Okay, I've seen the photos too. I know this header looks like crap in them but I'm gonna give it try anyway. I was hesitant about the short tube design until I saw the TC header comparison where a similar short tube header from Alphawerks was picked #1 over the long tube headers from DC and Megan. I don't expect this header to outperform Strup or W-R or to look as good but I'l be very surprised if it doesn't provide the same ~5hp gain on a N/A engine with stock s-pipe and scuba. It may not be for everyone but I intend to keep the scuba to retain reasonable noise levels and at least some semblance of emissions compliance. My theory is that just eliminating the primary cat is worth ~5hp and this $135 header should do about as well as any in that regard.

Another thing I like about the CXR header is the bottom mounting bracket that attaches to the block like the stock header. That second engine attachment point should help minimize stress on the header and welds. I'm surprised that Strup and W-R didn't include it for all that money. I also cheaped out on the CEL fix and ordered a $30 SS angled version from ebay rather than the $55 W-R version.

Yes, I'm cheap. So cheap that my modified TC CAI only cost me ~$75. I'll post a full review of the header with installation results and pics within the next few weeks. Sorry but no dyno results.

TC header shootout:

http://www.scionlife.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=82724

Edit: I screwed up. The short tube header in the TC dyno shootout was the Megan, not Alphawerks. My bad. Still, the Megan header added 8hp vs 9hp for Alphawerks. Not a huge difference.

Good luck. Although you're trying to justify it, I see no point in doing the header when you've still got all the restrictions after it. It's not much, but you're still just wasting money on a header that might not fit. Who knows if it can stand up to the heat as well? The header might crack on you, etc.

Cheaping out on the intake is totally different than cheaping out on the header. All the intakes are just pipes with filters and sometimes heat shields. Intake design really isn't that hard. They're all the same (but for some reason people pay ridiculous amounts of money on them. Probably for CARB reasons), but on the other hand, header design is MUCH tougher. I doubt anyone realizes how hard it is to properly design an exhaust, and they just thing "bigger diameter" or "more sound" is better. I've done a lot of research on header/exhaust design and it's some complicated stuff. I'm not saying I know how to do it, I'm just saying I know how hard the process is.

Like I said, good luck with what you're doing.

If it doesn't fit, I'm sending it back. I called them and asked if it would bolt up without any issues and they said it would. That's why I went with CXR instead of the ebay strup knock-off for $80. I called them and they told me that their header doesn't line up with the s-pipe and requires cutting and welding to fit.

As for the scuba restriction, I'll probably leave ~5hp untapped by not replacing it but I can always do that later on. Import Tuner got 5hp from adding a Strup header while retaining the stock exhaust to a TRD axle-back. I expect to get about the same but with a slightly different powerband.

Designing the optimal exhaust system for a given engine, powerband requirements and application is complicated but a simple equal-length, short-tube 4-1 header very similar to the stock header (minus the cat) should still add some hp.

Anyway, I may or may not regret trying this header but there's only one way to know for sure. I'll post my results ASAP, good or bad. Thanks.

If it doesn't fit, I'm sending it back. I called them and asked if it would bolt up without any issues and they said it would. That's why I went with CXR instead of the ebay strup knock-off for $80. I called them and they told me that their header doesn't line up with the s-pipe and requires cutting and welding to fit.

I think it's cause that strup replica on eBay is probably a tC one. If it isn't, then I don't even know why the made it :)

As for the scuba restriction, I'll probably leave ~5hp untapped by not replacing it but I can always do that later on. Import Tuner got 5hp from adding a Strup header while retaining the stock exhaust to a TRD axle-back. I expect to get about the same but with a slightly different powerband.

Designing the optimal exhaust system for a given engine, powerband requirements and application is complicated but a simple equal-length, short-tube 4-1 header very similar to the stock header (minus the cat) should still add some hp.

Anyway, I may or may not regret trying this header but there's only one way to know for sure. I'll post my results ASAP, good or bad. Thanks.

It's nice that you're trying to be the guinea pig though, good luck! Although it'll be hard for you to notice any gains if you don't dyno it, because "butt dynos" don't do good for these small minute things due to placebo effect, etc.

