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Cobb Tuning vs OBX headers


zadok

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I was checking out a set of Cobb Tuning headers that they claim will fit the 95-99 legacys and imprezas, and then found an identical set made by OBX.

Now, i'm sure the OBX are junk compared to the Cobb, but has anyone ever tried them?

I did a search, but only found chit chat!

Anybody have any hard evidence on how durable they are, or how well they fit?

I'm looking to buy now!

Thanks.

-Jason

'99 Legacy 2.2L 30th.

(Stage 1 Exedy clutch, ACT flywheel, Custom Intake, JSPEC Hood, GT-B bumper, 17" SportMax Wheels, Premier DEH-P780MP, 40GB iPod)

 

- Jason

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They fit as well as the Cobb; they seem to be a hybrid design based on the Cobb and some other header design that has escaped me at the moment. Don't knock the OBX, these seem to be pretty decent pieces, though they don't have the same bling factor as the Cobbs. Also, the midpipe is only a resonator on the OBX, you won't have any cats (bad for some, good for others). Cobb has the option of hi-flo cat in the midpipe.

 

Search the *other* subby site and you'll find a lot of experience with the OBX headers.

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I was checking out a set of Cobb Tuning headers that they claim will fit the 95-99 legacys and imprezas, and then found an identical set made by OBX.

Now, i'm sure the OBX are junk compared to the Cobb, but has anyone ever tried them?

I did a search, but only found chit chat!

Anybody have any hard evidence on how durable they are, or how well they fit?

I'm looking to buy now!

Thanks.

-Jason

 

You're interested in "junk'?

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Well, your opinion is why I opened this thread, so explain what you think of them, instead of quoting me. I have heard that OBX stuff is junk. And yes, I was considering it, only b\c some people say decent stuff is junk b\c it's not name brand, and i'm not out to spend a lot of money on this car since I didn't do so yet. Plus, i'm not interested I trying to make a "racecar" out of something that's just not. It's a 2.2L legacy, for God sakes, not SR power 240sx, like my last car. I simply need to replace the broken stock manifold on the car, and don't believe in paying a ton for stock parts. I could buy the Borla's, but for the same price, a little extra pep sounds good.

'99 Legacy 2.2L 30th.

(Stage 1 Exedy clutch, ACT flywheel, Custom Intake, JSPEC Hood, GT-B bumper, 17" SportMax Wheels, Premier DEH-P780MP, 40GB iPod)

 

- Jason

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No, it's not my opinion but considering that you referred it as junk is why I quoted it. I personally haven't use it but their prices is cheap and some has said good things about them, especilaly that their quality is improving. If I was interested in modding my 2.5L N/A Forester I might take a gamble with this. It's not overly expensive.

 

I believe they just copy someone's existing design, so assuming welds and construction is good quality, I don't see why this won't be a good buy for the price.

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Thats pretty much what I was thinking. However, I really wanted the unequal header sound. There's just something about borla that I don't like. I think it's the stupid name? LOL!

The Borla would save me a lot of work, since I wouldn't have to modify the exhaust housing on the block, like I would with the OBX, since I only have single exhaust ports.

'99 Legacy 2.2L 30th.

(Stage 1 Exedy clutch, ACT flywheel, Custom Intake, JSPEC Hood, GT-B bumper, 17" SportMax Wheels, Premier DEH-P780MP, 40GB iPod)

 

- Jason

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If it's good quality stainless construction, then it usually comes down to 1 of 2 things:

  1. Flange thickness and design/construction or,
  2. Pipe bends (mandrel bent or not) and pipe connections/welds

Check with the owners on nasioc.com and see what their experience has been with the OBX. My personal preference/experience is Borla or QTP but there are other product/vendors out there, just depends how much you want to spend for the quality, durability and performance gains.

 

SBT

- Pro amore Dei et patriam et populum -
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Now that I think about it, the borla doesn't come with the test pipe either, and i'm not a fan of cat's. Plus, if my Legacy sounds anything like my XT6 did; well, one can only hope! That car had custom 4to1 headers, no cat, and a ricer muffler and it sounded as close to a wrc car as I ever heard. Raspy and pissed off is the only way I can explain it. I'd post a sound byte if I knew how.

'99 Legacy 2.2L 30th.

(Stage 1 Exedy clutch, ACT flywheel, Custom Intake, JSPEC Hood, GT-B bumper, 17" SportMax Wheels, Premier DEH-P780MP, 40GB iPod)

 

- Jason

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Now that I think about it, the borla doesn't come with the test pipe either, and i'm not a fan of cat's. Plus, if my Legacy sounds anything like my XT6 did; well, one can only hope! That car had custom 4to1 headers, no cat, and a ricer muffler and it sounded as close to a wrc car as I ever heard. Raspy and pissed off is the only way I can explain it. I'd post a sound byte if I knew how.

