can't believe a performance shop ordered and sold me a tornado

[XavierYZ]

Well guys, if you saw my other post you would know I just got my 02 grand am GT last week and I am new to the mod community

I took it into a performance shop in town and had the tinting done on it. While I was in there I was talking about getting a K&N filter which they put in for me, They also suggested this tornado, and said that it gives you better combustion and increases gas mileage along with performance. Well I took his word for it and ordered it in, Today I picked it up, installed it and came here and searched the forums and found this world of information regarding this POS.

I am so angry at myself for taking his world (being the manager of a peformance shop that caters to the mod world) and also for not doing my own research before I bought it, which I normally do.

however, I think I am going to take it out tomorrow and return to the shop and let him know what I think of the product after reading horrible reviews on it.

Suprising how I ( a newbie in when it comes to car mods) was sold this POS from a guy that could have had alot of my business in the future. I was considering ordering my ram air hood this place but now I just don't think I can trust anything they recommend.

Sorry for the long rant gonna shut up now

[Matt95GT]

Let me guess, this "performance shop" stocks mostly stereos, neons and colored bulbs, strut tower braces, and intakes?

[XavierYZ]

well from what I saw, they had all of the above, there cataloug says it a keystone automotive operations production.

They have access to alot of stuff. intakes, exhausts, nitrous systems, suspension, body kits, gauges

the store is called Final Lap

I've just got my 02 GAAT and looking to learn alot about diy stuff, its too bad I had this experience, but I will be sure to read up here, before my next purchase.

[MantaGreen97]

Yeah this thing is getting a lot of marketing/publicity in Canada in the last little while it seems. I've seen it with big displays at various auto parts stores, along with big claims about mileage increases, etc.

I think the company must have just started putting money into marketing it here because I've never seen it prior to this in stores over here (though I've known about it for many years, from seeing it in US magazines, on the web, etc.).

I remember that it was mainly some weird front for some crazy religious (Christian) thing; but seems they aren't focusing so much on that anymore, lol...

[matts]

naw.......they just know americans are smarter than to spend their money :lol:














j/k kidding guys :P. we've all bought stupid stuff before. it happens to everyone at one point or another.

i never takes anyones word at a place like that. i always look for an unbiased opinion. for instance my mom is looking at buying a new vehicle. we were at a ford dealer looking at a truck and the salesman was downing chevy/dodge saying the ford was a better truck......and my mom was buying it. when we left she said she didn't know all that bad stuff about chevy/dodge. i told her to consider the source and that if you go to one of the other dealers they'll be downing the other 2 places.

just do your research next time. im not sure how much those things are north of the border, but around in my area they're about $70 for one.

[Dargasonus]

preformance parts sellers are a bit like used car salesmen

[XavierYZ]

Well, if they end up returning my money, and I do continue buying from them, I will be sure to do my own research and make sure I know what I am buying before, It really surprised me that a guy trying to stay in business would recommend something as shitty as the tornado.

making 70 dollars 1 time is not better then making 50 here and 50 there from an ongoing customer.

[Dargasonus]

yeah definately, a car repair shop tried to rip me off once. i told lets see...EVERYONE i know, and the shop was out of business in a few months.

spread the word on deadbeat shops

[Themeneea]

was the store performace improvments?

[car audio dave]

honestly, the guy is a salesman. he was doing his job, and a good job at that, you bought what he was trying to sell. youve gotta remember that even though you might be a loyal customer, most people would not come back again, so a good salesman takes advantage of you while he can, not wait for you to maybe come back.

do you really think they can get the ram air hood? chances are that they cant. maybe for more popular models, but ive never seen a performance shop that can order body parts for grand ams (except for the andys kit). usually if you ask them what they can order for a GA theyll start off by rolling on the floor laughing, then get up and say "dont think anyone makes anything for that car."

just stick to the forums to find places to order stuff. those shops will rip you off and limit you to the few brands that they have access to.

[matts]

well said

[tenspeed]

How about Slick 50? Anyone remember that stuff? $50 a quart and it coated your engine with teflon. Paul Harvey sold it on the radio.

The stuff didn't do squat. A good oil filter removed all the teflon particles before they could get to the cylindar walls.

I have heard that the Tornado works best with an electric turbo/supercharger.

[Big Joe]

Originally posted by tenspeed


I have heard that the Tornado works best with an electric turbo/supercharger.


:lol:

[Matt95GT]

Originally posted by Dargasonus
preformance parts sellers are a bit like used car salesmen

It's not just the "salesmen"... it's the worthless junk they sell in the first place. The salesmen are just in it to make a buck, they don't care what they sell. I shall continue below...

Originally posted by XavierYZ
They have access to alot of stuff. intakes, exhausts, nitrous systems, suspension, body kits, gauges


That's not "alot" of performance stuff. That's a dime-a-dozen "Fast and Furious performance shop." Aside from some of the stereo equipment they sell, all of those parts are also available on order from PepBoys, AutoZone and the like, often for cheaper prices then these so-called "performance shops" offer.

I got a catalog from a couple local places like that... it was a bit discouraging seeing how most of the parts don't offer much in the way of performance. If one purchased 1 of everything in the catalog they still wouldn't have a fast car, but maybe 15-20 HP at the most... but with neons, body kits, low-quality coilovers, etc. Sad to see this is why "tuners" and "ricers" are virtually the same thing.

A real performance shop usually doesn't get involved with stocking those such items... instead they have garage bays, fabrication equipment, machine shop, a dyno and wideband, and people that know how to make use of them.