I suspect the same thing about that so-called "XB" header on ebay. I considered having a muffler shop mod the s-pipe for it but decided it was too much hassle. Plus I like being able to go back to stock if I want to.

I really wish I could do before and after dyno runs but I don't even know where the nearest dyno is. CX-R claims that they dyno tested it and gained 5-7hp but we know how reliable manufacturer claims are. Strup claims 10-12hp and Import Tuner measured 5hp on the dyno. I hope I get more than 2.5-3.5hp but it wouldn't be too surprising either.

Well, post up pictures of the header so we can all see what it really looks like in person. I want to see if my assumptions about CXRacing are right. For the record if it helps your cause, the CXRacing pictures make the header bends look pretty smooth, while the stock ones seem very rough and obviously crush bent. That alone should make the CXRacing headers better....but the quality of the welds, flanges, etc. worry me.

By the way, are you getting the CXR Headers from the source or from eBay?

Well, post up pictures of the header so we can all see what it really looks like in person. I want to see if my assumptions about CXRacing are right. For the record if it helps your cause, the CXRacing pictures make the header bends look pretty smooth, while the stock ones seem very rough and obviously crush bent. That alone should make the CXRacing headers better....but the quality of the welds, flanges, etc. worry me.

By the way, are you getting the CXR Headers from the source or from eBay?

I should be posting photos by now but they shipped me a downpipe instead of headers. Strike one. To their credit, they shipped the headers out the same day I received the wrong part and emailed a prepaid return shipping label for the downpipe. I should have the headers on Tuesday and I'll post a few hi-res pics.

I bought them from ebay (ETD Motors) for $135 but all correspondence has been direct from CXR. I'm not expecting much in terms of appearance but it shouldn't take much to polish them up a little.

My CXR header arrived today so here are some pics. The finish is raw ss so it isn't very pretty. The welds look okay but not the best I've seen. I used to be a welding inspector so I know a little bit about weld quality. I'll install it tommorrow with more pics and installation comments.

http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/6929/cxrheader001h.jpg

http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/28/cxrheader003.jpg

http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/8404/cxrheader006.jpg

http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/2354/cxrheader008.jpg

Whew! Looks sloppy as hell. I know that just because welds are ugly as hell that doesn't mean they're bad, but don't you need to X-Ray it to REALLY know the quality of the weld? Well, it's alright anyways, you could always just re-weld the welds. Could you stick a magnet towards all the parts of that header? I want to see if everything is 304 stainless steel and not 409 stainless steel. I also want to see if the welds are stainless and not normal welds.

Also, how thick is the material? If it's very thin, I'll bet it'll crack soon enough.

I can't measure the thickness of the 1.5" I.D. head pipes but the 2.25" I.D. collector is 18ga. The head and collector flanges are 5/16" thick and magnetic but the piping is not.

I've seen better and worse looking welds. I didn't see anything that would lead me to expect any weld failures. Especially given the short length of the header and the additional supports between the collector and the engine block. My biggest concern is fitment. I intended to install it today but it rained and they're calling for rain for the next 3 days.

18 gauge is awfully thin and magnetism in the flanges isn't too bad, but it could be better.

Most headers are either 18 ga or 16 ga. Strup uses 16 ga and I don't know what Weapon-R uses but probably 16 ga.

I didn't expect much for $135 but if they fit and last a few years, I'll be happy. We'll see how they fit when this rain finally stops.

Header installed with very little fuss. I had to bend the bottom brackets to fit and I also dremelled, filed and wet sanded the welds at the head flange for smoother flow. I haven't detected any leaks but the factory gasket is pretty thin. Considering that the head flange wasn't perfectly flat, a thicker gasket might be a good idea. The flange was warped a little (high in middle, low on ends) but appeared to flatten out when torqued down.

Nice performance boost, nice sound. I'm sure that the Strup and W-R headers are better quality and provide better power gains throughout the powerband but the seat of my pants tells me that these cheap headers provide the claimed 5-7whp peak gain. Sorry I couldn't do before and after dyno runs. From what little I know on the subject, long tube 4-1 headers like Strup provide better low and midrange gains than short tube 4-1 headers like these and 4-2-1 headers like W-R are even better.

