Car parts don't much more sexier than this..

[Steve1968LS2]

New struts for the 2010 SS showed up today.. these are serial number 1 and the only set on the planet..

Eventually they want to make it so you can use existing drop springs but the perches aren't out yet. If you notice the ride heigth is not set with the spring but with the body of the shock.

We will be installing them tomorrow at Global West (along with Penny's new shocks) and testing them Monday at the track with an engineer from Penske they are flying out.

Anyways, they are simply bad ass. Right now they are single adjustable but reservoirs can be added to the top to make them double adjustable and they can also be made three-way adjustable.

[thedodgeboys]

schweeeeeeeet love new parts

[CarlC]

If anyone doubts that the new age of hot-rodding is among us, those photos should bury them. There tons of superb quality parts available for new cars, i.e. Camaro, Mustang, Challenger, Corvette, etc.

[ArtosDracon]

Those are slick, the shocks based on the 8700s?

[LateNight72]

Oh my...

[David Sloan]

Now i am going to have wet dreams again!LOL!

[Wesley J]

Ya, thats pure sex right there.

That reminds me, I have a Penske double adjustable with remote reservoir on my race bike that I need to try to retofit to my street bike.

[Bryce]

Awesomeness!

[chr2002ca]

They're definitely beautiful shocks! You have tested out quite a few different types of shocks on Bad Penny so it will be interesting to hear about your results with these. Considering that the very first set of these have been given to you at a discounted price and your cars are being used by Penske for this pilot program, I'm wondering if you'll be able to provide an unbiased answer to the question:

Is $3200(!) for these 4 shocks(without springs) truly worth it?

I hope your testing is successful, and as always, we look forward to the feedback you provide to all of us about the many different products you tryout on Penny.

[Steve1968LS2]

They're definitely beautiful shocks! You have tested out quite a few different types of shocks on Bad Penny so it will be interesting to hear about your results with these. Considering that the very first set of these have been given to you at a discounted price and your cars are being used by Penske for this pilot program, I'm wondering if you'll be able to provide an unbiased answer to the question:

Is $3200(!) for these 4 shocks(without springs) truly worth it?

I hope your testing is successful, and as always, we look forward to the feedback you provide to all of us about the many different products you tryout on Penny.

Well, these are for the 2010 Camaro and not BP..

So what your asking is if I will lie because I'm working with Penske??? Why don't you just phrase it that way instead of being all sly and such.. lol

"worth" is subjective.. they are only worth it if you're trying to squeeze out that last 10th of performance.. ask and F1 team if it's "worth it" to spend $10k on one shock..

The current sturts on the 2010 are junk and these arn't much more expensive than the other options out there.. which are fine for cruising but worthless for track use.

Also, since we are now dealing with a $70k Camaro then is $4000 for the shocks all that much considering how important they are in regards to handling?

[chr2002ca]

I apologize, I guess I should have posted my message under the "Penny keeps on changing thread" were you displayed some similar pricey Penskes that you just received for that ride. My comments were actually aimed at those new Penske shocks you got for Penny that you detailed over in that thread but also briefly mentioned in this thread.

I'm not sure how you think I'm being silly with the wording of my question? I wasn't trying to dance around anything or be funny. I was sincerely wondering what I asked and the phrase "unbiased opinion" is a term used quite frequently in the world of reviews, so if you want to call it a silly way of wording it, then so be it. I think many of us who are interested in purchasing parts that keep getting pricier by the minute often wonder if they're really worth what people are saying or writing about them, or is it just some marketing hype. I don't think there is anything wrong with wondering that or wondering about how a product was reviewed and tested.

When I said "worth it", I wasn't thinking in terms of $4000 versus the price of the car, or $4000 versus 10ths. I was thinking in terms of $4000 versus other performance aftermarket shocks that cost much less. I was also thinking in terms of Pro-touring.com and not F1-racing.com.

Anyway, I do hope they test out well and I apologize if the wording of my question offended you in any way. I sincerely mean that. There's no doubt it would be great to have another, possibly better option for those who are seeking the very maximum in performance.

[Steve1968LS2]

So you're saying I'm bought off and not capable of being unbiased? lol Thanks for clearing that up..

And read closer next time.. I said "sly" not "silly"

Again, what's "worth"? Is a set of billet hood hings "worth it".. or a nice paint job.. or any number of things. Are PS2 tires worth it compared to Firestones? Is a Rolex watch worth it over a timex?

