Monthly Archives: January 2013

The Rally xD off to a great 2013 start!

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Congratulations to Andrew Comrie-Picard /Jeremy Wimpey and the Rally xD team for their win in the Two-Wheel Drive National Class in their Scion Racing Rally xD!

First Day Result: Andrew Comrie-Picard and Jeremy Wimpey leads the 2WD Class in their Scion xD at the end of the first day 1:18.1

Second Day Result: Andrew Comrie-Picard still leads in the 2WD Class after stage 17 by +3:13.8

Check the Road Coarse conditions video to get a better understanding of how the track and snow conditions that they had to face this past weekend were.

 

 

 

2013 WRC2 Production Class 2nd Place Finish in Monte Carlo!

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This past weekend, Stohl Racing, a TEIN-sponsored team, took a great podium finish in the first race of the WRC2 Production Car Cup, taking home a 2nd place win!

Racing conditions during the event changed drastically, with mixtures of snow, rain, mud, and in some cases, black ice was a major concern for all drivers. It was, without doubt, a very difficult event.

We’re glad to report that our Group N. dampers held up fine to the ever-changing conditions. A well-prepped rally car and the expertise of driver Armin Kremer and co-driver Klaus Wicha made for an exciting finish to an already difficult race!

The last two stages of the event were canceled. Therefore the final positions and times after SS16 were declared as final.

Congrats to Stohl Racing for a great finish for the first race of the season. Up next is Rally Sweden taking place February 7-10th.

More information on this event, as well as some great photos, can be found on our Facebook page!

www.facebook.com/teinusa

2013 Tokyo Auto Salon

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We have started this 2013 year strong with our newly released Street Flex and EDFC ACTIVE.

Unfortunately TEIN USA was not able to attend the 2013 Tokyo Auto Salon show in Japan (physically), but we still attended the show in the form of our parent company, TEIN Japan, and our photo taken earlier this month. Thank God for the web and media as that would be our only source for consumers to check out those neck breaking cars.

Anywho, we had our new products on display, along with our knowledgeable Japanese staff to answer any questions that enthusiast had.

 

                        

 

They must have been swamped with questions with regards to our newly released product line.  Shoot, here in the US our phones don’t stop ringing, and our inbox is full of inquiries.  I’m sure that the next event we attend in the US will have lines longer than Best Buy’s on Black Friday.

 

                                      

 

 

Can anyone direct me to the TEIN booth??…lol

Overall it was a great show.  The consumers’ feedback was as we anticipated. Our new product line is being received with open arms and we couldn’t ask for more (well… except for more orders, of course!!! LOL).  Please visit the link provided below as it will direct you to our Face Book page. You can check out other photos taken at the show.  Feel free to give us a call or drop a message if you have any questions!

 https://www.facebook.com/teinusa/photos_albums

 

 

 

 

 

 

A First Prize Inquiry

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Hi everyone, back again with something a little different. Just wanted to highlight a consumer’s car for this month’s blog post.

Fred Hamilton had originally contacted TEIN with a tech inquiry regarding a set of TEIN Flex coilovers he had purchased. He made the requested changes along with any other suggested adjustments to his system. He then called back thanking us for the assistance. I went ahead and asked for some photos of his vehicle which he had detailed at that time that the vehicle would be both a daily driver and show car. He gladly sent over some photos of the vehicle and let me know that he was going to attend an event that following month and that he would send me photos of the event.

Later that month as mentioned he contacted me informing me that he would be sending over photos of the event and that he had won 1st place for Best Display at the Import Face-Off in Baytown Texas.

 

 I congratulated him on his victory and told him to send me over the complete list of modifications done to the car as I would gladly post a blog entry for his vehicle for being a great guy all around and being a committed and supportive TEIN fan.

Below are some photos and a modification list of his car.

