[Induction Concepts]

I am not an engine builder, that is not our primary focus. Sure, we can handle that task for a customer, but we don't build the engine, we will remove it, take it to a reputable shop (like VT Competition Engines for the Ford stuff), have it built to spec, then reinstall it. We choose different shops based on the brand (auto manufacturer). Someone that is great with GM stuff may not be as knowledgeable on Mopar stuff. Many prefer to specialize in a single brand.

Like I said, i was doing research, being thorough. I don't do things half way, or guess. Every manufacturers shortblock is different, some will take more power than others, they are all different compression ratios, even on the same car model, one year newer/older, some heads are more resistant to detonation than others. Every fuel system is different between the auto manufacturers. Same with tuning, each engine management system has its own strengths and weaknesses. We just don't build a generic kit and throw it out there. Sure, that would be much easier and cheaper, but not correct. Would it work? Probably? Is it the best solution? No. We do our research, so that when customers ask how much power they can run on a stock shortblock, we have a correct answer. Usually people want to run a lot more power on their stock shortblock than it can take, for financial reasons obviously. And we are always over-cautious.

When that is the case, I will tell them to build the engine first, if they can't afford to do both, then come back and talk to us. Sure, I'm taking a chance on them spending the money on the shortblock then choosing some other power adder, or possibly not having the money again for a while or forever, to spend on a turbo system, but its the right thing to do, the right way to do it.

I don't simply look for 'dished pistons', I look for places that can make custom pistons if we need them or whos pistons will tolerate which power level, same thing for rods and cranks. The Manley h-beam rods for the Ford modulars are rated to 700-750hp @ 8000rpms. You obviously won't have to spin the engine that high, but our customers make more power than that. Their pro series i-beams are good to about 850hp. We can make 2000hp with a pair of GT76s, 2400hp with a pair of GT80s. The best choice for those engines, with high hp needs (above 1000hp), is the billet steel rods from Oliver. For pistons we select CP first, Diamond second. Those engines have powdered metal oil pump gears that will shatter when you add power, same for the trigger wheel, its very thin. For that we insist on billet oil pump gears and a billet trigger wheel made by VT. We recommend these two options as cheap insurance ($400 combined) to every customer getting an engine built, regardless of power level.

Customers often ask us for our opinion on products other than our own. We do the research so we can give them correct information, to answer their questions, or at least get them pointed in the right direction. We need to know a lot more than just turbos, with these power levels, it frequently requires the building of an entire car (engine, trans, drivetrain, suspension, etc.). amd we like to be able to help the customers find the information and products they need.

I do this because when you install all of this turbo system, that we try so hard to not only make perform well, but also look beautiful, then have to take it all off to replace a stock shortblock that is missing a couple of rods, then reinstall it all, things get scratched. It never looks as good the second time its installed. Usually because the shop handling the shortblock swap won't take the time and extra effort to do the job correctly. Our customers want something more than 'satisfactory'. We spend a great deal of time, routing wiring, vacuum lines, etc. where they are out of sight. We had a customer bring his car to us a few months ago, that was getting ready for a show. He had just had the shortblock replaced by a shop local to him. There was wiring, hoses and crap everywhere. Most of the heat shielding was either installed wrong or missing completely. For the average, plain jane, driver, this probably would have been considered acceptable, but not for us or our customers. In fact many people would have probably looked at it and not noticed, but not us. We spent 8 hours on his car (free of charge) just to go over those little details and make sure it looked like it did when we first released it to him.

Again, I'm not an engine builder, I leave that to a professional engine builder, who does it every day. Sure, I've built a few, never lost one yet, but again, thats not my primary focus, we aren't an engine shop. Let everyone work on what they are good at. If I wanted a 1500hp Ford modular motor, I wouldn't build it myself, I'd call upon VT. As I said, I do this stuff like it was for me personally and I'd have VT build my personal mod motor.

