|
Greetings Saturn Enthusiasts!
Please enjoy the latest November SPS Updates…
Valuable Resources are Available Online for Free
Every day, we get tons of emails from enthusiastic Saturn owners who are "anxious" to dive into modifying their own vehicles. This is great, but all too often we get questions about fundamental issues that indicate a basic lack of understanding – and a lack of research.
In an effort to address some of the more common issues for everyone, we have created (and continue to update and maintain) a comprehensive collection of information that is available for free from the SPS website at http://www.spswebpage.com.
Included in this collection are in-depth Tech Article Archives that address issues like internal combustion, Saturn fuel delivery, the impact of sway bars upon handling, and other important subjects.
We also offer a large collection of dynamometer testing data that was collected during the building of the scR ITA racecar.
If you have questions about installation requirements, then you should read the online collection of installation instructions.
And, of course, if you are wondering what parts are available for your car, please don’t ask us to rattle off the entire list! Check out the online catalog yourself at your own convenience.
Product News
Hotshot headers for 94-99 SOHC models are now available! These headers feature a 4-into-1 design with extra long primary tubes for extra low-end torque, metallic-ceramic coatings, and fittings for the stock oxygen sensor. We have tested the new header on a 1994 SC1 and enjoyed a great fit and a noticeable gain in power. The HS-2009C is in stock now at only $329.00 each. (Please note: the SAT21006001 gasket is also in stock for $8.99 each.)
The SPS high-performance motor mounts replace the stock dogbone-style engine and transaxle "struts." These mounts are nearly identical to the OEM-style units – except with a durometer of 390N/mm, they are nearly TWICE as stiff as the stock units. This significantly reduces motor flex during hard acceleration, eliminates "wasted" torque, and provides better acceleration and power delivery. However, these mounts are NOT solid mounts – so, unlike solid mounts sold elsewhere, they retain much of the ride and isolation advantages of the OEM unit. (For all 92-00 "S" cars. Each car uses 2 mounts.) The TREL3013 is available now for $79.00 each.
Our new limited edition black "Saturn" badge sets replace the red exterior emblems on any stock Saturn – adding style and character in the process. Use the 3-Piece Black Saturn Emblem Set for all 91-99 Sedans & all 91-96 Coupes (Part Number: EMB001BL for $29.00 per set) and the 4-Piece Black Saturn Emblem Set for 97-99 Coupes (Part Number: EMB002BL for $39.00 per set.)
52mm performance throttle bodies are now available for the 2000 DOHC models. Use part number THR0004. The price of the 52mm throttle is still $139.00, but note the higher core deposit - $139.00 – as a result of steeper costs of the OE part. (Please note: the SAT21024706 gaskets are also in stock for $19.00 each.)
Many more new products will be introduced very shortly. But although we are excited about the new items, we are trying very hard to 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!
November Specials
Sprint’s SPR8500 lowering springs have always been a low-price value leader, but because we have an excess inventory, our sale price makes an incredible value! Features include a 2.0-inch drop, great ride quality, limited lifetime Sprint warranty, and a blue powdercoat finish. Hurry - they won’t last long at these prices! Only $149.00 per set!
The JM3014 cone filter not only looks better, but it works better too! Features include a tapered cone shape, filtered open front end, and chromed end pieces. And they produced an extra 2 midrange HP during scR dyno testing! What a great way to upgrade your Powerstack without spending a lot of money! Only $34.00 each!
Close-out Kayne exhausts piping is still on sale at blowout prices while supplies last!
Features include: 2.0-inch mandrel bent construction, integrated resonators, 409 or 304 stainless steel material, a special flange at the catalytic converter that fits both SOHC and DOHC models, modified rear sections for easier installation, and included gaskets and clamps. Save $100! 409-grade systems are only $199.00 and 304-grade systems are only $249.00! (Does not include muffler. Only "SS" short wheelbase systems are left!)
We also still have a few leftover items and returned items on hand that we would love to sell fast. These items include:
1 set of Forgeline LS 16x8 forged polished aluminum wheels – never installed – only $299.00 each.
SCRT001 – scR motorports T-Shirts – now only $14.95 each – Save $5.00 each!!
Please visit the SPS web site (http://spswebpage.com/products/deals.html) for more details!
SPS Racing
Mike Kramer and the Thundersport Race team made Saturn enthusiasts proud with their stellar performance at the Valvoline Runoffs – the national championship of SCCA amateur club racing – at the MidOhio Sports Car Course near Lexington, Ohio on Friday, October 8. After a grueling week of practice and qualifying, Mike finally earned a 12th place starting position for the start of the race.
To say the least, the race on Friday was exciting – as exciting as it gets! And though the Saturn SC2 finished with a few bruises and scrapes, it finished the national championship race better – and with faster lap times - than any other Saturn in the history of SCCA amateur club racing. Mike Kramer’s complete personal recount of the race will be posted soon to the SPS website. But following is an excerpt of his story about the championship race.
"There is a short drivers’ meeting and then the five-minute warning. With Tom and John’s help, I get strapped in. We check the two-way radio and the video camera one last time. We get the one-minute warning. I twist the ignition key. The Saturn fires. I start outside, row six, in a field of 25. It could be worse.
