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Performance Research Industries

Posted By : Chris Gray, 20-Oct-2003, 02:57pm

I have been thinking of trying to get more power out of my Spitfire for a while, and PRI are the only place I can find that sell those kinds of parts.
I was wondering if anyone had bought from them before, and what they thought.
Also, does anyone know of an alternative (and preferably England-based) company that sells performance parts for Spitfires (I imagine P&P from America is pretty steep)?

Thanks,

Chris.

P.S. Why do you only ever notice the typos AFTER you post the message?

Followups :

Performance Research Industries

Posted By : Nigel Gibbins, 20-Oct-2003, 03:22pm

Chris,

There's always Moss Europe, who sell the Triumph tune stuff (previously SAH) and Canley Classics also are beginning to sell 'performance' equipment.

Of course, Jigsaw are always a source of specific racing parts although many are easliy useable on the road.

Cambridge Motorsports do Oodles and Oodles of stuff for the small crank 1300. Of course it all depends what exactly your after doing.

I took my 'Bog Standard', (been in the shed for 13 years) Herald engine to a race engine specialist (Power4Peanuts) and he turned it into a 130+ Bhp beast for less than Â£2000.

NiG
http://www.niginthecar.net
- Performance Research Industries
  
  Posted By : Chris Gray, 20-Oct-2003, 03:37pm
  
  Thanks Nig, I'll have a look at those places.
  Of course, I probably won't buy anything just yet - I'm a student, so I've got to watch the pennies.
  
  Chris.
  - Performance Research Industries
    
    Posted By : David Thompson, 21-Oct-2003, 05:20pm
    
    If you're trying to save the pennies, I'd forget tuning your car immediately - it's a bottomless pit!
    
    PRI have some wonderful stuff - their head kits look excellent but seem to be about Â£1000 just for valves, guides and springs. I hear say their stuff is the dog's but I don't know anyone who has used it. I considered some of their gear but decided that I could get equivalent from traders in blighty but not neccesarily as a complete performance package from one trader, as you can from PRI. I'd advise you to shop around and think carefully before parting with your greenbacks.
    - Performance Research Industries
      
      Posted By : Chris Gray, 22-Oct-2003, 01:10pm
      
      Thanks for the advice - At the moment, I have to save up for quite a while for any work I want done to my car (I can fit some bits myself, but even without having to pay for labour, it's not cheap). Luckily, I'm in no hurry :-)
      Getting a bit more power out of my car is one of my ultimate goals though (that and getting rid of all the rust), and PRI was the only place I had found (and I thought they were quite expensive too), so I was just wondering what other people thought.
      I definately prefer the idea of getting parts from somewhere in the UK.
      
      Anyway, I'll just keep hoarding my pennies for the moment :-)
      
      Cheers.
    - Performance Research Industries
      
      Posted By : Jason Chinn, 22-Oct-2003, 01:18pm
      
      What specfically are you after? I know I know, 100 BHP per litre for Â£2.00 each but seriously, there are loads of traders out there who will take your money off you, sometimes you'll get a worthwhile piece of metal sometimes you won't - but it'll always cost!
      What are the key components, costs and the must have's?
      I always wanted the honest reciepe for a performance engine, ie someone to give me the shopping list so I could go assemble the bits myself, have the machining done where it was needed and end up with a reliable piece of metal that produced an expected output - I'm still looking. Trouble is you find too many options along the way and get diverted!
      - Performance Research Industries
        
        Posted By : Chris Gray, 22-Oct-2003, 01:45pm
        
        Ideally, I'd like to get my car above 100BHP (obviously more would be better, but I'm trying to be realistic), preferably without sacrificing too much (if anything) in the way of reliability.
        I've already got a sports exhaust that I bought from Rimmer Bros (what can I say - the original one fell off), and from what I've gathered, something along the lines of Weber carbs would be a good next step.
        I'm open to suggestions of a better next step if anyone knows of one, but like I said, I won't actually be doing any more work on my car for a while anyway, so I've got time to think it over.
        
