E89 Cheap downpipes

Lurcher

Sergeant
Apr 6, 2018
290
168
0
Dallas, TX but soon to be Cocoa Beach FL
Ride
2012 z4
So if anyone goes out to Alibaba looking for some cheap downpipes and see's these: https://www.alibaba.com/product-det...513.html?spm=a2700.8443308.0.0.1ca43e5fIAO9oX


And then gets a price of $130 + 100 shipping (yea, 230 bucks delivered - good deal right?)

Well, they don't fit. The ends are rotated 90 degrees wrong, and I'm assuming for a 3 series. The build quality and wields were excellent - so I was hoping, but.....
https://photos.app.goo.gl/fq9EM5LGQMZ5KSmZA
fq9EM5LGQMZ5KSmZA


Took one for the team here to see if there was a magical source - and I'm sure there is - but just not this vendor. VSFR is getting these from somewhere and for $230 (2 day shipping even- not kidding)...
 

fmorelli

Lieutenant General
Staff member
Aug 11, 2017
3,748
3,592
0
57
Virginia
Ride
E89 Z4 35i, F10 535d
You can always include the downpipes as a perk with the house sale lol

Filippo
 

Asbjorn

Lieutenant
Mar 10, 2018
854
602
0
European, based in China
Ride
Z4 N54 DCT
Story telling time...

My custom-made race-catted downpipes were actually made by cutting up a set of 1/3-series N54 downpipes and then replacing the cats with high-flow versions. I didn't even know until I found out my shop had cut my miltek de-catted mid-pipes and turned them 90degrees to match the new downpipes while I was out of town.

Fast forward few monhts. Car was in for the annual inspection. Failed... CO emissions too high. Excellent - lets just swap the old OEM downpipes back in and... oh right, they dont fit anymore. But what about the old OEM catted midpipes? Nah, I threw them away as the car sounds and drives better without them, and passed inspection just fine with only the oem downpipes last time.

Then I asked other local producers of 1/3-series race catted N54 downpipes - learned none of them would guarantee they could pass inspection in China...

They say there isnt enough space to fit race cats that can pass inspection on the downpipes of the N54. Would have been great to know before spending +$2000 on this. Maybe this is another reason there aren't any race catted downpipes available for the Z4 anymore?

But hey, good news! New aftermarket 1/3 downpipes with OEM cats are indeed much easier to source at a good price. And I just passed inspection two days ago. Sound is great as well, although a tad on the quiet side. Quality has gone up, volume down.

Please note that there are at least two "aftermarket" versions of the OEM downpipes in China. One type with OEM-type cat, and one type which is cheaper, that passes OBD inspection only.
 
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