Adam@Z1auto.com Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 I agree - but this is the primary reason the replicas exist and thrive. The NISMO front bumper is $1200 lets say. Someone decides to replicate it, and sell it for $250.00. The NISMO quality has not changed, their fit and finish is top notch, and it fits correctly the first time. They're packaged well, come with everything needed, and the quality control is very strict. So one ordered in 2006 fits the same as one ordered in 2008. The replica on the other hand, you never quite know what you're getting. One batch may be good, another batch, not so much. But, because a replica now exists that is $250.00, automatically people think the NISMO is overpriced. I think a difference exists between overpriced and expensive - some people can't seem to make that distinction though. To each his own as they say Can also be a false economy of buy cheap, buy twice too... At the end of the day as with anything... Caveat emptor! Very true Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martinmac Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 One other point, I bought my Ings kit from Adam and the fit was great. Two days after fitting some muppet in a clapped out Sierra reversed into me and damaged it. The bodyshop that fitted it ( car and bike magic) repaired the split in the rear and repainted the scuffed paintwork and said it was easy to do. I am sure this wouldnt have been the case with a cheaper copy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stanski Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 9 pages now .... Wow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BulletMagnet Posted October 30, 2009 Author Share Posted October 30, 2009 9 pages now .... Wow But it's all good tho, it's discussion and an interesting one too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtbiscuit Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 One other point, I bought my Ings kit from Adam and the fit was great. Two days after fitting some muppet in a clapped out Sierra reversed into me and damaged it. The bodyshop that fitted it ( car and bike magic) repaired the split in the rear and repainted the scuffed paintwork and said it was easy to do. I am sure this wouldnt have been the case with a cheaper copy. the bodyshop i use have repaired 2 things for me. an original Greddy front lip and a not so original nismo front bumper. the greddy wasn't difficult to repair but it was ABS so different techniques are needed to restore rigidity and flexibility in the material. the not nismo front bumper was GRP same as the real one. and the great thing about GRP is its a piece of cake to repair, and if done properly will still have the same structural quality and strength as the original (before break). if GRP isn't repaired properly and its done like a stick on plater then it won't be as good and will snap again. the big thing to look for in any kit is the thickness and quality of the GRP used. as well as the fitment. most issues bodyshops see with cheap kits is partly poor fit and needing adjustment (but the same can sometimes happen with originals) but also paper thin GRP with bubbles in, it cracks and splits and needs a shed load of prep to get it ready. i got nismo skirts from CS, fitment wasn't perfect, but then i factored that into the purchase at the time. but the one thing about the skirts from CS and the rest of the kit i had was the quality of the GRP. it needed very little prep (the new bits anyway) the front needed no adjustment.(had been previously fitted to another car). the bodyshop actually commented saying that the kit was very good especially as its a copy, when you compare it to some of the crap they've seen it was a relativly easy job. i think i got my whole kit, sprayed and fitted for about just over £1000, i wouldn't have even been able to buy the full original nismo kit for that price, let alone have it sprayed and fitted as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcash5 Posted October 31, 2009 Share Posted October 31, 2009 Very interesting thread and as most know I will go for genuine parts as Ive been stung in the past with cheaper purchases. As Rob (h5) said, yes you can get the overall 'look' alot cheaper else where, but you can spot the differences a mile off and the longevity of a product is where alot of the R&D goes into. I think the best way to round this up is; 'You get what you pay for.' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
srobrien Posted October 31, 2009 Share Posted October 31, 2009 I've already had my say but I just wanted to add a little extra bit. I totally agree its nice to have nice things, I could quite easily afford to kit my zed out in the best gear from Envy, but why should I? If what I buy is good quality, tried and tested parts then whats the problem? After all its just for appearance and it will be coming off when I sell the car anyway so why should I take a massive hit on the resale value of the parts too. I used to spend a LOT of cash on clothing, for example I would buy pairs and pairs of michko koshino jeans at between £250-350 per pair, each pair lasted about 4-5 months before they started to get washed out, ripped and generally knackered. I still buy designer clothes but I look for quality when I do, now I buy Edwin jeans, they