As I said, if anyone has any ideas for products, please feel free to contact me. I am happy to do the development work. They might not be as expensive as you 1st think! Or if people want to make their own stuff I could supply you with the materials cut to length/spec and all that is required is assembly. I just need to know what you guys want. . . . . I've started a thread now, so people can add their suggestions of products to it - come on dont be shy . . . . . http://www.clubgti.com/showthread.php?271257-VW-Development-Parts&p=2333032#post2333032
I agree with the above. VW has usually been about 'scene/show' stuff - as far as I have noticed. Renault has a strong line of decent 'race' spec stuff, but then they have had their own one-make manufacturer-supported championship since 1974! So Renault 5's and now Clio's have always been associated with trackdays/racing as a result. I have never regarded VW as a 'racing' brand, maybe because they wanted Audi or Seat to take that role so pushed their motorsport devisions instead. The current WRC may change that, but that is not a touring-car program.....
There are/were companies doing race stuff for GTI's.. the eighties and nineties were full of them.. trouble is that the GTI world has become more about looks than performance. Club GTI is the last bastion of the performance GTI.. In my own experience we don't help ourselves, my example would be HRP, most people that know me know I've worked with HRP a lot over the years, HRP is the continuation of JTM Racing (renamed when Jim died, who I used to work for).. JTM Racing made all the goodies for Autocavan during the eighties and nineties.. now HRP have all the jigs, tooling etc.. but do we buy the stuff they develop? no, we don't. We prefer to look at the price of a HRP product, think its too expensive, then copy the design.. sure, Joe Bloggs in his shed can make it cheaper, but he doesn't have to cover the development costs. It just means HRP no longer bother with us as we just keep copying thier designs to save 20. Rant over. Personally I run HRP engine mounts, a HRP pedal box, upper rear strut brace, upper front strut brace, lower front strut brace.. and guess where my tubular wishbones, blade ARB and triangulated rear beam came from?
That is a very useful piece of info right there Mickey. However, to the average internet punter or someone new to Golfs, HRP is not even a name they know let alone what they actually offer? I for one will put my hand up and say I didn't know the extent of what they sell. Gurds
I think that's the issue. When looking for engine mounts myself. There was no info so went elsewhere. Although they were mentioned to me
Hmmmm shows how well thier sponsorship of this site works then! The "chassis" section has thier banner advert.. Maybe thats the other problem we have now, if you don't have a website, you don't exist.. P.S Historic Racecar Preperations. The core of thier business is historic saloons, in the 2000's when I was there they were effectively Alan Mann Racing and ran mustangs and falcons.. most recently they built a Ford Anglia for Alan Mann for the Goodwood Revival..
I use HRP front Engine mounts on my WOLF R and on JENVEE ( NASP 16v Golf 2 track road hack). I was first introduced to these mounts by Yaash Motors, who use them in their G60 conversions. The last time Kim made one of these with supplied poly bushes. Still works great on the car. RobT's point still stands though.
But I guess here lies the issue. No one is really aware of what is or has been on offer. Many companies have big business in various motorsport but are not easily accessible or visible to the public who in general need some persuasion to spend their, in most cases, smaller budgets. Are sponsors not given dedicated areas to promote their product? This helps Joe Blogs see what is on offer and can keep track of the latest goodies. Gurds
Hrp banner has a number. But people don't always want to make phone calls. A website is like a shop window. Even if you have to make a call to order, the info is there.
These days we want to see pictures of what we are buying.. and prices. A banner with a phone number doesn't even say what is on offer.
Small lightweight race alternator kit - light as possible External waterpump kits Electric powersteering kits tubular front subframe assemblies - thought of from a race geometry perspective - includes steering rack, wishbones, maybe even uprights (*) bolt-in 'works' engine mounts to hang the engine off the chassis rails (for mk2/3 etc cars and to work with *) uprated driveshafts blade adjustable arbs lightweight but stiffer rear axle assemblies pukka exhaust manifolds paired down minimal weight wiring looms aluminium front and rear hubs etc etc etc etc All of this can be made, but the costs are high for one-off products.
Where abouts are HRP based in Surrey? Is it somewhere that can be visited to view products? I only ask as I am based in Surrey
^ Haslemere ? I have JTM (HRP) fabricated Autocavan parts on my Mk1, have seen a few `copies` and none compare for quality. Saw all the jigs too ... works of art Jim and his team also built the cage into the car, SD rear with harness bar plus a `hand made` front section together with seats mounts ... great people and excellent work / skills I found them back in the early 2000`s as JTM via Geoff of Autocavan and have since followed them via Mickey as HRP ... recommended
Indeed, this is where I became aware of HRP. Mk1 pedal box order, 2006, and the source of Autocavan / Volksport lower braces, engine mounts from the '90s, all apparent. They'd been clearly around for years, but in c. 1999 the source dried up when Autocavan became GSF and residual parts were available from Geoff Thomas or JTM if you knew to look. However, JTM -> HRP still apparently only sold to the trade though there was Mickey's work in getting pedal boxes and lower brace bars out to the Club guys. Fast forward to 2011, I went and saw Kim at HRP on Mickey's advice. G-Werks had been the supplier of engine mounts but were not getting sales/later closed. Would HRP deal direct with the public? Answer: "yes". Bingo, and we did a CGTI 2k + Group Buy on mounts within weeks - and the banner advertising followed. HRP are a traditional fabrication shop. A website would be a nice to have, but the HRP rotating banner was photographed and designed in its absence - by myself - to convey what they can do: Open to development ideas, a left hand drive Mk1 pedal box was created, duly added to the advert. Then during 2011/12, rear axle triangulation kit was suggested. And now it exists. Ask, and you shall find