We leave the grid and move in double-file around the track. I notice the sky is darker. We’ll get the green flag on the backstretch. Then, we’ll have 19 laps to determine who’s got the best equipment, the best driver, and the best luck.
I am not surprised to see raindrops on the windshield as we crawl through the Keyhole on the way to the starting line. In seconds, it’s a genuine drizzle. I say, "self, methinks the squirrel has found an acorn." Rain is to the No. 19 Saturn what a briar patch is to Brer Rabbit. Rain is good. It’s the great equalizer. In the rain, the Hondas lose their horsepower advantage. And the slick surface will be difficult to manage with their ultra-stiff suspensions. Suddenly the odds have changed.
I’m hard on the throttle as the starter picks up the green flag. I get a great jump. I’m riding seventh going into lap 2. And the rain is falling harder. The track is like ice under snow – slick, sloppy and diabolical – the Saturn loves it, and so do I! Tom radios the lap times - we’re running 2:05 laps.
Let the rain remain, I pray. I pass another car. I’m actually running sixth with 15 laps to go. Then, Tim Connolly’s Mazda dives underneath me as we snake through Madness. Confident that I can overtake him at the next corner, I let him go. But I’m on his bumper - too close - as he begins to slide sideways. I jump off the throttle. In a split second, I begin to slide. The car comes around like a top. Finally, I’m stopped on the wet grass. Most of the field flies by. My solid sixth is suddenly eighteenth. I get the car turned around, find a gear and mash the throttle. The car is in better shape than I am. I scream up the main straight, barking on the radio!
I’m angry! Any mistake is costly. This one just cost us 12 positions and 30-plus seconds. We didn’t come here to finish 18th. We worked too hard for too long to do that. Nothing’s bent or broken. Got to get it together.
Tom keys the radio. "Settle down," he says. "Put the spurs to it." His voice is calm and confident inside my helmet. I do as he says.
But we’ve got a ton of asphalt to make up. Worse yet, the rain is moving out. The track is drying. Everybody will be faster. I must be faster still. The trick will be to find grip where the others don’t. I try a modified line. The tire squeal is faint, but I hear it. The car sticks and we begin running faster on the sloppy track than most everyone else. I’m closing-in on the cars that I had watched pass me earlier. With eight laps to go, I’m back where I started – in twelfth. I can see the leaders. "Gotta’ keep digging." The track is now dry. A lap later and I’m running 10th. But we’re not done. Will Harrison’s Honda gets wide entering the Keyhole. I stick No. 19’s nose inside. We touch. No, actually, we SLAM together at the apex. The driver’s side mirror snaps. I can see into the Civic’s cockpit as Harrison fights the wheel. I stand on the throttle. It’s Honda sheet metal against Saturn’s polymer panels. Polymer wins!
Dead ahead are two Neons. I move to the inside and out-brake them entering Madness. Now, I’m seventh. But Harrison’s powerful Honda fills my mirrors. We are nose-to-tail and door-to-door for two more laps. It’s a cliché, I know. But this is what it’s all about.
Tom’s voice fills my helmet, "be smooth and deliberate." The high-speed pushing and shoving continue. I wonder, though. Am I good or is Harrison toying with me? I think the latter.
Finally, the immovable object gives way to the inexorable force. I’m back to eighth as we take the checkered flag. But we’ve made our case: from 12th to sixth to 18th to eighth. We finish behind six Hondas and a Nissan.
What a great run! We fell down and got back up. We challenged the demons of speed, danced in their back yard, and drove an eighth place stake into the ground before we were done. We had won. The Hondas didn’t sweep the top 10, as promised. Other cars were better – more power and grip. But the little Saturn with the Texaco Star on the hood did itself very proud indeed. And that ThunderSport Crew - it’s the best there is.
Back at the compound, the Saturn flag flies over a serious celebration. Mom and Dad Brandlehner break out champagne. The in-car camera yields riveting footage. We play it again and again.
Our guests depart. My cell phone rings. Son, Alex is on the other end. "How did you do Daddy?" I respond without hesitation. "We won Alex! We finished eighth." When there was time, I’d explain."
Please check the SPS website soon to see the Mike Kramer’s complete personal recount of the entire championship week!
Mailing List Maintenance
Need to add, delete, or change email addresses on the SPS electronic mailing list? Please remember: we do not manage the newsletter mailing list. Instead, it is completely self-managed by our customers. You can add email addresses at http://spswebpage.com/email/addemail.html and remove addresses at http://spswebpage.com/email/del.html.
SPS Events
The SPS schedule for 1999 is winding down. But if you have suggestions for a 1999 or 2000 event that you would like us to attend, please Contact Us.
SPS 1999 Schedule (tentative)
Nov 20: SPS to attend the PRI (Performance and Racing Industry) trade show in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Nov 25: Closed for Thanksgiving
Dec 24: Closed for Christmas Eve.
Dec 31: Closed for New Year’s Eve.
If you have any questions about anything in this newsletter, please Contact Us.
Until next month, HAVE A GREAT FALL! |
