cheaper performance upgrade alternative to BR??

[scotpak]

Now dont you B.R. fan-boys have a heart attack!!!

Ive been reading about potential performance upgrades for my 4.3 vantage for a few weeks now on both Pistonheads and Speed online.

Am thinking about buying RSC V8 exhaust manifolds (http://www.topgear.co.uk/search/exhausts/rsc/RSCASTV8V_Manifold) & RSC 200 cell cats (http://www.topgear.co.uk/search/exhausts/rsc/RSCASCATV8).

Total cost from this company is only £2,450 (including VAT)!!!

I would keep my stock exhaust (may change later). Most research points to these 2 components as being the key elements in bumping up BHP.

Wouldnt this get me very close to the performance upgrade offered by Bamford Rose at less than half price. (they currently charge £6000 (incl VAT).

Seems like a no brainer to me??? Or am I missing something?

Just trying to find a better deal in these recessionary times!!

[mikey k]

Do you home work

Stuart is no longer with RSC and nothing has been heard from them since he left
BR price is fitted and warranted (and fitted by people who know the car)

[scotpak]

OK thanks for that. BUT Ive done enough research to know that RSC products are on par with BR, and I dont think fitting an exhaust requires you to be a seasoned Aston martin specialist. Even if it does, there are many independent specialists e.g. Hoffmans in henley who are local to me who will be able to do that?

Anyway im thinking this is a good bang for buck option??

I mean 2.4 k vs 6k for probably almost similar BHP increase?

[scotpak]

As for stuart, see link below:

http://www.6speedonline.com/forums/aston-martin/30...

You made it sound like he had been abducted?

[mikey k]

You asked for opinion I gave what I know
Good luck with what ever route you decided

[yeti]

Good luck with the RSC manifolds. Please post up how you get along.

Catalysts... sure, they're an off the shelf part

You suggest you have done your homework. I respectfully disagree

[Bravo73]

scotpak said:

I mean 2.4 k vs 6k for probably almost similar BHP increase?

But you're not really comparing apples with apples, are you?

For starters, the two parts of the RSC exhaust that you have listed come to £2.9k, not £2.4k.

If you then include a backbox as well (like in the BR system), the price is now up to £4.8k.

Then add labour to that and I suspect that the price will be quite close to, erm, £6k. Which is exactly the price that BR charge for what we know to be proven results (with lots of very happy customers).

Exactly how many RSC customers have posted about their systems on here recently?

[scotpak]

I read stuart's post on speed online

http://www.6speedonline.com/forums/aston-martin/28...

Also, more recently there are quite a few posts on speed online with users having gained great results with RSC manifold headers such as this:

http://www.6speedonline.com/forums/aston-martin/30...

So i have done a bit of research yeti.

[stevewushu]

I think rather than doing pre-comparisons here, just go get it done!
You do seem fairly decided on choosing RSC.
Give it a go, post up the results and costs, done!

[scotpak]

Just need my recent stock investments to go the right way and then of course I'll go the BR route but until then ive gotta explore other alternatives

Appreciating all the input.

[scotpak]

Cheers steve.

[stevewushu]

It will be interesting to see how other companies' performance mods compare to BR.
And competition is always good as it helps produce better quality at lower consumer cost.
Good luck, hope it works for you!

[yeti]

scotpak said:

http://www.6speedonline.com/forums/aston-martin/30...

So i have done a bit of research yeti.

Last quote on the thread "CJ did not install headers ... no dyno results available for that combo therefore"

So just some guy (that no-one has met) saying that his car feels faster. When asked to do a dyno, or if anyone, anyone, who has had the RSC manifolds fitted has done a dyno, or even if RSC (as the forum sponsor) have done a dyno themselves... stony silence. Maybe I'm just naturally suspicious.

I haven't been on SixSpeed for a while as it's a bit... well, American, but when I was on there last, no-one had actual real data for the RSC manifolds. The catalysts, sure. But not the manifolds. Maybe it's all changed recently, but your link doesn't suggest so.

Why don't RSC dyno test the cars the upgrade like BR do?

[PiloteAM]

I don't know anything about RSC, but BR are great to deal with.

If you do get them gotten, then please get a before and after dyno done, would be interesting to see results.

[Jockman]

Bravo73 said:

But you're not really comparing apples with apples, are you?

For starters, the two parts of the RSC exhaust that you have listed come to £2.9k, not £2.4k.

If you then include a backbox as well (like in the BR system), the price is now up to £4.8k.

Then add labour to that and I suspect that the price will be quite close to, erm, £6k. Which is exactly the price that BR charge for what we know to be proven results (with lots of very happy customers).

Exactly how many RSC customers have posted about their systems on here recently?

I was under the impression that this thread was all about money saving.

Which makes Bravo's posting the most pertinent to people like me who don't even know how to spell 'performunse mod'.

It would be useful to know if his maths is flawed

[yeti]

It's flawed insofar as BR don't use a backbox - the standard Aston system is maintained to keep the switchable valves.

So the RSC route is cheaper. But you pay for what you get... Assuming it even exists.

With the RSC system, if (and when) it throws an engine check light... Who sorts that out? Who pays?

[scotpak]

Your local independent aston specialist?

Maybe BR will help with you out?

[PiloteAM]

Not to sound too much like a BR fanboy but back on Jockman's penny pinching motif.

I happen to know that BR are working on a cheaper exhaust option for V8s, where you change the cats, but not manifolds. Should be good for 20hp and same noise options. Dunno what the cost is yet.

- Steve

[Bravo73]

yeti said:

It's flawed insofar as BR don't use a backbox - the standard Aston system is maintained to keep the switchable valves.

Oh.

The pictures on the BR site certainly show a system that goes all of the way from the engine to the exhaust tips:

http://www.bamfordrose.com/exhaust-system.html

[snuffy]

When I had a Noble, there was exactly the same thing on the PH forum - to increase the power you changed the exhaust, the fuel pump and had it rolling road mapped.

On the Noble forum, the received wisdom was that only one company was capable of producing an exhaust, and only one person was capable of doing the mapping. And these options were not cheap. If anyone else asked the question about getting another company to make an exhaust or remap their car they were met with howls of "Heretic, heretic - burn him now !".

And since I've got an AM I'm seeing exactly the same thing on here; anyone who dares to question BR is met with pretty much the same response - i.e. "Burn the heretic".

And to be clear, I'm not passing comment on BR or any other company offering a similar/same product, I'm just making an observation as to the fact of what happens to the nay-sayers.