But at least we do the research so we know what to recommend to a customer so they don't go blindly into a project like this and have a bad outcome. If they ask me a question I don't know, I won't just BS them and spit some answer out, I'll tell them I don't know, but I'll find out. Like I said, I won't guess. No one person can know everything, the key is to know where to find the information when you need it.

Our forums aren't like everyone elses. We don't put up flattering information, and delete anything derogatory or unflattering. I don't run a business like that. I don't delete ANYTHING. Sure, have some people gotten onto our forums from other competitors and tried to bash us or make us look bad? Yes, at least one time that I can remember. Did I delete it? No. I left it up for all to see and for others to post their opinions on. Too much of society today is one sided. I had nothing to hide (like here), and just let it play out. I see too many sites that as soon as something gets put up that makes them look bad in any way, *poof*, its gone. How is an uneducated consumer supposed to hear both sides of the story or find out the downside? I don't work that way. Go ahead, see for yourself. I started it as a place for people like you and I, that could ask questions and get honest answers. I post updates and pictures during development...even if we make mistakes...which we do. The point is that we don't leave it like that. I will continue to cut tubing up, redo and redo it until I am satisfied with it...and I'm very picky (friends call it anal) about it. I let the visitors see the trials and tribulations that we go through...just like every human goes through, every day. No one is perfect, everyone makes mistakes. The difference is that we don't cover ours up, we learn from them and fix it.

But what you say is true on almost all of the sites on the net. They have paid advertisers, which are selling products on their site, so they have pull since they are paying. They can send an email and get an entire thread deleted, or if they have their own forum area, can delete the thread or just the bad parts themselves, even re-word it to their liking. I decided ours wasn't going to be that way, I wanted a place where people could see the whole story, right or wrong, good or bad. Our forums aren't just for discussing our products, its for discussing anything car/truck related. After all, this is more than just a business to me, it is my passion, what I love more than anything else (besides family) in life. We have sections for 'mechanical horror stories', 'vendors good/bad', transport companies, classifieds, etc., and no paid advertisers. A real 'consumer' forum shouldn't have paid advertisers, it skews the viewpoints, just like the car magazines. Of course I realize all this is hard to swallow, since it is our forum, the product manufacturer, and you should have that caution in mind anytime you are on a forum. But until you've actually experienced it first hand, you can't really have an honest opinion right? All I can do is invite you to try it for yourself, I hope you will.

Believe me, I completely understand why you are doing this. If you think this is bad, you should have seen it when I first started up. Knew very little, had no track record, no product. But people called, emailed, came to visit, and got to know me/us, found out what we stand for and believe in and gave us a shot, and they have never regretted it. Our customers always come out on the winning end. The first couple of prototypes I built, I quoted the customer a price and when it was all said and done, it ended up costing me $2000 more than I charged him. Now I'm not talking about 'throw-away', development stuff, there is always waste during development. I mean that we added $2000 more in parts, materials and components than I had originally planned on...before I got the system to a point that I considered it complete. I didn't go to the customer and say "well, it cost more than I originally told you, so if you could just write me a check for the difference...". Even though it was for parts and materials that they actually got and the agreement was that they would just pay for parts and materials, no labor. I chalked it up to development costs and moved on. I just couldn't find it in myself to go back to them and ask for more money, when I had already given them a price. It wasn't their choice to add all this extra stuff, it was mine.

You see, I was raised with the belief that a mans word should mean something and that 'a mans concience is his pillow'. I bring those beliefs to the business every day and insist that my employees live by them also. The sad thing is that we're not doing anything special, just doing things the way they should be done, but to most it seems like we're going above and beyond the call.

So like I said, I understand completely why you are doing this. That is exactly the reason I started this company. I thought I could do better, and fix these things that you fear, becaue you are right to be fearful...because I have been there, a consumer/customer, just like you, still am (I still buy hot rod parts other than my own), with the same fears and worries. I encourage all of our customers to do their own research, ask questions, send emails, make phone calls. It is a pretty large purchase, they need to know exactly what they are getting. I feel that a more educated customer will just see that many more reasons why our stuff is better.