APR manifolds
One of the areas where APR has dominated over the previous years is the ability to release a relatively turn-key turbo kit which enthusiasts can usually install on their own. The centerpiece of these kits is the investment cast Inconel exhaust manifold. For many years, this high quality exhaust manifold was produced in the USA at Wisconsin precision casting. www.wisconsinprecision.com That happy partnership ended about a year ago when APR moved production of these manifolds overseas to China. The reason for doing this is because they were looking at ~70% cost savings for each manifold produced as well as a reduction in tooling costs by ~95%.
In a recent build (October 2014) by an APR distributor, detailed photographs were taken of the components. When I pointed out the noticeable quality differences to APR, the photographs were removed from that distributor’s site. Judge for yourself:
New manifold, what customers receive
http://i.imgur.com/NBHAkub.jpg
Old manifold, still used as stock picture on APR website
http://i.imgur.com/H8dVfj5.jpg
Customer picture of old manifold, no professional photography
http://i.imgur.com/LiiLTqY.jpg
The new manifolds are riddled with excess metal slag. The cast edges and angles on the flange are not sharp. The machining of the bolt holes and relief cuts appear to be off-center and skewed to the right.
Even if it’s ugly, as long as it works it should be good right?
Unfortunately these new foreign manifolds have a history of warping. When/if the customer discovers the issue, APR has denied warping ever occurring, and claims that it is the first occurrence. While the customer may get a replacement manifold for free, labor and diagnostic costs are now the responsibility of the customer, unless they meet the warranty guidelines for labor reimbursement by APR (both purchasing from and having the kit installed by a distributor). The replacement manifold is from the same foreign vendor, which indicates that the issue may resurface.
Note that this is not the only component in the stage 3 kits that have had costs reduced by shifting manufacturing overseas. While the costs have been reduced on the kits significantly, the pricing of the stage 3 kits has increased and dealer margins have not changed. The gross margins of these kits have increased but unfortunately neither quality nor value to the consumer has followed suit.
The MAF housing also shows the difference in quality between the original domestically produced piece and the overseas unit. Given the intended use of the MAF housing, the rough exterior finish only affects aesthetics, not performance.
Old MAF housing, stock picture on website
http://i.imgur.com/ghsGlGH.jpg
New MAF housing, what the customer receives
http://i.imgur.com/ema3dg6.jpg
All in all, it is slightly ironic that APR has been shifting their products to overseas manufacturing given the very recent posts by Arin@APR as well as the featured page on their website essentially denouncing overseas products.
GolfMK6 2013 postings regarding overseas components
http://www.goapr.com/products/testing-mkv-intercooler.html
“looks can be deceiving” indeed
;D