One relatively new company that's hit the exhaust market is one called JUN B.L. JUN? The Japanese tuning company? Hell no. Not even close.
One quick look at their website (http://www.junblusa.com) reveals no physical address. Only an 800 number that you can call to make an order for one of their exhaust systems. Hmm... kinda weird, no?
They list only three exhaust systems for vehicles anyone would consider performance-oriented. One for a Lancer Evolution at $1,100.00, one for the Z33 350Z at $1,395.71 and one for a VW GTI at $799.00 (these are all "list" prices, by the way; these must be some fuckin high end exhausts at these prices, right?) But here's the kicker. They offer EIGHT exhaust systems for Hyundai cars. Hyundai? Not exactly the bastion of high performance tuning, don't you think? Hell, they even offer an exhaust system for a Hyundai Sonata. The Sonata, you ask? It's a wanna be Accord that Hyundai produced. Why are there so many exhausts for Korean cars?
Upon further investigation, it turns out that JUN B.L is a Korean company. A Korean company making exhausts for Japanese cars? Mitsubishi and Nissan don't even have dealers in Korea. So how is it that this JUN B.L company is making performance parts for cars that don't even exist in Korea? Makes you wonder if they really know what the fuck they are doing, eh?
There's no way to certify that these exhaust systems adhere to any sort of pre-established manufacturing standard we're familiar with, including JASMA, ISO9001 and so on. Rather (thanks to a Korean friend of mine), their "about" page was translated (they have a Subaru Impreza wagon on a dyno... uh huh... another car that doesn't exist in Korea... little chance they have a 4-wheel dyno either, considering no Korean car manufacturer produces a 4WD passenger car for the Korean market, save for some wacked ass SUVs).
Well, turns out JUN B.L has a permit to produce silencers and "filter pipes" in Korea. This is the only sole permit they have. So how are they making full exhaust systems? They aren't even licensed to do this. Hmmm....
They have a number of Korean "registrations" for exhaust related items, BUT GET THIS... they have also have "registrations" for:
- knitted shirts
- portable make up cases
- wallets
How the fuck is a knitted shirt / portable make up case / wallet company making exhaust systems for Evo's and 350Z's? Who the fuck buys this shit? Do you fuckers do any research on where your shit comes from before buying it?
Lastly, it turns out that the name "JUN B.L" is the name of the owner / president of this company. His name is Jun Byung Lim, Lim being his surname. He's probably some old asshat in his 50s who knows nothing about cars. At least with a reputable company like HKS, the old guys in the name (Hasegawa and Kitagawa) are actual automotive engineers with decades under their respective belts. Who the fuck is Jun Byung Lim?
This is a case of kimchi gone bad.
