So, I've decided to finally give into the turbo bug, but have yet to see a decent looking turbo placement and fit...that was until this weekend. I was at Omaha's Ice Cream Cruise and saw a Camaro there that had a very good looking kit on it. Fast forward to 2 days of me playing on the internet looking for similar setups which resulted in me finding out about BBS Designs.

The question is, are they back in business producing these headers again? I've read various places that they are, but can't find them anywhere.

 

nope. they came on here with promises to build new kits a a while back then disappeared again. dont count on them

 

I've been in touch with them and actually placed an order last week...

bermudezbrainstormingdesigns@hotmail.com

Rafael

 

I sent him an email to that address a few days ago. Haven't heard anything.

 

Go with the xs-power ones, fab a new crossover for them, then have them coated...

 

http://xs-power.com/gm-turbo-manifolds-3.htm

Wow, those are pretty cheap. I see they're out of North Carolina. Are they actually making them, or are they just selling Chinese garbage under their name?

 

Believe it or not, they're pretty good. The only complaints that I ever had with them with my old setup was the crossover which is as thin as a potato chip, some needed reinforcement for the turbo flange in which I welded a bracket for it, and a little porting. Other than that, they worked fine for what they were. If I were to use them again I would just have them coated...

 

He's been busy with personal stuff the last week or 2... he's emailed me a couple times the last week... try sending a message through Thirdgen.org first...

No potato chip thin stuff with BBS

Raf

 

Watch out on those xs-power turbo manifold setups.....you will find out the number 8 primary tube will have to be redone due to clearance issues with the spark plug and spark plug boot.....i went though that 2 yrs ago.....other than that they will work well.

 

Those were the earlier ones, they rerouted that primary later on. Well, they did on my set from a few years ago, not sure whet they are doing now though. In all honestly it would be much easier just to build your own, or have someone make a set using mild steel then coat them...

 

To be honest, I'd rather spend more money on a better product. The SSAutochrome stuff like that has a pretty bad reputation, and is part of the reason that BBS quit making them for a while evidently.

 

Steel has a melting point of 2500 degrees, but just because EGT's may reach 1700 degrees this does not mean that the metal will reach that temperature too, as heat dissipates. What matters is the "thickness" of the primaries as well as turbo flange on the turbo header itself, and the chinese turbo header is pretty thick if you ask me, but worst case scenario weld a bracket to hold the flange in place like the Grand National headers come stock. Not to mention, once you coat them they stay even cooler, thus staying stronger, and your still paying less than the BBS setup after coating them which complete the BBS header(s) will run you over a thousand dollars for all three pieces, he only sells one single header for four/five hundred. But take this advice like a grain of salt, I've been there and done that and don't want to see you waste your money...

- Rob

 

i like thicker material, myself. i had a set of the ssautochrome turbo headers but never used them. they looked suprisingly decent, but i still didnt want to fab up an entire hotside and then chase down cracks and leaks in a crappy set of headers.
i now have a set of the gale banks knockoff cast iron twin turbo manifolds. i have not put them into service yet.

 

Really? Where'd you pick those up at?

 

ehhhh i cant remember now, but it seems like i have seen them on ebay before..... they were about $700 when i bought them. at the time i was planning to restore my car to the way it was in the mid 90's when it had a banks setup on it.

 

You can make your own exhaust manifolds too if you want to. I flipped one over, measured it to my specs, and brazed it together. Still need to cut the flanges off and weld in some T3 flanges w/wastegates on both of them, but other than that they are just about done. One of them had AIR fittings but I sealed them up with steel rod. I already ported the ports, and they will flow very well for an old set of exhaust manifolds. Very easy to do if you know how to weld. If I had to do it again I would weld the primaries together instead of brazing them, as I was new at brazing at the time and wanted to try out the process. Again, I will get them coated when I eventually finish them, and will last way longer than mild steel...

