Opinions wanted.
(For all imports)

To tell you the truth, I doubt it. I believe most people go to Hale's for any kind of tuning or major performance modifications. We would all love one. Most of us talked about driving down to the lower 48 just to get a proper tune. I really don't think the demand is great enough to support one, I may be wrong though. Be sure to post this on Alaska Motor Sports as well.

-Wes

I tend to agree that the present market for a tuner shop may be small right now. It would be tough to eek out a living.

However, it always concerns me to hear how that could keep a person from opening one if they have the means. No one wants to go broke trying to make a business work but if there is no business there to make the scene happen how does one expect the scene to maintain itself or expand from its present state. I hear this from the motorcycle shops down on the pennisula all the time. They say there is no support for motorcycle racing down there, yet every MX racing weekend has a track full of folks. There are well used road side trails on both sides of the highways in every direction. Every kid seems to have a mini-bike or a 4 wheeler. No market???? :rolleyes: No, I think it is just no marketsense.

Alaska is a BIG Subaru state, I see nothing but more performance to come from them. With the performance car market from Detroit now in full swing, I really don't see the trend moving backwards. Even with gasoline prices moving upwards, no one really seems to be stepping away from big horsepower motors. If use of EM, Turbos, etc is used as a marketing tool for making engines more efficient, how can you deny the effectiveness of such a shop to a consumer.

I am realistic. I know overall the Alaska tuner scene is going to be a small niche market compared with Southern, California. You will have to diversify across several brands Subaru, Audi, Volkswagon, etc. The knowledge and skills will have to be top notch, one bad tune and your reputation in a small scene is shot. Maybe being a distributor for such a group as Vishnu or another larger tuner organization is the answer, someone who has alot of the details worked out in the products.

If you are up to the task, I say build it and they will come. You will never be a true success unless you are doing something you truly love.

No. Most people are happy with the generic tuning parts that you can buy over the internet for prices usually cheaper than a shop in AK would have to charge to stay in business. Plus with parts like the utec, streettuner, etc available, many people do their own tuning. Plus, to really be profitable as a tuner shop, I think you have to be making your own parts(cobb, turboxs, vishnu). And a shop like that couldn't be based out of AK because Ak doesn't have the market to support it by itself, and you'd be at a competetive disadvantage for out of state sales because of shipping costs outside of AK.

Tuning in AK could only be an on the side gig to your main source of revenue.

for a tuner, yes most of us hre and over on the other borders up here could benefit from a good tune done on there cars but as for a tuner shop with a awd dyno that i think is a altogether nother matter.

mike

I think if a shop was ran right and had enough different services they provided they could make it. But there have been quite a few that have come and gone.

Thanks for the feed back.

I was granted 8a. status and could "survive (I would hope) " from the "contract list (apd/wpd/dpw)". I just wanted some opinions from the local arena. Could be too soon for AK like you say. I feel the need is growing. PDF/slope workers/a lot of young money. We just need a stronger support for the SCCA events and a track that doesn't just go left, left, left, and another, and like Nomadgene said "marketsense". I fully agree. (We are top consumers in the nation of ice cream....go figure :lol: )



Thanks again,
-T.Barry

/whispers If you build it....they will come.

I know the dyno idea could work. This wouldn't be just for imports imagine a broader market.

Winslow

how much is a awd dyno anyway?

how much is a awd dyno anyway?

/whispers If you build it....they will come.



:banana: I'd come. :)

how much is a awd dyno anyway?

There are a number of different AWD dynos on the market such as Dynojet, Dynapack, Dyno Dynamics, Maha, and Mustang to name some of the main ones. Some use a "water brake" method and others an "eddy current" method for absorbing energy.

For tuning, the eddy current type dyno's like the Dyno Dynamics, the Maha, and the new Mustang are best because they offer variable loading and speed control which allows you to tune your car over the full RPM range under varying operating conditions. Water brake style dyno's are a lot cheaper, but are really suited for high rpm spin-up hp/tq readings like you would be testing for some of the blown fueler engines. One note is that the dynojet has had some issues with awd as the front and rear rollers are not synchronized which has caused some driveline problems..or at least I have heard this to be the case.

Eddy current style Awd dynos are typically in the $80-125k range installed, and I am sure around $150k up here in AK probably thanks to added shipping costs. There are also some interesting lease options available as well. I have a good subie tuner contact down in St.Louis, where I am from originally, and he recently had a Dyno Dynamics installed and has had excellent luck with it.

I am a displaced gear-head myself now living in Valdez, and waiting to get my new FXT up here to begin doing a few modifications. My biggest concern is that although you may be able to "shotgun tune" with over-the-counter or internet stage packages, the poor gas quality (read no 93 octane) and variation on climate and environment may make the results less than optimal.

Using a dyno to optimize would be "the" right thing to do. I would have thought that someone in Anchorage would already have a dyno? At the very least I am thinking that AEM'S in-car wide band 02 would at least help you verify A/F R , and if you had a programmable ECU solution or piggy-back you could optimize as such.

Just random thoughts....anybody got an extra $100-150k laying around? ;)

N10S :)

We have a 2WD dyno and that is located at Hale's tuning off of Denali St. If you think about a broader market, that mainly includes Front or Rear wheel drive vehicles.

-Wes

I have given a lot of thought to installing a welded center diff and running with a sawed off rear driveshaft, just for the purpose of a FWD dyno-tune. The center diff is easy to change, the entire conversion can be done in less than an hour by a mechanic. so who wants to be beta tester?? I need a junk center diff and driveshaft for parts. Only issue I can think of would be strain on the fwd system. but remember the cv's are straight only on a dyno, and there is no hard launching. Anyone??

I think theres a junk rex in the back of alaska4X4 in mtn. view. You can probably piece some stuff outta that if you talk to someone there.

I was highly debating that myself. Find a spare center diff and mod it. Only thing was I wanted to run fwd for the whole summer and than switch back out to stock for the winter. But kinda defeats the purpose of having a subaru. I can definetly see you wanting it for tuning purposes. GUESS WHAT, I happen to have the entire wrx tranny and driveshaft chilling in my garage. Probably more than one would need but nothing will work on the 6spd so Im in no use of it. Come on Jerry, you know you want it.

I think you can just get a fwd diff from an early impreza transmission for something like that.

I believe the extension housing is different on the 2wd models, but not sure.

Mike, I'm planning on a gear set and maybe cusco diffs in the 5mt rebuild, that would leave me with a center diff to mess with. If I can get the trans shop to weld it correctally, the rear driveshaft won't even have power to it, otherwise I will just remove the section after the carrier bearing. I really think this could work, we just need to try in on a car that can be tuned.

I think theres a junk rex in the back of alaska4X4 in mtn. view. You can probably piece some stuff outta that if you talk to someone there.
Nah, this has been sold!

We have Phat Customz yO!