TSL - Another one bites the dust...
15 March 2002, 02:04 PM
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Another sceptic, that is, bites the dust. Me.
My precious MY99 has had sensible mods since I got it (spreading the financial burden, spreading out the joyous anticipation of a new toy - you know the sort of thing).
Link, downpipe, backbox, quickshift, induction kit, EBC discs and pads...sounds good, goes great, stops OK(ish).
So what about the suspension? I've been umming and aahhing for ages, carefully monitoring the threads about Eibachs, bumpsteer, geometry blah blah.
TSL - not the cheapest, Eibachs + geometry not necessarily the best compromise, according to various opinions on the BBS. But as I was unable to unravel the subtle differences (or inaccuracies?) of the many and varied (and vastly different in expense) options, I thought "what the hell!" and, scepticism firmly in one hand and my padlocked wallet in the other, plumped for the £315 + VAT option for Eibachs and geometry offfered by Trouser and Co.
Would it be all mouth and Trouser (old joke, but I'm no spring chicken and old is best....)?
Now, you all want to know after such an interminable preamble, don't you? Wait for it...
No, other things first. Rum was there with his wonderful WRC lookalike getting a TSL backbox. In slipped the Catalunya-bound beast, out roared the car-that-found-it's voice. I'd forgotten what a difference a good backbox makes. Especially inside!
And the workshops! Clean as a whistle - with nifty little mats for the cars to stand on to stop their precious tyres getting cold on the nasty hard floor (only joking; a VERY nice touch, guys - a sense of operating theatre cleanliness that some may suggest is needlessly twee, but I reckon demonstrates genuine caring professionalism).
Almost there...
Nice people abounded in the workshops - not just Tom and Dave from Sheffield who was also getting an exhaust fitted, but everyone from the nice lady who took my money (there again, that should make anyone in business smiley-friendly!) to the great Canadian (name? bugger...can't remember) who did the work and even thanked me for taking my business to TSL (and it wasn't even his business! You don't get that when you catch the train...). He was almost too good to be true. You don't need to be an expert to recognise an expert, even if it was a job he'd done a thousand times.
Trouser? Well, it's almost all been said. Don't know about his tea making prowess though - that was left to others (and good tea with choccie biscuits). He just loves to sell, sell, sell, deosn't he? But no-one really minds that when you know it's as much about enthusiasm as it is about breaking and entering your wallet (usually a criminal offence, but in Trouser's case he's doing it as a favour...)
However, I must say his isn't the toughest job in the world. Encouraging Scooby enthusiasts to part with their dosh is easier than selling hypodermic syringes at a diabetics' convention.
So was it worth it? The experience alone says yes. A fun day out loitering with intent while all manner of nice things happen to one's pride and joy, surrounded by people who know what they're talking about and don't make you feel like an idiot because your technical expertise/knowledge stretches to understanding that 33psi is (slightly) higher than 32psi...
Was it worth it financially? Emphatically no. My kids on bread and water for the next 3 months is just too damned harsh. Mind you, I concede I was partly to blame for giving in to temptation (but I also castigate Trouser mercilessly for unashamedly taking advantage of my open-gobbed gullability without caring a jot for the consequences for my beloved children and devoted wife and mother).
After all, I'd read the threads, I knew what he would do - and I went there determined only to have the Eibachs and geometry.
But I do like the Goodridge brake hoses, smoke side repeaters and blue-bulbed lights he sold me (sold? I practically begged!). Only £200 quid over budget at the end of the day...
BUT WAS IT WORTH IT?
Patience. I enjoyed it when dad Graham took me out in a spin in my own motor. Never realised it could go round corners like that... He was pleased as well that my wagon didn't feel like a wagon any more (hey! - that was uncalled for!), but he trashed my EBC turbo grooves and Greens. Ho hum. Wasn't trying to sell me his stuff (not overtly anyway), just an experienced observation. OK, not brilliant and they are noisy, but they do work.
Brakes/discs next - and maybe that cool window tinting for £400 quid that looked soooo tarty I loved it...
Anything to dislike? Of course not - unless you don't like being told the Saab turbos they also fettle will eat Scoobies for breakfast (speaking of which, there's a stonkingly good cafe just round the corner, full brekkies for under £3). I still can't believe it, and the performance figures don't agree either. If it is true, I don't want to believe it. Saabs? Noooooo!
