FE Fenderwells really do exist.
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 432
Likes: 0
From: MASS
It's just an inconsitancy thing for me. Good weld, bad weld, whatever. But it is clear on the right tube that it is more than a tac weld there. Then the next one to the left has nothing. Even if the weld was not going to "look" that good, at least run it around it so it looked finished.
Posting Guru
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 1,128
Likes: 0
From: sacramento
Ok that's asking a little to much. Even the l&l headers on my truck don't have a bead all the way around. I think your all being hard on the guy he's the only one who makes fenderwell exits for the fe
Post Fiend
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 8,521
Likes: 16
From: Lost
I'm sure these will function great. Fit is unknown, but likely will be at least as good as any other item of the same type. Looks do leave a little to be desired though.
For a mud racer/off road truck, they're fine as is. For a show truck, not so much.
How a part looks is one thing, but looks won't get you home. If it fits well, and works good, looks can be improved or overlooked at the users descretion.
For a mud racer/off road truck, they're fine as is. For a show truck, not so much.
How a part looks is one thing, but looks won't get you home. If it fits well, and works good, looks can be improved or overlooked at the users descretion.
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 8,261
Likes: 15
From: Big Sky Country
The fact is they'll more than likely function, and hopefully fit, just fine, but the aesthetics and quailty of the welds still leaves a lot to be desired, especially considering the fact the guy claims four decades of header building experience, i would be more forgiving if the guy was just pumping these out in assembly line fashion with a crew of hack welders and only charging $200 a set, but these were custom built, by him himself, i expected better.
Lead Driver
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 8,922
Likes: 153
I couldn't have said it better. I don't mind welding & I do my fair share of it but I do know my limitations. If there is a situation that I don't feel comfortable doing I pass it on. Like I said there are times that "now is not the time to learn". Anybody that can't take criticism or opinions isn't going to get any better at it with that attitude. You learn welding by lots of practice, asking questions and inspections. Start at the bottom and prove your way up.
Lead Driver
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 6,993
Likes: 15
From: Costa Mesa, CA
I'm wondering how many of you have made your own headers before? Take the materials involved, bending the tubes, cutting the flanges, fixturing the things and welding everything and $500 definitely isn't a "bad" price. Think of how much time you'd have in trying to create the same...
Sure that 1 weld in the pic looks a little cold, but overall the things don't look bad (and I HATE the look of MIG welds in general).
Lots of the headers and other parts) I have around & have seen have VERY similar quality welds. It's the nature of squirt gun welding and people typically trying to pump out a product fast so as to keep the price cheap as most people won't buy it unless its dirt cheap...
Sure that 1 weld in the pic looks a little cold, but overall the things don't look bad (and I HATE the look of MIG welds in general).
Lots of the headers and other parts) I have around & have seen have VERY similar quality welds. It's the nature of squirt gun welding and people typically trying to pump out a product fast so as to keep the price cheap as most people won't buy it unless its dirt cheap...
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 1,501
Likes: 1
From: Axtell, TX
I'm sure they'll fit and function properly, but it doesn't take any longer to run a good bead than a bad one so really it's just in the execution. I have seen similar welds on headers for half the price. So if I'm paying twice as much I would just expect a little more QC.
I agree that it is a tough crowd, but this is his market. There just so happen to be a large number of welder/fabricators here. I couldn't send something like that out the door if I was welding it, and my boss wouldn't let me even if I tried.
I really hope that he can take the constructive criticism and not think we just think his product is junk or that we don't appreciate him catering to a niche market. That's just product testing. You've put out the first piece, and got the feedback from your market on what they want. You'll have this market cornered if can just satisfy the welders/fabricators with quality welds all around.
I agree that it is a tough crowd, but this is his market. There just so happen to be a large number of welder/fabricators here. I couldn't send something like that out the door if I was welding it, and my boss wouldn't let me even if I tried.
I really hope that he can take the constructive criticism and not think we just think his product is junk or that we don't appreciate him catering to a niche market. That's just product testing. You've put out the first piece, and got the feedback from your market on what they want. You'll have this market cornered if can just satisfy the welders/fabricators with quality welds all around.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 1,056
Likes: 10
From: Indiana, PA
I`m sure I`ll get flamed for this
WOW, is all I can say
I know when I look at another persons vehicle I always check the condition of the headers welds, W.T.F.
