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      11-21-2012, 12:00 AM   #23
kaitan
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Maybe those who are in sydney would like to have a group buy? Just wondering where can do the DP swap with stock? maybe $450 cost ?
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      11-21-2012, 03:41 AM   #24
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sparoz
Does the DPs cause bad smell inside the cabin whilst the car is in motion?
No
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      11-21-2012, 05:35 PM   #25
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I had a customer call me yesterday saying his workshop couldn't get the VRSF DPs to fit. Looks like some people get lucky, some don't.
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      11-21-2012, 07:51 PM   #26
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I honestly don't know why you guys source out the "cheapest" untested products to install on your $70K plus cars..

Obviously, the manufacturer will tell you the fit is OK..He is after a sale...

Listen to Stu@BMR and pay the extra bucks, for the AR design DP's and save possibly hundreds in install costs, as you know the AR's will fit, first time every time..

The extra you pay for the AR's, will be peace of mind and saving on a crap fitment by cheap imitations..

End of rant:
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      11-21-2012, 08:42 PM   #27
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Zuzu View Post
I honestly don't know why you guys source out the "cheapest" untested products to install on your $70K plus cars..

Obviously, the manufacturer will tell you the fit is OK..He is after a sale...

Listen to Stu@BMR and pay the extra bucks, for the AR design DP's and save possibly hundreds in install costs, as you know the AR's will fit, first time every time..

The extra you pay for the AR's, will be peace of mind and saving on a crap fitment by cheap imitations..

End of rant:
+1 Plenty of info that AR and Akra are the only ones that fits perfectly - every time.
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      11-21-2012, 09:32 PM   #28
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2009 135i  [9.00]
mmmm, that's not what I wanted to hear.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Zuzu View Post
I honestly don't know why you guys source out the "cheapest" untested products to install on your $70K plus cars..

The extra you pay for the AR's, will be peace of mind and saving on a crap fitment by cheap imitations..

End of rant:
The AR Design one's are more than $500 dearer excluding shipping = out my current budget!

I bought my car secondhand, just over $50K. If I was spending $70k+ then I could probably justify the AR's + install fee!

Last edited by Moocow; 11-21-2012 at 09:42 PM..
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      11-21-2012, 10:00 PM   #29
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The N55 BMS DPs fit fine too, multiple cars with it.
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      11-21-2012, 10:03 PM   #30
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Moocow View Post
mmmm, that's not what I wanted to hear.



The AR Design one's are more than $500 dearer excluding shipping = out my current budget!

I bought my car secondhand, just over $50K. If I was spending $70k+ then I could probably justify the AR's + install fee!
Let you know how it goes with mine on friday

Check out some vendor, they are having black friday sale atm for AR DP.
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      11-22-2012, 12:12 AM   #31
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Liub View Post
The N55 BMS DPs fit fine too, multiple cars with it.
No problems fitting N55 downpipes - single turbo = single downpipe, plentyyy of room to work with
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      11-22-2012, 01:33 AM   #32
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We actually just sent a 30+ piece shipment to AUS about 2 motnhs ago without any unresolved fitment issues. We've had at least 60 of these jump over into the euro market (RHD) as well as the Asian market without a fitment concern.

We've sold over 400 sets of these downpipes in the past 12 months that we've offered them. 98% of the time fitment comes down to the individual installer (most have never installed 3" DP's on an N54/are unfimilar with the midpipe hanger adjustment) & the other 2% I'm more than happy to take responsibility & supply a new set of pipes free of charge

Our products are hand made just like everyone else and even with AR or AA, there are the occasional mishaps where a downpipe is made a few mm off spec and it requires replacement. Generally these can be adjusted, either with clocking or the mid pipe hanger. This is why we offer a 100% fitment guarantee, even on international shipments.

We're currently working on new endeavors in manufacturing where we can eliminate the fitment issues by reducing the amount of welded pieces that are used to manufacture the product. By doing this, we'll have a 1-2 piece, casted product that will reduce the potential install discrepancies as well as the variance in production.
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      11-22-2012, 01:37 AM   #33
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Zuzu View Post
I honestly don't know why you guys source out the "cheapest" untested products to install on your $70K plus cars..