 

Well, here Stateside, the Borlas are pretty much the only option you have if you want to pass emissions inspection (depends on the state); you could also go for a testpipe that goes in place of the cats if you decide to go Borla's.

 

You can also look into "replica" borla's, which are just knockoff's, similar to what OBX is doing with the copied EL design. They're just as good, if not better - some earlier Borla headers cracked, I haven't read of any replica's failing.

 

But yes, with the EL design you do loose the unique boxer sound - the EL's tend to make it sound like a typical 4 banger with an opened up exhaust.

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Hey man, can you get me a link where to find the Borla knock-off headers?

I'd really like to keep the boxer sound, but the OBX header & test pipe is the cheapest and best deal so far.

'99 Legacy 2.2L 30th.

(Stage 1 Exedy clutch, ACT flywheel, Custom Intake, JSPEC Hood, GT-B bumper, 17" SportMax Wheels, Premier DEH-P780MP, 40GB iPod)

 

- Jason

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I have the Borlas on my 01 OBW.

 

I only have an DIY CAI and the headers. I am hesitant on getting an exhaust only because I don't want the interior noise to be too loud. I have heard a slight grumble coming form the stock exhaust and know that it would only be louder with an exhaust setup.

 

If you are interested, I have a brand new set for sale here: http://www.legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34771

 

I am looking to get I can work out a deal with you shipped if you want. Just let me know.

 

If you don't want them from me, good luck on finding headers. :icon_cool

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Hmm those welds on that borla set look a little more sloppy than the set of Borlas I had. The quality of each production run (i.e. "generation") seems to vary. The latest 4th run of Borlas haven't had any reports of cracking yet (know on wood).

Anyway, I sold the Borlas cause I got a new set of knockoffs for $130 :D. The differences between the knockoff vs. Borla set I had was that the pipes are press bent, not mandrel, knockoff is a little heavier, but at the same time it seems to be made of thicker gauge pipe (probably one of the reasons why you don't hear of them cracking); the piping is probably slightly smaller as well.

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To my best efforts, I have not seen the Borla knock-offs. Maybe i'm not typing in the right search. I guess i'll just try the OBX's and hopefully I can get them to not sound like a honda.

'99 Legacy 2.2L 30th.

(Stage 1 Exedy clutch, ACT flywheel, Custom Intake, JSPEC Hood, GT-B bumper, 17" SportMax Wheels, Premier DEH-P780MP, 40GB iPod)

 

- Jason

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Those are some shitty welds on it. I got say the welds I see on the OBX looks very good and not globs like that Borla in your pictures. I hope they're not all like that...maybe that explains why Borlas crack...

 

The previous Borla headers cracked because they used weaker steel. They have since changed the steel that they use, so there is no more cracking. As far as the welds go, yes, they are ******* shitty. :icon_mad:

 

Hmm those welds on that borla set look a little more sloppy than the set of Borlas I had. The quality of each production run (i.e. "generation") seems to vary. The latest 4th run of Borlas haven't had any reports of cracking yet (know on wood).

 

Anyway, I sold the Borlas cause I got a new set of knockoffs for $130 :D. The differences between the knockoff vs. Borla set I had was that the pipes are press bent, not mandrel, knockoff is a little heavier, but at the same time it seems to be made of thicker gauge pipe (probably one of the reasons why you don't hear of them cracking); the piping is probably slightly smaller as well.

 

Yes, I agree that those aren't the best weld spots in the world, but it gets the job done. I have a set of these on my wagon and have no complaints. This is the latest (4th generation) of Borla headers. As I stated in my for sale post, the headers are brand new. I only opened the box to inspect and take pictures of the thing.

 

I previously had DC headers on my Civic and damn, those weld spots were seamless. I wish the Borlas were like that.

 

As far as performance and durability, there are definite gains. The gains are probably minimal, as I don't have a full exhaust setup, but the sound is definitely there.

 

I too, did my research before purchasing the Borlas. I looked at Borla knock off, OBX knockoffs, Cobb and the Rallitek custom ones. I was VERY close to getting the Rallitek custom ones, but got impatient and bought the Borlas, because of the N/A aspect. I don't plan on doing any motor work to my car, so the Borla were the best buy for me. If I was going to get motor work, then I would have gone with the Rallitek or Cobb.

 

Keep in mind that if you do buy the knockoffs, you get what you pay for. In all the research I have done, I found that the knockoffs get the job done, but the material or workmanship may be worse than the original ones.

 

Just my $0.02.

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I like to commonly call it the "GLUG" sound, b\c thats what it does. I was on some other sites and heard the OBX, and i'm not sure if I like it. I personally think it sounds to much like a riced out honda. But, then again, I don't know what else the guy did to the car. And since I work at a Honda dealership, I don't really want it to sound like the rest of the crap that I have to deal with on a regular basis that sounds like they have weed wacker for an engine.

