy the parts from BBG, but like a Viper brother would do, he offered to assist. He asked me to send some better pics of the dent. I mentioned in one of our emails that I thought is was strange that these headers did not have the BBG name plate welded on the tube and he asked that I send him more pics, which are posted above, and he informed me I was sold the fakes.

Murray

So who is the vendor? What else is he selling that is a knock off? Smells fishy.

 

[CCBrian]

So who is the vendor? What else is he selling that is a knock off? Smells fishy.

I know who the vendor is...I have a feeling that he may be getting a call soon from some Dodge attorney who may stop him from making any more knock off Viper parts and he disappear into thin Air...I think selling them as an original part may end his business model. I think selling them as real BBG headers will turn out to be a BIG legal mistake. Not cool.

 

[Omega]

I do not know how it happens in the USA but the Chinese copies are increasingly common in the world ... Including in cars .. So not really a lawyer on Dodge arrives to stop the production! Seller yes, but not the production .. And tomorrow someone else will sell them

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[HOLLYWOOD1]

Absolute garbage from China. I looked at those collectors with those spikes and wow, what were those guys thinking.....In fact it looks like that spike may fall off due to the intense heat as it looks like it is barely tacked on.

 

[viperbilliam]

Absolute garbage from China. I looked at those collectors with those spikes and wow, what were those guys thinking.....In fact it looks like that spike may fall off due to the intense heat as it looks like it is barely tacked on.

+1 I was thinking that too.

 

[Dan Cragin]

We have seen these knock offs come and go, they are junk.

Just to clarify, you will get a Cel light with Belanger or ACRX headers without the MP controller.

We have found a fix for this and are just working to package it.

Hope this helps.

 

[TrackAire]

I understand about being cost conscious and finding good deals when it comes to Viper parts. Experience has shown me that you get what you pay for. Been there done that. I think that the service and support we receive from our site sponsors makes what seems like a hefty price tag well worth it...on top of well designed and fabricated products. Whoever is selling these poor copy headers should be strung up by their testicles. But that's just my opinion on the matter.

But how can anyone take this merge collector seriously?

That, my Viper brothers is what's known in the exhaust industry as an "uncircumcised merge collector"...or for the rest of us, cheap Chinese crap

In the pictures of the wrapped headers, is that rust or oxidation in the bolt holes where the primary tubes meet the flange?....exactly what kind of stainless steel are these claimed to be?

Does the VCA site supporting vendor who made these care to chime in? By building cheap knock offs of low quality, you dilute the value of our Vipers by trying to use trademarked OEM names and names of Viper models. This would be a good time to explain your position and how your actions benefit the Viper Nation.

Do you really think Shelby would allow parts to be sold as "Original Shelby" if he didn't make them or at least give licensing permission?....I do believe there have been lawsuits over Cobra and Mustang parts that were knockoffs using the Shelby or Cobra name. How does Dodge feel about you marketing knock off products using Chrysler trademarked names?

It really boils down to this, you are bastardizing our cars and the Viper name for easy profits. When advertised as replacement parts, cheap knock-offs confuse the consumer, lower our values and have not been proven to work or even be safe.

George

 

[plumcrazy]

did a vca vendor make these or sell these ?

 

[Glen97]

did a vca vendor make these or sell these ?

It's sounding like he had them made in China and selling them as the real thing. A few have said they know the vendor but have not said. Maybe the question should be who sells the ACRX header on this site?

 

[Boxer12]

This is an interesting thread. To play the devil's advocate, the ACRX headers 5-1 are not a unique design (its been around for years) and look a lot like some Mopar headers I put on my GTS years ago (ok, the pipes bend a little differently). Who own's the rights to 'ACRX' or 'BBG' (isn't that a fuel product??) Who stole from whom? Apparently, you are buying various levels of quality and performance...that's it. Personally, I would buy better quality from reputable vendors, but that is a matter of choice.

 

[CCBrian]

I think the issue is selling a trademarked product as an original...making a knock off really isn't the issue as long as there are not patent issues...selling them as originals is-which apparently is the case here.

 

[Boxer12]

No trying to fan the flames, but are these headers truly trademarked? How so? Is 'BBG' trademarked? (I know, the fuel additive is BG.) Is 'ACRX' trademarked? There is an old slogan in law...'caveat emptor' (let the buyer beware). Another slogan...'imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.' BBG should be proud that its product is being copied, and tout it's quality over the competition.

