SJCoruja
03-16-2008, 10:37 PM
You all know the story...having spent the last several years experimenting with different suspensions (stock with Tein springs, D2 coilovers, Cusco Zero 2R, Tanabe Pro Seven, etc), I had reached a point where I had gone past the limits of the single-adjustable Tanabes and was looking for the next step. I have spent the last several months researching everything from Ohlins, KWs, Zeal, Tein, etc...as well as checking in to the different offerings from John Mueller and Muellerized.
I spent several days last week talking with John over the phone. He walked me through tons of information and scenarios, as well as answered all my questions in detail no matter how 'stupid'. What also impressed me is that I've met John Mueller once...over 2 years ago at Thunderhill when I still had the yellow Evo, and he remembered both me and my car from that day. We kept going back and forth over the phone about options, as I had been looking for John to make up my mind for me. Rather than sell me on something he just kept giving me more information on all my options until I came to the conclusion that felt right to me. In the end, I decided to go with the Muellerized Moton Clubsports.
Problem: It is now late Thursday night and I have a week to go until my next track day. The shop is only open Monday - Friday and I work during the week so it'll be next to impossible to get the car to Mueller before then. Shipping isn't really an option either as I really want John to do the install and tune the suspension fully.
Solution: John arranges to open the shop up that Saturday just for me. :shock:
I left San Jose at 4am on Saturday morning, and drove to their new shop location in Costa Mesa. Everyone was there waiting to tear right in to the car, and they had a nice little setup for me to spend the day down there. A desk and computer station to get on the internet and get some work done, and even had a pull-out couch set up for me to crash on so I'd be ok to drive home that night. :D
The guys dove in to the car, while John took me around the shops. I must say I had no idea the resources and equipment at John's disposal. One hell of a shock dyno, cabinets and shelves FULL of suspensions and every related part you can think of, as well as lots of other specialized equipment which finally helped me understand fully why Muellerized is what it is.
Tours done, John walked me through what I was getting. No sales here, car's being torn apart and they have to put something on for me to get home LOL...but John recognized the spleen I had to sell to get what I was getting and wanted me to understand the art that goes in to making the Motons. A simple shock and awe (get it? 'shock' and awe he he he) looking at them on the table was pretty good for me, but he actually tore in to the parts of some of the torn down ones to show me the quality of the internals and how fine the adjustment system is. He also showed me a ton of pictures from his time there at Moton, and I got to see the care that goes in to the hand-assembly of their suspensions.
So went the rest of my day. I was always made to feel very welcome and cared for. I was actually really involved in the install, as at various time John would pull me in to show me what they were doing and why. One of the cool highlights was that they used a mock shock on both the front and rears to test clearance under full suspension compression. Now granted, on my street tires I will more than likely not hit full compression under normal tracking. But what if? Launching off the berms or other craziness, the big dip in turn 5a where I always rub my tire, or even some really radical street driving (more on that to come) could cause some severe travel, and knowing that the tire won't get torn up and/or the car to get unsettled is a big plus. Given that I'm running 265s already, and will more than likely step up to a 275 Rcomp, they did some really amazing work creating clearance. The rear bumper tab had to be removed/relocated, and the front fenders had to be pulled a bit and rolled. I had expected this would tear up the fronts, but the care and expertise they gave it has it looking stock (just wider and with a better shape/angle).