Overall, I'm pleased so far considering the very low cost, good fit, perceived whp gain, sound and bling factor. I'll post some installed pics soon. Unfortunately they've already started to discolor from the heat but then so do all bare ss headers. At least they don't rust.

Cool! Might have to try these out as well. I'll let you "test" them out a little longer though. Def get pics!

Cool! Might have to try these out as well. I'll let you "test" them out a little longer though. Def get pics!

Had em on for a few days now. No leaks, no rasp, not bad for $135. I should have taken some pics while they were still nice and shiny but this is what they look like after a few hundred miles. My poor car is so dirty from the winter.

http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/1918/cxrheader001.jpg

http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/6261/cxrheader002.jpg

http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/28/cxrheader003.jpg

http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/3789/cxrheader004.jpg

for what you paid, i wouldn't kick them out of bed for eating crackers!!! way to go and being willing enough to try something new. i hope you continue to enjoy them and they last a long time for you.

Thanks. I appreciate hearing something other than criticism of the welds.

I'm glad the install went well for you.

I wasn't trying to be negative, I was just looking out for you. A lot of people get disappointed after they buy cheap stuff and complain about it, which makes me wonder why they did it in the first place.

throw a cel?


i see this is a shorty tube header ive seen the others have longer pipes before the collector..interested for a dyno shootout /sound clips

I'm glad the install went well for you.

I wasn't trying to be negative, I was just looking out for you. A lot of people get disappointed after they buy cheap stuff and complain about it, which makes me wonder why they did it in the first place.

Thanks. You're not the only person who's criticized the welds. I emailed those pre-installed pics to a buddy who knows more about metals and welding than I ever will and he didn't like them either. Then I got only one comment at XB Forums, another criticism of the welds. Maybe they'll crack sooner rather than later but only time will tell.

If nothing else, maybe these will last me until some more header choices become available.

throw a cel?


i see this is a shorty tube header ive seen the others have longer pipes before the collector..interested for a dyno shootout /sound clips

No CEL yet thanks to the SS CEL eliminator I installed along with the header.

http://i4.ebayimg.com/06/i/001/17/4f/284e_2.JPG

I'll see about getting a sound clip but I don't know when I'll get on a dyno. This header is very similar to the Megan Racing TC header in this dyno shootout. Results should be similar.

http://www.scionlife.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=82724

oh in the pics i dident see the eliminator..very nice.

SCION FRED THIS IS IN RESPONSE TO THE THICKNESS OF THE STAINLESS, ITS ALL 16 GAUGE SS AND THE DOWNPIPE DIAMETER IS 3 INCH, MADE TO MATE DIRECTLY TO THERE 3 " CATBACK EXHAUST SYSTEM,I HAVE THE CATBACK ALREADY AND IT IS NOTHING LIKE THE HEADER IT LOOKS AND SOUNDS AWSUM, ITS A BIT LOUD WITHOUT THE CAP IN THE END BUT IT IS REMOVABLE AND HAS AN ADJUSTABLE SHUTTER . IT FITS PERFECTLY WITHOUT ANY MODIFICATION.WHEN I ASK THEM AT CX WHY THE HEADER IS SO UGLY HE SAID ITS THERE FIRST SERIES AND THEY WERE JUST GOING FOR PERFORMANCE NOT LOOKS

SCION FRED THIS IS IN RESPONSE TO THE THICKNESS OF THE STAINLESS, ITS ALL 16 GAUGE SS AND THE DOWNPIPE DIAMETER IS 3 INCH, MADE TO MATE DIRECTLY TO THERE 3 " CATBACK EXHAUST SYSTEM,I HAVE THE CATBACK ALREADY AND IT IS NOTHING LIKE THE HEADER IT LOOKS AND SOUNDS AWSUM, ITS A BIT LOUD WITHOUT THE CAP IN THE END BUT IT IS REMOVABLE AND HAS AN ADJUSTABLE SHUTTER . IT FITS PERFECTLY WITHOUT ANY MODIFICATION.WHEN I ASK THEM AT CX WHY THE HEADER IS SO UGLY HE SAID ITS THERE FIRST SERIES AND THEY WERE JUST GOING FOR PERFORMANCE NOT LOOKS

All I can tell you is that the header I received from CXR was constructed using 5/16" thick copper/nickel-plated mild steel flanges and 1.5" ID 304 SS tubing into a 2.25" ID collector/downpipe. The downpipe wall thickness is 0.050" as measured with a vernier caliper which translates to 18 gauge. I can't say what gauge steel was used for the headpipes so it could be 16 gauge.

