J's Racing - Read before buying!!!
Hey guys,
Ive just recently received my long awaited J's Racing 60RS catback system for my DC5R. And for those wondering, im very happy with the end product. Looks the goods, and sounds incredible when paired up with my Buddyclub race header (de-cat). However id like to warn any prospective buyers of J's products what they're getting themselves into when putting a deposit down. Here's a list of issues that arose from the time i put my deposit down til the time i drove out the workshop with the exhaust on my car (Id like to keep the workshop i bought the part through anonymous):
1.Put the deposit down at the end of July '10. J's told me that it would be about 4 weeks. After countless phonecalls and emails back and forth, my exhaust arrives in January '11 - about 5 months later.
2. When we buy prefabricated exhausts, we expect them to bolt straight up, thats why we pay big dollars. However my catback had to be re-cut to fit and line up properly - which cost me even more money.
3. J's Racing stainless steel exhausts are supposed to be made from top-grade materials (C304 grade stainless to be exact). One feature of using such high grade stainless in the ease with which it can be welded, and the bluish/purple colouration that the welds should appear. Yet when this catback was cut to fit, the mechanic fitting the exhaust said it was a nightmare to weld, the welds just wouldnt hold. He eventually got it together, and the welds appeared a brownish colour - making me suspicious if it is really the top grade stainless that their website claims they use.
4. The silencer that came with the catback doesnt fit properly. I have to force it in, then use a lot of force to get it back out.
Dont get me wrong, Im very happy with the end product. But the process of getting there was very long. The only way i ever recieved information on the progress of my exhaust was by us contacting J's Racing, they never contacted us. They also said that the delays came from the fact that they had no stock, and that the exhaust had to be made from the ground up. Yet in November i spoke to Nengun performance (Aus distributor for J's Racing) and they said that they had parts in stock, and had done for a while.
The reality of the situation is that the aftermarket modifying scene in Japan isnt what it used to be. Big companies are on the verge of going broke, or have already gone under. So many companies no longer keep stock on the shelf - theyre all made to order. So when buying from Japan, factor in the chances of big delays. If you want my advice, talking from experience, try sourcing something that has already been posted to Australia.
Hope this helps any prospective buyers. Any questions and ill help wherever I can.
Cheers, Daniel.