 

I had the BBS know off ebay headers. as said above ok quality for the price.

or make your own

 

Definitely not skilled enough to make my own and have it come out not looking like a giant turd.

 

I paid for mine (BBS) end of last month, he just emailed and said I should have them end of this month.... (driver's and crossover pipe too)...

I did look into ceramic coating... Jet Hot wanted about as much as the parts to coat them.. .I'm going to try Cerakote, was quoted $300 for all 3 pieces...

Rafael

 

How did you get hold of them to order them?

 

thats about right to coat inside and out.
email me and I'll fill ya in on best way to coat em inside n out.

 

PM'd him through the thirdgen.org first...
Then emailed... as provided above posts.
I'll send him a link to this post...

Rafael

 

What is the melting point of brass?

 

Brass has a melting point of 1710 degrees Fahrenheit, a lot higher than aluminum which is 1220 degrees Fahrenheit, and if filling the EGR ports with aluminum doesn't effect the aluminum in an area that see's just as high of an exhaust temperature, then the brass will be just fine. The coating also helps either way...

Edit: It can be argued that brass also dissipates heat better than aluminum...

 

What is he asking for a complete set if you don't mind me asking?

 

He sells from just a turbo header, all they way up to a complete system, (headers, cross over pipe, turbos, etc...)

I have a 91 TPI with AC, so the header alone was $520 shipped. (Maybe off $5 or $10)
I went with Turbo Passenger Header, regular driver's header and crossover pipe for $825 Shipped.

He also has twin turbo kits...

Rafael

 

I'm interested in seeing how it turns out, if I recall, the BBS stuff was pretty decent so it would be nice to see him producing stuff again.

 

I have a BBS turbo header for sale PM me IF interested.

 

If ur still looking I'll sell you mine if ur interested it's similar to the bbs design I'm going with an up and forward setup

 

PMd guys.

 

Got my tracking # over the weekend, should have them November 12, about 2.5 months time....

Rafael

 

Arrived today... More pics in a few days...



Rafael

 

Just a pic if the box??? What a tease!!! Lol.

 

Ohboy, a local.

Pics out of the box, or else.

 

Yeah, I'm at work and I have to work AFTER work, and then the wife, etc....

so later... But it is in my possession

Raf

 

I had BBS make me a slightly custom header (rear wastegate flange, doubt it'd work with A/C) and it is an amazingly beefy piece. Welds look good and it feels like I'm holding sewer pipe! However, just a few months after I bought that I dropped and LSx into the car. Never even used the manifold.

 

Teaser 2!


Too much stuff to unwrap @ work, to then just wrap it up again and take home...
Stay Tuned!!!

Raf

 

Hello

Rafael, good to know you have your parts with you, keep me updated with the build.
We arent officially making headers/kits since we have not openned the website yet, but we do ocaccionally make headers/kits when people like Rafael contact us and tell us their request.

I can't say anything about the chinnese knock-offs, but I've heard/read that they are made with thin materials. I understand that the flanges they use are 3/8" which is good, but the primaries are very thin. I do know one thing; thin material + heat + vibrations = cracks. Once cracks develop, you can re-weld them but they are just going to keep on showing. Reinforcing the weak spots is just a Bandaid, not to mention the hassle of removing the parts needed for repair every time this happens.
Remember this guys are not header builders, they just copy things that might be proffitable to make money. They do not go thru the learning experience of knowing the stress points, what melts what or the forces that the header is exposed to, they just copy things. They do not care if the header is worthless after a year, their only interest is to make their money.

Our headers are basically a chunk of steel. I always say joking that you could kill an elephant if you throw at it, if you could throw it LOL. All the materials are beefy and walls are thick, they have the know-how and experience and are warrantied for life! To this date we havent had one single unhappy customer nor we've had to replace or repair one single header we have done, EVER!!!

Going chinnese or going with the REAL McCoy is up to personal preference and budget, but we do stand behind our products and our products are made to last.