Maybe CXR has a new design coming? If so, I'd ask them to use 304 throughout, longer 16ga head tubes into a 2.5" ID 16ga collector, a better welder and try not to warp the head flange so much or machine it flat after welding. I'd gladly pay $100 more if they would make those changes.

mustb3ds
Will the cat back exhaust work with other axel back systems?
I have the Borla dual and I don't want to give up the look of dual exhaust but I would like to replace the Spipe and resonater.

Maybe CXR has a new design coming? If so, I'd ask them to use 304 throughout, longer 16ga head tubes into a 2.5" ID 16ga collector, a better welder and try not to warp the head flange so much or machine it flat after welding. I'd gladly pay $100 more if they would make those changes.

At this point you might as well just get a real header.

At this point you might as well just get a real header.

Do you really think that 304 flanges, better looking welds, some polishing and a 2.5" collector is worth $350-550 for a "real header"? This CXR header is very similar to the Megan Racing header in this TC header dyno shootout and the Strup is very similar to the Alphawerks and DC Sports.

dyno run 015 - red - megan racing
dyno run 017 - blue - alphawerks
dyno run 011 - green - oem
dyno run 013 - purple - dc sports


http://gscdownloads.com/scion/headertest/tcallheaders.jpg

which one restricts more? Scuba or header?

At this point you might as well just get a real header.

Do you really think that 304 flanges, better looking welds, some polishing and a 2.5" collector is worth $350-550 for a "real header"?

You forgot to mention that you had a warped flange, you used up time to clean it up, etc. Also, I think that quality and fitment are worth less than that because I found a Strup Header for 315 shipped @ WSCP. Not really that much more than what you're looking at with your re-designed CXR header you want. Just look around the internet and you'll find good stuff. What you're doing by getting a real header is the following:

1. Getting a flange that's actually like the stock design and isn't warped to hell. Getting a replacement gasket won't be hard either. Anyways, you have the piece of mind that it seals correctly and properly.
2. Getting good, quality welds. No worries.
3. Getting perfect fitment. Not having to fix crap yourself.
4. Knowing that you're getting power. The CXR probably gives power, but there are no dyno results, there is no proof it even improves anything. Sure, it's got smooth bends, but header design is complicated. How do you know the CXR header doesn't cause negative effects in other parts of the powerband? If it does, it's not well designed cause properly designed headers gain power and do not negatively effect the curve in any part.
5. Getting quality materials. In this case, you're getting quality 304 stainless steel, for ALL parts. Quality between metals vary greatly, and something tells me that the CXR header doesn't have good quality stainless steel, even if it is 304. That's a minor point though.
6. Supporting a company that actually does R&D for our company. Sorry, but CXRacing obviously gets their stuff from China. Not trying to be ignorant about China stuff, cause some of it is okay, but the quality control is terrible and no real thought is put into it. Do you really think CXRacing designed this header from the ground up? He just copied the stock design and did a catalytic converter removal from the looks of it. I bet it's hard for companies to want to do R&D on anything nowadays with all the outsourcing.

Just buy a quality part once, and never worry about it. You're saying that you hope the header lasts a few years. I hope you go turbo or sell the car by then, cause if it doesn't last, what will you do? Buy another header? That doesn't make sense, cause then you end up spending more money then someone who bought a real header. Some people are DIY types because they want to do stuff themselves and tinker with the car. I have no idea what you're trying to do at this point. It just looks like you're trying to cheap out but you're going to end up spending more. You already wasted time cleaning up the CXR header. I'm a "DIY" type too, but I know when it's just not worth it to do it yourself.

Not trying to bash you, but your post about CXR re-designing it, then that post about the dyno results bothered me. I don't care about the dyno results. I care about quality, and you're not going to get quality without spending a bit more money. Is money that scarce that you have to save a few dollars? I'm not saying go get ripped off by a company, but I'm also saying not to be so cheap in buying a piece of crap part. 315 shipped for a Strup Header is great. It's quality, and it's not expensive.

which one restricts more? Scuba or header?