 

[CCBrian]

It was posted by someone that he has been getting calls from buyers thinking they have originals and are having issues. He has been helping these people out even though they bought Chinese knock offs from a vendor that has no support-that is a class act helping when he doesn't have to. There are several first class vendors here on the forum-I have dealt with all of them-we all know who they are-we should be supporting those who are on here all the time helping us even when they have no financial incentive to do so. I think anyone who buys these knock offs should put a sticker on their cars saying "made in China"....just my two cents worth.

 

[plumcrazy]

half of the car was made in china...lol

 

[TrackAire]

No trying to fan the flames, but are these headers truly trademarked? How so? Is 'BBG' trademarked? (I know, the fuel additive is BG.) Is 'ACRX' trademarked? There is an old slogan in law...'caveat emptor' (let the buyer beware). Another slogan...'imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.' BBG should be proud that its product is being copied, and tout it's quality over the competition.

Boxer12,

I'd be interested in getting your legal opinion on this. I think the real problem is just not that the headers or whatever was knocked off, it is being marketed using the same name.

So here is my "fear" in this situation. Let's say an ex Corvette owner wants to have a better track weapon and buys a 2009 Viper Coupe and puts on aftermarket "ACR" wings, splitters, etc to make it look like a real ACR. Being a new Viper owner, he buys them at the best price on Ebay but they are marketed as an "ACR Areo Package", he thinks they are original because of the name...they look the same, etc. He installs the kit, upgrades his suspension, etc and goes to the track.

You, in your real ACR are following him at speed at the end of a long straight. His fake ACR wing collapses just before the braking point and comes flying towards your real ACR, cutting your front tire and causing you to slide into the wall at a high rate of speed. This is where I see the danger of fake parts marketed using the same name. These aren't mini vans, they're near full on race cars with huge potential in acceleration and speed. A lot of people who buy Vipers have others wrench on them and just tell their tuner, "make it a track weapon" and trust that guy puts on the right product. There are just too many variables if fake parts are allowed to be named like the real race proven part. Buyer beware is true, but as we've seen with fake prescription drugs, etc...there is just no way the public can keep an eye on everything and vouch for it's authenticity if it's mis-represented. We have a lot of government agencies that chase these threats and still can never catch all of them.

I just see too much liability for both Dodge and the manufacturers of the real race products if this "mis-labeling" is allowed to continue on these knock-offs.

Even something as "safe" as headers can cause problems. You just spent a good chunk of change to have DC Perf do your heads, intake, etc. What if your "fake" headers cracked at the weld where the pipe meets the head flange...could it burn your valve during a 20 minute track session? What about that tacked on merged collector spike, what if it breaks off and comes out the exhaust, again cutting a tire down at race speeds? I know that these are a lot of "what ifs" but at least if the parts are marketed by a different name and not represented as the real race proven part, that would at least allow a person to make the correct decision and then "buyer beware" really comes to some sort personal responsibility.

In my experience, Chrysler is very quick to sue if trademarks are infringed. Back when the H3 Hummer came out, Jeep put up a fit because they both had the same number of vertical slates in the radiator grill. And if IIRC, Jeep won the decision. In todays world, patent infringements are slow to stop a product from being marketed. But trademark infringement will get stuff shut down right now. There are a lot of containers sitting at the Port of Long Beach that are in limbo because some judge shut down the importation of that product because of trademark infringement. Think fake Coach bags, Prada shoes, etc.

I don't know if BBG is trademarked, but I'll bet that any name on the side of the car is (Viper, ACR, ACRX, SRT etc). I would think those names are owned and protected by Dodge.

So, from a legal standpoint is it wrong for fake parts to be marketed under the original name?....isn't there any legal recourse here for either BBG or Dodge to get these fake parts stopped?

Good luck with your 2011 race season...I just flew over Colorado and it looks very white! I can't wait for spring to come so we all can get some driving time in

Cheers,
George

 

[Supratt6s]

How do the ACRX headers perform for the Gen 3 version? Anyone have any sound clips with the corsa exhaust?

 

[Omega]

I have it, I will post it.

 

[VicTxV10]

did a vca vendor make these or sell these ?

From what I understand..he did both!!