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Greetings Saturn Enthusiasts!
Please enjoy the latest December SPS Updates…
Holiday Schedules That May Affect You
As a result of the upcoming holiday celebrations, SPS will be closed Monday, December 25 and Monday, January 1. United Parcel Service will also close on these days, so there will be no UPS pickups or deliveries on Monday, December 25 or Monday, January 1.
New Catalogues are in the Mail
Here is a Christmas gift that benefits all of us: the catalogue that we have been working on all year is finally finished! As you read this, copies are being mailed to our entire customer list. If you have ever ordered parts or catalogues from us, then you should be receiving a copy very shortly. (We saw the pre-press proof during the last week of November. This 48-page full color document is worth the wait!)
Product News
H&R’s quality performance springs improve handling and give the Saturn L-series sedans and wagons a lower, more aggressive stance. H&R springs use aggressive spring rates for reduced body roll and better handling, yet their progressive design allows a fine ride quality when cruising. Each H&R spring is made in Germany from the highest quality chrome silicone wire, shot-peened, carefully compression tested, and paired in matched sets. For rust protection, they are phosphate coated and feature a gloss powder coat finish. (Limited lifetime warranty. Approximate lowering of 1.25-inches in the front and .5-inch in the rear.) Use the HR29737 with all 2000+ "L" cars with the 4-cylinder powerplant and the HR29737-2 with all 2000+ "L" cars with the 6-cylinder powerplant. Both versions are available now for $259.00 per the complete 4-spring set.
Denso’s new Iridium spark plugs use incredibly durable iridium to make a spark plug electrode that is only .4mm in diameter. (That’s "four-tenths" of one millimeter not "four millimeters.") And while the iridium material itself has no claimed performance benefit, its incredible strength and high melting point (even higher than platinum) allows much smaller electrode design than what would be possible with conventional materials. This smaller electrode creates a more concentrated electric field that reduces the voltage requirement. On some performance motors, this can translate into easier starts and quicker acceleration. Choose the WSIK16 for all 91-98 models or the WSIQ16 for all 99+ "S" cars. Both models are $13.95 per plug.
Fast Cam strut bolts from Ingalls Engineering are smaller diameter strut bolts that employ an offset lobe. This design provides more precise camber adjustment and allows for one degree of additional camber - either positive or negative. This is very useful when aligning the suspension following the installation of lowering kits – or when targeting a precise alignment setting for competition purposes. Now available for the front struts of the LS and LW models is the IE3541 bolt for $15.55 each.
Many more new products will be introduced very shortly. But although we are excited about the new items, we must use discretion about releasing new product information because sharing any information before solidifying all of the facts can inadvertently mislead customers, employees, and supporters. Please visit our web site often and watch for future updates. Many more exciting items are on the horizon!
December Specials
Our imported strut tower brace may not exude the quality craftsmanship of some others on the market, but at this low price, you may not care! This bolt-on brace strengthens the area between the front upper strut towers to increase chassis rigidity for better handling and improved steering response. And it features a highly polished cross bar with powdercoated black brackets. Fits all SOHC and 91-96 SC and SC2 Saturns. (Note: brackets will contact hood liners on some DOHC models.) The VIB1840 is normally $49.00 but is on sale now for only $39.00!
Show off your project Saturn with the name that means "The World Specialists in Saturn Performance!" Our vinyl window banners are intended for external application to the upper portion of the front windshield. Combine these lettered banners with a tinted strip, and you’ll have just the right look. All 4 styles are available in 6 colors: black, blue, red, silver, yellow, and white. Choose from "Saturn by SPS," "SPSwebpage.com," "SPS Performance," or "SPS Racing." These are normally $14.95 each but are on sale now for only $9.95 each!
Please visit the SPS web site (http://www.spswebpage.com) for more details!
SPS Racing
James Walker and the scR motorsports team had earned about 6 weeks of rest and preparation time after the MidOhio race on September 23. But by the time November had rolled around, they were anxious to get back to the racetrack. So on November 7, James and his crew chief, Tom McCready, packed up the van and drove to Road Atlanta to race for the national ITA title during the American Road Race of Champions.
It took 12 hours, 70 gallons of gas, 6 CDs, and one tray of brownies to get to Atlanta. But once there, they were rewarded with…well…rain. Lots and lots of rain.
Unfortunately, the rain would continue through Wednesday and Thursday – the practice days that the scR team had been counting on in order to practice on the unfamiliar Road Atlanta track and to dial-in an appropriate chassis setup. James and Tom did manage to run a few practice sessions on Thursday with rain tires, but practicing in the rain is of virtually no value when it comes to setting up a racecar – and learning how to drive fast – in a dry race. So for all practical purposes, Thursday was little more than a chance for the team to get soaking wet.
