Why is silicone stuff so expensive?
 

I was just pricing out some silicone stuff from www.siliconeintakes.com and despite being the cheapest place on earth to get it, it still puts me like 110 in the hole for couplers.

I can understand why silicone breast implants are expensive, but couplers?, CMON!!!.

I think they're all hand made similar to the way you make a cast on your leg. laobr = money.

Wow that sucks. How many did you buy? I'm hoping to weld all my charge pipes up, and only use 4 or 5 couplers, not 20 like some people do.

6(3 per side) for the charge pipes and 1 for the intake.

Im basically following the miata IC piping diagram that was posted on here once before.

I also didnt place the order yet, im waiting till the black straight comes back in stock.

You ordered 6 or 7 couplers and it's over 100 dollars? WTF?

Somewhere around 16 bucks a pop.

These are 90's btw.

just wait untill you add t-clamps.

I had over $125 in my hotside alone.

fwiw, i have a few couplers to get rid of.:

(1) 2" [3" length]
(1) 2" hump [3" length]
(1) 2.5-3" [3" length]

The tclamps from siliconeintakes are like $2.25-2.50 so they're pretty affordable. The 90* couplers are the killer, straight couplers can be had cheap. I think my order from siliconeintakes was gonna be right at 55 after shipping and that is just for a couple transitions 4 clamps and a 90 transition.

There are better uses for silicone. I guess the bends are more expensive. Why not use metal charge pipes and just silicone couplers?

well silicone couplers are so much stronger, and like someone already said it all has to do with how they're made.......and man, 16 bux a pop is CHEAP compared to the local stores around here...tognotti's here sells them for 40-70 bux a pop I KID YOU NOT :(

With clamps its coming to 140 for both sides, piping is another 84.

I have a guy doing my welding for free, and I cant bring him my car because he cant do his own work in the shop and he welds this stuff when the managers are away. So he will basically extend the bends for me and ill assemble them with couplers. Coldside I can imagine him doing without the car there, but the hotside would be really hard to get the angle correct for the pipe that exists the bay.

If you want to try making your own couplers:

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/arti...-couplers.html

That idea just went out the window. Can you imagine what my mom will say if I try to bake silicone in her oven?


Besides, im a Jew, so ill bitch and moan today and order it tomorrow anyway.

Wow....really glad I came to this thread. Your kidding about the prices right?! Anywhere else, for good couplers, especially 90's....your looking at over $30 and more. Now I know where I'm getting all my new ones from! You guys that got some from them already are happy with them, they don't look like the cheapo garbage ones?

True story, I paid locally here in CT almost $100 for 2 90's!! I needed them pronto and didn't want to wait. I got fucked big time, these ones for $16 each are a steal! :bigtu:

Vash-

Hehe, I was gonna paint the insides of my head lights black but my dad won't let me put them in his oven either. Still contemplating microwaving them...

I'd rather make the charge pipes steel and just use a few couplers to mount it to the turbo, IC, TB. Having 20 feet of silicone for charge pipes looks like ass IMO. But I guess it works.

Who said im using 20 feet of silicone? Unless youre just being facetious. My charge pipes are all gonna be steel. I just need to join the pieces.

Just saw that T-bolt clamps are $6.99 for four. Pretty good deal on silicone, also. Nice link! Have you used their stuff?

Plus 10 for shipping doesnt make it such an good deal anymore.

The DIY article is interesting...

I wonder if something better than floral foam could be used as the plug though, the stuff's really weak.