The quick and skinny:

Well, as some of you already know working as an engineer sucks *** now days. The market took a dump and tech jobs are sinking like the sticker price of my '02 SI (daymitalltohell).
I was approached by a pseudo friend of mine that had this "idea" of starting a REAL import shop, you know, NOT the kinda shop that sells lights, bags and gay chit like that. I've always had that idea in the back of my beer filled mind to try it but had not really had the push to do it.
Bob, the pseudo friend, is most likely the most detail oriented person I know. He was working for GM with the C5 Corvette racing team. An now works for Continental Tire, at least for a while longer, LOL.
Anylay, his ability to solve most any problem in his head while the rest of us use a slide rule or TI-85 and having built his Miata (power to weight less than 5:1, on pump gas and emissions legal!!) to roll all street bikes, I figured the team we could make together might just do well....?

So, just yesterday we finalized the lease (land) and signed it. The equipment will begin to show up early next week, they are as follows:

(1) Hunter GSP9700 Balancer http://www.hunter.com/pub/product/product.htm
(1) Hunter TC3500 Mounter http://www.hunter.com/pub/product/product.htm
(2) Two post lifts
(1) MD-500 Mustang Dyno http://www.mustangdyne.com/
which will allow for steady state tuning, a Dynojet CAN NOT DO THIS.

and various other chit: welder, metal bender, press, drill press, parts washer, compressor, plasma cutter, etc......................

We'll try to be fully up and running by April 1st but will be conducting business within a few days.

Don't worry, lot will be paved soon.




So, as you can tell we have alot riding on this..............only time will tell.

Yack- who will surely have a small open house for the expo caravan in April, and later, a Grand Opening TBA.


P.S. I can not spell and have zero grammer skillz


[Modified by B18CXr, 6:04 PM 3/5/2003]

 

 

Congrats Yack!!!!!

Best of Luck!

Some guy sold me this red Hatchcrapper and after the 03 ECHC I may want to make it fast. Any idea on how to do this? Have ya ever worked on Hon-dogs before? Save a few weeks on the Calender in Nov-Dec. for me!

Good Luck.
John

 

doin't forget me...a proud owner of yack's old h00d...which now sports APC h00dlocks and LED windshield washers...

 

I wuold do a couple things different.
I would not call it an IMPORT SHOP. The stigma attached to the hole thing is rediculous. Also try to give 10% off to a couple of spec classes. YOu mentioned Miatas, do a 10% off to Spec Miata racers or HOnda challenge folks. I know of a couple shops here that do that and they get lots of business (one for PCA & BMW club the other for the Classic Car Roadracing) from that alone. Doing track side support (air, tire balancing, mounting, selling gloves renting helmits etc, all for a small fee) at local autocrosses and road course events that have events for the class you give the discount to may help also. All that takes is a truck, tire machine, balance machine and an air compressor. This kind of thing will attract real racers, not broke RICERS. Track side support is a good money maker too. If some one forgot the tire gauge or decides to buy one, and you have some right there, even if it is a little over priced you will most likely get the sale. I did this for Bobby Archer's for a while, good business.

Just a couple of Ideas, use them or not, wont hurt my feelings.

 

Good luck on that venture! Hope it proves to be worthwhile!

 

matts a stunna y0


-spenc
ps-good luck with the venture jack. hope it works out to be all you had intended and then some

 

Goodluck with starting a new buisness! Hope it works out well! True race shops are few and far between!

-nate

 

best of luck with your shop. Do your best to disassociate(is that a werd?) yourself with the import scene. It is truly rediculous.


Race shops

Mike

 

trackside support = money in the bank *I remember a discussion with you about this at CMP over some beers

you know if you ever want to expand into the Culpeper market just let Corey and I know, our tree branch motor lift will be there for another hundred years probably

 

 

 

Jack, you got all my tire mounting business as of right now. The Hunter stuff is FIRST CLASS. Only equiptment that has NOT scratched my wheels. Yeah, they were cheap, but if my chit get screwed up, I wanna be the one to do it!! I used one at a shop in Cary during my most recent unemployment and that thing could mount a Hoosier on a C5 rim faster than Karl drinks malt liquor.

to real race shops

 

The Hunter stuff is FIRST CLASS

yep, I just finished up the Hunter class for that balancer......daym thing can almost cook breakfast if you wanted it tooooooo..


there is "none higher" balancer wise.


[Modified by B18CXr, 11:34 PM 3/5/2003]

 

good luck with your business.

 

Important question: Where will the shop be?

 

Congrats Jack... I look forward to checking it out when I'm down at Lowes in June...

 

*edited for a different pic and dont want Arnold to get played out

Brian


[Modified by Brian*Blue95M3, 6:10 AM 3/6/2003]

 

Yeah man, those Load Force Variance machines are badass. We have one of those in my suspensions class. Takes forever to mount and balance tires though!

 

u got that right! Hunter rules!!! lets make this a thread about how awesome Hunter is.

Hunter

 

Thank you!

 

So I'm assuming this is actually just across the border in SC (if I remember my geography of the Charlotte region correctly)...

 

actually just across the border in SC

yessh

 

there's no place to do burnouts in that drive way!!! what's up with that???

 

more power to ya! there is a large variety of "import performance shops" in my area, none of which would know how to calculate the effective wheel rate of x set of springs on y car. all of them deal mostly in body kits, 19in 'racing wheels' and NAWS!

to all the real race shops

<---Carl, who wishes there was a shop close to him