only come in at £90-120 a pair and it is seriously good quality denim, lasts forever. Now my little case in point. My CF bonnet, I bought it from Knight-racer and I DARE any of you out there to find a flaw with it, either in fitment or quality it is just as good if not better than bonnets that cost twice as much. I initially called them to enquire about it and was told I could have it out to me the following day, spoke to Albert direct, the person that actually MAKES the pieces, even got his mobile number and he was very friendly and helpful. Would like to see you try that with Tommy K or the like. As agreed the bonnet was with me by the next day, expertly packaged and fitted right in place, no faffing around or alternations all for £500 which is a good £500 cheaper than the branded alternative, which leaves a nice sum of cash towards a holiday, new house or 5 pairs of jeans . As for my authentic Greddy lip, well.. Remember it works the other way, just because it has a brand and costs a fortune doesn't always mean its any better quality. R Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P15UL T Posted October 31, 2009 Share Posted October 31, 2009 wow , from a shakey start the thread has taken quite a turn, i myself sit on the fence, when decideing the look i want for the car i go through many stages of what i like, the price, the reputation of the company and the quality and fitment, after also of debating with myself i chose the Shine Replica Amuse kit, everyone you spoke to about Shine said there kits were amazing and great fitment so i spent my hard earned cash on it and when it arrived i was overjoyed and after seeing it fitted i was well chuffed, the painter had to do no modifying to get it to fit and he was very impressed with the finish as it gave hime very little prep work personally i would never buy a replica kit from a small ebay type company without first being able to test fit, but thats just me when it comes to the smaller purchases like engine covers ect i would be more than willing to take the gamble as the cash loss isnt as bad if the product is poor i also only ever buy proper CD's and DVD's as im into the quality of the sound and picture, the missus on occasion gets a copy from her mum and OMG i usually switch it off after the first few minutes as i cant stand the shoddyness of it im all up for traders supplying replicas if they can do a good job of it because at the end of the day we all cant afford to buy the genuine article even if we would love to. the modifyed car scene would be totally different if cheaper options wernt available. at the end of the day the world survives because the rich are rich and the poor are poor Paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarnie Posted October 31, 2009 Share Posted October 31, 2009 As for my authentic Greddy lip, well.. R The Greddy Lip could be made of Kevlar but if you drive it into speed bumps its still gonna break Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P15UL T Posted October 31, 2009 Share Posted October 31, 2009 As for my authentic Greddy lip, well.. R The Greddy Lip could be made of Kevlar but if you drive it into speed bumps its still gonna break Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Digsy Posted October 31, 2009 Share Posted October 31, 2009 Remember it works the other way, just because it has a brand and costs a fortune doesn't always mean its any better quality. R This has been an interesting thread. On the quality front I think Ross is right - there can't be a hard and fast rule because some originals (Veilside spring to mind) can be just as cack quality as the replicas. All folk can do is rearch any purchase and get feedback from those who have bought before - that's what makes these forums so good. I'd happily by a replica if I knew that plenty of others had found it a high quality item. On the other hand I'd spend the extra money on an original if i had no feedback on the replica. Make sense? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
srobrien Posted October 31, 2009 Share Posted October 31, 2009 As for my authentic Greddy lip, well.. R The Greddy Lip could be made of Kevlar but if you drive it into speed bumps its still gonna break Yeah your right but you would expect it to be a bit more durable especially as its designed to sit so close to the ground. R Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H5 Posted October 31, 2009 Share Posted October 31, 2009 Remember it works the other way, just because it has a brand and costs a fortune doesn't always mean its any better quality. R This has been an interesting thread. On the quality front I think Ross is right - there can't be a hard and fast rule because some originals (Veilside spring to mind) can be just as cack quality as the replicas. All folk can do is rearch any purchase and get feedback from those who have bought before - that's what makes these forums so good. I'd happily by a replica if I knew that plenty of others had found it a high quality item. On the other hand I'd spend the extra money on an original if i had no feedback on the replica. Make sense? Yep. As I said, as long as it fits as well as standard, you haven't done anything to affect the overall quality of the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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