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Why are these ebay FSTB's so cheap? anything wrong with them?

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Old Jan 16, 2005 | 07:47 PM
  #1  
Kevin's Avatar
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Why are these ebay FSTB's so cheap? anything wrong with them?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...category=33591


Any reason not to buy this? looks like a bargain to me.
Old Jan 16, 2005 | 08:29 PM
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i bidded on it and won..paid and havent received one yet. its been about two weeks id say...other than that, it shouldnt really be any different that a 200$ stillen one. just buying the name i guess
Old Jan 16, 2005 | 08:30 PM
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Man... that does look like a deal. No doubt they're overcharging just a little on shipping, but even $16 shipping isn't too unreasonable for a weird shaped package like a strut bar. I'd say that a total cost of under $30 for an fstb is a good deal indeed. You may have a problem if the bar doesn't fit, though. The holes may not line up well enough for you to be able to use all three bolts.

I'm tempted to buy one and let you guys know how it fits...
Old Jan 16, 2005 | 08:30 PM
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I've had a version similar to that on my car for just under 2 years. Glad I didn't waste money on a Stillen.
Old Jan 16, 2005 | 08:35 PM
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Originally Posted by claudiusmaximas
i bidded on it and won..paid and havent received one yet. its been about two weeks id say...other than that, it shouldnt really be any different that a 200$ stillen one. just buying the name i guess
Claudius, was the one that you bought from the same ebay seller? When it finally comes in, I'd really appreciate it if you posted your results on this thread. I know that most fstbs are alike. I just want to make sure this one fits right before I buy one.
Old Jan 16, 2005 | 10:45 PM
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scopium
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some of them are actually good .. but some are made of poor quality and crack or bend
Old Jan 16, 2005 | 10:47 PM
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VIP Maxima
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its probably hollow on the inside
Old Jan 16, 2005 | 11:18 PM
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Originally Posted by 98MikeXimaSE
its probably hollow on the inside
I have what appears to be the same bar (but from a different seller) and it's not hollow.
Old Jan 17, 2005 | 06:49 AM
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Originally Posted by SEmy2K2go
I've had a version similar to that on my car for just under 2 years. Glad I didn't waste money on a Stillen.
and I received mine in less than a week...
Old Jan 17, 2005 | 08:31 AM
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Originally Posted by Puppetmaster
and I received mine in less than a week...
same seller as my orignal posT?
Old Jan 17, 2005 | 08:37 AM
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Cheap FSTB

I got a "generic" FSTB from Paradox-Systems. I got it shipped to HI for $30. The construction seemed to be okay. Not the nicest I've seen, but the fitment was right on, and I did feel a slight difference in steering response. I've spent $150 on other FSTB's for other cars, and probably won't do it again. I can see the "You get what you pay for" idea, but for something as minor as a FSTB, I'll go cheap on this mod.
Old Jan 17, 2005 | 01:56 PM
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got mine within 10 days from ebay. fits just fine, and it works for about $30...can;t beat it!
Old Jan 17, 2005 | 02:03 PM
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I've had the same exact one on my car for 2 weeks now. Works good, not as flashy as some but does the job fine. $16 for shipping is the cheapest you'll find anywhere. If you want flash pay a little more for the Otto, otherwise this guy is what you want.
Old Jan 17, 2005 | 02:11 PM
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yeah i got mine from them, and i got it in about 10 days..it works pretty well, and i dont think it looks that much worse than all the other ones, so why not? its a great price, and a really easy mod
Old Jan 17, 2005 | 02:44 PM
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Same here. I bought two, one for a 97 and one for an 03. They shipped them in the same box and charged me $28 or $30 for shipping. If you know anyone around you who is looking then you can knock off a little of the combined shipping costs. A couple bucks isn't much but they''re so cheap that there isn't much to shave to start.
Old Jan 17, 2005 | 02:55 PM
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Originally Posted by Kevin
same seller as my orignal posT?
No... mine was EB Stores or something... all the best... hope ya get yours soon...
Old Jan 17, 2005 | 03:01 PM
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i purchased a much similiar bar off ebay. it's not hallow, it hasn't bent or cracked and in my opinion it does the same job as those more expensive. Stillen is like that, they slap their name on something and mark it up.
Old Jan 17, 2005 | 04:47 PM
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I have the same bar from the same seller. It works great for me, definitely not hollow.
Old Jan 18, 2005 | 09:18 AM
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Way back in the day, I bought a Courtesy Nissan FSTB for $80. At the time it was a HOT deal. When I sold that Max and got my 2K2, I bought a FSTB off ebay for $20. The bars were identical. There was absolutely no difference in the construction. Don't waste your time with Stillen. If you claim these bars are cheap and bend easily, show me ONE complaint of a bent or cracked FTSB.
Old Jan 18, 2005 | 10:37 AM
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For my Sentra, I bought a Megan Racing fstb for about $30 shipped through a small group deal. It's solid aluminum and the fit was great. For my Maxima, I looked at the eBay bars, and they seem to be identical to some of the more expensive units on the market. I would feel comfortable buying one, but I decided to go with Megan Racing again, since I've bought from them before and I know that they are a decent company. They sell a polished aluminum bar for the 5th gen Max. It's a little more expensive than eBay, though. I got mine for $35 shipped.

http://www.meganracing.com/products/...asp?prodid=255
Old Jan 18, 2005 | 10:47 AM
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i got mine off ebay for under $30. It fits perfectly and the rod is solid, not hollow. I can't really feel any difference with it on but from what I hear you really can't tell with FSTB's. don't waste your money on a stillen, ebay rocks!
Old Jan 18, 2005 | 11:01 AM
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I got a Custom Maxima from another org member for free (swap for a spare tire cover that I wasn't using). Careful if you have a 3.5: there may be fitment issues around the intake. Mine rubs a little when I put it in reverse. I raised it with washers and ground the underside where it was hitting, but still have the rub. Other than that, it helps in the corners. I used to get a lot of roll in the front, now that's minimal. I still haven't broken the tires loose on any off/on ramps, and believe me, I've been pushing it. I have a ramp that I use to test on. Its rated for 25 mph. with the craptenza's new, I could do 40, with Pilots new, 50-55, with new pilots and the FSTB: 60 +.
Old Jan 18, 2005 | 02:33 PM
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ive had mine for over a year, it rubs the hood a lil, but its still good, did any of u guys take off the stock spacers. the ones that sit on top of the three bolts on each side, i took mine off, and lost one, wondering it they made any differnace, cause i didnt notice any?
Old Jan 18, 2005 | 03:37 PM
  #24  
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just got mine in today from the same company. it probably was 10 days or so (not two weeks my bad) but yea dont have tools here at the dorms so cant put it in yet.
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