Heck if the welds bother you so much, run another bead across them.
Besides, they`re headers and the pipes will rust holes through before the welds have a chance to break.
Also to grinner, thanks for posting these up so I know of a place to buy them from.
They look fine to me and I`m not put off at all at the thought of buying them from these pics.
I know when I look at another persons vehicle I always check the condition of the headers welds, W.T.F.
Heck if the welds bother you so much, run another bead across them.
Besides, they`re headers and the pipes will rust holes through before the welds have a chance to break.
Also to grinner, thanks for posting these up so I know of a place to buy them from.
They look fine to me and I`m not put off at all at the thought of buying them from these pics.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 1,501
Likes: 1
From: Axtell, TX
WOW, is all I can say
I know when I look at another persons vehicle I always check the condition of the headers welds, W.T.F.
Heck if the welds bother you so much, run another bead across them.
Besides, they`re headers and the pipes will rust holes through before the welds have a chance to break.
I know when I look at another persons vehicle I always check the condition of the headers welds, W.T.F.
Heck if the welds bother you so much, run another bead across them.
Besides, they`re headers and the pipes will rust holes through before the welds have a chance to break.
And they won't rust holes in the pipes after I've Jet Hot coated them either. Maybe some people only expect their headers to last a few years and are fine with rusty pipes, but the next set of headers I put on I expect to last.
The crowd that runs non coated headers and is fine with lower quality but functional work generally won't be spending $500. They'll be buying the cheapest Dynomax or Flowtech they can. Because they know in 5-6yrs or so (in a daily driver) they'll be needing new ones. For the record my last cheapy Hookers welds look better.
Maybe he could sell just a pre bent pipe kit. That way all us welders can weld them ourselves. Just a thought.
Certified Thread Hijacker
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 14,441
Likes: 60
What's funny, if any of the naysayers actually spent $500 of their own money on those headers they wouldn't have the same feelings I am guessing.
Pure and simple the welds are extremely poor quality, something you would expect from someone learning their first week, not after decades.
Josh
Pure and simple the welds are extremely poor quality, something you would expect from someone learning their first week, not after decades.
Josh
Lead Driver
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 8,922
Likes: 153
What's funny, if any of the naysayers actually spent $500 of their own money on those headers they wouldn't have the same feelings I am guessing.
Pure and simple the welds are extremely poor quality, something you would expect from someone learning their first week, not after decades.
Josh
Pure and simple the welds are extremely poor quality, something you would expect from someone learning their first week, not after decades.
Josh
Senior User
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 340
Likes: 4
From: Near Madison, WI
Tough crowd in here.
I don't think I ever saw a set of Hooker or Hedman headers that looked any better. They're truck headers, guys. If you want sanitary, food grade TIG welds, spend a grand or more on custom Doug's headers. I think they're fine for a truck. If he's trying to build a trailer queen show truck, fine, see if they can do better. If it's just a street truck of even better, a mud truck, who cares? The welds are plenty strong enough to go the distance and they're not hideous. They'll be rusty in two weeks anyway unless you have them ceramic or jet hot coated. If they're that unacceptable, build a set yourselves and post pictures so we can see what a really outstanding header looks like.
....for the record, you know the weld on the outside of the tube is just a tack weld to hold the pipe in place while they're building the header, right? The weld that holds everything together is INSIDE the tube.
I don't think I ever saw a set of Hooker or Hedman headers that looked any better. They're truck headers, guys. If you want sanitary, food grade TIG welds, spend a grand or more on custom Doug's headers. I think they're fine for a truck. If he's trying to build a trailer queen show truck, fine, see if they can do better. If it's just a street truck of even better, a mud truck, who cares? The welds are plenty strong enough to go the distance and they're not hideous. They'll be rusty in two weeks anyway unless you have them ceramic or jet hot coated. If they're that unacceptable, build a set yourselves and post pictures so we can see what a really outstanding header looks like.
....for the record, you know the weld on the outside of the tube is just a tack weld to hold the pipe in place while they're building the header, right? The weld that holds everything together is INSIDE the tube.
-Jared