[Dargasonus]

Originally posted by Matt95GT
It's not just the "salesmen"... it's the worthless junk they sell in the first place. The salesmen are just in it to make a buck, they don't care what they sell. I shall continue below...

yeah, you just said the exact same thing i said with diffrent wording...

[voyager]

i was in autozone buying a crankcase seal last week and this kid was talking his dad into getting him a tornado. i didn't have the heart to tell them the low down on it. the sales guy talked it up a little but they already had their mind made up before they asked about it. i thought it would be pretty rude to jip the shop i was trying to get parts from out of $60 while standing at the counter..

.. but ever since they bought it, i've felt stoopid for not telling them what a waste it was. for the same $60 the kid could have gotten a cheap WAI and actually seen a 1-3hp gain instead of an intake restriction & probably less hp than he had to begin with.

"performance shop" LMAO - we've got a huge store like that. i went there once to buy lugnuts. they tried to sell me other stuff and i laughed at them - "you don't have anything for me here" i said "i drive a beretta. anything that goes on my car is pretty much custom made." and i don't need seatbelt neons, indiglo wire loom or strobes for my HVAC knobs, thank you very much. lol that place is freaky.

[XavierYZ]

I went in tonight to get my refund, they wouldn't give me a refund but ended up getting a store credit. Which is better then nothing

he said he couldn't give me a refund because he has had such great success with it and that he can't send it back to the company, I told him to do some research online.

He still believed it was a great product, and he said he was sorry it didn't work out.

Got my store credit I guess I can always buy some neons :P

[matts]

:lol: why would he want to send it back to the company? if he has such great success out of them im sure he can put it back on the shelf and sell it to some other chump.

i hate in store credit. i gave you cash......i want cash back. i've just been burnt on in store credit. some dude gave me $300 in instore credit. he told me he would order me a screen for the GA. i went in and checked every other week waiting for it to come in. it never came in and the shop shut down before i got my money.

[SilverGA2001]

Originally posted by XavierYZ
I went in tonight to get my refund, they wouldn't give me a refund but ended up getting a store credit. Which is better then nothing

he said he couldn't give me a refund because he has had such great success with it and that he can't send it back to the company, I told him to do some research online.

He still believed it was a great product, and he said he was sorry it didn't work out.

Got my store credit I guess I can always buy some neons :P


I wouldn't have left until I had cash in hand.

[Pte Socks]

Well the best advice I can give is this, research like your life depends on it, and dont expect great stuff if you buy it online. Of the things ive bought online, either through members or ebay and the such, only half of it works like it should. My alarm/car starter doesnt fully work, ive bought 2 jet modules and one was the wrong one and the other never worked, the stuff I bought from my laptop HAS worked however. All in all, make sure you do more and more research. Its always buyer beware. Also, I just noticed this guy is from ontario. Well as a recent resident here, ive learned a few things. I keep hearing about a shop called "Pipes" in Toronto that does really good work and can get you goo stuff. You might want to check out a site "grandsontario.com" and look there, just for a more local advice. I also am posted to Borden and so, is somewhat close by, just a FYI.

[quadkid]

One of the the guys over at ChevyTruckWorld actually ran dyno tests with the tornado with a 5.7L at Wyotech when he was a student. Their tests actually showed a loss of 2 or 3 hp at the wheels.

[Pte Socks]

well put it this way, the tornado is supposed to work by making the air into a vortex, but that all happens before the MAF which has a screen to straighten out the air, go figure.

[SilverGA2001]

Originally posted by quadkid
One of the the guys over at ChevyTruckWorld actually ran dyno tests with the tornado with a 5.7L at Wyotech when he was a student. Their tests actually showed a loss of 2 or 3 hp at the wheels.

After Katrina spiked the gas prices, and everyone went insane, Popular Mechanics magazine tested the Tornado, along with all the other "miracle" products. Their dyno results showed about the same thing, a loss of a few hp.

[Dargasonus]

A guy I work with is CONVINCED tornado's are good
every day he's like 'i still don't believe you, they are suppose to be the best'

[voyager]

10.000 screaming ebay auctions can't be wrong.

[tenspeed]

Originally posted by SilverGA2001
Popular Mechanics magazine tested the Tornado, along with all the other "miracle" products. Their dyno results showed about the same thing, a loss of a few hp.

There was a post about this. One of the products started an engine fire.

If anything that cheap crap worked, it would have been standard equipment years ago. High MPG's sells cars.

[matts]

Originally posted by Dargasonus
A guy I work with is CONVINCED tornado's are good
every day he's like 'i still don't believe you, they are suppose to be the best'

tell him i've got a nice summer home in the upper Yukon territory to sell him.......stays in the upper 90s all year long

OR

i've got some excellent ocean front property in Arizona to sell him. he can walk out his front door into the sand......i swear

[Dargasonus]

:rofl:

[ChevelleSSLS6]

Originally posted by matts
for instance my mom is looking at buying a new vehicle. we were at a ford dealer looking at a truck and the salesman was downing chevy/dodge saying the ford was a better truck.

The Ford/GM/Mopar salesguys should put the dissin on the jap trucks. Sure they're assembled here, but where are the components made? At least GM/Ford/Mopar is (mostly) American/Canadian.

[DontPassTheFence]

Originally posted by matts
i've got some excellent ocean front property in Arizona to sell him. he can walk out his front door into the sand......i swear

Ive got one of those!!! My beach-front AZ property is valued at nearly
400,000.....
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Pennies!

[DCRabbit]

CFB Borden?? Now way... I grew up there. Home! Mind you, it's changed a lot since I moved from there in '90. Man, I miss it every day...

[DCRabbit]

Bah, that was suppsoed to be to Pte. Socks.. and it didn't quote. Also, should have been a PM and now I can't delete it.