Obviously, the manufacturer will tell you the fit is OK..He is after a sale...

Listen to Stu@BMR and pay the extra bucks, for the AR design DP's and save possibly hundreds in install costs, as you know the AR's will fit, first time every time..

The extra you pay for the AR's, will be peace of mind and saving on a crap fitment by cheap imitations..

End of rant:
I've personally had to send a set of AR DP's back to AR when attempting to fit due to a fitment issue and I can find you at least a dozen cases where fitment wasn't as perfect as you'd expect. Does that mean AR's aren't a great set of pipes? No. It just means they aren't perfect.

With that said, AR is a company that will stand behind their product and I have no doubt that they'll take care of any such issue. Nothing is perfect when the human element is involved.

Personally, I'm more interest in how a company helps remedy the situation rather than assuming they'll stiff you if something goes weary. We stand by our 100% fitment & satisfaction guarantee.
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      11-22-2012, 02:25 AM   #34
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The Big Guns Are Out Now Lol
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      11-22-2012, 02:48 AM   #35
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tiago@VRSF
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zuzu View Post
I honestly don't know why you guys source out the "cheapest" untested products to install on your $70K plus cars..

Obviously, the manufacturer will tell you the fit is OK..He is after a sale...

Listen to Stu@BMR and pay the extra bucks, for the AR design DP's and save possibly hundreds in install costs, as you know the AR's will fit, first time every time..

The extra you pay for the AR's, will be peace of mind and saving on a crap fitment by cheap imitations..

End of rant:
I've personally had to send a set of AR DP's back to AR when attempting to fit due to a fitment issue and I can find you at least a dozen cases where fitment wasn't as perfect as you'd expect. Does that mean AR's aren't a great set of pipes? No. It just means they aren't perfect.

With that said, AR is a company that will stand behind their product and I have no doubt that they'll take care of any such issue. Nothing is perfect when the human element is involved.

Personally, I'm more interest in how a company helps remedy the situation rather than assuming they'll stiff you if something goes weary. We stand by our 100% fitment & satisfaction guarantee.
I bit the bullet and bought a set of Ar downpipes, which yes we're out of the budget at the time, but because I knew the fitment was supposed to be spot on I got them.

I installed the set myself, to find that the oxygen sensor location was out of place by a few mm.

It goes to show that even the AR still have human errors, but in saying that Stu from BMR quickly rectified the problem and organised a new set ASAP, arriving at my doorstep literally the next day.

If they were purchased directly from the manufacturer (AR or VRSF) it may be a different story so I can't comment there.

But for us in Australia it would make sense for anyone buying this sort of stuff to buy it locally, (if the price difference isn't that significant) as you know for piece of mind at the back of your head, should you have any problems, they'll get rectified quicker than it would internationally.
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      11-22-2012, 02:54 AM   #36
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Moocow
mmmm, that's not what I wanted to hear.

The AR Design one's are more than $500 dearer excluding shipping = out my current budget!

I bought my car secondhand, just over $50K. If I was spending $70k+ then I could probably justify the AR's + install fee!
Im a student, and I paid about $50k for my car aswell, doesn't mean that if its 20k cheaper you just put cheaper parts in it. But in saying that price does not always determine quality so I can't knock the VRSF at all.

Yes the AR were out of my budget too, but after reading positive review after positive review about the fitment of AR's in our cars, it makes sense to get them.

As I stated before, mine were out by a mm, but that's just a bit of bad luck. In no way do I regret still paying that premium price for the product, they are magnificently built. And I got what I paid for.
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      11-22-2012, 04:47 AM   #37
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If I was a single man I would sleep with my AR's every night and live content (I shall have to get around to installing them eventually!)
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      11-22-2012, 06:41 AM   #38
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I have them installed with the stock cat back and it is a little louder than stock. It does sound more aggresive but is not loud, there is no drone and no smell. There are a ton of video's in the main section of the forum. Perfect setup for a DD IMO.