Performance:

Auto to Manual Swap

H23 Vtec Engine Swap w/LSD Transmission

Chipped P28 ECU

Stage 2 Competition Clutch w/Lightweight Flywheel

Skunk2 Pro Series Intake Manifold w/Hondata Intake Manifold Gasket

Megan Racing 4-2-1 Header

JDM Camshaft Seal (Blue)

NGK Spark Plug Wires

Denso Iridium IK20 Spark Plugs

NRG Upper Strut Bar Modified

NRG Radiator Cap

OBX Blue Silicone Radiator Hoses

SRS Turbo Racing Exhaust System

Innovative Motor Mount Kit

 

Suspension and Wheels:

TEIN Flex Coilovers for Japanese Euro R

Megan Front and Rear Camber Kits

17×7.5 Gunmetal w/polished lip Nex-o Wheels

205/45R17 Dunlop Dirrezzas

Black Rays Engineering Lug nuts

 

Cosmetics:

Extreme Dimensions Duraflex Fiberglass Front Bumper, Side skirts, and Rear Lip Kit

Custom GM Graphics Green Metallic Paint

Custom CG Headlights

5300K McCulloch HID Kit

Password JDM Valve Cover Washers

NRG Fender Washers

Interior:

Acura Weighted Shift Knob

LED Gauge and Dash Lights

Alpine CDE-123 Head unit w/ Pioneer Coaxial Speakers

Momo Steering Wheel with NRG Quick Release Hub Kit

 Once again thank you Fred for your continued support and best of luck to you in the 2013 show/event year.

 

Street Flex?

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Now there has been a lot of talk about our New Street Flex coil-over system. TEIN Japan has had a head start on getting the product launch, and it has been generating a lot of inquiries for us stateside. I’m here to share the new specs and information about the system with you.


So, let’s start of with the similarities of the Flex and Street Flex applications.

  1. Full Length adjustable
  2. Twin tube structure
  3. 16 level linear damping force adjustment.
  4. Exclusively designed upper mounts are included for some applications.

And now for the Improvements-

  1. Damping force adjustment with Advance Needle. “ADVANCE Needle”, which is proven effective in STREET ADVANCE, for 16-level damping force adjustment feature (compression & rebound together) widens damping force adjustment range; Nearly 200% compared to existing products! Greater adjustment range gives you more setting capabilities and thus makes it easier than ever to find the desired setting.
  2. Improved Durability. Improved, redesigned oil seal and ring nut with dust-discharge groove on side are used. Such new and advanced parts improve the durability, preventing contamination by foreign matters which can lead to the reduction of product life. Final assembly of shock absorbers is now done in a dedicated clean room, which is almost equivalent to operating room, to thoroughly eliminate the cause of oil leak. Room pressure is kept under control to shut out dust & dirt and all workers entering the room must go through an air shower to make sure all the assembly work is done in completely clean air.
  3. Tough anti-rust treatment. The patented “2-layer/1-bake” treatment using anti-rust powder paint is applied on top of the blast finish to the base surface. On the shell case, TEIN’s self-developed one-of-a-kind “ZT Coating” is applied, for tougher protection against chipping, often caused by deflected pebbles/debris. We are confident that people living in snowfall area or near sea shores will be very satisfied.
  4. Smooth ride height adjustment. STREET FLEX has adopted new wrought aluminum spring seats and low-friction hard-resin thrust washers. These effectively reduce the friction with springs, caused during ride height adjustment, and makes it easier to adjust the ride height with pre-load on the springs.
    The ZT Coating, a super low-friction fluorine resin coating, is tightly baked onto the shell case surface in-house. This special coating provides superior protection against rust and high lubricity, keeping a smooth adjustment for a long period.

High-Quality yet Affordable!

Fundamental structure, persistently being improved and matured over the past 15 years, is now reviewed in terms of VA & VE and 40% of its existing components are re-designed. With this, the durability against oil leaks and/or aged deterioration is well improved and the operating noise is reduced. Also, the introduction of new production processes improves the productive efficiency and hence the overall cost is well reduced. This new product is sure to satisfy wide variety of users; from novice to expert.

We currently have the following applications In Stock and ready to ship. Please contact any our TEIN Authorized Dealers for purchase. http://www.tein.com/dealer_list/index.html

PART #

VEHICLE YEAR/MODEL

CHASSIS

MSRP

GSB48-51SS3

2004-2008 ACURA TSX

CL9

$1,350.00

GSH00-51SS3

1996-2000 HONDA CIVIC

EM1/EJ6,7,8

$1,350.00

GSM40-51SS1

1990-2005 MAZDA MIATA

NA8C/NB8C

$1,350.00

GSQ54-51SS1

2013+ SCION FR-S

ZNA

$1,580.00

GSQ54-51SS1

2013+ SUBARU BRZ

ZCA

$1,580.00

GSQ08-51AS3

2010+ TOYOTA PRIUS

ZVW30

$1,680.00

GST60-51SS3

1993-1998 TOYOTA SUPRA

JZA80L

$1,450.00

GST76-51SS3

1998-2005 LEXUS GS300/400/430

JZS/UZS160L

$1,450.00

GSY20-51SS3

2000-2005 LEXUS IS300

JCE10L

$1,450.00

GST60-51SS3

1992-2000 LEXUS SC300/400

UZZ30L

$1,450.00

New EDFC Active Video!