About this time they took me to lunch and I got to chat with John and the crew for a bit. Really great guys, and a pleasure to get to know. Belly full, the early morning caught up with me and it was light's out for sure. It is one thing to have years of experience and knowledge, and to have a shop full of highly-trained technicians working on my car...but having a place that cared enough as I started to crash to close a few doors and even turn down the shop radio was just damn cool. :thumbsup:
Rest and refreshed, I wake up to find them putting the finishing touches on my alignment and other specs. Watching that attention to detail to get everything set exactly to John's specifications was just insane. All that done...it was time for the Mueller hell ride. Now, you might think it was a quick lap around the block to just give me a quick feel...but you'd be wrong. We went out, and John just started tossing the car around a bit to get a feel for it. We'd then pull back in the shop and he'd request a few tweaks here and there. Back out for a mini-lap, then back in for a few more tweaks. Once he got the basic feel how he wanted, we took the real drive. They have their own test section that includes some onramps, offramps, and other fun turns. First off, the car turns in like it has some sort of wacky hover conversion. Steering wheel turns, car instantly changes direction. The other amazing thing is no matter what speed we took any corner, the tires would not make any noise. I am on Falken RT615 street tires, but there was no sliding or howling like I am used to. The suspension just maximized the grip throughout the entire turn and the speeds we were able to carry were just wrong. Now on to the best/scariest part...we're approaching an uphill onramp, John is talking and explaining (as we're flying along) that this one has a particularly nasty dip/bump right in the middle of the turn. Having not experienced a suspension setup of this caliber (and of course, being sane as well lol) I assume that means we need to slow down and his statement was a disclaimer as such. No, we go balls out in to the turn and hit the damn Grand Canyon of a bump just after turn in. Quickly in my mind I come to terms with the fact that I'm about to die happy, but flying through the air in a 'Dukes of Hazzard' yippeekyay jump in to the Costa Mesa skyline. The suspension handled every bit of the jolt, moved through the imbalance, and took a composed new set for the rest of the turn. Other than some labored breathing and the faint smell of urine, there were no ill effects. :D
Ok, enough rambling. As you can tell by my write-up...I'm impressed and truly feel that it was time and money very well spent. I don't regret all the time and money I have spent before this either, as experimenting with different suspensions and learning how to work on them and tune them a bit has taught me enough to appreciate what Muellerized offers. A turn-key solution to a true motorsports suspension that allows the driver to focus on just that...driving.
I truly consider myself very lucky to be able to work with shops that are without doubt the absolute best in the industry. The level of service and care GST Motorsports and Speed Element have always given me has been amazing, and I'm really excited to now also be working with John and Muellerized going forward with the plans for the Evo to come!!!
Cliff notes version: Have tried lots of different suspensions, but have outgrown them and was ready for next step. Out of time for upcoming track day, Muellerized brought me in at short notice for a special weekend appointment. I got their Muellerized Moton Clubsports, rear trailing arm bushings, and had a bunch of custom work done. Car handles like it is on rails and maintains a very high level of grip and control despite surface conditions. Very happy customer, and can't wait to hit the track. :D
I spent several days last week talking with John over the phone. He walked me through tons of information and scenarios, as well as answered all my questions in detail no matter how 'stupid'. What also impressed me is that I've met John Mueller once...over 2 years ago at Thunderhill when I still had the yellow Evo, and he remembered both me and my car from that day. We kept going back and forth over the phone about options, as I had been looking for John to make up my mind for me. Rather than sell me on something he just kept giving me more information on all my options until I came to the conclusion that felt right to me. In the end, I decided to go with the Muellerized Moton Clubsports.
Problem: It is now late Thursday night and I have a week to go until my next track day. The shop is only open Monday - Friday and I work during the week so it'll be next to impossible to get the car to Mueller before then. Shipping isn't really an option either as I really want John to do the install and tune the suspension fully.
Solution: John arranges to open the shop up that Saturday just for me. :shock:
I left San Jose at 4am on Saturday morning, and drove to their new shop location in Costa Mesa. Everyone was there waiting to tear right in to the car, and they had a nice little setup for me to spend the day down there. A desk and computer station to get on the internet and get some work done, and even had a pull-out couch set up for me to crash on so I'd be ok to drive home that night. :D
The guys dove in to the car, while John took me around the shops. I must say I had no idea the resources and equipment at John's disposal. One hell of a shock dyno, cabinets and shelves FULL of suspensions and every related part you can think of, as well as lots of other specialized equipment which finally helped me understand fully why Muellerized is what it is.
Tours done, John walked me through what I was getting. No sales here, car's being torn apart and they have to put something on for me to get home LOL...but John recognized the spleen I had to sell to get what I was getting and wanted me to understand the art that goes in to making the Motons. A simple shock and awe (get it? 'shock' and awe he he he) looking at them on the table was pretty good for me, but he actually tore in to the parts of some of the torn down ones to show me the quality of the internals and how fine the adjustment system is. He also showed me a ton of pictures from his time there at Moton, and I got to see the care that goes in to the hand-assembly of their suspensions.
