new street/track suspension opportunity!
 

Hey Folks,

I have been talking with a company that makes coilovers for many of the popular import sports cars. In the past, they have looked at making a coilover for the SVX, but decided it wasn't worth it because of the perceived lack of market potential.

I've been able to negotiate with these guys that if I can line up 50 buyers, they will design and build a set of complete coilovers for the SVX. The specs would be as follows:

* spring rate: 330f/280r with option for 450f/335r
* damping: fixed compression, 32 clicks rebound (aka single adjustable)
* adjustable spring preload and shock body length(!)
* pillowball top mounts with adjustable camber and caster(!)
* rebuild schedule: every 2-4 yrs depending on usage
* rebuildable via strut-body exchange program
* 1 year manufacture-defect warranty
* price: $900-$950 for a set

The intent of these coilovers would be as a high performance street suspension with the option for track or auto-x duty. They would of course be much firmer than stock, but the damper curve and spring rate would be tuned for streetability (good bump absorption) and could serve as daily driver replacements for the factory struts and springs.

The development cycle would take about 4 months to complete, but before I would commit, I would need to get at least 30 people to buy into this before I would make a deal with these guys. Considering that the cost would be only a few hundred dollars more than a full set of factory struts, the price is absolutely amazing, especially for what's included. And Koni inserts and GC springs are over $1000 now.

Can I get a show of hands for people who would want to buy coilovers? Please only sign if you are really prepared to buy these, because I really want to see this happen and don't want to have it go south by having half the people back down after reaching 30 signups.

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a question for the suspension challenged:
would this be a drop in kit (nuts/bolts at the most) or will there be any cutting/welding/fabricating for us to do?
Also - does a set mean all four corners included or just front or rear?

how would performance and durability stack up against the Koni/GC?

* Installation: Its a complete swap for whatever struts/springs/top mounts are in there now. The entire old strut assembly is removed as a whole, and the new assembly (completely built and ready to install) is installed. No cutting/welding/fabricating. Just basic hand tools. And it would in fact be easier than replacing the stock struts, because there is no need to disassemble the old strut. If you were taking your car to a shop for an install, this would be worth about $100-$150 in labor savings.
* $900-$950 would be for all four corners.
* Durability: See rebuild schedule.
* Performance: Equal or better than Koni/GC. Probably much better.

Cost comparison

OEM parts
New struts: $116/ea front, $123/ea rear = $478
New top mounts: $68/ea front, $83/ea rear = $302
Install labor: ~5 hrs @ $60/hr = $300
-DIY price (no labor): $780
-Shop price: $1080

Koni/GC
Koni inserts: $680
GC springs: $380
New top mounts: $68/ea front, $65/ea rear = $266
build up labor: $150
install labor: 3.5 hrs @ $60/hr = $210
-DIY price (no labor): $1326
-prebuilt price (no install): ~$1475
-full shop price: $1675

"new performance coilovers"
completely built coilover set: $950
install labor: 3.5 hr @ $60/hr = $210
-DIY price: $950
-shop price: $1160

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what company is it???

Top secret for now. :-) I'll give out the name in a few weeks if things are rolling the right way.

I am interested. Do we have to pitch in now or upon reaching 30/50 buyers?

Looking for more info...
- Sov13t

Will the car have he same road profile/ hight as stock, lower- or will this be adjustable as well?

Thanks for the reasearch and work on this project !

David

You can count me in, i have been looking at the koni setup for some time, but if this is a possibility i would much rather go with it

Foldered.....

Ride height range is still an area that I'm working out with the company.

Here's what I know for sure: The preload and ride height will both be independently adjustable. The strut-to-hub flange threads onto the strut body, and to raise or lower the vehicle, the strut is screwed further into or out of the flange. This is a feature usually only found on $2k+ coilovers.

Here's what I'm guessing based on their suspensions for other cars: Probably the greatest ride height would be within 0.5" of stock height.

The company is going to want some sort of guarantee, so if we can get to 30 sets, I need some sort of committment, probably a 50% non-refundable downpayment. By that time, I will have revealed the company name, and you'll be able to see their products for other vehicles.

Ready to buy a set:

1. Stevebsy
2. Mission
3. SVXMAN2001
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That's 1/10th of the way. :-)