TIG Welded exhausts and downpipes

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ob wan
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TIG Welded exhausts and downpipes

Post by ob wan »

I'm looking into manufacturing exhausts, downpipes and boostpipes from stainless steel, what does the need in the market look like? would it keep me busy?

will be in the centurion area
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Re: TIG Welded exhausts and downpipes

Post by Aslam_mk4 »

If your prices are good and the quality is great you would go far

Word of mouth is where it's at nowadays in business
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Re: TIG Welded exhausts and downpipes

Post by -=sT3V3=- »

if you become the go to guy on the forum for stainless exhausts that will generate a decent stream of clients.

Do you have a shop currently?
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Re: TIG Welded exhausts and downpipes

Post by panic-mechanic »

As a sideline you will survive. As your only income, don't think the market is big enough in southa frica and it will take a long time and a lot of work and word of mouth before somebody with a million and some bmw will drop it there and order an obwan instead of an acrapovic.
Too much snob value to rather import milltek and acra in this country although i think it is stupid and over rated.
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Re: TIG Welded exhausts and downpipes

Post by ob wan »

planning on getting a shop sometime soon, with a lift, all the other groceries I already have
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Re: TIG Welded exhausts and downpipes

Post by -=sT3V3=- »

What is your capacity for work currently?

Panic has some good points, most guys only ever need a good full exhaust once per project :|
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Re: TIG Welded exhausts and downpipes

Post by ob wan »

currently not very busy coz I don't have floor space, but I'm busy negotiating for a spot in a workshop with a lift, then I can tackle it full steam
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Re: TIG Welded exhausts and downpipes

Post by ob wan »

Maybe just some background, I used to work for an exhaust company for about 4 years when I was younger, so I now the inner workings of gas flow and all that, the types of exh's that I want to build will be the specialist type, not just freeflows for tazz's and citi's...
have built my fair share of exh's and boostpipes in the past, just never had a TIG to do clean welds like just a TIG welder can do, now I'm almost surgical with it... :-)
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Re: TIG Welded exhausts and downpipes

Post by panic-mechanic »

Lift You can get second hand around 10-15k if you look around.
Shop costs rent see if you can't backyard it for a while.
It's that rent that kills you in the beginning.
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Re: TIG Welded exhausts and downpipes

Post by ob wan »

backyarding it will be ideal, want to lay down a concrete slab for the lift, I really want to work from home... just scared of the "back yard" stereo type created...
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Re: TIG Welded exhausts and downpipes

Post by amstel18 »

ob wan wrote:backyarding it will be ideal, want to lay down a concrete slab for the lift, I really want to work from home... just scared of the "back yard" stereo type created...
Don't be scared. It's going to be a word of mouth business in any case as your average joe isn't going to pay good prices for their tazz...

I've seen some of the better jobs coming out of a back yard. Then there use to be a tuning shop in CPT that you could eat from the floor type of place and I only heard bad things about it.

So ja, you don't need a grand setup in the beginning... Just document your past work which you could send/share as reference.

Cause if I was in the market and you can show me this:

Image

Then you better be sure to provide that and not this Image whilst promising the above :lol: :lol:

Good luck with the venture!
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Re: TIG Welded exhausts and downpipes

Post by THANAS »

There is definitely a market for reasonably priced, bolt on turbo manifolds/boost pipe and cooler kits. Many people want turbo and cooler/piping upgrades but are wary of having the car sit for weeks while manifolds and piping are made from scratch. The result is the use of inefficient cast systems or importing from eBay. Vehicle specific and turbo specific bolt on kits are where it is at.

I.e. Bottom mounted GT28 tubular manifold for PGTi/1.8T. And boost pipe/cooler kits that actually fit and don't require grills and crash bars to be cut.

It takes more RnD to make but in the end that time is saved once the jigs are made. The future is in well made bolt on kits.
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Re: TIG Welded exhausts and downpipes

Post by panic-mechanic »

Problem with bolt on kits are that they are turbo specific. so you dictate what turbo has to be used..
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Re: TIG Welded exhausts and downpipes

Post by jaredm01 »

I agree with Panic, do it from home for now so you don't over commit. Spend some time marketing your stuff on social and digital media, if you do it well people will recommend you. Kits like intercooler kits, throttle, discharge, down pipes, etc are also a good place to look into. There will be more money there than custom BT manifolds.

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Re: TIG Welded exhausts and downpipes

Post by chucker02 »

THANAS wrote:There is definitely a market for reasonably priced, bolt on turbo manifolds/boost pipe and cooler kits. Many people want turbo and cooler/piping upgrades but are wary of having the car sit for weeks while manifolds and piping are made from scratch. The result is the use of inefficient cast systems or importing from eBay. Vehicle specific and turbo specific bolt on kits are where it is at.

I.e. Bottom mounted GT28 tubular manifold for PGTi/1.8T. And boost pipe/cooler kits that actually fit and don't require grills and crash bars to be cut.

It takes more RnD to make but in the end that time is saved once the jigs are made. The future is in well made bolt on kits.
Yes please, someone needs to start building these kits properly
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Re: TIG Welded exhausts and downpipes

Post by ob wan »

managed to secure some space in a shop at Zwartkops (rent free just profit sharing for now) with access to a CNC plasma cutter so I can cut all the necessary flanges, off to the bank next week to get some coins for a lift then it's game time! so the main focus of business will be downpipes, turbo manifolds, exhausts and boost pipes... looking at building rollcages in the near future too...
exciting times ahead
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Re: TIG Welded exhausts and downpipes

Post by chucker02 »

Thats awsome bud, all the best with the new venture
Current:

2006 Citi Golf 2E, Dictator, 4-2-1

Ex:
2003 Audi A3 1.8t, Thanas Tuned, FMIC, coilies, DP and exhaust
2007 Citi golf. ADY with Spitronics 60-2, estas 282, 4-2-1, coilies
Rides thread: http://vwclub.co.za/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=183329
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Re: TIG Welded exhausts and downpipes

Post by ob wan »

thank you sir, forgot to mention the log type turbo intake manifolds that we'll be building aswell
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Re: TIG Welded exhausts and downpipes

Post by stig »

Good luck. Ps. Build some tubular manifolds for BT tdi conversions. Like the darkside ones. Guys would buy them like sweet cakes

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Re: TIG Welded exhausts and downpipes

Post by ob wan »

stig wrote:Good luck. Ps. Build some tubular manifolds for BT tdi conversions. Like the darkside ones. Guys would buy them like sweet cakes

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will definitely look into that, thanks
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Re: TIG Welded exhausts and downpipes

Post by ob wan »

image uploading not working....
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Re: TIG Welded exhausts and downpipes

Post by stig »

U using photobucket?

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Re: TIG Welded exhausts and downpipes

Post by 1.8iblackie »

Check out ELECTIG EEL on facebook.
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Re: TIG Welded exhausts and downpipes

Post by ob wan »

stig wrote:U using photobucket?

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yes
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Re: TIG Welded exhausts and downpipes

Post by ob wan »

Image
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