        Performance Research Industries
        
        Posted By : Nigel Gibbins, 22-Oct-2003, 03:57pm
        
        Chris,
        Getting over 100Bhp is not as difficult as is often made out. It can (just about) be done with bolt on goodies and a cam change.
        
        But you mention webers (and a lot of people do) but honestly speaking they are not necessary. If, however, you do decide they are then they are just about the LAST thing to do not the first/second.
        
        A good set of HS4s can feed a spitfire 100+Bhp without a struggle. Class A engines this year has been producing 105+ Bhp on HS4s and Barry Had slightly more on HS2s!
        
        For the costs of a new set of webers (or Dellortos) and the manifolds, linkeages and setting up you can get a better cam, and a ported head with change to spare for the then essential brake/Suspenion upgrades. (and I promise you they are essential - just look at my racer!)
        
        When building an engine for performance, like Jason says, you have to spend the money in the right places.
        
        Cheers
        NiG
        
        Performance Research Industries
        
        Posted By : Chris Gray, 22-Oct-2003, 04:15pm
        
        You can get all that for the price of a set of Webers? Cool.
        
        Cheers.
        
        Performance Research Industries
        
        Posted By : Jason Chinn, 22-Oct-2003, 08:02pm
        
        You can get a bucket full of power for the price of Webers - whilst they look good and sound nice they are not the first step and I think they could well be the last step.
        
        As a general rule I would say it goes safety > brakes > suspension > engine. Obviously we all want to go fast so we invariably go engine > crash/moment > clean underwear > safety > brakes > suspension > engine.
        
        But assuming we're talking engine here, I'd say there's loads you can do before you really start to spend. Job one is what you're doing now - ask the boys that go fast, job two, take a walk around the pits at a race track and take some engine photos, have a look at suspension etc. See what others have done, find out what they have tried - any mistakes they've made, any money they've wasted means you don't have to go there!
        
        You can learn a lot this way - get the books, do the reading and you're on a good foundation.
        
        Performance Research Industries
        
        Posted By : Chris Gray, 23-Oct-2003, 12:13pm
        
        Since we're on the topic - what is my best bet for suspension/brakes? Unfortunately, I really don't have time to walk round the pits at any race tracks (it'd be nice though) - I'm kinda up to my neck in uni work :-(
        I realised that brakes & suspension was important if the car was going to get more powerful - my plan to get the power first was purely based on the fact that I want to get EVERYTHING sorted before I put my car back on the road (it could take some time, I know).
        Also, since you mentioned safety, I'll ask something I've been wondering for a while: I'd like to get a roll bar for my car (not that I plan on rolling it - there's just not a whole lot of strength in a soft-top, and it's better to be safe than sorry) but I'd also like to get a wind deflector, and I was wondering if it's possible to fit both (either that or get a roll bar that has a wind deflector in the middle of it, if you see what I mean).
        Heheh - it must sound like I'm planning some major spending spree on my car :-) - Well actually, I guess I am, but not all at once - it's gonna be VERY spread out.
        
        Performance Research Industries
        
        Posted By : Andy Vowell, 23-Oct-2003, 03:38pm
        
        Chris
        
        This will give you a good guide for upping the power from your engine.
        
        http://www.totallytriumph.net/spitfire/engine_buil...
        
        Also take a look at the Racing section of this messageboard, lot of info there too.
        
        Cheers
        Andy V
        
        Performance Research Industries
        
        Posted By : Chris Gray, 23-Oct-2003, 04:16pm
        
        Cheers Andy, that page looks really useful. :-)
        
        Performance Research Industries
        
        Posted By : Adrian Lee, 22-Oct-2003, 06:35pm
        
        Chris.......heed Nigels advice,webers and ancillary's are very expensive.Get loads of other goodies and have change instead.
        
        Performance Research Industries
        
        Posted By : James Carruthers, 22-Oct-2003, 06:41pm
        
        Just another point...
        
        If you intend to make your engine make a squillion bhp... better get those brakes sorted...
        
        And all that suspension sorted too...
        
        James