It is a must do mod if you are looking to get the most of an N54, that and an intake, then an FMIC for consistent power. Probably goes for most FI platforms I would say.

I have had AR DP's on the car for 3 and a bit years now. They bolted up perrrrfect. The only reason I went with AR's is because they were the only set that I could find that would fit RHD vehicles. VRSF's did not exist back then. I installed them myself, on a hoist, with a BMW Master Tech to help. It took us a little under 6 hours. Don't believe the 90min install times, on a set of ramps to boot that you read on the US based main section. They haven't got that F$%^in' steering column in the way. There is no way I would like to pull them out again. Don't balk at a possible $500 install cost because believe it or not that sounds about right.

If there is any doubt that a set of catless DP's will not fit a RHD vehicle STAY AWAY. If the seller of VRSF's guarantees fitment, then I would say give them a try. There is not much room down there and if they are even a couple of mm out, that could mean the difference between fitment and tearing your hair out. If I had the opportunity to buy locally when I installed them I would have paid a little more and purchased locally for the peace of mind that if something goes wrong you might have a better chance of getting the issue rectified in a more timely manner than if you had to ship back to the states. I would say it would be around 9hrs worth of wasted work to take off the stock DP's, try and fit your new set, find out they don't fit then reinstall the stock DP's so you can drive your car. Then have to send to the US, wait to get them back and then start the install process again. Nightmare!!

In saying that I read somewhere that AR's have changed design now and they need some modification to fit RHD cars. I believe this is performed prior to sale by someone other than AR. Can anyone confirm this?
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Last edited by 335i-boy; 11-22-2012 at 07:08 AM..
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      11-22-2012, 04:54 PM   #39
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In saying that I read somewhere that AR's have changed design now and they need some modification to fit RHD cars. I believe this is performed prior to sale by someone other than AR. Can anyone confirm this?[/QUOTE]

Im not sure whether the issue with fitment has been resolved by AR , however when i bought mine ( 2-3 months ago) from Stu at BMR they did indeed need to be modifed ( by Advan i think) to fit my 335 , in saying that as it was a known issue ( 02 sensor placement ?) mod was completed prior to delivery.

I had mine fitted by Southern BM and there were no problems at all

IMO , it was worth a few extra $$ to buy locally and have installed by someone who knows what they are doing
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      11-22-2012, 08:10 PM   #40
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FYI I have AA 3" dp's and rear turbo dp 02 bung had to be relocated.
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      11-22-2012, 10:22 PM   #41
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Update:

The VRSF DP fits fine with a bit of tweaking. It was not straight forward install but there is no dramas in the end as the shop has done a lot already but mostly AR DP. The workshop is going to test the car now to check if there is any leak, vibration or rattle when the Downpipe gets hots.

Will update more when I get the car as I will be able to tell if it's louder, noisier or if the car has extra annoying noise.
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      11-22-2012, 10:25 PM   #42
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There were a very small batch of AR DPs that had to be modified. This is no longer the issue and was a one off production run issue.

These were all fixed prior to sending out and all DPs purchased from BMR Autowerkes fit 100%.

Our current range of AR Design N54 Downpipes fit perfect straight from the factory.
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      11-23-2012, 01:09 AM   #43
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Update 2:

Mechanic said the fitment of VRSF is not as nice as AR ones. Let's leave it there.
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Last edited by eriktufa; 11-23-2012 at 04:11 AM..
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      11-23-2012, 02:40 AM   #44
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Zuzu View Post
I honestly don't know why you guys source out the "cheapest" untested products to install on your $70K plus cars..

Obviously, the manufacturer will tell you the fit is OK..He is after a sale...

Listen to Stu@BMR and pay the extra bucks, for the AR design DP's and save possibly hundreds in install costs, as you know the AR's will fit, first time every time..

The extra you pay for the AR's, will be peace of mind and saving on a crap fitment by cheap imitations..

End of rant:
100% correct, spent the bucks on the good stuff, leave the crap for some other market we don't need this rubbish in Aus.
If you bring it to Advan for fitting i will charge you by the hour rather than a fixed price as per the AR dumps.
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