Things I bought for the car today.

997SSK from Suncoast Parts. Not much to talk about there.

Stuff I bought from Speedtech today. (Besides the 3.0 Loud Crossflow Exhaust System and Ceramic coated headers which haven't shipped yet).

1. Intake Plenum w/ Pipes
2. 3.5" Intercoolers with 2.5" connectors
3. 75mmx2.5" Y-Pipe
4. 75mm Throttle Body and Hoses
5. 75mm Plenum
6. Turbo to Intercooler hose set.

Everything is getting powder coated. John, if you read this, powdercoat Silver and Red hoses please.


I'm not listing all this because it matters to most of you what I'm buying although I'm sure people will want pictures and install stuff and my impressions. All of that I'm certainly planning on doing. I'm listing it for the benefit of other vendors. Truthfully, I look at all the sites and its not always easy to understand exactly what is being sold and what is included and the purpose of those items. SpeedTechs site is perhaps the most low key of all of them. But it is somewhat more conversational instead of bullet point oriented and on top of that John sent me a few emails and pm's and then we talked on the phone for a bit.

I have nothing against other vendors and I've bought from Vivid. I plan on going back to them for upgraded turbos, injectors, DVs and all the other loose ends as well as a redone engine tune. Bit for the life of me I couldn't get comfortable with the other vendor's websites and get into making that first contact. I'd love to buy from everyone. And I probably will. But it wouldn't hurt vendors to put less pictures and pizzaz into sites and put more information and product explanations in.

Now for my next shopping spree on upgraded turbos. Lets see who catches my eye...

Jim

 

Thank you for the feedback.

 

I'm just trying to be helpful. In fact, this makes me view the websites I have for my own various companies in a refocused light. So often we all forget that there is a continuous supply of brand new consumers into any given market and its all too easy for companies, mine included, to start fitting our advertising into given webpage design space or pop-up windows and that tends to distill out all the explanations and end up with basically bullet points. There is a lack of education on websites that hurts vendors by driving people like myself to forums and word of mouth with others that leads to opinions and purchases being made based on biases, retold stories of what some cousin of my mother's uncle said, or just plain desire for people to give opinions about things they know little about.

Frankly, if I didn't have some experience with performance cars and turbos previously, it would be very difficult to make decisions.

I think there is a big opportunity for vendors to either revamp their websites or imbed links to white papers on subjects with facts and then talk about how their products meet those needs and how they might have to compromise for street-ability or legal requirements.

There is a dearth of information and this just lets people wander off to competitive sites and pull the trigger wherever they decide they can't learn more or where someone takes the time to talk to them.

The companies that educate the consumer will inevitably get more business.

Jim

 

Hi Jim,

I'm glad we could help out. Thanks so much for the order and the feedback - I appreciate both!

 

If you hold my hand, I'll let you hold my wallet.

 

Major envy lol

 

 

you know you want alpha turbos Jim. lol go for it. I think I will live my mod bug vicariously through you.

 

that's a nice little shopping spree there jim...congrats! who is doing the installation...

 

Great parts. You will enjoy the Speedtech stuff.

 

I'll do it all myself with a mechanic friend of mine to help with the lifting.

I own a fair amount of commercial real estate including an auto repair strip mall. One of the tenants asked to have me fold his improvements into his lease. This includes a number of 9000 lb lifts and a Mustang Dyno.

I get visitation.

Jim

 

I'd like a lot of things. Unfortunately with 91 octane gas, there's a limit to the amount of damage I can do before there's a lot of damage I can do.

On top of that, it gets hot as hell out here in the parts of the country where you can use serious power. Plus its not unusual to severely load the system with full throttle runs up hill at 4000-5000 feet on an 8 degree grade.

I'm collecting before data on a laptop this weekend so I can baseline the installation. If you go out to Palomar Mountain and see a TT with temperature leads duct taped to the side of the car and leading into the intercoolers, that will be me. Don't wave, one of us will go off.

Jim

 

Very good parts bought Jim,congrats

 

Jim,

It sounds like with your heat and 91 octane gas that your car would be a perfect candidate for water/methanol injection?

Later, Steve

 

I have that on a turbo charged M3 track car. It does help. So would cutting out half the bumper and installing a bigger intercooler from a Supra.

I'm a BMW guy. I can take a BMW apart and replace blown head gaskets etc without much trouble and I have extensive connections to parts supplies. I also have a parts distribution agreement with Penske Automotive and AutoNation.

I'm not a Porsche guy. At least not yet. My TT is a vert. Its not really a target for all out performance to me. I want all the power I can get out of it without going nuts. I'm satisfied with being conservative.

So, my questions might sound stupid based on my stated intentions to go mild. But even going mild, I will only do it in a manner consistent with my desire to do the upgrades like the factory would do them. I guess I'm looking for something like a Turbo S or X50 result with a little more grunt or at least keeping the fast spool I have today.

Jim