Hennessey Performance Tig Welds

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I work a couple big car dealerships, one of which is a Chevy store.  We send out cars every couple of months to the guys at Hennessey to put all their fun performance bits on the car as a dealer installed upgrade package.  Anyways, we sent out a new Camaro ZL1 to get their 650hp package and I was checking it out when it came back today.I was very surprised by the quality (or lack there of) of the TIG welds on the intake tube.  Hennessey is a pretty well known company and to say their prices reflect it would be an understatement.  These guys are VERY expensive.  Yet the welds are uneven, zig-zaged around, and there is even a nice little crater in there.I can't tig... I dont even have a tig welder but I do a lot of reading on here and I see a lot people's work to compare it to.  Maybe I have gotten spoiled from looking at some of the immaculate TIG welding skills that exist on this forum but for the reputation and price I was a little confused.  Figured I would show you guys.
Reply:UmmmmmmmWe do have a policy about posting welds other than your own but I will let it slide this time..As much as we like seeing welds..If you didn't do them it's best just left alone.Whatever the price of that is.....is way too much....zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:If the piping is cheap china or ebay stuff it will weld like garbage. Especially if it's already polished! One thing a lot of people here need to learn is it's not all about looks. It doesn't have to look pretty to be a strong weld.How do you know it's not a new guy that welded it? Even a great welder will not have perfect welds 100% of the time.Torchmate 2x2 CNC with Flashcut CNC controlsHypertherm Powermax45 Esab ET220i Razorweld 195 MigRazorweld 200ac/dc TigTormach 770, Tormach xstechRazorweld, Vipercut/Vipermig, SSC Foot Pedal Dealer
Reply:Originally Posted by GambleIf the piping is cheap china or ebay stuff it will weld like garbage. Especially if it's already polished! One thing a lot of people here need to learn is it's not all about looks. It doesn't have to look pretty to be a strong weld.How do you know it's not a new guy that welded it? Even a great welder will not have perfect welds 100% of the time.
Reply:I agree with the OP, the amount of money you pay for hennessy upgrades it needs to look beautiful, because the actual parts aren't that expensive, your paying for the name, and that name means raw power and gorgous design (some fully tricked cars are amazing looking) and if I were to pay that premium every weld needs to be asthetically pleasing as well, maybe the average guy with too much money wont recognize it, but I always find myself judging other peoples welds based solely on looks, I mean I know its a good weld its been taking abuse for years but it sure looks like crap lol  a guy at work does a lot of stick welding, hes older but has been doing it for 30yrs or so, and he still cant make a pretty lookin weld, but they sure do hold haha, anyway that's just my 2centsMiller Syncrowave 210 w/CK FlexLoc 150  3/6/14ESAB PCM 1125 Plasma CutterAtlas 12x36 LatheACER 9x42 3hp millHarig 612 Surface GrinderDRINK Machine              welding&fabrication
Reply:zapster, I apologize for posting someone else's welds, I will remember not to do it again.  Im just starting in welding and so now everything I see that is welded I study it!  I guess I was expecting gorgeous dimes when I opened the hood and was a little surprised to see it not quite that way.
Reply:People who buy that sh*t dont know any better ... it looks good to them. It looks like a solid, functional weld to me. It is very hard to find great help, especially guys who can weld like Jesus. Cause they are all either working for themselves or NASA type gigs @ $45+/hr, especially in Houston. Houston is a big car town. I estimate Hennessay is doing the best they can balancing quality with workload and available labor.
Reply:Originally Posted by midaswhalezapster, I apologize for posting someone else's welds, I will remember not to do it again.  Im just starting in welding and so now everything I see that is welded I study it!  I guess I was expecting gorgeous dimes when I opened the hood and was a little surprised to see it not quite that way.
Reply:Originally Posted by GambleOne thing a lot of people here need to learn is it's not all about looks. It doesn't have to look pretty to be a strong weld.
Reply:Originally Posted by ShortbusWelderwhen one is paying upwards of 20k,30k,and up for their packages, i would expect nothing but great looking sound welds.
Reply:I am curious as to what the inside looks likeMiller Xmt 350Lincoln Ln-25Ahp 200xSmith Gas Mixer AR/HTig is my Kung FuThrowing down dimes and weaving aboutInstagram http://instagram.com/[email protected]
Reply:Originally Posted by DSWZap, I'm not sure if Ellen's restriction on posting picts of work not your own applies here. My take on that was that if you do work for an employer, you need approval of the company you work for to post picts of that work. Welds on products sold on the open market are a bit different from where I sit. As long as it's not posted with the intention to bash the product and or company, I don't see an issue. If a company lets "substandard" work out the door, that sort of leaves them open to critique. The same would also apply to outstanding work as well. I can think of several times when guys have posted up either picts or links to work from others. As long as the work is attributed to the original owner, and is in the public domain and isn't protected, there shouldn't be an issue. The original issue in question, the subject matter wasn't in the public domain and I assume was probably covered by a nondisclosure agreement.