Probably the scubatank, but not by much.

NYORO

CANT SEE THAT A HEADER RESTRICTS ANYTHING BUT THE CAT AND THE SO CALLED SCUBA TANK, WHICH IS ACTUALLY A SECOND CAT DO 9/10 NTHS OF THE RESTRICTING

MADMARX

NOT SURE IF IT WILL WORK WITH BORLA DUAL BUT THE CATBACK IS A 3 PIECE JUST LIKE THE STOCK MINUS THE SCUBA BUT THE LAST SECTION SEEMS TO HAVE THE FLANGE ALMOST AT THE SAME POINT WHERE THE AXEL BACK / YOUR BORLA WOULD BOLT ON MIGHT HAVE TO BE WELDED BUT THATS A CHEAP FIX
I HAVE ALL INTENSIONS OF CUSTOMIZING THE REAR OF THIS PIPE TO DUAL EXHAUST ONCE I PUT ON THE BOMEX KIT

FINALLY
FROM THE OLD
AS FOR A QUALITY HEADER ID PROBABLY GO WITH THE WEAPON R BUT IM JUST A CHEAP OL BASTUD BUT FOR A $110 DOLLARS ON EBAY ITS DEFINATELY WORTH A SHOT I CAN GO THRU 4 FOR THE PRICE OF 1 WR

edit, nvm I guess you have the cxr header

mustb3ds, please turn off your caps & quit yelling.

didnt realize caps were yelling cionide , im old me eyes r bad just trying to see here

It's all good. I was sure you didn't know, and we were all new here once, that's why I say please.

You're only 2 years older than me, so it must be time for some new glasses, eh? :P

boosty

no i dont have the header yet but im definately thinking about it
you have a better offer somewhere?

You forgot to mention that you had a warped flange, you used up time to clean it up, etc. Also, I think that quality and fitment are worth less than that because I found a Strup Header for 315 shipped @ WSCP. Not really that much more than what you're looking at with your re-designed CXR header you want. Just look around the internet and you'll find good stuff. What you're doing by getting a real header is the following:

1. Getting a flange that's actually like the stock design and isn't warped to hell. Getting a replacement gasket won't be hard either. Anyways, you have the piece of mind that it seals correctly and properly.
2. Getting good, quality welds. No worries.
3. Getting perfect fitment. Not having to fix crap yourself.
4. Knowing that you're getting power. The CXR probably gives power, but there are no dyno results, there is no proof it even improves anything. Sure, it's got smooth bends, but header design is complicated. How do you know the CXR header doesn't cause negative effects in other parts of the powerband? If it does, it's not well designed cause properly designed headers gain power and do not negatively effect the curve in any part.
5. Getting quality materials. In this case, you're getting quality 304 stainless steel, for ALL parts. Quality between metals vary greatly, and something tells me that the CXR header doesn't have good quality stainless steel, even if it is 304. That's a minor point though.
6. Supporting a company that actually does R&D for our company. Sorry, but CXRacing obviously gets their stuff from China. Not trying to be ignorant about China stuff, cause some of it is okay, but the quality control is terrible and no real thought is put into it. Do you really think CXRacing designed this header from the ground up? He just copied the stock design and did a catalytic converter removal from the looks of it. I bet it's hard for companies to want to do R&D on anything nowadays with all the outsourcing.

Just buy a quality part once, and never worry about it. You're saying that you hope the header lasts a few years. I hope you go turbo or sell the car by then, cause if it doesn't last, what will you do? Buy another header? That doesn't make sense, cause then you end up spending more money then someone who bought a real header. Some people are DIY types because they want to do stuff themselves and tinker with the car. I have no idea what you're trying to do at this point. It just looks like you're trying to cheap out but you're going to end up spending more. You already wasted time cleaning up the CXR header. I'm a "DIY" type too, but I know when it's just not worth it to do it yourself.

Not trying to bash you, but your post about CXR re-designing it, then that post about the dyno results bothered me. I don't care about the dyno results. I care about quality, and you're not going to get quality without spending a bit more money. Is money that scarce that you have to save a few dollars? I'm not saying go get ripped off by a company, but I'm also saying not to be so cheap in buying a piece of crap part. 315 shipped for a Strup Header is great. It's quality, and it's not expensive.

