Let me put it to you this way. These are aircraft quality, I would have no problem putting them on any less than supersonic. The vinyl I use has an outdoor life of at least 5 years according to the manufacturer, depending of course on conditions, mostly I would suspect UV issues in the desert. I don't use the cheap stuff as it does not have the right 'feel' to me. As Chike can attest, they have a quality feel to them. OBTW, the 7 hp gain is optional at an extra cost.