Fortunately, dry sunny weather moved in on Friday – just in time for a day of qualifying sessions. But since Thursday had been more or less wasted, the "qualifying" sessions would also have to serve as practice and experimentation sessions for the scR team. And things did not start well. In fact, tire temperatures taken during the middle and again after the first session were not indicative of a well-functioning racecar. And James felt as though the car was plagued by understeer. At the end of Friday’s first session, James and the #34 car had posted the 8th fastest time in a field of 26. But they knew that several cars behind them were not yet up to speed. They would need to improve the handling balance if they were to do well in the second session.
Prior to the second session, the car was subjected to many adjustments and the usual set of inspections. Changes to the damping rates, sway bar setting, and alignment were all made in an effort to make the car turn more quickly. But the result was not as hoped. In fact, even after pitting during the middle of the session for another damping rate change, James still struggled just to keep pace with his times from the first session. It quickly became clear that a serious change would be needed before the race on Saturday – especially in light of the fact that scR’s starting position had now fallen to 14th.
On Saturday, James, the #34 car, and the scR team arrived at the grid with yet another chassis setup. As soon as the green flag was shown, the racing action began in a fury of activity that quickly became 4 lanes of traffic squeezing through the first turn. After racing for several years in the national showroom stock class, James considered himself to be accustomed to bumping and rubbing, but James admits, "these guys were a step beyond anything that I had experienced." Sounds like fun…
Unfortunately, the unexpected degree of bumping and rubbing cost 3 positions. However, during the second lap, James managed to steal back 2 more positions. Then, while attempting another pass to reclaim the 14th spot, James struck some curbing with the left front wheel. The ensuing damage made what James calls, "one of those really bad sounds." The pass stuck, but the car’s handling took a turn for the worst. One lap later, James ran his fastest lap of the race – 1:46.3 – during which he caught fellow Saturn racer, Gary Lippert in the #26 SC2. James looked to pass a few times, but never got a good opportunity before a full-course yellow bunched up the field on lap 12.
The restart took place with 5 laps to go. But like the first lap at the start of the race, things didn’t go well for James or the #34 car. Given the frantic pace of the restart and the unknown chassis problem in the left front, James was lucky to only loose the 5 positions that he lost. Fortunately, he reclaimed every one of those spots during the next 4 laps and finally managed a 13th place finish.
Of course, James and the crew were initially disappointed with their 13th place finish. But they have since come to realize that being the 13th fastest ITA car in the nation in your first full season of racing is pretty impressive. Needless to say, 13th will not be good enough next year…
To see the latest scR newsletter, scR tech article or the 2001 schedule, visit the scR motorsports website at http://www.teamscr.com.
Gift Ideas for the Holiday Season
Whether you are hoping to receive a great gift or hoping to give a great gift this holiday season, SPS can help with a large list of great inexpensive low-risk gift ideas. We still have an excellent inventory of items that appeal to virtually any Saturn enthusiast (regardless of vehicle model) and yet won’t break your budget. Black emblems, STR oil cap covers, shift knobs, SPS spark plug wires, 8mm spark plug wire separators, window banners, SPS decals, scR decals, SPS t-shirts, scR polo shirts, and SPS Racing lanyards all make great gifts. We are also discounting the VIB1840 strut tower brace and our wide selection of window banners as the December specials since these make great last-minute gifts. (Hint: if you are hoping to receive any of these items this year, then you might want to print off this newsletter and leave it in a strategic location for others to see.)
SPS is also now offering gift certificates that simplify the giving process! These gift certificates are available for any amount and have no expiration date. So make it easy – just consider SPS gift certificates for Christmas this year. Then call our order desk at 800-632-1059! (Some restrictions apply concerning shipping addresses and payment arrangements. Please ask a representative or visit http://spswebpage.com/gift.html for more details.)
SPS Events
The SPS schedule for 2000 is winding down. Important dates are listed below:
SPS 2000-2001 Schedule (tentative):
Dec 25: SPS Closed for Christmas Holiday/No UPS pickups or deliveries
Jan 1: SPS Closed for New Years Day Holiday/No UPS pickups or deliveries
If you have any questions about anything in this newsletter, please Contact Us.
To view previous editions of the newsletter, please visit the Newsletter Archive.
If you wish to add an email address to the list, please do so at http://spswebpage.com/email/addemail.html. If you need to remove an address from the list, please do so at http://spswebpage.com/email/del.html. Please do NOT notify us directly with your removal or addition requests!
Until next month, HAVE A GREAT HOLIDAY! |