1) Warped header flanges are very common. Not every manufacturer machines them flat after welding. Are you positive that Strup and W-R do? The oem header flange is very thin and obviously relies on bolt torque to keep it flat. I'm using the oem gasket without any leaks. If it starts to leak, some hi-temp RTV will probably fix that.

2) The CXR welds aren't the prettiest but they appear to have good penetration and thickness. The pipes should break first.

3) The only fitment issue was with the bottom mounting bracket that Strup and W-R don't have. They rely on the head flange welds to support the header and S-pipe. It didn't take very long to bend those brackets a little to bolt up and I like having them there, just like oem.

4) Strup claims 10-12whp but independent testing by Import Tuner showed a gain of only 5whp vs the 7-9 real world whp gained by TC headers from Alphawerks, DC Sport and Megan Racing. How do you know that CXR isn't making a realistic claim with their 5-7whp claim? Just because they don't publish dyno results on their website doesn't necessarily mean that they were lying when they told me they dyno tested their header.

5) Chinese 18-8 304 may not be the best but neither is the 409 used in the oem header and exhaust. As for the flanges being copper/nickel plated mild steel, it's not a big deal to me. 304 welds to mild steel very well, the welds just don't look as pretty as 304 to 304.

6) Good point but I would argue that the bulk of Strup and W-R's R&D consisted of re-desigining a previous header design to fit the XB2. I highly doubt that they spent weeks fabricating and dyno testing different header designs to find the optimal header for our engine and how could they without first knowing what other modifications have been performed? The optimal header for a near-stock engine is going to be quite different from the optimal header for a highly modified engine. Still, I do agree that both the Strup long-tube 4-1 and W-R 4-2-1 designs should work better overall than CXR's shorty 4-1 but as I pointed out previously, the real world hp/torque gains shown in the TC header shootout weren't very significant.

Like I've said before, this experiment may fail and I may end up getting a new header. I'm not willing to wholeheartedly endorse this header without some dyno testing and more time. However, if it fails, I don't really care about the lost time or the paltry $135 spent on it. Obviously you feel differently so you should definitely buy Strup or W-R instead. This CXR header may be a "piece of crap", as you say, but IMHO it's much better than the oem header and only cost $135.

There's nothing wrong with the CXR header the way it is now IMO. What they do is how they keep the costs down. If you want better quality, I feel that you should go elsewhere for it. I'm pretty sure it's so cheap because it's produced in large amounts very fast with a lot of cost cutting. Higher quality = much greater cost, IMO, for a mass produced product like this.

NYORO

CANT SEE THAT A HEADER RESTRICTS ANYTHING BUT THE CAT AND THE SO CALLED SCUBA TANK, WHICH IS ACTUALLY A SECOND CAT DO 9/10 NTHS OF THE RESTRICTING

Take another look at the oem header. The head pipes are crush bent and crushed even more where they enter the restrictive cat/collector. Independent dyno testing of TC headers showed gains of 7-9whp and 5-6 ft/lbs torque. I'd love to see a scuba tank replacement yield the same results but I doubt I'll ever see that.

I forgot to add this in a previous post.

For what it's worth, I'm glad you've got the guts to try out a product that most people normally would not get. In a way, you're an innovator :)

There's nothing wrong with the CXR header the way it is now IMO. What they do is how they keep the costs down. If you want better quality, I feel that you should go elsewhere for it. I'm pretty sure it's so cheap because it's produced in large amounts very fast with a lot of cost cutting. Higher quality = much greater cost, IMO, for a mass produced product like this.

You may be right but I have a hard time believing that CXR is selling these headers in large quantities. There are very few google hits for 'CX Racing header'. My guess is cheap labor, cheap materials and the hope of climbing out of obscurity the way Strup and W-R did. According to some, Strup got their start by copying DC Sports and W-R stuff used to be crap.

For what it's worth, I'm glad you've got the guts to try out a product that most people normally would not get. In a way, you're an innovator

Thank you. My intentions really were twofold on this cheapo header purchase. If it worked out okay I saved ~$200 for other mods, if not, I only lost $135 and could probably recoup ~$100 on ebay. I enjoy tinkering with cars so the time involved was never a concern. So far it's working out fine. It's not a great header but it's not that bad either.

boosty

no i dont have the header yet but im definately thinking about it
you have a better offer somewhere?

