Dan please take this carbon fiber Airbox cover back that is on my car. It fits so poorly that it is almost comical. The tinfoil bracket that is rivited to the box broke likely day one and the box cover fits in the space like an elphant in a shower stall at a flying J truck stop. I actually used a heat gun to heat the box to help relieve some of the pressure it pushes into the rear latch with.

A return would be so nice.

I realize that chinese engineering stuff is a very common practice in this world, its actually great when you do it and make something better. I myself am a better chinese engineer then a innovative design engineer but that is not all I do. I tip my hat to the many innovators in this community. Thanks for helping me make my car better.

 

I used to import and sell car parts and I can tell you knock offs tend to be a little off...hit or miss. I had a knock off roof spoiler and original purchaser hated it so much he just gave it to me. It fit so well that it is now somewhere on the 105 freeway. Anyway, I am pretty sure body kits and short shift kits have the same issue with consistency. I am all for saving money, but if it means I will probably have to do it over and eat the costs, I've learned it just isn't worth it.

 

They are not the same although they may appear to do the same thing. One is the original design that took creative thinking, engineering, problem solving, lots of time and money to design, test, perfect and manufacture - all done here in the USA!!!! The other is a knock off of the original without any of the above mentioned details. Additionally, some key components were not copied properly and are even missing. It would be interesting to see their instruction manual. Oh yea, and its $88.99 CHEAPER - but in reality its MUCH CHEAPER.

 

Are you serious?

Porsche doesnt copy someone elses part to put on their car, they buy them from that company who did the design and development.

I wouldnt use their stuff if it was given to me, been through cheap parts and tools before and its not worth the hassle as you eventually have to redo it with the proper part shortly after.

 

You get what you pay for. I have a pile of parts that I save in a box called "Horror Show". These are all parts that we have removed from cars over the years that are either inferior copies or just plain POS parts. Many of them were "duped" like this GT2 slave conversion. Time and money are not as abundant these days as they once were. Saving a few dollars today may come back and bite you later, costing more time, headaches and money.

Let’s see how this works:
1) Save less than $100 dollars to buy the CHEAPER knock off part
2) Pay a skilled technician ~10+ hours to install it.
3) Have it fail or not work properly.
4) Pay someone time to diagnose the problem and figure out that it is that part you saved $100 on
5) Get pissed off
6) Purchase the original high quality part that you should have purchased to begin with that costs you $100 more.
7) Pay that same technician ~10+ hours to remove the inferior copy part that didn’t work and install the original high quality component.
8) Make technician either mad or happy that he has to do the same job twice
9) Your $100 savings just cost you ~ $2000 more than it should have + wasted time + headaches +a bad taste in your mouth for aftermarket components

#9 above is obviously the worst part for the consumer as well as for the manufacturer of the original part. This scenario is not just for the topic at hand here, but it works with all knock / rip off parts. This is what burns me the most. I HATE to see customers / enthusiasts spend their hard earned money on incorrect parts that someone "sold them on" or customers that get taken on the cheap knock off either not knowing any better or to save a few bucks.

In the end, everyone loses (consumer and original manufacturer) Customer is out more than double due to having to purchase and install the product twice plus PITA factor and unnecessary time without their car. The original manufacturer, who has spent all of the time and money to engineer a quality part, is out double as well. They lose potential sales as well as decline in sales due to the inferior product giving the "general product" a bad name in the industry. This is not the first time this company has done this and I have tracked the decline of sales after the rip off artist introduced an inferior copy of other of our products.

Sorry for the rants, but $hit like this makes my blood boil. It is hard enough to earn a living these days and to have unoriginal blatant inferior knock off introduced into the market is gutless. After all we developed this system over 4 years ago and AP/VR has purchased and sold our system and obviously felt that it was their "right" to knock it off - this is total BS. Thanks for watching!

 

So you are ok with supporting companies that show no integrity? Just because "hundreds" of companies do it, does NOT make it ok.

The more business that leaves a reputable company to buy a cheap knockoff instead is cutting into their budget for R&D, which limits the number of good products available for all.

Seems every car platform out there has at least one company that is known for copying other shops products. I was unaware who it was for the Porsche community, but this is good info to have.

 

Well I am going to support you on this one and also play devils advocate...

I am sure you guys have copied certain parts to sell as your own so you are not guilt free from that label. The replicate method of business is nothing new at all.... But I am sure you guys have also innovated.

What is wrong is there are companies out there that innovate almost NOTHING!!!!!!!! They wait in the wings selling other peoples stuff and if something starts gaining popularity they quickly duplicate it just to get on the gravy train and make the easier money. It's usually those cheap knock off con artists that hurt the industry.

 

I just want to add this to the thread for more information. Please note the date of their purchase and the note that they will swing by and pick it up.

 

Maybe not, but they pay their vendors to test the parts to their specs. And then they test the parts themselves on test vehicles. That's a tad different from what's happening here.

 

This part was made back in May - https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...turbo-x50.html

 

Excuse me, actually April - https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...ml#post3511329

Also this part that was picked up on 7/24 was shipped out next day, www.fedex.com 533914351738. Oh well...

 

What would even be better is if they returned it when they were done.....

Why in the world would you continue to sell anything to them then. You do play some part in this whole evil empire you know.

Hey I do not knock them for copying the idea of some parts, but at least make your own part and at least try and imporve it. It's is when you make a direct copy of an item and make it junkier that is the bad deal... Or even if you make your own part but it is absolute cheezeeeey junk; now that stuff gets my goat too.

Evoms people --> I will also say that VR's bracket does look different enough from yours to say that they did not directly copy yours.... I will also say that the hose you both use have the el-cheapo jobber crimp ends on it. VR really could have refined the bracket they made and did a better hose and used a boot to seal off the rod to tranny case and then in my opinion they would have made the product slightly better and more refined.

The reason why the aftermarket does not cut the mustard all to often when comparing stuff to the factory stuff is to many aftermarket guys just make stuff to fit with no concern about the smaller details of ergonomics and finish quality.

 

I would post more invoices, namely:

49174 from 11/2/11
47808 from 5/9/11

All for slave conversion purchases from Vivid Racing, but those along with our non-disclosure and non-duplication agreements are being reviewed by our corporate attorney.

It is a shame that things like this have to end this way.

 

^ you did not read above then...

 

Will gladly post those too. You jumped the gun.

Picked up 11/2/11. Overnighted to customer same day www.fedex.com 469324514764
Picked up 7/7/11. Shipped with large order on 7/26/11 to Australia www.fedex.com 469324506950

You guys want to discuss further, let me know. Other wise its clear.