Reply:Originally Posted by DSWI'd disagree with that statement. Pretty welds may not be strong, but ugly welds usually are an indication of substandard work. The question if they are "good enough" may be debatable, but they definitely are not as strong as they could be if done right. The "it's ugly but it holds" line is
Reply:Originally Posted by GambleI should say "lack of dimes" doesn't mean it's not a strong weld. The way my teacher welds he moves the torch and lays the wire. He doesn't get the dimes look but it sure will hold.
Reply:Did you call them to complain? I would.You can always insist that you paid for a skilled tradesman's work and  not that of a trainee. Maybe they will discount your invoice. That looks to me like he didn't taper off the power as he ended the weld and got a little cavity. The sloppiness  - - well  - - that looks like  - - well - - sloppy.  It's better than I could do,  but it's not  the  polished work of a skilled welder. But, those criticisms aside,  unless the part and the weld is going the be part of the exposed  product - - that is  to say unless the look of the weld matters to the final product - - maybe you could take a more sanguine  posture and be more interested in the strength of the weld. I'd still see about a discount on the invoice though.Hey~!! It's a hobby. It's not supposed to make sense~!!
Reply:I know that the way a weld looks does not substantiate its strength... however... I wish I would have taken a picture of the entire engine bay because this intake tube is the only shiny thing in there and with the huge "HENNESSEY" logo across it it is like the crown jewel of the whole package - even though the real jewel is the blower but you can't see it with the engine cover. Honestly, the strength of the weld is almost beside the point because the tube extends only about 6 inches to the right of the weld pictured and just has a cone filter strapped to it. Which probably only weighs a few ounces.  My surprise was only that for a $25k-30k package installed on a $70k car, it would be pretty incredible.We probably would ask for some kind of refund but literally 3 hours after we got the car back we had a buyer come in a pay cash... I will just make sure to do a better inspection before we take delivery next time.
Reply:Originally Posted by shovelonUgly welds are a red flag. Craters are just incompetence, lazyness, or ignorance.
Reply:Originally Posted by GambleI should say "lack of dimes" doesn't mean it's not a strong weld. The way my teacher welds he moves the torch and lays the wire. He doesn't get the dimes look but it sure will hold.
Reply:Originally Posted by DSWIf a company lets "substandard" work out the door, that sort of leaves them open to critique. The same would also apply to outstanding work as well.
Reply:So that work was done in California?Weld like a "WELDOR", not a wel-"DERR" MillerDynasty700DX,Dynasty350DX4ea,Dynasty200DX,Li  ncolnSW200-2ea.,MillerMatic350P,MillerMatic200w/spoolgun,MKCobraMig260,Lincoln SP-170T,PlasmaCam/Hypertherm1250,HFProTig2ea,MigMax1ea.
Reply:Whos to say they don't have someone else weld them or outsource all the parts?Torchmate 2x2 CNC with Flashcut CNC controlsHypertherm Powermax45 Esab ET220i Razorweld 195 MigRazorweld 200ac/dc TigTormach 770, Tormach xstechRazorweld, Vipercut/Vipermig, SSC Foot Pedal Dealer
Reply:Well if they are in the business of outsourcing they should call zapster lol I just would expect it to look the part ya know not just perform lol it's gotta walk the walk and talk the talkMiller Syncrowave 210 w/CK FlexLoc 150  3/6/14ESAB PCM 1125 Plasma CutterAtlas 12x36 LatheACER 9x42 3hp millHarig 612 Surface GrinderDRINK Machine              welding&fabrication
Reply:Originally Posted by GambleWhos to say they don't have someone else weld them or outsource all the parts?
Reply:Huh, looks as good as my stuff?LMAO    Miller Dynasty 350Twenty Six HammersThree Crow BarsBig Rock
Reply:Yeah one of the guys from another forum I'm on got a job at henessy's Texas facility as a fabricator/welder and his work is nowhere up to par to justify the pricing they put on there stuff. And gamble Here's some good old polished eBay (chinese) aluminum I did a few years ago with out the usual prep work. ..... is actually welds really nice. (No I'm not trying to throw my name in there but this was literally the only close up I could find of unprepped polished eBay piping welds)....MikeLast edited by killingmachine; 06-07-2013 at 03:47 PM.^the stuff off ebay from cx racing welds up good. The rest I haven't had good luck with.Torchmate 2x2 CNC with Flashcut CNC controlsHypertherm Powermax45 Esab ET220i Razorweld 195 MigRazorweld 200ac/dc TigTormach 770, Tormach xstechRazorweld, Vipercut/Vipermig, SSC Foot Pedal Dealer
Reply:While I would expect better from a company like them, the chance that joint will fail is slim to none.