No, at first I thought you said you got a WR header for $110, then re-read your post and realized that was not what you stated. lol

There's nothing wrong with the CXR header the way it is now IMO. What they do is how they keep the costs down. If you want better quality, I feel that you should go elsewhere for it. I'm pretty sure it's so cheap because it's produced in large amounts very fast with a lot of cost cutting. Higher quality = much greater cost, IMO, for a mass produced product like this.

You may be right but I have a hard time believing that CXR is selling these headers in large quantities. There are very few google hits for 'CX Racing header'. My guess is cheap labor, cheap materials and the hope of climbing out of obscurity the way Strup and W-R did. According to some, Strup got their start by copying DC Sports and W-R stuff used to be crap.

For what it's worth, I'm glad you've got the guts to try out a product that most people normally would not get. In a way, you're an innovator

Thank you. My intentions really were twofold on this cheapo header purchase. If it worked out okay I saved ~$200 for other mods, if not, I only lost $135 and could probably recoup ~$100 on ebay. I enjoy tinkering with cars so the time involved was never a concern. So far it's working out fine. It's not a great header but it's not that bad either.

Good point about Strup and Weapon-R, haha. Everyone's gotta start somewhere.

And I'm with you on the liking to tinker with cars and stuff. But I like things to be nice and perfect, which is why a CXR header wouldn't be good for me. If I ever got something like that, I'd have it coated and cleaned up immediately :)

I went ahead and also ordered me up one of these CXR headers. Looks identical to what was already posted on this forum on page 1 so there is no need for pics. Since I didn't care what kind of finish the pipes had when I was looking into headers for the xb, this one did fit the bill and also had that "plain" stainless finish that I believe helps keeps the cost down as well. I've had polished headers before and the shine lasts for about 3 days so the finish was not an issue. So I ordered some HP color wrap to match my "red" trd theme going on with my car and also to cover the plain dirty metal finish along with the ugly welds. I'm going to be installing the header tomorrow on my xb and will post some pics when its all done.

Sweet!

Cool! I hope you like it as much as I liked mine. It took some bending to get the bottom brackets to mount up but at least it has them, unlike Strup and W-R. The seat of my pants agrees with CXR's dyno claim of +5-7whp. Not as good as the ~10whp from Strup or W-R but for only $135, I'd buy them again.

Ok. So after a long days work and really looking forward to my header install I decided to it on a school night (last night). Everything went very smoothly except for one thing.....those darn mounting brackets :tap: I spent an hour and a half on the two mounting studs and still only came with one in...they were a pain in the arse since the metal was at least a 1/4" thick and it was strong. But besides that it ended up looking great. My dual exhaust is noticebly louder and it does have more power but nothing that will throw you back in your seat :no: . Enjoy the pics!!

dirty stock engine bay with manifold, weapon r short ram intake, & trd strut bar
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m152/donnerparty_2006/SNC10514.jpg


manifold v.s. CXR header w/hp color wrap
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m152/donnerparty_2006/SNC10517.jpg


clean engine bay with header install after 3.5hrs of work......stupid bolts.
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m152/donnerparty_2006/SNC10525-1.jpg

Looks good! Better add some engine coolant.

so i'm real late on this. but after installing my catback and some heavy ___ rims. i want some more oohph to make up for that. Im assuming that this will kill my MPG as well since adding rims and exhaust took me down to about 22 from 27. Where did you get that color wrap? and to fred i think i PM ed you about this header any final reviews on it??

I sold my header but IMO it was decent enough for the money. CXR claims 5-7 whp and I see no reason to doubt that. Strup and W-R headers probably add about 10 whp but cost 2-3x as much and unless you get them ceramic coated, they all look the same after some miles.

As for fuel economy, a header and cat-back shouldn't reduce mpg but bigger heavier rims and tires will.

fred you got a link to where i could get that same header and maybe an S pipe as well. if im gonna do the header might as well change that too. and to what o2 sensor thing you did. so i dont trip any CEL or emssion test type things.