So went the rest of my day. I was always made to feel very welcome and cared for. I was actually really involved in the install, as at various time John would pull me in to show me what they were doing and why. One of the cool highlights was that they used a mock shock on both the front and rears to test clearance under full suspension compression. Now granted, on my street tires I will more than likely not hit full compression under normal tracking. But what if? Launching off the berms or other craziness, the big dip in turn 5a where I always rub my tire, or even some really radical street driving (more on that to come) could cause some severe travel, and knowing that the tire won't get torn up and/or the car to get unsettled is a big plus. Given that I'm running 265s already, and will more than likely step up to a 275 Rcomp, they did some really amazing work creating clearance. The rear bumper tab had to be removed/relocated, and the front fenders had to be pulled a bit and rolled. I had expected this would tear up the fronts, but the care and expertise they gave it has it looking stock (just wider and with a better shape/angle).
About this time they took me to lunch and I got to chat with John and the crew for a bit. Really great guys, and a pleasure to get to know. Belly full, the early morning caught up with me and it was light's out for sure. It is one thing to have years of experience and knowledge, and to have a shop full of highly-trained technicians working on my car...but having a place that cared enough as I started to crash to close a few doors and even turn down the shop radio was just damn cool. :thumbsup:
Rest and refreshed, I wake up to find them putting the finishing touches on my alignment and other specs. Watching that attention to detail to get everything set exactly to John's specifications was just insane. All that done...it was time for the Mueller hell ride. Now, you might think it was a quick lap around the block to just give me a quick feel...but you'd be wrong. We went out, and John just started tossing the car around a bit to get a feel for it. We'd then pull back in the shop and he'd request a few tweaks here and there. Back out for a mini-lap, then back in for a few more tweaks. Once he got the basic feel how he wanted, we took the real drive. They have their own test section that includes some onramps, offramps, and other fun turns. First off, the car turns in like it has some sort of wacky hover conversion. Steering wheel turns, car instantly changes direction. The other amazing thing is no matter what speed we took any corner, the tires would not make any noise. I am on Falken RT615 street tires, but there was no sliding or howling like I am used to. The suspension just maximized the grip throughout the entire turn and the speeds we were able to carry were just wrong. Now on to the best/scariest part...we're approaching an uphill onramp, John is talking and explaining (as we're flying along) that this one has a particularly nasty dip/bump right in the middle of the turn. Having not experienced a suspension setup of this caliber (and of course, being sane as well lol) I assume that means we need to slow down and his statement was a disclaimer as such. No, we go balls out in to the turn and hit the damn Grand Canyon of a bump just after turn in. Quickly in my mind I come to terms with the fact that I'm about to die happy, but flying through the air in a 'Dukes of Hazzard' yippeekyay jump in to the Costa Mesa skyline. The suspension handled every bit of the jolt, moved through the imbalance, and took a composed new set for the rest of the turn. Other than some labored breathing and the faint smell of urine, there were no ill effects. :D
Ok, enough rambling. As you can tell by my write-up...I'm impressed and truly feel that it was time and money very well spent. I don't regret all the time and money I have spent before this either, as experimenting with different suspensions and learning how to work on them and tune them a bit has taught me enough to appreciate what Muellerized offers. A turn-key solution to a true motorsports suspension that allows the driver to focus on just that...driving.
I truly consider myself very lucky to be able to work with shops that are without doubt the absolute best in the industry. The level of service and care GST Motorsports and Speed Element have always given me has been amazing, and I'm really excited to now also be working with John and Muellerized going forward with the plans for the Evo to come!!!
Cliff notes version: Have tried lots of different suspensions, but have outgrown them and was ready for next step. Out of time for upcoming track day, Muellerized brought me in at short notice for a special weekend appointment. I got their Muellerized Moton Clubsports, rear trailing arm bushings, and had a bunch of custom work done. Car handles like it is on rails and maintains a very high level of grip and control despite surface conditions. Very happy customer, and can't wait to hit the track. :D