The Time Has Come: The Verdict.
A week has now gone by and I've had plenty of time to see if the spending of my hard earned dosh was actually worth it, ie do Eibachs actually make that much difference in the real world of typical drivers who (rarely) exceed 70% of a Scoob's potential anyway and who spend 90% of our time stuck in traffic or plodding down an m-way
Oh yes. Oh yes, yes, yes! Meg Ryan-in-the-cafe Yes, Yes, Yes. How can 20mm make such a difference (answers on a post card to ***** Extensions, Ten Inch Parade, Littlehampton)?
The ride is (slightly) smoother.
Straight ahead (ie motorways) is SO much more direct (not that you could suggest it was vague before!). Even the steering wheel is straight (slightly off set before - coincidence?).
Cornering is an entirely new experience. So much so that a readjustment of my driving style was urgently needed, especially in tight and tightening bends where the normally user-friendly understeer a) spares you any blushes; b) inhibits higher speeds. Now it turns in almost too sharply - but I'm getting used to it! Plant the right foot and, like before but better, the line tightens and you're up, up and away, Silver!
Apologies to any P1 owners out there who may not like the comparison, but the steering sensation was very similar to the P1 I drove at Listers last year (no idea if it was modded in any way).
Unquestionably, I can take (familiar) bends at higher speeds with more confidence, especially typically twisty (as opposed to sharp) country lanes.
Each time I've added a mod, a renewed enjoyment and love of my Scooby has followed. The Eibachs and geometry are no exception - and that is more than enough justification for me. Price-per-smile makes this twin mod a must.
I shall now go and lie down for a couple of hours as my typing finger is starting to smoke... Apologies to anyone I've bored; for the rest, all I can say is - do it, no chance of any regrets.
David Blows
(usual disclaimer - I'm nothing to do with TSL. But I expect Paul to make the char next time I go...)
My precious MY99 has had sensible mods since I got it (spreading the financial burden, spreading out the joyous anticipation of a new toy - you know the sort of thing).
Link, downpipe, backbox, quickshift, induction kit, EBC discs and pads...sounds good, goes great, stops OK(ish).
So what about the suspension? I've been umming and aahhing for ages, carefully monitoring the threads about Eibachs, bumpsteer, geometry blah blah.
TSL - not the cheapest, Eibachs + geometry not necessarily the best compromise, according to various opinions on the BBS. But as I was unable to unravel the subtle differences (or inaccuracies?) of the many and varied (and vastly different in expense) options, I thought "what the hell!" and, scepticism firmly in one hand and my padlocked wallet in the other, plumped for the £315 + VAT option for Eibachs and geometry offfered by Trouser and Co.
Would it be all mouth and Trouser (old joke, but I'm no spring chicken and old is best....)?
Now, you all want to know after such an interminable preamble, don't you? Wait for it...
No, other things first. Rum was there with his wonderful WRC lookalike getting a TSL backbox. In slipped the Catalunya-bound beast, out roared the car-that-found-it's voice. I'd forgotten what a difference a good backbox makes. Especially inside!
And the workshops! Clean as a whistle - with nifty little mats for the cars to stand on to stop their precious tyres getting cold on the nasty hard floor (only joking; a VERY nice touch, guys - a sense of operating theatre cleanliness that some may suggest is needlessly twee, but I reckon demonstrates genuine caring professionalism).
Almost there...
Nice people abounded in the workshops - not just Tom and Dave from Sheffield who was also getting an exhaust fitted, but everyone from the nice lady who took my money (there again, that should make anyone in business smiley-friendly!) to the great Canadian (name? bugger...can't remember) who did the work and even thanked me for taking my business to TSL (and it wasn't even his business! You don't get that when you catch the train...). He was almost too good to be true. You don't need to be an expert to recognise an expert, even if it was a job he'd done a thousand times.
Trouser? Well, it's almost all been said. Don't know about his tea making prowess though - that was left to others (and good tea with choccie biscuits). He just loves to sell, sell, sell, deosn't he? But no-one really minds that when you know it's as much about enthusiasm as it is about breaking and entering your wallet (usually a criminal offence, but in Trouser's case he's doing it as a favour...)
