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Editors Note: This article originally appeared in the August 1997 issue of Sport Compact Car magazine. It is reprinted here with permission. John Comeskey is so bullish on Saturn he bought the company. Well, not exactly. Saturn wasn’t for sale. And even if it was, he couldn’t afford it. So he formed a company to distribute aftermarket parts for Saturn cars. He’s the guy to call if you want to make your Saturn go faster.
Like most Saturn evangelists, Comeskey fell in love with these cars after visiting a dealership. He was 22, fresh out of college and a long way from home, so he was a little nervous about buying his first new car. This is a big step for a young, single guy, and Comeskey was suspicious of car dealers. He walked into the Saturn dealership near South Bend, Indiana, thinking he was walking into just another new car dealership. He figured they’d see him for what he was and take full advantage of the situation. He hadn’t heard. The salesman didn’t try to sell him. There was no pressure, no headache-inducing negotiations, no sitting for hours while the sales force played mind games. "It was an enlightening experience," he said. Only later, when he had time to reflect, did he fully appreciate the sales experience. When he returned to buy, they told him about the money-back guarantee. They filled his gas tank. All those small things and the attitude of the sales force mad a big difference. So he drove home a shiny new ‘93 SL2. He liked its athletic handling and the way it made him feel connected to the road. "I fell in love with it," he said. "What really appeals to me about Saturn is what Saturn stands for in terms of the teamwork. They strive to be good for the sake of being good. Their set of beliefs, set of standards, their business philosophy is endearing." Comeskey was so sold on Saturn that he later worked as a salesman at a dealership in Dayton, Ohio. Then he bought a new SL2. "It was bigger, quieter and softer," he said. "I liked it, but it wasn’t fun anymore." He decided what the car needed was a tighter suspension, more horsepower, bigger brakes. "I just wanted it to be more fun to drive." It didn’t take long to discover that the aftermarket for Saturn hot rod parts was, for all practical purposes, nonexistent. "There were Hotshot headers and H&R springs--that was it." Figuring there were other enthusiasts out there just like him, Comeskey put together a small product line. He called the business SPS, which stood for Saturn Performance Systems until Saturn politely explained the implications of trademarks. At first, he wasn’t taken seriously by the aftermarket. "A lot of people laughed," he recalled. "‘You’re going to sell parts for Saturns?’" But he kept at it, gradually persuading companies to design parts. Enthusiasts responded and the phone began ringing. He quit his job last March to work full time on SPS. The telephone is now ringing constantly. When Comeskey returns a phone call, he gets two more voice mails. He returns those calls and has four more messages. He maintains a low overhead to keep prices down and ensure profitability. He has a toll-free number and a color catalog. "I’m the largest distributor of aftermarket Saturn performance parts in the world," he says proudly. A one-man operation, SPS is strictly mail order; Comeskey does not install parts, nor does he design them. He tests all of the parts he sells and he works closely with the aftermarket manufacturers to make refinements or to solve installation problems. When someone runs into a problem, he gets on the telephone to solve it. His ‘96 SL2 doesn’t look radical, but it looks sporty. The low ride height and 17-inch wheels give it a European touring car look. It drew attention and questions while we were shooting photos on the CART Detroit Grand Prix circuit a Belle Isle. The Detroit police stopped to ask what kind of car it was. The SL2’s 1.9-liter DOHC engine was modified with a Powerstack intake, JG throttle body, Hotshot ceramic coated headers, Borla exhaust; Nology Hotwires spark plug wires, Beru Silverstone spark plugs and JET computer upgrade. Output was increased from the stock 124 hp to 145 hp. Comeskey had the car tested on a chassis dynamometer before and after all sorts of combinations of these parts and can provide horsepower and torque ratings for each. The SPS SL2 suspension includes Carrera gas shocks, H&R progressive-rate lowering springs, solid front and rear anti-roll bars to replace the stock hollow bars, front strut brace, and 17-inch BBS RX wheels with P205/45ZR-15 Pirelli P-Zeros. The brakes were modified with cross-drilled Stillen front Sport Rotors, Carbotech chromium brake pads and a short-stemmed shift handle. In some back-to-back 0-60 mph runs with our G-Tech meter, we found his SL2 about 0.3 second quicker than our ‘97 SC2. It wasn’t a scientific test, however. The tires used for the acceleration runs were worn out 16-inch all-season tires. Comeskey has found that 16-inch tires provide better handling and acceleration performance than the mambo 17-inch types, proving once again that SuperTouring-size wheels and tires don’t work well unless they are matched up with SuperTouring horsepower and a racing suspension. While a 0.3-second improvement is significant, a optimum wheel and tire combination would surely improve this margin further. The engine burbles through the exhaust and may be a bit loud for some, but the ride quality seemed reasonable in the short amount of time we spent in the car. Comeskey is continuing to develop more parts, including a more refined exhaust system. Eric Penn, a Detroit computer consultant, stopped by in his 1992 Saturn SC, modified with some of the same parts as Comeskey’s SL2. Penn had the same Saturn sickness as all the rest of them, though his was sensibly directed at SCCA Solo II competition. We like his car, which was more go than show. We really enjoyed his company too, until he started talking about the big Saturn barbeque at Spring Hill... |