Worth is up to the individual.. I can only say the item x seemed to work or didn't make a difference. :shrug:

It's worth it if you're trying to eek out every last bit of potential.. there's a reason Penske is found on so many race cars, it's because the stuff works and it give a edge.. maybe a small edge but these events are won/lost by tenths of seconds.

I guess if you have to ask if they are worth it then maybe they are not worth it in your particular case.

And there are other options.. Bilstien, AFCO, DSE and serveral companies make great shocks (although not for the 2010)

But I still feel that Penske's main business is making very well respected race shocks and they are branching into street shocks. I would say that from a performance standpoint that counts for something.

I will report how the shocks do.. since it's numbers and how I finish at events I don't see a way for it to be unbiased.. but overall shock "feel" is subjective.

We have before numbers on the 2010 and there will be after numbers.. to be honest I have no idea what the 2010 setup will cost since they are prototypes and we are helping Penske work out the bugs for the production models..

And yea, I take offense when someone like yourself insinuates that I'm less than honest..

[formula]

Gentle boys, be gentle. Remember John wooden's rules.

Let's see if we can have a little discussion that may help those who are wondering what extra value a shock like these might bring over a less costly option.

A shock like this is one of the closest equivalents to a tailored suit for a car. I think we can all agree that, despite the extra cost, a tailored suit provides extra value to the owner by being perfectly made to suit the needs of the owner. Yes, an off-the rack suit will fit some people perfectly, and will fit a lot of people well, but it will never fit every customer's needs precisely.

Similarly, a shock at this level is dynoed and valved to meet a given car's needs precisely. Can another shock meet the majority of most people's needs? Yes. Will it be exactly what some people are looking for? Of course. But if a rack suit doesn't fit you right, you're going to head to a tailor-- and if no shock on the market meets your needs, you're going to be headed to a shop like penske.

I hope this helps elaborate why a shock like this both can and must exist for our hobby, just as lower-cost alternatives must exist for our hobby. The two fill different niches. Neither one can do the job of the other, and both help grow and expand the hobby in different ways.

[Steve1968LS2]

Gentle boys, be gentle. Remember John wooden's rules.

Let's see if we can have a little discussion that may help those who are wondering what extra value a shock like these might bring over a less costly option.

A shock like this is one of the closest equivalents to a tailored suit for a car. I think we can all agree that, despite the extra cost, a tailored suit provides extra value to the owner by being perfectly made to suit the needs of the owner. Yes, an off-the rack suit will fit some people perfectly, and will fit a lot of people well, but it will never fit every customer's needs precisely.

Similarly, a shock at this level is dynoed and valved to meet a given car's needs precisely. Can another shock meet the majority of most people's needs? Yes. Will it be exactly what some people are looking for? Of course. But if a rack suit doesn't fit you right, you're going to head to a tailor-- and if no shock on the market meets your needs, you're going to be headed to a shop like penske.

I hope this helps elaborate why a shock like this both can and must exist for our hobby, just as lower-cost alternatives must exist for our hobby. The two fill different niches. Neither one can do the job of the other, and both help grow and expand the hobby in different ways.

Well put..

[YancyJohns]

When I said "worth it", I wasn't thinking in terms of $4000 versus the price of the car, or $4000 versus 10ths. I was thinking in terms of $4000 versus other performance aftermarket shocks that cost much less. .

First off, no one is making a strut (not a shock) replacement for the 2010 Camaro yet. Second, unfortunately there isn't allot of aftermarket companies making adjustable coilovers for the 2010, but here are two of the comparisons/competitors:
Pedders supercar coilovers - $3699.99
Eibach Multi Pro R2 coilovers - $3195.00
In comparison, there right in line with the others.

There's no doubt it would be great to have another, possibly better option for those who are seeking the very maximum in performance.

Your question, is there another, possibly better option for maximum performance for a cheap price? We shall see, I've drove the Pedders Camaro at Gingerman raceway and can't wait to drive the Penske's. With quality and performance comes price! By the way Steve, they are Bad *ss!!!!!

[Steve1968LS2]

Your question, is there another, possibly better option for maximum performance for a cheap price? We shall see, I've drove the Pedders Camaro at Gingerman raceway and can't wait to drive the Penske's. With quality and performance comes price! By the way Steve, they are Bad *ss!!!!!

These should be a huge improvement over the stockers which seemed to be dead in the back.

In four months or so Penske will want you to send these back so they can swap them for a production set. At that time we should see about upgrading them to double adjustables. I sorta thought at first the rears were doubles but they just have remote cans to increase shock travel and don't have adjusters. Would be an easy upgrade.