'99 Legacy 2.2L 30th.

(Stage 1 Exedy clutch, ACT flywheel, Custom Intake, JSPEC Hood, GT-B bumper, 17" SportMax Wheels, Premier DEH-P780MP, 40GB iPod)

 

- Jason

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Guys, seriously... "boxer sound"? If the headers change, and the sound changes, but the block is the same, it's not a "boxer sound".

 

True and false. The boxer sound comes about because of the unequal length of the headers. It is however by nature a "boxer" engine, hence people, may or may not, mistakenly name that sound "boxer sound."

 

The Borla is an example of an unequal length header. The Cobb is an example of an equal length header.

 

What's the difference between the two?

 

Unequal length is more for bringing out the "sound" of the engine. The exhaust gases come out of the engine to the collector right before the catalytic converter and travel all the way to the exhaust, carrying that "rumble/boxer" sound. It's just the pulses of the exhaust that is, for lack of better word, amplified by the larger diameter of the "performance" header. This nature of the unequal length header is what most guys want. They want that "boxer" sound.

 

Now the equal length headers are better for performance, because the exhaust gases reach the collecter at pretty much the same time, the engine has less back pressure and therefore performs better.

 

I like to commonly call it the "GLUG" sound, b\c thats what it does. I was on some other sites and heard the OBX, and i'm not sure if I like it. I personally think it sounds to much like a riced out honda. But, then again, I don't know what else the guy did to the car. And since I work at a Honda dealership, I don't really want it to sound like the rest of the crap that I have to deal with on a regular basis that sounds like they have weed wacker for an engine.

 

Sound clips don't really do ANY header justice. In order to know what a header sounds like, you pretty much have to find someone with a similar car to yours with a similar setup, i.e. intake and/or exhaust. That's the only way to know how the header will sound on your car. There are so many variables that go into an audio recording that can make the header sound like crap. A cheap microphone would probably make a Cobb sound like crap, while an expensive, high quality one could make a Borla sound awesome.

 

Again, just my $0.02.

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Here you go!

They are low res for the dial-up viewing crippled!

 

My XT6 with the custom 4to1 header:

http://userweb.suscom.net/~sr20det/XT6%20Headers.wma[/url]

My XT6 in the mud:

http://userweb.suscom.net/~sr20det/MUD.wmv

 

And here's my 240sx's, just for fun:

http://userweb.suscom.net/~sr20det/240sx-R.wmv

'99 Legacy 2.2L 30th.

(Stage 1 Exedy clutch, ACT flywheel, Custom Intake, JSPEC Hood, GT-B bumper, 17" SportMax Wheels, Premier DEH-P780MP, 40GB iPod)

 

- Jason

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Yeah, I was doing a drive-by on one of my snow adventures. The video, which is somewhere in storage, it even better. After they beeped at me, I dumped the clutch in a #3 left turn, and was all hells kinda swideways through it.

That, was my alltime favorite car ever!

That XT6 ran awesome, sounded great, and pulled more people out of the snow and mud than any "car" I have ever seen.

It was a torque beast!

'99 Legacy 2.2L 30th.

(Stage 1 Exedy clutch, ACT flywheel, Custom Intake, JSPEC Hood, GT-B bumper, 17" SportMax Wheels, Premier DEH-P780MP, 40GB iPod)

 

- Jason

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Guys, seriously... "boxer sound"? If the headers change, and the sound changes, but the block is the same, it's not a "boxer sound".

 

The boxer "sound" or boxer "burble" as most Subaru owners refer to is emphasized by the unequal length exhaust manifold found on all production Subaru vehicles. Unlike a typical inline 4 cylinder engine, the boxer's cylinders are on opposite sides of the motor. Consequently, the exhaust manifold routing takes cylinders 1 and 3 around the front of the engine, while cylinders 2 and 4 join up further along in the exhaust path and just ahead of the collector. Since this generates unequal exhaust "pulses", the exhaust "note" is out of phase and it does sound differently. Change the exhaust manifold to an equal length (EL) header and now you have exhaust pulses that are in phase with each other and it sounds like a typical inline 4 cylinder engine.

 

There are advantages to both, but for my money, I want to keep the stock UL configuration because I love the boxer burble.

 

HTH

 

SBT

- Pro amore Dei et patriam et populum -
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zadok - That video in the mud so reminded me of where I grew up in NW Pennsylvania. I have a field just like that on my property back there.

SBT

- Pro amore Dei et patriam et populum -
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Unfortunately, that mud hole just happened to be behind the Adams County State Prison, so I couldn't linger to long!

'99 Legacy 2.2L 30th.

(Stage 1 Exedy clutch, ACT flywheel, Custom Intake, JSPEC Hood, GT-B bumper, 17" SportMax Wheels, Premier DEH-P780MP, 40GB iPod)

 

- Jason

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