> I will be needing to replace my rear header soon.
>  The part is a pricey beast even at busdepot.
> Thepartsbin seems like a better deal when you factor
> free shipping costs.   Busdepot suggests that
> 025251172r has been replaced with the letter P.   Has
> anyone any less expensive aftermarket products that
> will fit but not pinch the pocket.

Actually you misread my site. The P has been superceded to an R, not the
other way around.  So you indeed need an 025251172R.  I sell it for
$104.45 with your listmember discount -  43% off of thepartsbin's price
of $184.80.  So their "free shipping" is actually costing you a whopping
$80.00. I sure hope they're hand delivering it for that price. :-)

As for manufacturers, there are two - Leistritz/Germany and
Jopex/Denmark (also known as JP or Dansk). The VW part was made by
Leistritz at one time but I couldn't say if this is still the case.  VW
also sources some exhaust from Jopex, so it could be either. In fact I
haven't seen any new Leistritz ones in a long time, so I don't even know
if they're making them anymore. None of my suppliers carry them anymore.

This leaves Jopex. Jopex makes the part in a regular mild steel version
and a stainless steel version. The above is the regular one. Most people
don't sell the stainless one at all (as Jopex does not export it to the
U.S.) but we import it ourselves. It's $171 (part # 025251172RS).  I
have compared the Jopex and Leistrtitz pipes side by side and the fit is
exactly the same. (This doesn't mean that it will necessarily be easy to
fit. It can be a challenge fitting a new pipe to an old exhaust system
that has been bent and tweaked over the years, and tends to "spring
apart" as soon as you unbolt it.)  Quality/reliability on the Jopex has
also been good.  In fact I have them on my own '89 Westy. (When they
fail, it's often due to stress cracking, just as with the original ones;
inherent in the design of the exhaust system, I suspect.)

So the bottom line is, no matter where you buy it, you're almost certain
to receive a Jopex pipe, since they are the primary (if not only)
supplier of this part worldwide.

As for how soon you should replace it, yes it will eventually crack more
and get loud. Maybe not immediately, but needless to say you're on
borrowed time. If the pipe starts to leak badly it can cause a bad
running condition due to the fact that your oxygen sensor (which is
"downstream" of it) will not be getting a correct reading (thus throwing
off your fuel injection system).

- Ron Salmon
  The Bus Depot, Inc.
  www.busdepot.com
  (215)  234-VWVW

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