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We’ve received a lot of requests on the upcoming EDFC Active. Mainly- When will it be released?; What will price be?; What coilovers are they compatible with?

All good questions. So…

When will it be released?

TEIN USA is expecting to receive its first shipments before the end of January. Nothing confirmed yet. But even so, we’re still looking at possibly a mid-February delivery, with several more shipments received from late-February and mid-March. Many of our authorized dealers are taking preorders now to help and secure some sets for their customers.

What will price be?

EDFC Active Controller kit (part number EDK04-P8021) will retail for $433.
EDFC Active GPS Kit (part number EDK07-P8022) will retail for $80.

*Current EDFC Motor Kits (part numbers EDK05-10100, EDK05-10120, EDK05-10140, EDK05-12120, EDK05-12140, EDK05-14140) will work with these new EDFC Active components. Retail for EDFC Motor Kits is $165.

What coilovers are they compatible with?

Some Super Street and Street Advance, as well as all SS-P, Flex, Mono Flex, Super Drift, Comfort Sport, and Super Racing dampers can use the new EDFC Active.

*Super Racing dampers will require, two EDFC Motor Kits (one set for compression and one set for rebound adjustment), as well as two additional Motor Driver Units (1 unit for 2 EDFC Motors).

Please check our website for information on EDFC compatibility

http://www.tein.com/price/index.html

And now, TEIN Japan has released a new video demonstrating EDFC Active and its functions

We are definitely excited to have this new addition to our product lineup. As we had mentioned, this, along with the new Street Flex dampers are sure to make 2013 a great year!

We’re bound to receive more frequently asked questions, so keep posted with us as details become available!

Look Out For Counterfeit TEIN!!

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We recently received a single damper for a potential overhaul repair that stood out like a sore thumb. After a thorough inspection it was determined we received a counterfeit TEIN product. Now, this isn’t the first time to have happened. A few years back we had a similar  situation.

We were saddened to hear the customer was convinced he purchased an authentic TEIN product through eBay.  Goes to show that’s how greedy some people can be- to manufacture a counterfeit item with low grade material and put peoples’ lives at risk. Please take a close look at the images below.

 

 

Word of advice!! Only purchase TEIN product from an authorized TEIN dealer. Please visit the link provided below to help with locating the nearest dealer to you.

http://www.tein.com/dealer_list/index.html

Just Another New Year,,,,, FOR RACING!

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Not only is 2013 an exciting year for TEIN in regards to new products, but we are also prepping for a great year of racing. One of the teams we assist in Rally America, and who we are quite fond of writing about, the Sparco Rally xD team is starting to put the finishing touches on this year’s chassis.

Aesthetically, it may look to be just about the same. But, as the saying goes, it’s what’s on the inside that counts. And this chassis lives up to that saying!

Much more fabrication is going into this new car. As it is, the Rally xD team are facing some serious competition. Some of which are tried and trued platforms used internationally. The Rally xD is one of few cars that doesn’t have that sort of background. For the past 4 years, this team has been the guinea pig in getting a Scion xD into a competitive vehicle. As I’ve stated  before, and as I say again, these guys are doing such a great job at it.

Although I don’t feel at liberty to cough up the details on the new car, I will say that their TEIN dampers for 2013 are a big step up from the HG-based dampers of years prior. This year, they’re using 2-way adjustable dampers based loosely off of the Group N. dampers. Basically, it is height adjustable and compression and rebound adjustable. This damper project was completed through our Specialized Damper Program- a program also available to the public!

Below are a few photos of the team’s progress on the vehicle, as well as their new TEIN dampers.

I’m sure I can dig up a few more photos of the car build. But I’m sure they’d appreciate if you gave them a follow on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram (@RallyxD,,, easy enough to find!), which they are very active on. Tons of photos for all of you to see! So, please do so and be sure to wish this hardworking crew the best of luck for 2013!

Other than this team, we look forward to another great program of events for the year ranging from Time Attack to the Formula Drift series. As always, we’re glad to be involved!