RPI GT Headers 1st Impression

DOUL · 26th September 2008, 00:39

Allow me to first start by thanking RPi, especially Eloy for being one of the most professional people I've encountered. They are absolutely amazing. Their loyalty & commitment to their customers is far beyond imagination. Not only are their products amazingly well tested and engineered, but their customer service is by far one of the BEST

.

Two days ago, I took my car to my dealer to install the headers as well as adding additional CF accessories (to be discussed in a separate thread). I've witnessed the entire process of the removal & installation of the headers. Damn, that is one of the longest and toughest job I've ever observed. It required a lot of concentration & patience. Believe it or not, the entire procedure took almost 7 hours to remove my old headers and install the new ones. You might believe that I'm exaggerating as 7 hours is quite little for such a big job. In fact, I've timed it myself not to mention that 4 workers took part in the process to expedite this difficult task. I know that this process normally takes 16+ labor hours and for those who have aftermarket headers, I feel really sorry for you

. It is quite a hassle as every time you need to take the smog test, you need to pass through the same annoying procedure not forgetting the extra costs. I do however highly suggest getting the RPI Headers and go through the process only 1 time.
After the installation was complete (mind you that I have the AA ECU Software) no CEL or any other errors were witnessed. The beast sounded a bit louder at cold start considering that I also have the Eisenmann Race Mufflers. The sound gradually diminished as the car was warming up. A point worth mentioning is that at one point some smoke appeared and a bit of burnt smell filled the garage. This is absolutely normal as the headers were painted and it eventually went away. You only needed to drive for approx. 5-10 min and all the smoke went away.

Now for the part you've all been anxiously waiting to hear. Personally, every time I had a new mod installed in the beast I would set the mode to P400, DSC Off, & S6 to tell if I could feel any gains considering that at P500 Sport the beast was already powerful and minor mods wouldn't be sensed. All I can say is WOW!!!

From all the mods that I have, this is by far the best felt mod from a seat of the pants standpoint. The car pulled and pulled and kept pulling extremely strong (mind you I was still at P400 mode). It was absolutely a total different car. It felt a lot more than gaining 25+whp to the extent I forgot I was driving in P400 mode. Then I switched to P500 Sport, DSC Off, & S6 and hell broke loose. OH MY GOD

. I couldn't actually believe I was still driving an M5. No matter what I tell you, words can not express the joy I felt. Man oh man; I can assure you that it would take me a time to adjust to the power and handling. After this mod, I guarantee you that for the time being I wouldn't make any additional performance modifications. This is by far the sickest mod. I've ever did to the beast. For now, I can't imagine handling any additional power. May be, and only may be in the future I might consider NOS, TT Kit or a supercharger. I know that by nature, we are mods greedy and we always want more. All I can say is that for the time being I DON'T WANT MORE

. I'm extremely satisfied with the outcome and recommend everyone who doesn't have their headers upgraded & even the ones with aftermarket headers to GET IT NOW! It is absolutely worth every single penny I've paid for.

For those who are wondering if I've performed before/after dyno testing, the answer is NO. Here in Riyadh

One more thing I forgot to mention is the sound of the beast. I felt that now it finally crossed the stage of puberty and went into the manhood phase lol. Soon I will post some videos & pictures of the beast but only after I return from my holiday sometime next month. I feel like I've invested a lot in the beast and in a way overlooked my priorities (my family).

Enough said. Allow me now to take a cruise in the beast and terrify the city of .

Eloy, thank you once again for all the professional support and in making this happen.

RPIpower · 26th September 2008, 01:30

Im very happy that you like the headers. I know they are a little more costly than some of the other ones out there but when it comes time to smog, it will all be worth it.

What you are probably noticing is the 28whp and 32qtq gain we have seen consistently with the addition of those headers. Enjoy........safely. hehe

m6ontheway · 26th September 2008, 02:20

Thanks for sharing your experience, glad you are happy.

keang24 · 26th September 2008, 02:45

Welcome to the CLUB

The beast definitely pull harder but also smoother for me when I switched from Evosport to RPI. Before it just the head that jerking, but now the whole body just shift backward.

I'm sure people have seen this, but...M5 Header Dyno Comparison: Headers/exhaust

I can't imagine what would it be like switching from stock to RPI, but when i switched from evosport to RPI, still big different.

Enjoy and be safe.

MPower82 · 26th September 2008, 03:13

HOMERUN FOR RPI.

You're the man Eloy.

gasterus · 26th September 2008, 03:21

Damm...now i want one!

gasterus · 26th September 2008, 03:26

Hi Doul, could you describe the sound of the rpi header during normal city driving, wot, etc. I had the evosport headers with my E-race, and sold the evo headers as i find it too loud for my taste. During normal driving, resonance between 2.5k-4k rpm is unacceptable. Do you experience this with you RPI header and E-race muffler setup? Your experience is highly aprreciated. How about posting ur video clip?

M5Ranger · 26th September 2008, 03:31

DOUL I am glad you are happy.

Now I've asked the question before. What are the RPI headers. Can I see a pic of these headers because I'm confused.

Ranger