However, I must say his isn't the toughest job in the world. Encouraging Scooby enthusiasts to part with their dosh is easier than selling hypodermic syringes at a diabetics' convention.
So was it worth it? The experience alone says yes. A fun day out loitering with intent while all manner of nice things happen to one's pride and joy, surrounded by people who know what they're talking about and don't make you feel like an idiot because your technical expertise/knowledge stretches to understanding that 33psi is (slightly) higher than 32psi...
Was it worth it financially? Emphatically no. My kids on bread and water for the next 3 months is just too damned harsh. Mind you, I concede I was partly to blame for giving in to temptation (but I also castigate Trouser mercilessly for unashamedly taking advantage of my open-gobbed gullability without caring a jot for the consequences for my beloved children and devoted wife and mother).
After all, I'd read the threads, I knew what he would do - and I went there determined only to have the Eibachs and geometry.
But I do like the Goodridge brake hoses, smoke side repeaters and blue-bulbed lights he sold me (sold? I practically begged!). Only £200 quid over budget at the end of the day...
BUT WAS IT WORTH IT?
Patience. I enjoyed it when dad Graham took me out in a spin in my own motor. Never realised it could go round corners like that... He was pleased as well that my wagon didn't feel like a wagon any more (hey! - that was uncalled for!), but he trashed my EBC turbo grooves and Greens. Ho hum. Wasn't trying to sell me his stuff (not overtly anyway), just an experienced observation. OK, not brilliant and they are noisy, but they do work.
Brakes/discs next - and maybe that cool window tinting for £400 quid that looked soooo tarty I loved it...
Anything to dislike? Of course not - unless you don't like being told the Saab turbos they also fettle will eat Scoobies for breakfast (speaking of which, there's a stonkingly good cafe just round the corner, full brekkies for under £3). I still can't believe it, and the performance figures don't agree either. If it is true, I don't want to believe it. Saabs? Noooooo!
The Time Has Come: The Verdict.
A week has now gone by and I've had plenty of time to see if the spending of my hard earned dosh was actually worth it, ie do Eibachs actually make that much difference in the real world of typical drivers who (rarely) exceed 70% of a Scoob's potential anyway and who spend 90% of our time stuck in traffic or plodding down an m-way
Oh yes. Oh yes, yes, yes! Meg Ryan-in-the-cafe Yes, Yes, Yes. How can 20mm make such a difference (answers on a post card to ***** Extensions, Ten Inch Parade, Littlehampton)?
The ride is (slightly) smoother.
Straight ahead (ie motorways) is SO much more direct (not that you could suggest it was vague before!). Even the steering wheel is straight (slightly off set before - coincidence?).
Cornering is an entirely new experience. So much so that a readjustment of my driving style was urgently needed, especially in tight and tightening bends where the normally user-friendly understeer a) spares you any blushes; b) inhibits higher speeds. Now it turns in almost too sharply - but I'm getting used to it! Plant the right foot and, like before but better, the line tightens and you're up, up and away, Silver!
Apologies to any P1 owners out there who may not like the comparison, but the steering sensation was very similar to the P1 I drove at Listers last year (no idea if it was modded in any way).
Unquestionably, I can take (familiar) bends at higher speeds with more confidence, especially typically twisty (as opposed to sharp) country lanes.
Each time I've added a mod, a renewed enjoyment and love of my Scooby has followed. The Eibachs and geometry are no exception - and that is more than enough justification for me. Price-per-smile makes this twin mod a must.
I shall now go and lie down for a couple of hours as my typing finger is starting to smoke... Apologies to anyone I've bored; for the rest, all I can say is - do it, no chance of any regrets.
David Blows
(usual disclaimer - I'm nothing to do with TSL. But I expect Paul to make the char next time I go...)
15 March 2002, 05:59 PM
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Cheers David!!
very glad you're happy..please send my apologies to your wife and children
... when they are starving amaze them with the wonderment created by the exquisite bluey haze of a Diadem bulb! 
Alex.. that Renault will handle!
.. don't worry!
15 March 2002, 05:59 PM
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Ah..... so they got you with the 'ol 'while we've got the struts off would you like some Goodridge hoses fitted' line to
Tim
PS They're not perfect though, no biscuits when I was there
Tim
PS They're not perfect though, no biscuits when I was there
15 March 2002, 11:25 PM
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What David Blows said, I agree with 200%
TSL are great to deal with, I wont go anywhere else with my scoob, not ever...
