Fancy anodized colors always make me suspicious, like it's the only thing an engine has going for it. I know that is not true in all cases, but I can't help thinking of the old adage about no matter how much whipped cream you pile on a plate of dog crap..

There is little magic in the model engine world, we seem to have the choice of paying a lot less and taking a gamble that sometimes wins, or paying a bit more for security and reputation. Nobody has miracles to offer. Just cheap labour, the same basic engineering principles, and whatever level of value and quality control they choose to apply to their product. Caveat emptor.

The world of clone/near clone sport engines would be less scary if there were not still persistent examples of plain old bad quality and/or inconsitent quality control. The same **** that plagued off-brand engines twenty years ago is still with us, though a few survived by getting their act together to some degree.

MJD