Finding the right shop for any tuner need is hard to do. Some are dishonest, and give biased information so that they can make a profit....but this is not the case with Stage 2 Performance in North Brunswick New Jersey.

For everyone in the area, I'm going to give the full pros and cons with my expereinces for the past three months beacuse I have been very impressed with the way they do business.

Building my hatch, I have been very careful to budget money for each part so that the summer of 05 i can hit the autox season and a few track days pretty hard. A large part of doing that requires a motor...so of course I sorted through the options.
Shop or do it myself. I am a very well read tuner, but i didnt have the confidence to take on such a project without a lift or air tools. (hold back on flaming)

So after a few months of research I was talking to Cliff (the stage 2 sales rep) and he said they have to clear out their warehouse, and would give me a deal...So here goes

b16a
p30 ecu (eventaully turned into chipped p28)
exedy clutch
resurfaced flywheel
new axles
new belts/full tuneup
ONE MONTH WARRANTY

for $3000.00 + tax

I drop my car off on a friday, and when sunday comes around i roll up to the shope (past the turbo supras and turbo civics) to my freshly swapped car. Beautiful.
They let me take it out and for some reason im throwing the automatic code on the ecu, only revving to 7, and my thermo is all messed up. Meanwhile its 7pm on a SUNDAY and everyone stays to help me get it working properly. After looking and trying to jump the ecu we find out its an auto p30(1 in a million).

A day or 2 later i come back and pick up a p28 that they had gotten for me specifically. Drove it around of a week or 2 noticed some oil onthe block...so i brought it back... and they put in a fresh aebs cam seal. Everytime there was something i was weary about i would call and they would help me out no matter what.

2 months after the warranty, I had a problem with sputtering...so once again i rolled over and they spent a god part of the day with me swapping dizzys, changing o-rings, and going on test drives. FREE

Then just this week I was getting a funny noise from my axle, and after a test drive, no questions asked they replaced it.

Stage 2 Performance in New Jersey has been the best experience I could have asked for getting into the hybrid honda world. Service unmatched, and instead of being know it all ******** they worked with me on everything. I mean, ill be the first to admit that when it comes to problems with my car, since it is my daily driver i get upset. fortunately for me they helped me out when most other shops would tell me to go **** myself.

Cliffs:
I got a b16a swap
Had a few minor problems
They helped/held warranty no questions asked
good price/good service/good quality
Stage 2 Performace

Pros:
Warranty
Good Price/Service
Experienced

Cons:
Drag Racing oriented (no love for the road course)
Joke around sometimes when you arent needing it....
ex: you bring your car in for a problem (oil leak, cam seal) and they tell you blew your bottom end...watch you freak out, then let u know it was something little. I stopped falling for it after like the 3rd time. My friends all thought it was funny too....

UPDATE

a few months down the road.

Stage 2 was great initially with helping me with my problems...the minor ones that always happen when you do a swap... but as i drove the car things started coming out. None of this is going to be exagerated in any way just the truth...

Every time i decelorated there wa a clunking noise in my car... and i couldnt figure it out... I pulled the suspension checked the brakes, couldnt find anything. I finally drove the car up to Stage 2 and had them check it out and replace the axle...Still there! They said check the suspension again...so i did.... and when i took my car down to maryland to get tuned the guy knew exactly what it was... my TORQUE MOUNT.

Stage 2 said that the sohc wouldnt fit and instead of replacing it or telling me... they let it hang to clunk every time there was play in the motor. Not so much a big deal.... because it was an easy fix...

Also, when i had got my swap i had asked for a cat. Instead i got a test pipe and reassured that they would help me when the time came. Now that its august when my inspection is due... .theyre guy who can help get my car to pass is unavailable...ouch


Modified by StreetEG at 4:35 PM 4/30/2005


Modified by StreetEG at 8:34 PM 7/25/2005

 

Nice writeup.

