Schrick/H&R Coilovers Impressions - LONG

[Jeff Newton <Jeff_Newton@pmc-sierra.com>]

This Saturday I had the opportunity to drive Dave Leahy's GTIVR6 and
ride shotgun with Dave for a few dozen miles.  Dave's beautiful
steed has the following performance mods:

Schrick 268s w/Garrett's 268 chip
Schrick Manifold
Scorpion Exhaust
H&R Coilovers
Sway bars 25/28

All I can say is WOW!  The VR6 should've had the 268s from the 
factory.  It pulls hard from the get-go all the way into the red.  
Idle isn't lumpy but very much stock (Garrett?).  Its hard to tell
how much different the performance would have been without the 
Schrick Intake but I would definately want this combo on my car.
My stock VR6 felt anemic after driving Dave's :(

The Exhaust was too loud for my tastes but it definately looked nice
with the upswept dual tips.

Now for the reason I wanted to drive Dave's car - H&R Coilovers.  Let
me preface my remarks by saying that I did drive a 94 GLX with this
setup last summer and was a very disappointed.  The GLX was slammed 
and the H&Rs seemed to crash on certain bumps.  The ride unsettling
due to the fact that on certain bumps, the impact would force my to
stutter while talking (like someone hitting you in the back).  All 
this with 16" wheels!

Dave didn't slam his car with the H&Rs but set it low (perhaps 2.5"
lower than stock).  Although he also had his 17" OZ wheels on, the
ride was simply amazing!  I know suspensions are subjective but I will
describe Dave's as firm, yet compliant - not even close to harsh. 
Keep in mind folks that the rates of the H&Rs are 400# front and 285#
rear!  Definately showed me how much a factor the shock is in ride
harshness.  The best part.....my wife came along for the drive and
absolutely loved the ride quality!  To compare, she found the Neuspeed
springs & Bilstein HD suspension on a GTI with 17" RXs to be too
harsh.  H&R coilovers are made in Germany with 100% Bilstein
components and warrantied by H&R USA.  Price... just over $1000.

Many thanks to Dave for letting us drive his car!

Cheers,

--- 
Jeff Newton
Unix Systems Administrator
PMC-Sierra Inc.