BTW what is that mechanics name? he's a real nice guy.
Just got to wait untill April 5th to get the new 01/02 Eibachs fitted to mine...and the braided hoses while it's stripped!
BOB
PS.What extra's you gonna talk me into next time Paul? It's not hard to sell me stuff...Even Graham talked me into joining the SIDC!
TSL are great to deal with, I wont go anywhere else with my scoob, not ever...
BTW what is that mechanics name? he's a real nice guy.
Just got to wait untill April 5th to get the new 01/02 Eibachs fitted to mine...and the braided hoses while it's stripped!
BOB
PS.What extra's you gonna talk me into next time Paul? It's not hard to sell me stuff...Even Graham talked me into joining the SIDC!
16 March 2002, 06:30 AM
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I remember by first trip to TSL fondly. I drove up with Alex (DrEvil) to have a look around.
As has been said before the cleanliness and happy atmosphere of the place was infectious.
As Alex went out with Graham to pre-work test drive his car Paul showed me some bits that would look trick... oh dear £800 later my car had much better brakes, geometery set up, ITG panel filter, Momo gear **** and some carbon reflector replacements!
Paul about paying for those STi fog covers (which colour match perfectly) it almost not doing business but paying back a mate fpr getting me the bits in the first place!
Mark
As has been said before the cleanliness and happy atmosphere of the place was infectious.
As Alex went out with Graham to pre-work test drive his car Paul showed me some bits that would look trick... oh dear £800 later my car had much better brakes, geometery set up, ITG panel filter, Momo gear **** and some carbon reflector replacements!
Paul about paying for those STi fog covers (which colour match perfectly) it almost not doing business but paying back a mate fpr getting me the bits in the first place!
Mark
16 March 2002, 11:51 AM
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David, fantastic story, really enjoyed it. just gonna print it off for the wife to read. At the moment I'm not allowed out the house in case I drive to nottingham.
Piers LoFi
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17 March 2002, 12:12 PM
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David
Good to see another positive mention on TSL.
I am up there tomorrow for Brakes and pads etc.
I am worried about trousers ability to prise more cash from people, because his power is so great that I even rang him to offer more cash than I first agreed to as I am now also having the eibachs and geomotry done at the same time!!
steve
Good to see another positive mention on TSL.
I am up there tomorrow for Brakes and pads etc.
I am worried about trousers ability to prise more cash from people, because his power is so great that I even rang him to offer more cash than I first agreed to as I am now also having the eibachs and geomotry done at the same time!!
steve
18 March 2002, 01:41 PM
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Trouser don't forget two sets of LED washers for two matching cars might be required!
I am still grinning about the colour coded fire extinguisher with stickers!
I am still grinning about the colour coded fire extinguisher with stickers!
25 March 2002, 10:31 PM
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Had the geometery, a TSL back box, decat centre pipe, Forge Dump Valve and oil change done last Tuesday.
Geometery
If you haven't had this done by TSL then get yourself along as soon as possible. I had loads of problems with tramlining/dodgy handling on my My01 5 door and the car now handles like a dream, turn is razor sharp. I had the alignment done on the car originally by a Subaru dealer to 'factory tolerances' and it still handled awfully. Get it done, Ask for Lindsay he is the man!
Backbox
Got one purley and simply for the noise, i know everyone loves the Scooby sport one but you really should listen to the TSL one, its sounds the dogs B*******!!
Wasn't a cheap day but then you pay peanuts, you get monkeys.
Trouser, still waiting for the centre pipe
Ali
Geometery
If you haven't had this done by TSL then get yourself along as soon as possible. I had loads of problems with tramlining/dodgy handling on my My01 5 door and the car now handles like a dream, turn is razor sharp. I had the alignment done on the car originally by a Subaru dealer to 'factory tolerances' and it still handled awfully. Get it done, Ask for Lindsay he is the man!
Backbox
Got one purley and simply for the noise, i know everyone loves the Scooby sport one but you really should listen to the TSL one, its sounds the dogs B*******!!
Wasn't a cheap day but then you pay peanuts, you get monkeys.
Trouser, still waiting for the centre pipe
Ali
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