BRAND NEW 'ARC' style Intake Box - Run of 20 units only!

[androo007]

Hi All,

I am putting the testers out here to offer a very rare opportunity – a BRAND NEW Air Intake box ‘ARC’ style replica for Rev 3-5 Turbo. When i say style..... i mean exact replica.

Now, before I proceed I would need some firm numbers to see what people would be interested.

Moderators – I appreciate that I would need to become an affiliate before selling on here, but obviously need to know if there’s any interest

So what are you offering?

The 'ARW' intake boxes are made of Aluminium and finished to a high standard, as a direct replacement to the stock intake box of the Rev 3+ turbo just like the original ARC units which are widely known as THE best intake system available for the Mr2 turbo. As you all know, these are now incredibly rare and hard to get hold of – mostly in poor condition with old filters that need replacing or have been battered for years and years.

These new designs are made using the latest CAD designed, water jet cut and hand welded to produce a final product which is as good as how ARC produced. Units are sent with a Brand new HKS Panel filter which can be cleaned & easily available to be replaced as & when. If needed i can even supply additional filters with the intake kit for additional monies (at a slightly reduced price from what you can find online.


I am looking for a commitment of 20 units and payment before order run. Delivery would be approximately 4 weeks from final order placed.

This is a UK engineered and manufactured product by engineers who have been in the business for years – not a cheap knockoff!

OK, whats the cost?

Price: £425 delivered to UK Mainland. I appreciate this is steep, but this is a ONE OFF run of a product which is no longer available. The original ARC units were, 10+ years ago over £350 so in todays costs would exceed this price - not to mention that these are not even avaialble anymore!!

Believe me I am hardly making anything on it - it's more about helping out the community for me. The box will come with a brand new, branded filter to suit the intake box.

Let me know your thoughts, and even better, Place names below!

[androo007]

Wow not one person? Really shocked! One-off opportunity to get a very rare item brand new!

[Rev5GT]

I think the problem you have is the price. Even though they are an old item and no longer made. On the occasion they do come up for sale I have seen them from around £100-£200 max..

I can see many people changing £400 for an induction kit..

[ashley]

+1 You massively priced yourself out of the market, I don't see how these can possibly cost that much to put together?

[jon]

A RacerX Fabrication Air Intake Box is $335 in the USA. It is made in the USA, so not some cheap crap imported from China.

I would have though something similar made the in the UK should be roughly the same price?

[androo007]

Cheers for the feedback buys. Im trying to see if there are ways to lower costs but unfortunately quality costs. The intake pipe has a velocity stack, which has to be rolled on a lathe type machine, all brackets are made up, the CAD water jet is £140 per hour labour to use etc etc.

One single unit is £800 + VAT!

I'll go back to my supplier to see what he can squeeze on the fabrication costs.

Don't forget USA has dubious quality issues, import tax, VAT and it looks crap.

Second hand are selling for £250 + shipping.....and need a new filter. I.e £290 fish by the time you're done.

[ashley]

Don't forget USA has dubious quality issues....and it looks crap.

The stuff I've had from the US has generally been top notch

[rev3turbo]

products from the USA are in my experience top notch... bought loads from over there and always been great quality

[synXero]

I'm sorry to agree with the crowd: MR2s are not the market for £400 airboxes. Not 20 units anyway. I reckon realistically you've got to get these down to £250 MAX to sell 20 in advance and it'll be a fight at that.

That said (and the reason I'm commenting) I wish you the best. It's great to see some design ingenuity going into the MR2. Got any photos of your work?

[androo007]

I appreciate the feedback guys. I feel £250 is sadly never within reach, not even the Japanese mass produced versions sold for that - they were £100 more 10 years ago.

The work is all outsourced (Hense my gains are almost 0) to a company that does water jet cutting and a second fabrication company to weld and produce the other parts. The first, the gent designing and making the CAD design has designed since the 70's and even designed some of the nozzle types to cut glass - the first ones ever used commercially and his ne was patented as a design name!

Sadly the cost comes in with the labour on the end ..... Welders (decent ones) earn big money for a reason. And its a bloody wealthy trade to be in! I've asked for a review there but likely to only be brought down a smidge.

[androo007]

SynXero - thanks for the input man appreciated.

No pictures as yet, if I had some bites I'd travel down to them to see a tester before plonking down the ~£8k for the run.

I do use the company for custom CAD cutting of neoprene foam etc for specialist handset packaging and their worksmanship is unreal. Out of this world. CAD design I guess.

I was told it would be, as good as ARC original.

[Rev5GT]

I'm sure I have seen people mention replacement filters from Mazda rx7's can be used at around circa £70...

Eitherway as you say quality costs however I think everything has a price benchmark and around £400 for induction kits for the majority of people is a bit much.

[androo007]

yeah the FD RX7 Panel filters are £32, so not a massive cost. I was working on a group buy discount to try and reduce costs a little but nothing in place yet.

My last possibility is to get the templates still water jet cut from the first company and outsource the welding to another cheaper company (i presume up north if labour needs to be cheaper) - but then if all people will pay is £250 then its not even really worth my time & effort as i wouldnt even be able to bung a tenner on for myself.

Ironically if i put my original ARC unit up now for £300... i bet it would sell

[androo007]

OK, back from supplier quotes. they can go lower on a build of 30 units.

but the price still comes out at £400 a unit delivered.

Guess this one goes to bed then....for now.

I may look into seeing if fabricators can make them in an alternative way to water jetting - its the most expensive but gives the best product finish.

[C35Rob]

I simply don't think there's a market for this. certainly not at £400, the people that want/already own an ARC intake box generally do so because they're an old, rare authentic Japanese part, not because of any perceived performance gains - realistically a big cone filter is just as good, if not better so what you've got there is a big £400 white elephant with no pedigree or provenance.

[androo007]

hmm i'm not so sure - i bought mine because its the only real solution that doesnt offer massive heatsoak from the engine bay. but each to their own.

[ashley]

http://www.bmcairfilters.co.uk/air-inta ... 3_4_5.aspx

[androo007]

Not available for the MR2 according to that website. Only panel filters.

Not sure about the smarty pants hostility....I was only trying to offer something I thought the community might like but people like to get all handbags at dawn about it

[Peter Gidden]

Not available for the MR2 according to that website. Only panel filters.

Not sure about the smarty pants hostility....I was only trying to offer something I thought the community might like but people like to get all handbags at dawn about it

I don't think there's been any handbags.

I think what people are saying is £400 is silly money for a filter when a K&N pushed into the side intake will do the same job.

[CalMac]

You're selling to the wrong crowd unfortunately - us MR2 lot are known to love a bargain

As a fabricator though I can understand why they're coming out at that price - I wouldn't bother doing them for less than about £350. There's hours of work in each box and no point working for peanuts when more profit can be made on simple mass-produced runs of roofing trim etc. Especially when everyone is just going to whinge and find something to moan about..

I'd probably make the odd one for a mate but punters will be expecting the highest quality for that price which means roughly a days labour on each box