 

Great write up, I guess they do turbo builds as well? I'm looking for a shop in NJ/NYC area i'll give them a call.

 

They do turbo builds...

Lets just say 700whp integra
and now a 1.9L ek fully built in the works....


Modified by StreetEG at 2:13 PM 4/30/2005

 

nice way to advertise
If you could do it yourself, you could have did it all for half the price.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by MugenHonda &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">nice way to advertise
If you could do it yourself, you could have did it all for half the price.
</TD></TR></TABLE>

half the price

i highly doubt it
i spend $2500 shipped just for my motor(jdm b16a sir2)
then another $300 on a new clutch and flywheel
$100 of oil and other bullcrap

even if he had gotten a first gen b16a it would of still cost $1700 for motor then another $200 for timing belt kit or $100 for belt. so on

i think he got a good deal and it had a warranty

 

Well assuming this story isn't coming from the owner, that's one hell of a shop. I'd pay 3k for a b16 if I knew I could come back with problems and they would help me.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Aphelion &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Well assuming this story isn't coming from the owner, that's one hell of a shop. I'd pay 3k for a b16 if I knew I could come back with problems and they would help me.</TD></TR></TABLE>
i can tell you not this thread is not 'coming from the owner' i know Jeff that works at Stage 2, very nice people indeed. his integra is monsterous

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by MugenHonda &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">nice way to advertise
</TD></TR></TABLE>

First of all I am NOT the owner.
Why cant people just give credit where it is due without getting hounded by someone.

Second of all I was posting the truth about services they have provided for me and recommending them as a shop.

Finally... give stage 2 a call.... ask them if i have any affiliation to their shop. They probably hate me cause i bitch about my car every 2 weeks! hopefully not....

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by MugenHonda &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
If you could do it yourself, you could have did it all for half the price.
</TD></TR></TABLE>

I wish i could have done it myself...I think it is great experience, but i did not have the tools, or someone i knew that had done it before to help me. Nor did i feel like going through all the troubleshoot when it was in...

But as for the cost i dont think i could have done better... especially with a warranty

 

I bought a Srr Lower Tie bar from them , They shipped it out quick Stage 2 is a sponsor for another web site (JDM********.com) great prices, fast shipping, great customer service

Stage2 performace

i dont think he is the owner , the owner would be a sponser if he was a member on here

 

I wish I could have found a shop like that. The shop here in Sugar Hill, GA (outside Atlanta) have fucked me over, bullshitted and I have fired them. They lost my special injector clips after changing my injectors out so I could pass emissions. They can't find the clips, no OBD-0 or OBD-1 clips fit and they told me to find them myself and they would reimburse with a receipt. They didn't even get me to pass emissions and still rapped my wallet. Great find on a great shop though. Good for you!

 

good info

 

ive meet some of they guys that go there and everyone is honest and friendly.. nice write up sure it will give more business i might even take a trip up there this week!

 

EDIT: when they put the swap in they didnt bolt in the torque mount on the driver side... and didnt tell me. When i called up and asked why they said that it was the sohc and didnt fit....so i guess they just let it hang there.

Also, they sold me wheels that look amazing....but in the wrong offsets...so.... i rub on the inner part of the wheel well (where engine compartment meets wheel well).

Anyway... like with anything do your research before you commit but still over all i give these guys

Especially with horror stories of other shops ive heard.. Minor problems but still probs indeed.

 

nice. iminght just have to check them put. do you have a number so i can call them, thank

 

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by MugenHonda &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">nice way to advertise
If you could do it yourself, you could have did it all for half the price.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Are you always negative in all your posts?

 

whos the guy who works for stage2 on this board? Trying to price the cost of a b20 into my 91 teg

 

sounds like a good shop that u could actually trust

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by brinks &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">whos the guy who works for stage2 on this board? Trying to price the cost of a b20 into my 91 teg</TD></TR></TABLE>

his name is brucehunglo....aim screen name stage2perfcliff.... check em out