Off to the race shop in Huntington Beach to make a mod to the rears for fitment.. should have the car finished tommorrow in time for testing on Monday.

Doug at Global West drove the car home the other night to get a feel for it. At one point he rolled into the throttle and all he could say was "wow".. lol

[chr2002ca]

I stand by my comments about unbiased opinion concerning this review. When a group is given a product for free or at a discount by a manufacturer and is asked to review them and or be the pilot for them, I'm allowed to question that scenario. This stuff happens ALL THE TIME, it's part of the business world, and includes very good people with high personal integrity. But it's just business, and the way the business world goes around, and that's it. If my personal savings and money is at stake on very pricey products, I'm allowed to wonder about the review.

TO ANYONE READING THIS: THIS IS NOT AN ATTACK ON STEVE'S PERSONAL INTEGRITY OR HONESTY. HE'S BEEN VERY HONEST ABOUT MANY PRICEY PRODUCTS HE'S PURCHASED IN THE PAST. TAKE THE FUEL SAFE FUEL CELL FOR EXAMPLE.

[Steve1968LS2]

I stand by my comments about unbiased opinion concerning this review. When a group is given a product for free or at a discount by a manufacturer and is asked to review them and or be the pilot for them, I'm allowed to question that scenario. This stuff happens ALL THE TIME, it's part of the business world, and includes very good people with high personal integrity. But it's just business, and the way the business world goes around, and that's it. If my personal savings and money is at stake on very pricey products, I'm allowed to wonder about the review.

TO ANYONE READING THIS: THIS IS NOT AN ATTACK ON STEVE'S PERSONAL INTEGRITY OR HONESTY. HE'S BEEN VERY HONEST ABOUT MANY PRICEY PRODUCTS HE'S PURCHASED IN THE PAST. TAKE THE FUEL SAFE FUEL CELL FOR EXAMPLE.

Asking is nonsensical.. if I'm dishonest enough to lie about a review then what the heck makes you think I'm going to tell you the truth now? So the point of asking is what? To put the thought out there?

Seriously, I thought we were over our little disagreement (at least I was) but this coupled with your complaints about your car being shown static (cause it broke) at the RTTC event makes me wonder.

If you don't think somthing is "worth it" then don't buy it.. simple.. and if you think what you are running is giving you the level of performance you're happy with then don't "upgrade". This really isn't rocket science.

In any event, thanks for taking this thread so far off course.. I hereby award you two internets...

[formula]

I stand by my comments about unbiased opinion concerning this review. When a group is given a product for free or at a discount by a manufacturer and is asked to review them and or be the pilot for them, I'm allowed to question that scenario. This stuff happens ALL THE TIME, it's part of the business world, and includes very good people with high personal integrity. But it's just business, and the way the business world goes around, and that's it. If my personal savings and money is at stake on very pricey products, I'm allowed to wonder about the review.

TO ANYONE READING THIS: THIS IS NOT AN ATTACK ON STEVE'S PERSONAL INTEGRITY OR HONESTY. HE'S BEEN VERY HONEST ABOUT MANY PRICEY PRODUCTS HE'S PURCHASED IN THE PAST. TAKE THE FUEL SAFE FUEL CELL FOR EXAMPLE.

Ok. We get it. Then again, someone who paid good money for a part will probably be just as biased for or against a part, since they're heavily invested personally in the product at that point. It's human nature--everyone has a series of contributing factors that helps them form their opinion that range from knowledge to personal taste to how they're feeling that day. Any review of anything ever is a person's opinion-- the only hard evidence we'll ever get is through numbers. It's great to know that you're smart enough to view the opinions of others with a grain of salt, but your continued reiteration is just making it look more like your original post had some sort of personal motivation, so it may be time to return to the subject at hand.

[Steve1968LS2]

Ok. We get it. Then again, someone who paid good money for a part will probably be just as biased for or against a part, since they're heavily invested personally in the product at that point. It's human nature--everyone has a series of contributing factors that helps them form their opinion that range from knowledge to personal taste to how they're feeling that day. Any review of anything ever is a person's opinion-- the only hard evidence we'll ever get is through numbers. It's great to know that you're smart enough to view the opinions of others with a grain of salt, but your continued reiteration is just making it look more like your original post had some sort of personal motivation, so it may be time to return to the subject at hand.

Thanks, again that was insightful..

It's like wondering if the guy that works at Holley is honest when he says the carb he got at an employee discount rocks.

We try to test our parts where we can.. we will test these but like all tests you need to take the results for what they are.