Work Continues
After a period of not working on the car, I feel like actual progress is being made. The car is not at J-Tuned Motorsports for the fabrication work. Along with way Jim is letting me tie up some of the loose ends on the car. Below is some of the progress that has been made.
Stromung Cat-Back
My dream was to have a Stromung 3″ exhaust on my car. A few years back Stromung was known for making top notch exhausts. Knowing this, I gladly shelled out the money knowing that since it was designed for a Spec V, some of the hangers would have to be relocated. After a month of waiting and poor communication the exhaust arrived, and I was disappointed.
First, the exhaust was not made completely of stainless steel. The flanges are actually made of mild steel, probably to save money. The flanges were spray painted for “rust-proofing” It was also pointed out to me that parts of the exhaust were not TIG welded as advertised. On top of all of this, the fitment of the exhaust is not what I was expecting. So I’m in the hole $600+ and it’s clear that Stromung is cutting corners during fabrication. If I didn’t know Jim, I would be out even more money with the cost of modifying the exhaust.
My suggestion to any B15 SE owner thinking of going this route is to find a great local welder to fabricate an exhaust for you. With materials and labor it will cost about the same as buying one of these systems and paying to have it modified. In the end you will have an exhaust that is superior is just about every way. Vibrant Performance also makes a dual-tipped muffler that is very similar to the one Stromung uses.
Fabrication
Along with the other work, J-Tuned Motorsports will also be fabricating the intercooler system for my turbo setup. We spent some time the other week designing all of the piping and making a long list of every clamp, coupler, and pipe that was needed.
Jim also took the time the other night to fabricate a test pipe for when the car sees track duty. In my opinion, his work is great! With some of the classes and training he will be attending, I can only imagine it getting better!
I hope to have more updates as things progress.